some more than others.
I am not sure what is so surprising about this fact. I guess for some, the idea that people use books is new. For others, perhaps it is the concept that people by something that is not new that elicits awe. I aparently do not remember the time when I was not familiar with such concepts.
You emailed me a list ....
of the books you had for sale.
I took my time, went through the whole list, gave you a list back of the authors I was interested in depending on condition.
Since condition is relative, I gave a few guidelines ... are the spines creased etc.
I also asked more questions like .... this author only wrote 8 novels and you say you have 23, can you tell me if there are duplicates.
I was told the books were in good condition ... no details .... none of the other questions answered, but you have an additional question of your own ....
Well how many book will you buy if they are in good condition.
I count based on the list you have provided and say it could be as many as 200, depending on condition and duplicates.
Of course you are disappointed when I only choose 98 of your trashed paperbacks (all spines creased, some with loose pages, many duplicates.) But truthfully, so am I.
I am not a great communicator.
I took my time, went through the whole list, gave you a list back of the authors I was interested in depending on condition.
Since condition is relative, I gave a few guidelines ... are the spines creased etc.
I also asked more questions like .... this author only wrote 8 novels and you say you have 23, can you tell me if there are duplicates.
I was told the books were in good condition ... no details .... none of the other questions answered, but you have an additional question of your own ....
Well how many book will you buy if they are in good condition.
I count based on the list you have provided and say it could be as many as 200, depending on condition and duplicates.
Of course you are disappointed when I only choose 98 of your trashed paperbacks (all spines creased, some with loose pages, many duplicates.) But truthfully, so am I.
I am not a great communicator.
reverse order
Thank you all for paying for your books in a 100, a 50 and a 20 dollar bill in that order. This way I cannot use the smaller one for change for the next amount up.
Are you seven?
"what is your favorite book of all time" and questions like that seem asinine to me. It is up there with what's your favorite color, or really any "favorite" questions. Do you think I have, as an adult, ranked the colors in order of my preference and then discriminate between them? Because that is how it seems to me. Because there is, of course, only a narrow band of merit and it is so easy to make a distinction between things as my all time favorite. Surely if I was stranded on a desert island there is a favorite food I could pick to eat for the rest of my life, just like I would love it if everything was the same color. Books too are very superficial things that are easily categorized and have no complexity so they are so very "good or bad"in their nature.
Then of course when I bowed out of answering the question your answer is "Winnie the Pooh." Please, am I crazy in thinking that we are supposed to enjoy the rich tapestry of life, the differences and the blending of things? That we are supposed to grow and become more complicated in our tastes and not rank things in a linear best to worst hierarchy. Right? Really, I do not have a favorite number, favorite color, favorite Beatle or really a favorite anything. Would you like to know why? Because (despite my complaint of you) i enjoy many things and aspects of things. I can see merit in many things and I do not need to look at the world through the eyes of a child when I am no a child.
PS, a lot of the families that come in here suck.
or maybe seven fifty
Is it worth the seven bucks to wait for the guy who strolls in at 6:57? Should I just close at 6:50 every night?
Leaving well enough alone ....
I hate change.
One example:
Amazon changed the look of their web site. I have used the old site almost daily for three years. I am well trained in filtering out the immense amount of unnecessary information so as to hone directly in on what I need to know; list price, used price and genre. Apparently these are not the bits of information that designers or Amazon marketing specialists find important. List price now requires an extra 'click' and genre has been eliminated.
Perhaps another example:
I don't know yet because I am afraid to set change into motion.
I need to move from a web based credit card system to whatever it is called when you don't have to rely on internet connectivity to process cards. This is the kind of change that no matter what you do, no matter how you prepare, it will not go well.
One example:
Amazon changed the look of their web site. I have used the old site almost daily for three years. I am well trained in filtering out the immense amount of unnecessary information so as to hone directly in on what I need to know; list price, used price and genre. Apparently these are not the bits of information that designers or Amazon marketing specialists find important. List price now requires an extra 'click' and genre has been eliminated.
Perhaps another example:
I don't know yet because I am afraid to set change into motion.
I need to move from a web based credit card system to whatever it is called when you don't have to rely on internet connectivity to process cards. This is the kind of change that no matter what you do, no matter how you prepare, it will not go well.
I have never been in a book store before ....
I have probably never read a book ....
and I'm clueless about life in general.
(A customer points out the Dope and Smut shelf. Another customer takes interest and I am forced to have the following exchange)
I have a friend who is graduating with a degree in 17th century European sexual practices. Would you have any books about that?
We do have a History of Sex in the History section downstairs, but that is the only thing that comes to mind. I imagine if your friend has a degree on the subject he probably would want something specialized, not so general. But there may be something down there. The history is the only one that comes to mind.
I don't think that would be smutty enough. Do you think there is something up here?
I don't know, but you can take a look. I think that shelf is more 'how to' than scholarly.
(He wanders into the literature section.)
That section is Literature. The Dope and Smut is just this shelf.
(I walk to shelf because this guy clearly needs help. I need to repeat the above line twice before he comes over and shows a bit of understanding. I look over the shelf.)
Yes, these are mostly 'how to.'
Well, I guess I need to check the dates he was studying. (I don't think that will help any.)
(He looks at the stairs, but won't go down.)
Do you have anything special that can't be found on line?
I am pretty sure you can find anything we have somewhere on line. Some of what is on line is from here.
Well, I guess that is the goal now ... to carry stuff you can't get on line. I better check those dates.
(He finally leaves.)
Am I just not being compassionate enough toward the socially inept?
and I'm clueless about life in general.
(A customer points out the Dope and Smut shelf. Another customer takes interest and I am forced to have the following exchange)
I have a friend who is graduating with a degree in 17th century European sexual practices. Would you have any books about that?
We do have a History of Sex in the History section downstairs, but that is the only thing that comes to mind. I imagine if your friend has a degree on the subject he probably would want something specialized, not so general. But there may be something down there. The history is the only one that comes to mind.
I don't think that would be smutty enough. Do you think there is something up here?
I don't know, but you can take a look. I think that shelf is more 'how to' than scholarly.
(He wanders into the literature section.)
That section is Literature. The Dope and Smut is just this shelf.
(I walk to shelf because this guy clearly needs help. I need to repeat the above line twice before he comes over and shows a bit of understanding. I look over the shelf.)
Yes, these are mostly 'how to.'
Well, I guess I need to check the dates he was studying. (I don't think that will help any.)
(He looks at the stairs, but won't go down.)
Do you have anything special that can't be found on line?
I am pretty sure you can find anything we have somewhere on line. Some of what is on line is from here.
Well, I guess that is the goal now ... to carry stuff you can't get on line. I better check those dates.
(He finally leaves.)
Am I just not being compassionate enough toward the socially inept?
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