Vintage Books, Out of Print, 1st Editions

A Medical Cowboy

2009-06-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

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THE LASSA WARD: ONE MAN'S FIGHT AGAINST ONE OF THE WORLD'S DEADLIEST DISEASES.

St. Martin's Press, H.B. Published May, 2009, Pages: 288, Personal Memoirs, Medical-Physicians.

REVIEW FROM DUST JACKET;

Ross Donaldson is one of a few who have ventured into dark territory of a country ravaged by war to study one of the world’s most deadly diseases.

As an untried medical student studying the intersection of global health and communicable disease, Donaldson soon found himself in dangerous Sierra Leone, on the border of war-struck Liberia, where he struggled to control the spread of Lassa Fever.

The words, “you know Lassa can kill you, don’t you?” haunted him each day. With the country in complete upheaval and working conditions suffering, he is forced to make life and death decisions alone as a never-ending onslaught of contagious patients flood the hospital.

Soon however, he is not only fighting for others but himself when he becomes afflicted with a life threatening disease.

The Lassa Ward is more than just an adventure story about the making of a physician; it is a portrait of the Sierra Leone people and the human struggle of those risking their daily comforts and lives to aid them.

We don't hear enough about the 'unsung heroes among us.' One of those heroes is Dr. Ross Donaldson, a UCLA medical professor that works in one of L.A.s main trauma centers. He is the author of several medical textbooks and is host of Lifetimes 'Street Doctors.'

Thank you Dr. Donaldson for creating a window that the world can look into to see suffering so horrific that it evokes compassionate concern and also a great appreciation for heroes like you.

A Avant-garde Experience

2009-06-06T16:34:00.000-07:00

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"THE LITTLE REVIEW." magazine was founded in Chicago by Margaret Anderson. (1914-1929) and was the most influential arts magazine of its time. Some of her contributors were well known writers as; T.S. Elliot, Wyndham Lewis, Gertrude Stein, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, and Wallace Stevens.

The first issue published in March, 1914 presented work by Vachel Lindsay's essays on feminism and Friedrich Nietzsche"s on psychoanalysis.

In the May 1914 issue, Anderson extolled the ideas of anarchist Emma Goldman and called for the abolition of private property. As a result, her financial backers abandoned her.

She moved to Greenwich Village in 1917, where she became associated with Pound who presented her with the idea of the serialization of Ulysses, which began in the March 1918 issue. This resulted in yet another protest as to content and for the next three years the U.S. Post Office burned entire press runs of four issues for alleged obscenity.

In 1921 finances demanded a new approach, so Anderson and her companion Artist Jane Heap, began to publish the magazine as a quarterly rather than a monthly. However, this did not bring the results that they needed.

In 1922 Anderson turned over the editorship to Heap, who relocated the magazine to Paris.

For the last issue they drafted a questionnaire and mailed it to dozens of artists and writers with questions like, "What is your attitude toward Art today?

More the 50 responded, which included Sherwood Anderson, Edith Sitwell, Jean Cocteau, Marianne Moore and Bernard Russell.

German Book Terms

2009-06-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

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BILDUNGSROMAN AND ERZIEHUNGSROMAN are German terms indicting "Novel of formation" -"Novel of education." The subject is the development of the character of the novel from childhood into maturity.

The style was first presented by K.P. Moritz's Anton Reiser (1785-90) and Goethe's William Meister's Apprenticeship (1796-96). Others were Bronte's Jane Eyre, (1847), George Eliot's Mill on the Floss, (1860), Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 1861), Somerset Maugham's Of Human Bondage, (1915), and Thomas Mann's The Magic Mountain )1924)

BILDUNGSROMAN leads you to another word, KUNSTLERROMAN, (Artist Novel) which represents the growth of a novelist or artist from childhood to maturity. Some of the Twentieth - Century novels: Marcel Proust's Remembrance of Things Past, (1913-27), James Joyce's A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, (1914-15), Thomas Mann's Tonio Kroger (1903), and Dr. Fauwstus's (1947), Martin Swales, The German Bildungsroman from Dickens to Golding (1974.)

Hope you found this article informative and useful.

One Side of The Coin

2009-06-04T10:06:00.000-07:00

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"The Letters of David Garrick" Edited by David M. Little &George M. Kahrl. Associate Editor Phoebe deK. Wilson. Publisher, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. Copyright 1963. 3 Vols. 1360 Letters.

David Garrick, born 1717, Died 1779, became famous for his acting abilities in the theatre. His life's journey is duly presented in the Preface and Introduction plus the Chronology of Garrick's life.

There are excellent Biographies available for the admirers of David Garrick, however, the most profound testimony of the real person, David Garrick, is found in his letters. It is the letters that enable us to have a glimpse into the landscape of his mind.

With his driving obsession to write a means to capture even more admiration to satisfy a narcissistic need or was it an effort to reveal himself as a real person , not the pretend person the actor? Or perhaps in his time the letters were no more than a casual phone call or a email would be in our time.

What was outstanding to me in the letters, was the fact that David Garrick was extremely skilled in the art of social networking. His letters were always polite, respectful, complimentary and left the reader with a sense of their own importance. In this age of the Internet where everyone is competing to capture an audience through social networking, one might want to examine closely the skilled writings of David Garrick.

Press Release

2009-06-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

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Christie's New York to offer five centuries of Botanical Books on June 24, 2009

Partial Text from Christie's; Christie's is pleased to present the sale of important Botanical Books from the 15th centruy through the 19th century. Over 200 works, including many of the most celebrated in the history of the field, document the development of the scientific and artistic studies of plants throughout these four centuries.

Some Listings cited; Earliest Herbal, "Herbarium Apulei." Rome circa 1481-82, includes series of plant illustrations. Estimate of value, $50,000 to $70,000.

John Hill's, "The Vegetable System.: London, 1759-86, Estimate of value, 200,000 -$300,000.

On "Dioscorides Translations" perhaps the most renowned edition, Vincenzo Valgrisi's 1568 Venetian edition, included in the sale in very rare colored state. Estimate of value, $12,0000$18,000. Even rarer are two of the original wooden blocks used to print the illustrations in this edition.

This auction will truly make history and provide new higher values for Botanical books.
Christie's Auction house offers a very comprehensive text with illustrations. To learn more about this exciting auction click <SPark@christies.

Printer's Errors

2009-05-24T08:37:00.000-07:00

What would the value of this book with a defect by the printer. The book is as follows:

Ivories by Alfred Maskell, 1966, Publisher Rutland Vt. Charles E. Tuttle Co., 1st Edition by this publisher, covers red textured and embossed, 7.5 x 10.5 Tall. 551 pp. 88 plates, (multiple ivories per plate in most cases.)

From early Christian ivories, prehistoric Sculpture, early European 4th to 16th centuries, Russo Greek, book covers, diptychs, triptychs, statuette, liturgical, combs, runic caskets, mirror cases combs, oliphants, crucifixes, chessmen, Moorish, W African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, musical instruments, weapons, and Forgeries.

This book that is valuable in content, condition and edition has one big defect. That is one page has the opposite side of the leaf missing, like it was cut with a scissors that produces a wavy effect. There is no notice to the effect that a error was made or that information was
deleted.

What is this error called and how much does it affect value?

Who is the Binder?

2009-05-23T14:53:00.000-07:00

William Makepeace Thackeray (1811-1863)- Pseudonyms Charles James Yellowplush, Michael Angelo Titmarsh, George Savage FitzBoodle. Published works from 1838 - 1860

The works of Thackeray, first published as a collection, 1869. Publisher, London Smith, Elder,& Co. 24 Volumes. Front boards are green cloth with original gilt and blind-stamped design with Author's initials Edges are beveled, spine has gilt lettering and design. Back cover has initials in gilt with blind-stamping. Endpapers are chocolate brown. Uncut pages, Black & White illustrations by the author and others. London, Printed by Spottiswoode and Co. New Street Square and Parliament street.

Question, Who was the book binder?

A rare book auction

2009-05-17T17:08:00.000-07:00

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Heritage Auction Galleries is conducting a auction June, 2009, in Dallas Texas. The Grand Format Rare Books, Auction numbers 6025, 6026 Bidding begins approx. May 28, 2009

A small part of the listings of 1290 Lots is as follows: W. Somerset Maugham with a very large representation, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Isaac Asimov, Frank Herbert, Harper Lee, John Milton Charles Dickens, some 1st Editions by the publisher of reprints, Grosset and Dunlap, Periodicals, Antique Prints and Posters.(Birds) Book sets and collections

All listings have pictures, a view counter and additional information. Be sure to set aside plenty of time! HAVE FUN! You can go "here" and "here"

Is there an old book heaven?

2009-05-17T12:15:00.000-07:00

The Civil War in Song and Story
Author, Frank Moore, 1860-1865,
Publisher, P.F. Collier, 1889.
Save this book?

I believe that all collectors have at one time or another, purchased books that have not added value to their collections because of various points not being present and poor conditions, but acquired them for the sole purpose of saving them from being trashed.

"The Civil War in Song and Story." was such a purchase. The spine cover is missing,the first three pages are detached and so brittle that they crumple to the touch, back index page is also detached, there is browning on all pages, and the green cloth covers are heavily soiled.Yet the information and content have value!

What to do? What to do? Is there a "Old Book Heaven." somewhere out there?

Notice Book Lovers and Collectors

2009-05-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

This blog is all about books. Please join us by sharing your thoughts and information on all things books. For example, what sites offer the best biographical information, who was the true first publisher of the first edition of any book, where are the best book binders, what auctions and book fairs are coming soon and do you have any book reviews you would
like to share with us?

All subjects that are out of print or old are welcomed. May they be books on glass making, nature & gardening, art, literature, biographical, history, presidents, philosophy, travel, science and novels. Also any info on book jackets, illustrations, binders or printers. Etc.Etc.Etc.

Hope to hear from you!