Reading Copy

It’s near the end of the last work day of 2006 here in the AbeBooks offices, so it’s time to call it a day.

We’ll see you all next week (year). Have a safe and happy New Year’s everyone.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Coming soon to some New York libraries and bookstores — a print-on-demand book vending machine. A company called Espresso has been working on the machine for several years and it

“…can print, align, mill, glue and bind two books simultaneously in less than seven minutes, including full-color laminated covers. It prints in any language and will even accommodate right-to-left texts by putting the spine on the right. The upper page limit is 550 pages…”

Sounds interesting. Would you buy from such a machine? If you have a store would you allow a machine in?

Popularity: 9% [?]

An article over at Wired talks about using robots to get books at Chicago State Library.

Popularity: 9% [?]

We’re back at it after having a couple days away from the blog. Hope everyone had a great holiday and got all the books they asked for. And if not, now is the perfect time to do that “I-didn’t-get-what-I-wanted” shopping.

I received the recently released Abandon the Old in Tokyo by Yoshihiro Tatsumi. Looks like a great collection from this Japanese manga master, I can’t wait to dive into the stark drawings.

What books did you get?

Popularity: 14% [?]

If your singing along at home this is the point where you really wish you had never started singing this song in the first place, your eggnog is long gone, you notice the cookie tray you were eyeing up at “Seven Swans a swimming” is now mostly crumbs, everyone is off tempo and you really wish you had gotten someone in your family the following book to help keep the rhythm….

Buddy Rich’s Modern Interpretation of Snare Drum Rudiments by Buddy Rich & Henry Adler

Learn the rudiments from Buddy Rich, arguably better than any 12 drummers you can name. Written in 1942, this is a classic drumming guide. Happy Holidays from everyone at AbeBooks!

Popularity: 14% [?]

The gift of music, hire a band for the love of your life. Or better still, forget kilted Scotsmen.  These here are REAL pipers piping.

The Manual of Modern Plumbing by S.B. Sterbrock

This 1907 illustrated guide demonstrates turn of the century plumbing techniques including roofs, gutters, cesspools, etc.

Popularity: 10% [?]

So the next Harry Potter will be called Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I have been told that Hallows could be:

A - the parts of the hare given to the hounds as a reward or encouragement after a successful chase;

or

B - Holy Night.

Popularity: 8% [?]

What has always bothered me about 10 lords a leaping is what kind of self respecting lord would leap about.  That’s why I think this is a much better option.

A Treatise on the Cavalry and Saddle Horse: With remarks on Pacing and Leaping by G. Orr

Lordship and knighthood are often associated with horsemanship. This 1803 treatise on horsemanship could come in very handy.

Popularity: 9% [?]

The Book Design Review has listed its favourite book covers for 2006.

What’s your favourite cover design of 2006?

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Aside the on-going Judith Regan controversy, the number of book-related stories have dried up this week. Therefore The Guardian turns to the top 10 books about smells. Odd that The Scented Palace wasn’t featured.

Popularity: 8% [?]

Better than nine dancers dancing, teach your love 12 wacky dances from the 1800s! Note:The Dept. of Wacky Dances is a sub section of the Ministry of Silly Walks.

Starr Wood’s Dances You Have Never Seen

A group of 12 comic dances circa 1890, each one is described with a full page color illustration of a scantily clad Art Nouveau lady with a crazy costume.

Popularity: 10% [?]

Our colleagues at BookFinder.com have released their annual list of the most wanted out-of-print books. Once again, it seems that Madonna’s Sex is in great demand. Why doesn’t someone reissue this book?

Popularity: 9% [?]

Our friends at Librarything.com have a high profile admirer.

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On the eighth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, eight maids a milking… The advent of automated milking machinery has made the milk maid somewhat redundant over the years.  However thanks to the preservation of literature, it will never be a completely lost art.

The Complete Servant Maid; or Young Woman’s Best Companion by Anne Barker

This 1792 booklet printed for young servant maids contains full, plain, and easy directions for qualifying them for service in general. The section devoted to the work of the dairymaid includes instruction on making butter and various cheeses.

Popularity: 10% [?]

I just can’t bring myself to do karaoke but at least I can read. The Independent reports there are millions of Britons with literacy problems when they step up the microphone.

Popularity: 8% [?]