Thursday, August 15, 2013

Books That Could Use A Kindle Edition...

..."The Periodic System of Chemical Elements: A History of the First Hundred Years by J.W. van Spronsen"

I can name a few other works I'd like to own but never will because of prohibitive cost. Can you think of some?

Help me find a cheaper copy of this book!

31 comments:

chickelit said...

Here's another I'd like to have: link

Perhaps the number of potential sales keeps the price so high...

yashu said...

Pollo,

It's available at more reasonable prices through Abebooks (mostly from overseas), see here.

Rabel said...

This one's free.

rhhardin said...

Take an astronomer's approach to chemistry.

The elements are hydrogen, helium and metals.

Rabel said...

Speaking of Kindle, I just bought one. Halfway through my first book, a couple of thoughts:

1. It's slippery. Why is it slippery? A little texture would have been simple.

2. The borders are too narrow. Why not an extra half inch on the sides so my thumb will fit without touching the screen?

Obviously a fantastic piece of technology, but I wish it were easier to hold on to (laying in bed).

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

I have a favorite comfy chair, in a corner, next to a floor-to-ceiling south-facing window. It's in my favorite room. That's the place to which I go when I want to be by myself so I can read. It's really quite nice.

For years now I've been thinking about getting one of those electronic book things for the practicality but I've always come to a decision-making overload when I get to the point where I say to myself, "Wouldn't it be cheaper to simply do away with all the cats?"

The problem, of course, is the wife.

Titus said...

If you have an ipad why would you want a kindle?

Everyone needs to read Let's Talk About Owls With Diabetes. Fucking hilarious.

tits.

Chip Ahoy said...

The Periodic System of Chemical Elements. A History of the First Hundred Years

Abebooks $52.00 very good condition.

Chip Ahoy said...

Sorry, Yashu, didn't see that.

ampersand said...
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ampersand said...
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deborah said...

I occasionally click the 'tell the publisher you'd like this to be available on Kindle,' but I can't think of any in particular right now.

But recently I went to see if Gravity's Rainbow was on Audible. It is not.

Trooper York said...

How about the Kama Suthra?

Oh wait a minute. It's slippery.

Well at least you have an excuse.

Rabel said...

"Can a Kindle be hooked up to a larger viewing screen?"

I don't think so, not directly. But you can download your Kindle books from your Kindle to Amazon's free Kindle for PC app and then, I suppose, read it on your computer.

I'm new at this, so you might want to consult a professional.

deborah said...

Rabel, these silicone covers work, but a little too well. They kind of have a 'tacky' feel, that I know would have picked up dog hair if I had continued to use it.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

@ Rabel

I wasn't sure that I would like a Kindle but my husband bought me one for our anniversary (whata guy!) and I love it.

Get a cover for the device. I got this one I like it because the inside of the flap cover is sort of fuzzy and easy to hold onto when you unfold the flap to the backside. Plus it protects the screen so that if we are traveling I can just put it into my purse or the suitcase.

Most books that you really don't care too much about are good on the Kindle. Others just wouldn't do. I recently purchased Across Atlantic Ice and it has so many illustrations that just would not be served well on the Kindle platform.

The other plus is that I can set the screen brightness to a lower level and be able to read in bed without having to turn on the light and wake up my husband.

Rabel said...

Thanks deb and DBQ.

chickelit said...

Thanks for the book links, Yashu & Chip A!

ndspinelli said...

Kindle is great for many reasons. For me, @ night in bed, and travel. You know, NORMAL people like to travel. Neurotic, insular, elitists denigrate travel.

chickelit said...

You know, NORMAL people like to travel

Travel used to be onerous (cf. travail and the also the cognate French verb travaillier, to work).

Not until fairly recently was travel available to the average person. My ancestors walked from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin in the 1840's. My GGGGrandmother may have given birth along the way (she had 19 kids).

I envision Titus and guys like Spinelli traveling 1st class only, staying in ☆☆☆☆ hotels in the most fabulous destinations.

Lem the artificially intelligent said...

...most fab destinations.

Fixed.

ndspinelli said...

I fly coach and usually stay @ 3 or 4 star places. Marriott is my go to chain, w/ Courtyards being my most frequent motel for work and play. I am not Titus. However, in the thousand or so motels I've stayed in for work, I have stayed @ many 1 star motels in towns like Siren, Wi. Willmar, Mn. Grinnel, Ia. and many other states. The worst ever was a Bates Motel like place in Bad Axe, Mi. I worked for a week in the Thumb area of Michigan. Real Deliverance country up there.

chickelit said...

That was a cheap shot of me, spinelli.

Nobody compares to Titus' fab.

rcommal said...

Texture is easy to add. An example would be the sandpaper of your choice attached by the adhesive backing of your choice.

rcommal said...

Also, it's always fun to see the cents-per-page value placed on a desired book no matter the type or provenance.

I like to think of it as a disincentive for anyone in his or her right mind to go into writing, editing, proofreading, reporting, tutoring, training, freelancing or anything else. So groovy!

Ahem.

rcommal said...

Perhaps we should all go for cheaper and cheaper until all that's left is barter.

I am not saying that scenario would be pretty, much less fun; but I do have a fairly good grasp of who will survive under that system and who will not. In any case, wouldn't that be interesting?



rcommal said...

Re: Abebooks

Don't forget to search for coupon codes. There are better ones depending on how much you want to mess around, but it's easy to find one for a quick 10% off.

Just a hint.

Eric the Fruit Bat said...

There was a cartoon by Charles Barsotti.

In the background you can see an artist throwing a temper tantrum. He's tossing stuff all over the place and stomping his feet and such.

His wife is on the phone, looking thoroughly bored with it all.

Caption: "He can't come to the phone right now, he's busy exercising the license society grants to those it deems creative."

chickelit said...

rcommal said...
Also, it's always fun to see the cents-per-page value placed on a desired book no matter the type or provenance.

Van Spronsen is getting a share of the $482 from Amazon or the $52 from Abe Books? I highly doubt it. The book was published in 1969. We're quibbling over the profits of book resellers.

rcommal said...

We're quibbling over the profits of book resellers.

Because, of course, reselling books is not a real business, and therefore the profits ought be strictly scrutinized and limited as excessive.

Unlike, God knows, big biz, which thing is a whole different thing.

---

I apologize for not directly and specifically explaining why this post inspired--nay, provoked--a total LMAO response.

Shame on me, by God.

rcommal said...

I have to see [for] myself, dear El Pollo, for example. Ought I attach "sorry" to that? Hmmmm.