diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
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+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+node_modules
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
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+++ b/README.md
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+# bookrc
+
+automatically load book logging configuration from your environment or valid bookrc.js files.
+
+bookrc allows you to configure your book logging in one place for your project. It follows a simple lookup pattern and returns either your `bookrc.js` file or the default `book` module.
+
+## use
+
+Lets say we have application code which wants to do some logging and we want the logging to be sent to various locations and processed through the book middleware stack.
+
+In the root of our app, we would create a `bookrc.js` file which can setup additional middleware and logging features.
+
+```javascript
+var log = require('book').default();
+var raven = require('book-raven');
+
+// we want to add a .commit field to our log entry with the git commit hash
+log.use(git(__dirname));
+
+// we want to log errors to raven
+log.use(raven(process.env.SENTRY_DSN));
+
+// now we just expose the logging object
+module.exports = log;
+```
+
+Now we just `require('bookrc')` and use it like we used `book` before. Except now our logs will run through our middleware stack and be tagged with our commit id and send to sentry for alerting.
+
+Our app code does not have to change much at all. Simply update `require('book')` to `require('bookrc')` and you are set.
+
+```javascript
+// instead of require('book'), use require('bookrc');
+var log = require('bookrc');
+
+// now you can just log as before, no other changes
+log.info('foo');
+log.error('bar');
+```
+
+## install
+
+Bookrc does not depend on book and vice versa. You must install both to have logging functionality. Bookrc is simply a dynamic loader for the bookrc.js file in your project.
+
+```shell
+npm install bookrc
+npm install book
+```
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
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--- /dev/null
+++ b/index.js
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+// builtin
+var path = require('path');
+var fs = require('fs');
+
+// return a list of possible paths for bookrc.js files from `start`
+function bookrc_paths(start) {
+    var splitRe = process.platform === 'win32' ? /[\/\\]/ : /\/+/;
+    var parts = start.split(splitRe);
+
+    var dirs = [];
+    for (var i = parts.length - 1; i >= 0; i--) {
+        if (parts[i] === 'bookrc.js') {
+            continue;
+        }
+        var dir = path.join(
+            path.join.apply(path, parts.slice(0, i + 1)),
+            'bookrc.js'
+        );
+        if (!parts[0].match(/([A-Za-z]:)/)) {
+            dir = '/' + dir;
+        }
+        dirs.push(dir);
+    }
+    return dirs;
+}
+
+function use_bookrc() {
+    var bookrc = process.env.BOOK_RC;
+    return !(bookrc === 'false' || bookrc === '0')
+}
+
+// if bookrc loading is disabled
+// just return regular book module
+if (!use_bookrc()) {
+    module.exports = require('book');
+    return;
+}
+
+var bookrc_path = process.env.BOOK_RC;
+
+// just load the bookrc path user specified
+if (bookrc_path) {
+    module.exports = require(bookrc_path);
+    return;
+}
+
+// try to find a suitable bookrc
+var parent = module.parent;
+while (parent.parent) {
+    parent = parent.parent;
+}
+var start_path = parent.paths.shift();
+var paths = bookrc_paths(start_path);
+
+for (var i=0 ; i<paths.length ; ++i) {
+    var pth = paths[i];
+    if (!fs.existsSync(pth)) {
+        continue;
+    }
+
+    // load and return the bookrc
+    module.exports = require(pth);
+    return;
+}
+
+// if no bookrc, then just return book
+module.exports = require('book');
+
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
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+++ b/package.json
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+{
+  "name": "bookrc",
+  "version": "0.0.0",
+  "description": "automatic config loading for the book logging framework",
+  "main": "index.js",
+  "scripts": {
+    "test": "echo \"Error: no test specified\" && exit 1"
+  },
+  "repository": {
+    "type": "git",
+    "url": "git://github.com/shtylman/node-bookrc.git"
+  },
+  "keywords": [
+    "logging",
+    "book",
+    "log"
+  ],
+  "author": "Roman Shtylman <shtylman@gmail.com>",
+  "license": "MIT",
+  "readmeFilename": "README.md"
+}