Friday, May 18, 2012
Taking the Kindle for a ride
Just spent a few days in Brighton (which I might say we found to be very disabled person friendly). Didn't pack any books to read as I would have done in the olden days, just taking the Kindle along to continue with 'Typee' or whatever else might have taken my fancy.
In the event I bought three more old style books, two new and one pre-owned, 94mm worth in total. The first, 'The Hare with Amber Eyes' came both author signed and discounted from the same shop from which I bought the 'Neibelungenlied', nearly two years ago. I read a review of this book around the time it was published and nearly bought a copy then and it turns out to be a good read now, with connections to various matters in which I take an interest, for example the relationship between an artist and his customer. About a third of the way through now. The second came from a shop in the northern branch of the lanes, where we were pleased to find a number of second hand bookshops as we had thought that their expulsion from the original lanes had meant no more bookshops. Also discounted, Oliver Sacks on something which he calls musicophilia and which seems to be an interesting collection of various neuro- and psycho-logical ailments with a musical flavour. Brain clearly quite a strange beast in the music department. About two fifths of the way through now. The third was both the heaviest and the cheapest, by some margin. Also the only hardback. Sourced for a donation from the shop attached to the life boat station at Brighton Marina and the proceedings of a conference about the long term benefits and performance of dams, published by the British Dam Society (http://www.britishdams.org/), intended as a companion piece to 'Cadillac Desert', another excellent find from a charity shop (1st October 2011). Not got very far with this one yet; struggling with the technicalities of refacing a dam with a rubber membrane. But very chuffed to find that Amazon want £86.66 for a new one or £73.66 for a pre-owned one. Clearly got a terrific bargain. The sort of thing that Foyles would have sold over the counter in the olden days, at the published price of £95.
Kindle stayed in its bag for the duration.
We were sharing our hotel with two outfits which caught our eye. First we had the annual conference of the Association for Continence Advice (http://www.aca.uk.com/). I wondered how many of them could spot a bag wearer at 100 paces. Then we had the 6th International Conference of the World Federation of Skull Base Surgeons (http://worldfederationskullbasesocietybrighton2012.com/), people whom it seems are interested in the way that the brain is connected to the face, something which I am interested in for other reasons. Naturally, I tried to pass myself off as someone from the second group rather than the first.
In the event I bought three more old style books, two new and one pre-owned, 94mm worth in total. The first, 'The Hare with Amber Eyes' came both author signed and discounted from the same shop from which I bought the 'Neibelungenlied', nearly two years ago. I read a review of this book around the time it was published and nearly bought a copy then and it turns out to be a good read now, with connections to various matters in which I take an interest, for example the relationship between an artist and his customer. About a third of the way through now. The second came from a shop in the northern branch of the lanes, where we were pleased to find a number of second hand bookshops as we had thought that their expulsion from the original lanes had meant no more bookshops. Also discounted, Oliver Sacks on something which he calls musicophilia and which seems to be an interesting collection of various neuro- and psycho-logical ailments with a musical flavour. Brain clearly quite a strange beast in the music department. About two fifths of the way through now. The third was both the heaviest and the cheapest, by some margin. Also the only hardback. Sourced for a donation from the shop attached to the life boat station at Brighton Marina and the proceedings of a conference about the long term benefits and performance of dams, published by the British Dam Society (http://www.britishdams.org/), intended as a companion piece to 'Cadillac Desert', another excellent find from a charity shop (1st October 2011). Not got very far with this one yet; struggling with the technicalities of refacing a dam with a rubber membrane. But very chuffed to find that Amazon want £86.66 for a new one or £73.66 for a pre-owned one. Clearly got a terrific bargain. The sort of thing that Foyles would have sold over the counter in the olden days, at the published price of £95.
Kindle stayed in its bag for the duration.
We were sharing our hotel with two outfits which caught our eye. First we had the annual conference of the Association for Continence Advice (http://www.aca.uk.com/). I wondered how many of them could spot a bag wearer at 100 paces. Then we had the 6th International Conference of the World Federation of Skull Base Surgeons (http://worldfederationskullbasesocietybrighton2012.com/), people whom it seems are interested in the way that the brain is connected to the face, something which I am interested in for other reasons. Naturally, I tried to pass myself off as someone from the second group rather than the first.
# posted by Jim @ 9:29 AM 
