The advantages of secondhand bookshops

[ArthurFrayn]

For what it's worth, I reread that novel this year, and I do get where he's coming from, and I do think there's a useless knee-jerk reaction to it, that has nothing to do with what it's about.
I'm liberal leaning, but I'm not interested in spoon fed party line evaluations. It's what I dislike in conservatives. Mindless loyalty is not a virtue in my book. A discussion of civic responsibility that this novel aspires to,which obviously posits the current consideration with an abstract, rates a reading. The crit of this novel that I've seen in rebuttal does not.
Everything I've read so far has been lacking. I'lll grant his crit of Marxism is useless from an an economic POV, but he brings up some interesting points otherwise- you've got to do better than just labeling it "fascist".That's all I see from it's detractors.

[Severn]

I love secondhand bookstores...

My favourite is called Jason's. It's in the cbd, up some stairs from the main bustling street. You step into Jason's quiet, walk over pristine wooden floors, with rugs scattered here and there. The smell of books fills the air, and the lady who owns the shop smiles and says hello.

I head straight to the Contemporary Fiction section, which just so happens to occupy one side of a long bench of shelves. On the other side is the Fantasy and Sci Fi. A handy, well-stuffed armchair is right next to this bench.

I'm in heaven.

[Hobbit]

But you skipped about getting a book from a friend to read. Is this inherently wrong?

Well yes I did skip it, but that was because I thought it had been answered well enough already by others.

Most authors would just be pleased that people are reading their book. Admittedly the financial rewards help, but usually if you've read one and liked it, from whatever source, you'll then go out and get some (ie: buy) more, or pass the word round so that others borrow or buy.

But all of that has been said above.

Mark / Hobbit

[cgw]

you've got to do better than just labelng it "fascist".That's all I see from it's detractors.

Ae you still talking about Starship Troopers? Who calls it fascist? That word certainly did not come to mind.
Ridiculous, absurd, elitist, militaristic were among the words that came to my mind. The only thing I will say good about it is it would have made a good short story.

[ArthurFrayn]

Are you still talking about Starship Troopers?

Yeah, I talk about Starship Troopers all the time. Actually I just reread it for the first time since I was a kid, and am annoyed at the glibness of it's online detractors.

Who calls it fascist?

All I can tell you is when I go online to read people discussing the novel, this word pops up quite a bit . People who dislike the novel usually like to dismiss it with a label or two, and fascist seems to be one of the ones that is generally preferred. EDIT And I can see you're not really being very honest, because after using the forum search engine, I see you participated in a discussion here, in which this word was discussed as a label for this novel and Heinlein's writing in general.

elitist, militaristic

Yes, the novel is about a meritocracy with a military bias. The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by way of contrast is about a revolution, and is vehemently antiauthoritarian. EDIT But you know this. You say you read TMIAHM.

Ridiculous, absurd

Granted, these are illuminating invectives of epic proportion

The Forever War is my favorite SF novel, BTW.

[Vinnie T]

I love used bookstores for the treasure hunt aspect, but I feel guilty buying anything there since the author doesn't get my money. How do you guys deal with that aspect?

My guess is that authors would rather sell firsthand copies of their book rather than seconds to make some dough. But, from the friends of mine that are writing, even secondhand sales are good, as they spread the work across the market and potentially draw in new readers.

[ArthurFrayn]

But, from the friends of mine that are writing, even secondhand sales are good, as they spread the work across the market and potentially draw in new readers.

That's how I imagined it to work. Any given book basically functions as an advertisement for future work, and the back catalog.

[goldhawk]

Well yes I did skip it, but that was because I thought it had been answered well enough already by others.

Most authors would just be pleased that people are reading their book. Admittedly the financial rewards help, but usually if you've read one and liked it, from whatever source, you'll then go out and get some (ie: buy) more, or pass the word round so that others borrow or buy.

But all of that has been said above.

Mark / Hobbit

But Baen has committed itself to placing selected works on line, because they believe that if you like the story, you would like to own your own hardback edition. Check out the Baen Free Library.

[Libo]

I was in a used bookstore yesterday, and when I went to check out the woman liked my choices (sf) and asked if I had any to trade in. She said they didn't get much sf in and it moved out fast -- and she liked to read it too. I don't know if all used bookstores feel this way or it was her reading bias, but I know there are a few titles for which I've been looking for a couple of years now that don't seem to show up used around here at least -- or they're quickly snapped up.

I also bought 2 books that I probably wouldn't have at new prices -- new authors to me and I'm only casually interested in them. It's always fun browsing all the titles.

I love used bookstores for the treasure hunt aspect, but I feel guilty buying anything there since the author doesn't get my money. How do you guys deal with that aspect?

Do you keep all your books? If not, how do you deal with the aspect of tossing a perfectly good book in the trash, requiring new resources to be used to print more and contributing to landfills.

[Corporal Blues]

Used books stores rule.

I'm pretty much broke, so I only buy new books when I have gift cards. Other then that I buy books from used bookstores. Luckily I live in Seattle, where there are lots of great used book stores. There's about 4 that I think are quite good, so I just sort of rotate visits to them and see what I can find.

[Bluestar]

Do you keep all your books? If not, how do you deal with the aspect of tossing a perfectly good book in the trash, requiring new resources to be used to print more and contributing to landfills.

Of course I keep them! Why would a trash a book?

[Libo]

Of course I keep them! Why would a trash a book?

LOL! Well more power to you. I've read a few I didn't need to keep. I don't trash them either.

[ArthurFrayn]

I keep most of my books, and have donated a bunch to the library on different occasions.

I only trash books that have earned my wrath.

[Chuffalump]

All hail the second hand book shop. I used to love them when I was a lad but can't find one with a good sci fi section at all now. As someone has already said - mostly the stuff that didn't sell when it was published. However, I did pick up my copy of Against A Dark Background in a second hand bookshop in Nepal. Tea stained and with what is probably a fake authors signature. Class.

[cgw]

BTW there is a book store in Albany NY that specializes in Scifi/Fantasy. It has used books (quite a good selection) but also has new books. I have stopped in twice and found something both times.
It also has other related stuff. D&D stuff I guess with work tables.

I never have thrown out a book in my life. It would be sacrilege.
If I don't keep it, I will donate to a library. Most of the libraries around here have used books sales to raise funds.