Amazon's acquisition of ABE continues to be a big topic of conversation among online booksellers. Dealers are still attempting to read the tea leaves and divine Amazon's ultimate intentions for ABE and its subsidiaries (Library Thing, Bookfinder, etc.). On the Bibliophile List, discussion of late has turned to the fates of previous Amazon acquisitions, specifically Bibliofind (an early competitor to ABE), and what these might tell us about Amazon's plans. During this recent back-and-forth, Marion Meyer of Marion Meyer Rare Book in East Hampton NY offered the following history of Amazon's buyout of Bibliofind - both in order to correct...
10 Reasons Not To Write Off Reading From A Screen
Michael Bhaskar over at The Digitalist has this level-headed post on the reasons why e-based reading is here to stay and why even bibliophiles don't need to freak-out about it:No one is saying that we will all run off any read all our books off a screen. Books are here to stay. Reading from one type of screen or another is not about to replace books, rather it is an addition to the varied climate to literature that already exists, a creative challenge, a commercial opportunity and new way for readers to enjoy texts.
Ray Bradbury Hawks Prunes
Odd but swank 60's-era ad for prunes featuring sci-fi great Ray Bradbury (!?):
Digital Revisionism
I found this gem while researching a recent acquisition.This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literatureForget the fact that the book in...
An Illuminating Visit to a New "Concept Borders" Store
Paul Constant, the book editor of the Stranger, got a tour of the new "Concept Borders" store in Seattle and shares his thoughts in his piece "The Future is Behind us Now."Constant uses a simple litmus test to determine the quality of a bookstore. If it stocks any novels by Stanley Elkin then " it's a sign of all-around quality" and is a place he would happily spend some time. There was no Elkin to be had at the new "Concept Borders" store. Strike one.During his visit to this new "behemoth temple to commerce" Constant was escorted by Tim Anderson,...