She Treads Softly: used books

Tuesday, January 6, 2009

used books

I buy books new. I buy books used. I use libraries. I love books. I read a lot. Imagine my surprise to see that apparently there is a controversy swirling around the book blog community concerning buying used books.

Chris Meadows, from Teleread wrote on December 25th, "It seems there is a movement to require second-hand (or “used”) book stores to pay royalties on books they resell."

Molly at my cozy book nook was chastised on her own blog for buying used books.

Chris at Book-a-rama also had an interesting post about buying used books.

So, rather than supporting literacy and all the various ways people acquire their reading material (new, used, libraries) some authors and publishers want to somehow make sure they make money even on used books.

All I have to say is that if buying used books makes you a monster by all indications I should look outside my door and see the house surrounded by peasants with pitchforks and torches.

2 comments:

Pattie said...: Yep. Same here. It's all about profit, ultimately.; January 8, 2009 at 3:56 PM
samantha.1020 said...: I cannot believe anyone would have the right to look down on someone for buying used books...especially with how little most people read nowadays. Sad IMO!; January 11, 2009 at 6:33 PM

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John Updike's six rules for reviewing:

1. Try to understand what the author wished to do, and do not blame him for not achieving what he did not attempt.

2. Give him enough direct quotation--at least one extended passage--of the book's prose so the review's reader can form his own impression, can get his own taste.

3. Confirm your description of the book with quotation from the book, if only phrase-long, rather than proceeding by fuzzy precis.

4. Go easy on plot summary, and do not give away the ending.

5. If the book is judged deficient, cite a successful example along the same lines, from the author's oeuvre or elsewhere. Try to understand the failure. Sure it's his and not yours?

To these concrete five might be added a vaguer sixth, having to do with maintaining a chemical purity in the reaction between product and appraiser.....Review the book, not the reputation.... Better to praise and share than blame and ban. The communion between reviewer and his public is based upon the presumption of certain possible joys in reading, and all our discriminations should curve toward that end.