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February 26, 2004

BOOKS IN THE NEWS

     I have a few book tidbits, carefully gathered from the vastness of the Internet.  I will attempt to synthesize them into some type of whole.  Or hole, if you prefer a place to be rid of it when we are done.

     From the Sunday New York Times comes an article about The da Vinci Code.  Yes, the "d" is lower case as it ought to be.  I have not read the book.  Yet.  The following quote from Laura Miller's article "the da Vinci Con" has given me pause: 

"Comparing themselves to the reporters who uncovered the Watergate scandal, the authors (of Holy Blood, Holy Grail) maintain that ''only by such synthesis can one discern the underlying continuity, the unified and coherent fabric, which lies at the core of any historical problem.'' To do so, one must realize that ''it is not sufficient to confine oneself exclusively to facts.''

According to Miller, Dan Brown has pulled much of his "non-fiction" from a book of pseudo history entitled Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baigent.  I have no problem with Brown's book playing with the history, that is what fiction does.  Anyone who knows me will concede (under great pressure) that I also find it occasionally insufficient to confine myself "exclusively to the facts."  Many people are delving into the idea of the lineage of Jesus Christ because of the book and they need to keep in mind Miller's wonderful description.  The studies in the field are "not so much factual as fact-ish."

     The following post was taken from the Amazon.com seller message boards.  I think Amazon had better tone down the tailored adds if they aren't going to pay more attention than this.  Unless the band actually sounds that bad.

I was just looking at this page for a CD by the band Morphine, when I came upon this:

Customers interested in Morphine may also be interested in:
Sponsored Links (What's this?) Feedback

     And finally, after a 30 year hiatus, Dick and Jane are back on shelves.  According to a USA Today report posted on Yahoo!, Pearson Publishing has reissued the Dick and Jane books.  Although many children learned to read in spite of these books published by the country's largest high stakes testing outfit, it will be of nostalgic value to millions.

Posted by Seth

February 24, 2004

OUR FIRST HOME STORE SALE

     Just a few notes today on the Cup O' Books empire and its current worldwide activities.  We made our first Home Store sale this afternoon.  At least, I hope it was a Home Store sale.  Tiger At The Bar by Chester Harris was sold through Amazon.com zShops.  This title was one of three listed at the Cup O' Books Home Store, so we are holding out some hope that this was a Home Store sale.  Although some acknowledge grumblingly that it may be a long shot.  Spirits are not dampened as eBay sales have been brisk, a few items having received multiple bids and selling for higher than expected.  Cup O' Books'  Amazon sales continue to shatter all the personal monthly and bi-weekly records set in 2003, our first year of business.  It may seem as though the excitement here has gone to our heads.  Not so.  Cup O' Books will continue to scour the library sales, garage sales, and thrift shops of Upstate New York to bring you the very best in used titles.  Maybe my next trip will net the title for which you have been looking.

Posted by Seth

February 22, 2004

BATTER UP!

     According to its website, The Cosmic Baseball Association (CBA) is "a game of the imagination".  As the ink dries on the A-rod deal and tickets are sold in Florida and Arizona, I thought I would introduce you to one of the best literary websites on the block.  Actually I introduced you all in November, but our circulation has skyrocketed to about a dozen readers per decade and the last intro was not much more than an oh-by-the-way kind of thing. 

     The CBA was founded in 1981 by a group of writers and artists who had a love of baseball, but were disturbed by the greed and commercialism of the game.  I think the latest Yankee signing would show them how much baseball has changed.  (Wink, wink).  The number of CBA teams and games played has grown, and now three leagues (the Over, Middle, and Under) have 52 active and non-active teams.  Each team is formed around a central idea.  For example the official favorite team of the Cup O' Books Organization is named the Eden Bohemians.  The Bohemians are made up of writers, poets, and playwrights.  For example, Ernest Hemingway played right field for the team during the 2003 season and has been a member of the team since 1998.  You can even check his stats.  On August 23, 1999, against the Telecity Superbas (a team of television actors and actress that has Joey Bishop at right field), "Papa" went 2 for 5 with one homerun and five RBIs.  If you visit the site, you will find that every one of these surreal games has a box score.  On a side note, the word "surreal" has suffered from overuse, but it is not a cliché in this context.  Each league has a team that wins the pennant.

     So how weird and cool does this get?  Well, let's have a look at some of the other teams.  To be a member of the Paintland Vermeers, one must be a Vermeer painting.  Another team, the Fictionals, is made up of fictional characters.  For example, the shortstop position is played by Godot and Harold Hill (The Music Man) is the catcher.  An interesting tidbit, the Fictionals have been locked in a perpetual game with The Biblicals (if you can't figure it out, I ain't tellin' you!) since 1999.  After 752 innings the score stood tied at 14 runs each.  While many games are played within the regular season, people can write in and request personal games.  One of my favorite personal games is Money versus Emotions.  The pitchers for the game were Silver Dollar and  Apathy.  Money won 8-5.

     The site is very tongue in cheek.  As one reads the history of the CBA, one wonders how much of it is really true.  Deadpan and outrageous, this site is a winner.  Check it out.  You have to see it to understand.

Posted by Seth

February 19, 2004

LOOKING FOR A GOOD BOOK

     I came across a great (although probably not original) idea for finding good books to read.  Jan's Nobel Project, is a weblog keeping track of the Nobel Prize winning authors that the blogger, Jan, has read.  Although books by these authors are probably not quick reads, the folks over at Nobel felt they were worth the effort.  My own association with the list is pathetic by any measure.  I have read works by Seamus Heaney (1995), Kenzaburo Oe (1994), Toni Morrison (1993), Octavio Paz (1990), William Golding (1983), Issac Singer (1978), Jean-Paul Sartre (1964), John Steinbeck (1962), Albert Camus (1957), Ernest Hemingway (1954), Winston Churchill (1953), William Faulkner (1949), T. S. Eliot (1948), Thomas Mann (1929), William Butler Yeats (1923), and Rudyard Kipling (1907).  There are a host of authors on the list that I am embarrassed to have never read, so I won't tell you who they are.  You will need to look for yourself.

     A bit of quick research turned up the following facts about the Nobel Prize for literature.  The prize has been given to 100 writers since 1901.  Prizes were not awarded in the years 1914, 1918, 1935, 1940, 1941, 1942, and 1943, and were given twice in the years 1904, 1917, 1966,and 1974.  Ninety one men and nine women have won the prize.  The first non-European to win the prize was India's Rabindranath Tagore in 1913.  Europeans have dominated the winner's circle hauling in seventy five prizes.  France has won the prize twelve times and Germany ten.  The breakdown by country can be found below.  I have posted some of the Nobel Prize authors I have in my inventory using the picture links above.  Since statistics were not found through a quick internet search, I did all the math myself.  Please note that these facts have not been checked by an auditor and are probably riddled with errors.

     France 12, Germany 10, Norway 3, Spain 5, Poland 4, Italy 6, Britain 7, Egypt 1, Sweden 7, Portugal 1, Belgium 1, India 1, China 1, Denmark 3, South Africa 2, St, Lucia 1, Mexico, 1, Czechoslovakia 1, Switzerland 1, Hungary, 1 Finland 1, Russia 6, America 8, Ireland 4, Chile 2, Iceland 1, Bosnia 1, Greece 2, Israel 1, Nigeria 1, Columbia 1, Bulgaria 1, Australia 1, Japan 1, Guatemala 1.

Posted by Seth

February 18, 2004

HOME STORE IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS

     Cup O' Books is pleased to announce the opening of it's Home Store.  The book selling giants are trembling in their... well, whatever it is they tremble in.  At the time of this writing we have only one book for sale, but take heed, more will follow.  Please keep in mind that we at Cup O' Books eschew any type of planned activity, so we make this up as we go.  As more products are added to the site, our format will inevitably change.  The books sold here are those not qualifying for a spot on the Amazon Marketplace, where most of our inventory can be found.  Each book may be purchased one of two ways.  The first is through PayPal.  Each page will contain a PayPal button, linked to a PayPal page where the buyer can enter his or her information to complete the transaction.  The other option will be to purchase through Amazon.com.  The Amazon.com button will take the buyer to the Amazon.com zShop product page where the transaction can be completed.  We do expect the Home Store inventory to wax, rather than wane for a while, as no one really knows about us yet.  But we will continue to beat the bushes and get the word out.

     In a related story, with the advent of the Home Store, Cup O' Books will be creating a new department.  The Department of Home Store Security will be formed to protect our inventory and the names and records of our patrons from the government's prying eyes.

     Have a safe and terror-free day!

Posted by Seth

February 17, 2004

KNOW THY ENEMY

     If you buy or sell books online, the Amazon Seller Discussion & Help Boards are a place you should visit now and again.  There is a wealth of information on the current news, trends, and rumors posted daily at  these message boards.  For an online book buyer, reading the boards provides an insider's view of the online book market.  Pull back the curtain and see what the Wizards are up to.

     Please note that any negative rumors found on the message boards about Cup O' Books or its subsidiaries should be immediately reported to our legal department.

     The five separate Amazon boards dispense a smorgasbord of wisdom, lies, insight, creativity, drivel, stupidity, and everything in between.  There is help for new sellers, listing management, shipping and returns, and the use of third party software.  It takes a lot of time to thoroughly look these boards over, so if you are a buyer, and want the inside skinny on what happens when you buy from a third party seller at Amazon, (or eBay, Albris.com, or the many other book selling websites, for that matter), my advise is to go straight to the Seller Soapbox. 

     If you have ever visited a major book or non-book  message board, you know that many, if not most of the people who "post", are missing the last few pages of their sanity manual.  You will find people who are lonely, angry, waaaayyyy too political, redundant, and just plain crazy.  Many of the posts rehash the same tired subjects.  Every third post will lament poor sales numbers, or bad feedback, or lost mail, or a host of other trivial, silly things.  If you become a frequent visitor, you will learn to avoid the less important posts, although they do provide occasional, reality TV-like amusement.  Many of those trivial, stupid, silly people are shaking their heads right now in agreement with me.  A few might make it to, "Hey, wait a minute...", but most won't.   Some of them may even have the gall to describe my post as trivial, stupid, and silly.

     Among the dung heap of nonsense are a few real jewels.  Since starting my online sales a year ago, I have learned much from some of the veteran sellers who are kind enough and brave enough to venture into this den of insipidity to help out the "newbies".  I say kind enough, because selling books online is a time consuming activity, if done well, and these sellers are giving up precious time to help out potential competitors.  Some of these seller Samaritans are so good that new and old sellers often bypass Amazon help pages and go right to the message boards for help.  My own belief is that Amazon planned for this to happen and thereby lower customer service costs.  In addition to helping the new sellers, the Seller Soapbox is an excellent way to keep up with happenings in the book selling world.  A few months ago, Donald Trump's 1987 book The Art of the Deal was available at Amazon for pennies, literally.  When poking through the shelves at the local thrift shop or garage sale, I and many other sellers would avoid picking this book up.  With the debut of Mr. Trump's new show those lower priced books began to disappear.  Then, a few weeks ago, a seller posted that the price of the book was rising.  Thanks to that seller, I was able to pick up a few copies and sell them quickly.  The same thing happened last summer with Doyle Brunson's hefty tome Super System, which teaches Power Poker.  As the World Tour of Poker became popular on television, this book started to sell quickly.  A post from a fellow book seller allowed many to make quick sales. 

     Many buyers complain about the time it takes for books to arrive by mail.  Fifteen minutes spent looking at posts about shipping will provide a great overview of the ins and outs of book shipments.  When buyers pick a shipping option, they very often choose the default media mail without ever understanding the associated shipping times.  Many buyers (and sellers) are unhappy when they find that a seller has shipped the book for much less than they paid.  A trip to the boards gives a quick lesson on the shipping money trail.  Most buyers have no idea that Amazon keeps $1.23 from the $3.49 shipping and handling charge.  Many sellers also like to come out ahead on shipping.  Other sellers like to cover the costs of shipping, like tape, envelopes, bubble wrap, boxes, and aspirin.  How many buyers know how to identify a drop shipment?  A drop shipment is made when the seller who has received an order buys the book from another seller and has it shipped directly to the original buyer.  This is a subject that would give the moral muscles of Socrates a good work out.  Loads of information about the variety of shipping options and what is and is not possible can be found on the boards.  I recommend reading the Amazon rules and regulations as well, but the boards are a lot more fun.

     As a buyer, these boards will produce a wealth of information on shipping times, types of packaging, and what distinguishes a "Good" book from a "Very Good" one.  Stopping by every so often will help to make a buyer more savvy.  Many of the more professional sellers will agree that an educated customer is a good customer.  So get educated at the Amazon.com Seller Message Boards.  Not only will it help yours truly earn better feedback, but it will help you avoid a bad online experience.

Posted by Seth

February 13, 2004

HOME REPAIR

     A kick in the crotch.  We will not be going to Florida as planned.  I have turned my book sales back on at Amazon.  Winter sucks.  I am going to bed.  A happier post for tomorrow.

Posted by Seth

February 12, 2004

THE BEST OF TIMES, THE WORST OF TIMES

     "The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated."  Indeed.  The staff members at Cup O' Books have been in an absolute tizzy since the beginning of 2004, and this past week has seen events buzz to a fever pitch.  Sales have been booming, and our little company has had its best six weeks of sales.  All has not been smooth however, as you may have noticed a slight drop in our Amazon rating.  After 50 straight positive ratings in a row, BOOM!  We got hit with a 1 out of 5 from a customer claiming no receipt of her book.  In her feedback she cries foul that no refund has been made.  Needless to say, morale was low for a few hours as shock gave way to grief and grief to anger.  An e-mail to the irate book buyer was dispatched at once explaining that in order for Cup O' Books to issue a refund, one must first be requested.  It has been almost a week since the e-mail was sent and we have not heard from the unhappy party.  Some of the boys in the mailroom are thinking that perhaps the rating was a rotten attempt to get an undeserved refund, as proof of mailing and proper address were attached to the e-mail.  We are all hoping the tragedy is over and the Cup O' Books organization can move on.

     This morning, Cup O' Books has suspended its book selling operations due to a very important upcoming company trip.  Selling operations are expected to resume on Wednesday, Februay 18.  Cup O' Books is always looking to expand its operations.  We have recently been in secret merger discussions with a very large entertainment company based in Orlando, Florida.  We have had a sharp, young, up and comer inside this organization for some time.  He has been sending a steady stream of much needed intel on the goings-on at their world headquarters.  Just when we were ready to close the deal and buy this company, out of nowhere comes the cable giant Comcast with an offer of their own.  The entire Cup O' Books management team will be traveling to Florida on Saturday to straighten this situation out.

 Posted by Seth

February 2, 2004

THE OLD BEAR

     I was listening to NPR on the drive home on Thursday.  Our local station here in Rochester does a good program called 1370 Connection and the host, Bob Smith, was speaking to Ron Asmus, a former State Department Senior Advisor for US/European Relations.  The topic eventually turned to Russia and Mr. Asmus put forth that he did not like the direction in which that country was headed.  He noted some discussions that he recently had with a variety of Russian thinkers on his last trip to Moscow.  It is amazing to me having grown up with the Cold War to think about that country as weak.  There are many Russia experts who are unhappy with the direction President Putin is taking the country.  In a recent CNN interview, Secretary of State Colin Powell used the most interesting of  terms, "managed democracy", to describe the current form of government.  Is that like "managed health care"? 

     In the fervor over the Islamic nations and the "Greater Middle East", I hope our leaders do not lose sight of other very important regions of the world.  World War III is probably not around the corner, but that does not mean that other very messy types of problems will not crop up.  Americans should also be paying attention to the kinds of deals our current and future Administrations cut with countries like Russia, China, and Japan.  A study of how things get done in a country like Russia can prepare us for dealings with them and enable the Unites States to really work with other countries and not simply try to thwart them at every turn.  One of the big problems encountered in dealings with Soviet Russia was the lack of understanding and information about their government processes.  A wealth of information has been coming out since and it should not be ignored.  Make yourself a better citizen of the world and learn a little recent history.  Above are six books dealing with how Soviet politics and government used to work and how they have influenced Russia today.  Each of these books comes directly from my shelves.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Posted by Seth