I think Borders is an USA franchised bookshop.
You go there, and it's massive. If the 'excess' is any indication, it's definitely an USA franchise.
You can read the books there, and they have tables, and a coffee shop attached.
I went there on Sunday and read all day long. I read about J2EE and Yanix. It was awsome.
If I find a book that I like, I'll go and order it from my local book store.
Thank you Borders.
:)
John.
p.s. Do I have the wrong attitude?
In a word, probably. Good on you.
Although Borders is a 'merican thing, you should check out this spot we have in Portland called Powells:
http://www.powells.com
It's about four stories, spans a couple blocks, and, to give you some idea of its inventory, used to be one of Amazon's main suppliers of used books.
It's *massive*.
The really cool thing is that it *is* the local bookstore, and it totally dwarfs any of the chain shops.
I was pretty pleased to head out there. It's nice to be able to get access to books for a day in an environment that's like a public library. The thing about the 'actual' library is that it isn't likely to have all the latest IT books, but this place did. It wasn't quite 4 stories through.. <g>
Thanks for the backup Rick! :)
John.
Speaking of having all the latest IT books, I just got back from a trip to Powell's Technical which is, as the name implies, a special Powell's store that deals exclusively with tech.
This store, alone, is worth moving to Portland. It's only one floor, but it's 100% tech, and it rocks. They have everything, new and used (except Code Complete 2, damn it!).
Today, I even found some BASIC books that I had gotten into in the mid 80s. I don't know where in the hell else I'd find these things.
Bought a manual for a Timex Sinclair 1000 out of nostalgia, too. It was about $5. A little pricey for a totally irrelevant manual, but a fine walk down memory lane (all 2k of memory, BTW - we had the upgrade).
Powell's technical is just too good.
If you're ever on this side of the planet for any reason, then let me know :) I'll take you down.
I'm thinking that I might go down there tomorrow to sit and read some of their really expensive comp sci books. I don't have $100 to spend, but I *do* have eight free hours ;) Kicks ass.
OK. I'll stop talking about how fabulous Portland bookstores are now...
> I'll take you down. <
Is that a threat Rory? ;)
You know, I reckon old tech books aren't actually for *reading*. They're for *buying*.
At one of my old jobs, I was given the task of clearing out the old library. It felt like the 'burning of the books'. I had to throw hundreds of books into a massive skip bin.
It took me hours (I didn't go home until after mignight). I looked at every book before I though it in the skip and asked "is it a crime to through this out?" By the time I had finished, the pile of books that I'd collected was so high that it took me days to smuggle them out of the building.
Of course I never actually *read* any of the books that I saved, but I do have them.
One day, I'll have a garage sale, and I'll sell all the books that I got for a few dollars each and didn't read to someone, who can be happy that they now have them, until 10 years later they decide to sell them, and thus the cycle continues.
IT Design books from the 80's are do funny. Remember wheh JAD, and CASE were buzzwords. :)
John.