trevormcpherson.info » Books

In Defense of the Used Book Store

trev — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 21:19:16 +0000

What sets the used bookstore apart is it’s respect for browsing. Proprietors and curators of abandoned and previously loved books understand that used books are like cookies – you can’t have just one. Staff have never asked me if I was looking for the best sellers, or recommended the latest self help book. No, the curators of abandoned books offer a gracious “Hello, how are you? Let me know if you need help,” and return to stocking shelves.

While chain store and mega-mart bookstores make their dollars on a limited selection of best sellers, and count on hit and run buyers to fill the till, the used bookstore makes money buy the armful. The armful of books purchased by people like me, that is. “Oh, this one was only three bucks. Might as well grab this one, and look – all the words in the title of that one start with the letter ‘G’….wonder if it’s any good? Oh, what the hell.”

I spend $30-$50 a month at the used bookstore near my office, and I’m not the only one wandering around with my arms full. Do I buy new books? Yes, but not before I test drive the author at the library or a used book store. Some publishers and authors may cry foul that they lose sales and royalties through used bookstores. Do they understand they are also gaining readers? If I was a publisher, I would consider financing my own used bookstores. Without the opportunity to gamble three bucks in a used bookstore, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, J.G. Ballard, John Scalzi, or Robert J. Sawyer would not have sold me new books.

The used bookstore is a much needed antidote to marketing hype, ingrained purchase habits, and stalker like salesmanship. Plus, any business model that enables whimsy, curiousity, a heart browse, and recycling is OK by me.

READ THIS BOOK !!

trev — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:26:20 +0000

The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch.

Thieving priests, sorcery, sword fights, secret police…all going about their business in a city made of glass by alliens. I ask you, what more could you want? Oh yeah – there is also alchemy. Can’t forget the alchemy….

Rich in detail without being cluttered. Complexity without confusion. Pacing that leaves you breathless, but not exhausted.

Start it Saturday afternoon, read all weekend and call in sick Monday to finish it off.

Technorati Tags: Books, Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch

Things I like Today 09/09/08

trev — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 15:29:28 +0000

Anathem, By Neal Stephenson- The Long Now

SOOOOO JEALOUS!!!!
Oh, to be in ‘Frisco tonight.

Sent from BlueOrganizer

Google Patent for Water-Based Data Center

So, a ship based data center could operate in international waters….legal implications, anyone?!?

Sent from BlueOrganizer

The Amazon Kindle Killer: Plastic Logic Reader Looks Like Kindle Killer

Perfect for the coffee shop and it’s free wi-fi. I’d never leave home without it.

Sent from BlueOrganizer

Technorati Tags: data center, google, kindle, neal stephenson, wi-fi

Things I Like Today August 5, 2008

trev — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:07:50 +0000

CITY AT THE END OF TIME

Check out the slideshow. looking forward to this, as I am ever so fond of novels that consider time to be a flexible, subjective medium.

E-Textile Pants Identify Fall-Prone Elderly

Gee….I neve thought granny would go cyborg before I did.
PhysOrg.com: (PhysOrg.com) — A pair of pants may help determine if elderly individuals have a high risk of slipping and falling by sensing fluctuations in their walking gait.

Invention: Exoskeleton for grannies – tech – 04 August 2008 – New Scientist Tech

More on SuperGranny:
This week’s new patents include a robotic sleeve to boost the strength of ageing arms, a way to make new hair follicles grow on bald scalps, and a colour