No comments about Un editeur genevois: Gerald Cramer au fil de ses archives de 1942 a 1986.

1 comments about The Little Book of Hope.

1. I am not saying that I dont like this book. As a shortcut to the best of Schuller's powerful, positive quotes (I copied the phrase from the backcover), this book is great. However, it's just so short with only 61 pages of messages (normally one message for each page in size 16 or 18 Times New Roman font) that you think you should get more with the size and price of it.
   
   In short, I think those "standard" books of Schuller will satisfy readers more with the usual contextual setup. If you had not read Schuller's books before, this may not work for you in case you wanna get solid encouragement in the midst of life's disappointments. If you are a fan of Schuller and wanna buy a small gift for your friend, "Success is never ending" can be a better choice, which contains all quotes in this book except those god related ones.
   
   p.s. Below please find those quotes I like most for your ref.:-
   
   - You will never win if you never begin. Starting is half the battle.
   - When every other element is out of control, remember you can still manage your reaction.
   - Trouble is not always trouble! It is often God's way of making us lie down, turn around, sit still, pray, work harder, or start over again.
   - Talent is spelled W-O-R-K.
   - You must take the leap of faith to experience God's saving strength!
   - Happy are the believers, for they need never worry.
   - There will never be another now, so I'll make the most of today.. there will never be another me, so I'll make the most of myself.
   - Tough times never last, but tough people do!

1 comments about Autographs: A key to collecting.

1. "Autographs: A Key to Collecting" by Mary Benjamin, 1963, 345 pages. Written by the great female autograph dealer; I bought several items from her. Provides a historical summary of: collecting, terminology, evaluation in pricing a document, famous forgers, how to detect forgeries, confused identities, care and preservation, and two nice tables detailing the names of Napoleon's marshals and family members. Needed by anyone thinking about investing money into buying autographs.

3 comments about Instant Expert: Science Fiction (Instant Expert (National Book Network)).

1. First of all, I have a problem with the notion of becoming an "instant expert" in *any* field, merely by reading a single, rather slender book. And, since this volume is tall and narrow (presumably to fit in one's inside coat pocket), its 136 pages really equal only about 70 pages -- less than that if you discount the large amount of space consumed by b/w reproductions of color book covers, which don't add much value, either. Second of all, the opening chapter is devoted to cover art rather than the contents of the books, which seems odd. I personally own quite a few large-format volumes of the work of sf artists whom I admire, but I'm a reader first -- and some of the best novels have had terrible cover art, including those of Asimov and Le Guin, and the hardcover edition of Harlan Ellison's _Dangerous Visions._ Next, the author's list of "15 top collectible authors" does not include founders of the genre like Hugo Gernsback, but does include folks like Joe Lansdale. My inherited copy of _Ralph 124C41+_ had a lot to do with my discovery of science fiction as a kid, and I expect other old-timers could say the same -- and while I like Joe's stuff, his popularity is based primarily on his Elmore-Leonard-like East Texas crime novels, not on his small early output of science fiction. Then Lovisi refers to "about a thousand other fine writers who are also very collectible," with the implication that collecting should be a function of market value, not of one's personal fannish interests -- an attitude with which most serious book collectors would strongly disagree. The author does have some useful things to say about the budgeting of one's collection purchases, and about standards of condition, and he provides a short list of terminology, but these apply to collecting in *any* field. I already know all those things; I picked up this book to see what it had to say about collecting science fiction and fantasy specifically. The most useful section of the book -- it takes up more than one-third of it -- is the "Brief History of Collecting Paperback SF/F/H," which gives a very good overview of a highly idiosyncratic field. (Hence, the two stars.) Throughout the book, Lovisi seems to equate "science fiction" with "paperback" (not even "original paperback"), but nowhere on the cover or the back copy is this limitation specified -- even though authors like Lovecraft and Leinster are far more valuable in hardcover. Finally, the author's quoted market prices are way off the mark: He claims a price of $165, for instance, for _Neuromancer_ but a quick online check shows several fine paperbacks for half that, while the first hardcover edition goes for $1,000 and up. Maybe we could get someone like Barry Levin to write a *proper* book on collecting science fiction. . . .



2. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in collecting sci-fi books. The author does a good job of summarizing the history of science fiction, notable titles, publishers, authors, and illustrators. If you're new to book collecting, the book tells you how to start a collection, how to grade a book's condition, or determine if a book is "collectible." The author focuses mostly on collecting paperback editions. While the book does give a few prices on some select books, this is not a "pricing guide" (a book that lists titles and gives their prices). My only negative comment is that the book is a little pricey given it's size.



3. The prices in it are not realistic but the book will help you understand the relative value of some old scifi books. If you collect I would recommend it. It is a shame that it didn't cover pulps and magazines. That is another very interesting area. ...

No comments about Trafficking in Old Books.

No comments about Afrikanische Handschriften (Verzeichnis der orientalischen Handschriften in Deutschland).

No comments about A Genius for Letters (Publishing Pathways).

5 comments about Sixpence House.

1. Paul Collins chronicles his life, in wry prose, creating a narrative fully worthy of any erstwhilely, earthbound Arthur Dent.



2. I began with "The Trouble with Tom" and then had to get everything that Paul Collins has written.
   
   Follow this writer; he has wonderful things coming; I am certain of it. "Sixpence House" is charming, honest, intelligent writing; it's on my re-read-often list.



3. 
   This is an autobiographical account of an extended visit to a town with lots of bookstores in Wales. The mountains of books and the abundant book trivia make this book interesting. And it is enlightening to see an American's view of the town. However, I felt that I was taking up too much space in the Collins' home and I was embarrassed to be eavesdropping on their everyday activities.



4. To me, none of these "stranger-in-a-strange-land" books ever comes close to Peter Maybe but I love them all to a degree and never tire of them. This book tended to be a bit disjointed and rambling but I forgave it because it was, literally, laugh-out-loud funny. It's like a friend who starts out to tell you a certain story, gets distracted at many points, but everything is he says is either so witty or original you don't care. One of the very best parts, for instance, was how Collins breaks down exactly how you CAN tell a modern book by its cover. He's be a great columnist in the vein of "The Polysyllabic Spree" by Nick Hornby.



5. Paul and his wife and young son decide to leave their San Francisco home and move to a small town in the countryside of Wales called Hay. This town specializes in selling books- mostly really, really old books. The books are sold if they are valuable- if not, they are gradually priced lower and lower, given away free with the purchase of any other book, or finally burned in huge bonfires that rain bits of other peoples' thoughts on the town's inhabitants. This book is not just about the town, it is also about the humor of the family's adjustment to life in Britain, the hopes of a new writer, and the struggles of a young couple to buy their own home.
   
   Quote: "To look for a specific book in Hay is a hopeless task; you can only find the books that are looking for you."
   
   I thought this was a fabulous book. It is half a book about Paul's life and half a book about books, so the author references this or that interesting work he has stumbled across in the town of books (not that I need to be adding anything else to my to-read list at this point, but that's okay). The author is very entertaining, particularly because he is working on getting a book published and on the shelves (Barnvard's Folly) while writing this book and while surrounded by this graveyard for books. I am also entertained by the fact that each chapter is given a persona which is reflected in the title (such as "Chapter Fifteen Beholds the LORD").

No comments about Hound of the Baskervilles Minibook.

No comments about The Carlsberg Papyri 2: Hieratische Papri Aus Tebtunis, I (Cni Publications).