Books

Rob Keeble

Member
Messages
12,633
Location
GTA Ontario Canada
I dunno why but i like books. :) Especially woodworking books. But i am cheap and try pay as little as possible when buying books. I dont mind if they old many old books have better info in than new ones in my view.

So here is a site that i thought i would share for books.

http://books.products.half.ebay.com/Woodwork-Crafts-Hobbies_W0QQ_trksidZp3031QQcZ4QQcatZ218663

Ryan got me thinking to post this site when he suggested a couple of books worth taking a look at on our cooking forum. Well i purchased his recommendations (Thanks Ryan) and one only cost me $5.99 including shipping to my US depot in Michigan. :) The driver delivered them on Friday night. :D

This book was a $39 book hard cover that i picked up on Amazon. So a good collection of books need not cost a fortune. Of course one needs space and time to get through them but hey that is my retirement planning.

At some stage when i can no longer turn a screw driver well i will settle down with a book instead. Hope the eyes hold out :(

Bottom line there is a goldmine of great books out there for very little money all loaded with great info.
 
Don't forget library book sales as well.

Phoenix used to have one that was .. problematic for the bookaholic.. they would take over a large part of the fairgrounds, I'd push one cart in front of me and pull one behind and so help me I'd fill them both before I was done (and a couple times I recruited help). Did I really need that book on airframe design? No (and it was eventually donated to another library booksale) but by golly it was only $0.25 and kind of interesting.

On a related note libraries are also a great place to donate your surplus books but there are also other options...
I started a "leave a book take a book" bookcase at work a few years back that has been moderately successful. A few like minded folks and myself seeded the collection (only brought in maybe 4 large boxes myself so.. yeah.. I don't have a problem and I ain't fixing it) and posted a set of rough rules and let it roll.

Rules I used as a basic idea:
  • If you take a book, please Leave a book.
  • Books on the “local area” shelf shouldn’t leave the area. Please be cool and leave them here for others. (we had a lot of visitors so had put some local hiking/attraction books on one shelf)
  • If you are a visitor you can “take a book” without leaving one if you agree to start a similar program at your office.
  • This is on the honor system, please respect your fellow readers by not “spamming” the system with junk books and taking all of the good stuff.
  • Please enjoy your delicious book

From a completely different tact I also like to try to get as much of my $$ back to the author as possible when feasible as I realize how much of a cut the middle men take (I mean if I see something at a library booksale or half.com or.. I'm getting it, but if I'm looking to buy a specific book the rules may change).
  1. If you can buy directly from the author that's best
  2. A local store they distribute more directly to is next
  3. Finally the big box like amazon or B&N

The difference in the amount that makes it to the authors pocket can be roughly a order of magnitude more each step up the chain you go.
 
Thanks, Ryan. As an author, I appreciate your sentiment about getting something for the author. Example: book retailed for $20. I got 60 cents. Lesson learned: ya don't write books to make money. Fortunately, the book has been well received.
 
Carol i am hoping that the whole ebook revolution changes this situation.

But......my concerns are book quality.

I do agree what you got out of a book is abysmal.

But to be balanced a publisher has significant overheads in producing a book.
My concern arises when we have books published in the same way we have blogs and there are issues of knowledge being dispensed without any review for accuracy or other editorial contributions.

I have a friend who does editing of maths and science textbooks for schools and the editing checking and peer review give me certain comfort that these books at least have been looked over before being released.
Of course the looking over is not just for technical accuracy I am pretty sure for example the history books used in my youth were reviewed by some political and religous state appointees. :) So i dont pretend that the system is perfect.

As a matter of interest during the creation of your book was there any peer review of the technical accuracy of your writings other that specifically the grammar or english etc.




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We have a huge bookstore that sells remaindered book, in St. Catharines. I've bought many woodworking books there, as well as other types. I got Lathe Fundamentals which is the best book I have seen in terms of telling you things like how to hold and present the tool. Rob, the store is on Welland Ave, near the QEW, if you come by for a look.
 
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