Peter O’Brien in Foxboro, Massachusetts
The Boston Edison Company
owned and operated the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station on the shores
of Plymouth Bay, not far from The Rock, in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
I had worked for Edison for several years in various operating/construction
jobs when they assigned me to Pilgrim to supervise the construction of a second
nuclear plant. And then occurred the Three Mile Island incident in 1979 that
killed all new nuclear power construction. I stayed on at the plant, as construction
manager, to implement the many changes and upgrades following the Three Mile
Island incident. My work at Pilgrim lasted about 10 years and then I built
state-of-the-art high voltage facilities in downtown Boston.
When I retired in 1994, I began to dispose of my 40-year
collection of nautical books. At about the same time,
one of my six kids gave me his old computer and said “Dad, get on the Internet”.
I soon discovered Abebooks and the opportunity to become
an online book dealer. I can still remember the first
several checks I received in 1998 and how I stared
at them, awestruck that someone far, far away, was
sending me money for one of my books which, frankly,
I hated to part with.
From those early days six years ago, when I focused only on nautical books,
I have broadened my inventory and now; I guess, I am a generalist and I am
no longer emotionally involved with my original stock of personal nautical
books which, thankfully, are nearly gone.
As all of life is filled with coincidences, I recall that the wife of a friend
of mine at the Nuclear Plant, Ralph Titcomb, had opened a bookshop in Sandwich,
Massachusetts, and he often spoke of the great fun they had running it. I never
dreamt that one day, Titcomb’s Bookshop would be a valued Abebooks’ colleague
and a kind advisor.
My Abebooks experience has enriched my retirement way beyond what I ever
anticipated. I never planned to be a bookseller and now; having met the most
interesting, and supportive customers and colleagues in this exciting world-wide
enterprise, I regret that I didn’t get into it long before I retired.
My store is on my kitchen table and it is open 24/7/365. It never ceases to
fascinate me.
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