Oct

13

Judge A Book By Its Cover.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

October 13, 2009 | 3 Comments

Using the guy from Hellraiser for Douglas Cowan’s Sacred Terror was an interesting choice. They put him in front of a stained glass window, making him look sort of priestly. In fact there was a minister at a Presbyterian church my parents once took me to who looked a lot like that, but that’s another [...]

Jul

22

Judge A Book By Its Cover.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

July 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment

When I was in college I knew a guy who had a t-shirt that said, “If you remember the 60’s then you weren’t there.” It was very funny, and the fact that he looked kind of like John Lennon just added to the effect. It was a period of what I look back on now [...]

Jul

14

Judge A Book By Its Cover.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

July 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I don’t want to treat the subject of bullying lightly. It’s not funny and, as we’ve seen in numerous situations, bullying can have very real, very serious consequences. The book Bullying And Young Children is partly a brief academic study, citing real life examples, including children who have disorders such as autism and dyslexia, but [...]

Jul

3

Judge A Book By Its Cover.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

July 3, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Is it possible to be both subtle and tasteless at the same time? That’s certainly what this cover seems to achieve. Those blocks of swirlies subtly suggest mixing and the great melting pot that is the United States. And if you don’t know anything about Thomas Jefferson’s relationship with Sally Hemmings, or maybe if you [...]

Jun

19

Judge A Book By Its Cover.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

June 19, 2009 | Leave a Comment

In the film Psycho we never actually see Mrs. Bates–not in the flesh, anyway, but this is how I always pictured her.

Apr

30

Judge A Book By Its Cover.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

April 30, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Times are tough for researchers who want to get their work published and widely distributed, but then they have a hard time even in good economic times. Among other things this can prompt them to give their books catchy titles and cause publishers to try and design even catchier covers. Sometimes, though, trying to be [...]

Apr

22

Judge A Book By Its Cover.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

April 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment

Want to learn Mayan but unsure how to start? Check out Quyllur Llaqtayuq wawamanta. You know it better as The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery.

Apr

15

Judge A Book By Its Cover.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

April 15, 2009 | 1 Comment

Weird, vaguely witty title? Check. Dark background with the the author’s handwriting barely visible? Check. Weird photograph? Check. Without even reading the book I can tell you Emily Dickinson’s thinking, “As soon as I find my other shoe, I’m outta here!”

Mar

25

Judge A Book By Its Cover.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

March 25, 2009 | 1 Comment

There’s a saying about diversity that just goes, “That’s why they make chocolate and vanilla.” Every time I hear that saying I always think, Hey, what about strawberry? For that matter, what about my all-time favorite flavor, Ben & Jerry’s Karamel Sutra? Of course when presented with a plethora of choices I’m always paralyzed [...]

Mar

18

Judge A Book By Its Cover.

Posted by Christopher Waldrop

March 18, 2009 | 2 Comments

The saying “Don’t judge a book by its cover” has always struck me as pretty meaningless, especially since I work in a library. Of course we’re going to judge a book by its cover. It’s covers, at least as much as titles, that get our attention. While we’re always going to be inclined to pick [...]