Tolkien's World

This book is for those who have come to love Tolkien's world and want to know more about it and how it came into being. 'Love' is not too strong a word, for with The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings the late J. R. R. Tolkien created an imaginary world so compelling, so real, that hundreds of thousands of people have entered it not just once but several times. Why are the books so appealing, even necessary, to so many people? What is there about them that goes deeper than mere adventure narrative? What are their roots?