AbeBooks encourages anyone to send them suggestions to: weirdbooks (at) abebooks.com posted by nickyskye at 2:51 PM on October 10, 2010
Waiting with baited breath for the arrival of Jewish Chess Masters on Stamps!
Do you use nightcrawlers or some sort of artificial lure? posted by Justinian at 3:05 PM on October 10, 2010 [4 favorites]
It wouldn't make the list, but the weirdest cookbook I own is Richard Condon's "The Mexican Stove". And, it's not nearly the weirdest book Condon wrote, everyone should try and hunt down a copy of the Keeners' Manual. posted by Elmore at 3:43 PM on October 10, 2010
There's a book about the Soldier Bear! posted by anotherkate at 4:00 PM on October 10, 2010
Those cookbooks aren't all that weird. I mean, a Star Wars tie-in cookbook is weird? Heck, The Decadent Cookbook is weirder than that, and it's not all that weird. posted by GenjiandProust at 4:30 PM on October 10, 2010
Cool. We live in Victoria, BC where Abebooks is located. My brother just interviewed for them *fingers crossed* Maybe he can get me a discount, I really want the All About Scabs picturebook (Barf!). posted by 1000monkeys at 4:58 PM on October 10, 2010
Oh, man. The Cadogan cargo ship travel guide. I don't think I ever bought it, but I used to -moon- over that damn thing, back when I was working in bookstores.
It breaks my heart that it hasn't been updated since 1995. posted by palmcorder_yajna at 5:04 PM on October 10, 2010
USAGE The spelling baited breath instead of bated breath is a common mistake that, in addition to perpetuating a cliché, evokes a distasteful image. Before using the expression bated breath, think of the verb | abate, as in | the winds abated, not fish bait.
Have to stop posting on here! posted by Roachbeard at 7:19 PM on October 10, 2010
So my 1983 edition of the Codex is worth five hundred bucks, eh? Guess I'll keep it in the plastic bag for a few more decades and really clean up! posted by Johnny Wallflower at 8:13 PM on October 10, 2010
That cook book about ooking on your car engine? My dad totally got sent that as a newspaper editor who was frequently mistaken by publishers as a book reviewer. I thought it was hilarious when I was about 12, and spent a whole summer trying to get my folks to let me make beef stew on the intake plenum of their Corolla. Good times. posted by littlerobothead at 10:03 PM on October 10, 2010
The 2006 Codex Seraphinianus is going for just $120 shipped, on the other hand. To me, my precioussssss... posted by Zed at 10:54 PM on October 10, 2010
everyone should try and hunt down a copy of the Keeners' Manual.
I see what you did there.. posted by Philby at 5:06 AM on October 11, 2010
Goldmine!
In about a month I'm giving a conference presentation on 'Books with Stupid Titles or Covers Featuring the National Socialist Government of Germany 1933-1945'. (It's at Interesting North.) While my personal collection of such things will probably get me through, I'm always on the lookout for more. All advice &c. posted by Hogshead at 6:44 AM on October 11, 2010
Une Semaine de Bonté. *Throws hugs and kisses* in direction of nickyskye.
ordered.
checks mailbox. 10 days. *sighs* . posted by adamvasco at 7:31 AM on October 11, 2010 [1 favorite]
Too cool. I could spend so much money in the weird book room... reminds me of the kind of weirdo shit I'd always gravitate to as a kid whenever I was given access to the bookshelves of older relatives.
The Cadaver Dogs Handbook threw me for a minute, though. I thought it must be some kind of pet taxidermy manual until I noticed the dog on the cover seemed a little more animate than the title would imply. posted by Serene Empress Dork at 10:48 AM on October 11, 2010
I'm always on the lookout for more. All advice &c.
Ovvl, I have Golfing for Cats and When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit, which between them are probably the two best-known examples. Golfing for Cats actually underlies several of the themes of the talk, namely that humour and shock value aren't necessarily great ways of selling books, particularly if Nazis are involved. posted by Hogshead at 11:22 AM on October 11, 2010
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posted by Roachbeard at 2:31 PM on October 10, 2010