Big Book Sale

Each year, the San Francisco Public Library holds a huge book sale called the Big Book Sale. I finally made it to the sale to see what the hubbub was about. Well, you wouldn't believe what I saw. I'm not even as avid a reader as I should be, but to see a huge space filled with table after table with books was quite overwhelming and exiting at the same time.

I attended the sale armed with a list of four business books I wanted. Amongst the sea of thousands upon thousands of books, I set off to find my pins in the haystack. It reminded me of the days of neighborhood record stores. There was an etiquette people employed when browsing bins of records. You commit to a direction. That's rule one. There's no random wandering because you and everyone around you combed through everything. So, masses of people committed to a direction and when they intersected with someone perusing in the opposite direction, a little dance happened. Someone moved around the other and the other shifted exchanging spots in an uninterrupted fashion. It was seamless. I thought that people would've forgotten how to do this, but they haven't.

I'm in the business section and there is copy after copy of Charles Schwab's book, but none from my list. I was looking for boring stuff - on evidence based management and governance as leadership. There are about 10 tables that I need to scan and I become discouraged. How they heck am I going to find these very specific books in this madness? In a moment of doubt, I sigh in despair. As I regroup, staring at me is "Negotiating Rationally." It was #1 on my hit list. And it was $2. I grabbed it and continued my search full of renewed energy and resolve. For the next 1h30m, I scan hundreds more. I only found one of the four. Oh well, at least it was $2.

On my way out, I stop by the Fiction Hardcover section. Hmm, I don't have the hard cover of "Love in the Time of Cholera" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. He's my fave. $2. I also found "The Devil Wears Prada" and for $2, I'll grab a copy. And so on...

In the checkout line, I remembered I wanted to find some Harry Potter books. I have the 1st 2 but none of the rest. The line is huge and I'm NOT stepping out. Surprise, surprise. There are STACKS of hardcover Harry Potter books on tables by the checkout. I impulse snagged books 3-6. They were $3 each. I cleaned up!! Now, I can chat about the stories with my sis who has read them all.

I went back yesterday and snagged some Nick Hornby books for $2, but I couldn't find "High Fidelity." I got "About a Boy" and "How to Be Good." I'm set for a while, I think.

BTW, "Negotiating Rationally" is a very good book. Margaret Neale is one of the authors. It'll come in very handy soon...