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Behold the Man



Yahoo Business listed books as some of the things you shouldn't buy brand new. I don't recall ever buying a second-hand book; thought I'd explore a used book shop down Sukhumvit this weekend. It's been awhile since I read any biography and these titles piqued my interest:

1. Samuel Beckett by Deirdre Blair
2. As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Lee Laurie
3. For Your Eyes Only: Ian Fleming & James Bond by Ben MacIntyre
4. J.K. Rowling: The Wizard Behind Harry Potter by Marc Shapiro
5. Jane Austen and Leisure by David Selwyn
6. His Eye is on the Sparrow by Ethel Waters
7. Into my own: the English Years of Robert Frost by John E. Walsh
8. Ecce Homo by Friedrich Nietzsche
9. All God's Dangers by Theodore Rosengarten
10. Karl Marx: a life by Francis Wheen
11. Galileo's Daughter by Dava Sobel
12. Leonardo da Vinci: heights of the mind by Charles Nicholl
13. Beginner's Guide to Winning the Nobel Prize by Peter Doherty (It doesn't sound like biography to me. I'll find out soon enough)

Visit the Thursday Thirteen home for more lists.
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Comments

Anonymous said…
And to think I haven't read a one of them pffft. :) I need to get cracking :)
15 July 2010 at 15:23
Erinjeany said…
Great list! I will have to check some of those out.

I buy MOST of my books used. My library actually does a bag of books deal with their withdrawn books. Everything you can fit for $2. You can't beat that deal! My son loves to go and pick out an entire bag for him and I can pick out a bag for me and we can go home and snuggle and read!

Happy Thursday!
15 July 2010 at 15:37
Hazel said…
Thom, neither have I ... lol

ErinJeany, how lovely! I'm so waiting for the time I can do the same thing with and about my son and me when it comes to books and reading :)
15 July 2010 at 16:19
Sheri said…
Great list; biographies are one of my favorite genres. I rarely buy books from the big stores these days; I either go to used bookstores or the libraries.
15 July 2010 at 18:23
Unknown said…
I love the school book fairs. My one daughter is a major reader, and the $'s add up pretty quickly to keep her in books.
Never really been into reading biography's.
Happy reading and Happy T13!
15 July 2010 at 18:43
Hazel said…
Sheri, there's a kind of charm in knowing what makes these great people tick, isn't there?

Adelle, that's just great about your daughter. I wouldn't mind working harder to keep my son in stuff like these. I hope he picks up the habit.
15 July 2010 at 19:15
I am Harriet said…
I'm gonna get a few of those for Thom :)

Have a great day!
http://harrietandfriends.com/2010/07/what-type-of-accent-would-you-like-to-have-if-you-were-forced-to-change-yours/
15 July 2010 at 19:58
Hazel said…
Harriet, give him no. 13 but don't tell him I said that :)))))
15 July 2010 at 20:01
Kristen said…
I love used book stores. I never know what kind of treasures I will find. Actually, I buy at least half of my books used...if not more. I use the library a lot, too. Still, I love Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

It's been a while since I read a biography, do autobiographies count? I read George Burns' and Harry Truman's memoirs recently. Really interesting.
15 July 2010 at 20:04
Hazel said…
Kriten, some of these are actually autobiographies (apparently :D). The used book shop listed them all under biography. Harry Truman's memoirs is on their collection as well. I've skimmed George Burns' too :) And I agree that you'll never know what kind of treasure you'll find. That's probably the strongest attraction for me this weekend in the shop.
15 July 2010 at 20:27
Anonymous said…
I frequently buy my books used. It's a great way to find new authors. On the other hand, it's horrible for finding a specific book. You are at the mercy of what other's didn't want for their keeper shelves.
15 July 2010 at 23:13
Heather said…
I don't usually care for biographies, but I do buy a good portion of my books at the library used book sale or at one of the local used book stores. I don't mind second-hand as long as they are in good condition. I always support authors I know by buying new when I can.
15 July 2010 at 23:47
Hazel said…
Alice and Heather, thank you for your input
15 July 2010 at 23:58
jillconyers said…
I hardly ever buy used books. I can rarely find what I'm looking for.
16 July 2010 at 02:13
Hazel said…
Jill, that's precisely one reason why I haven't yet bought any second-hand book.
16 July 2010 at 02:22
sherilee said…
What a great list. I love a good biography... I am not opposed to used books at all, but don't seek them out like I should... the Kindle and the ease of downloading is too appealing!
19 July 2010 at 23:50
annies home said…
Thom cracks me up LOL

the truth is I do not normally buy used books but do love many of these titles. THe library has many of them and is free
22 July 2010 at 19:11
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