Selling off my books

slaniel | Books | Monday, January 17th, 2005

Inspired by a friend’s similar idea, I went through my bookshelves and took down every book that I knew I’d never read again, never really liked to begin with, etc. I cleared off 220 books that way. Now I’d like to sell them. Before I take them to the Harvard Book Store, I’d like to offer them for sale to my friends. Say $1 for a mass-market paperback, $5 for a trade paperback, $10 for a hardcover and $30 for a textbook (plus the cost of shipping). All prices are negotiable, and of course I’ll be a good guy and mark down the price on any book whose quality isn’t up to snuff.

Since a lot of my readers know me already, I figure a lot of you trust me to peddle a good product and behave honorably when it’s bad. So go ahead, peruse the list (below the fold) and let me know if you’d like me to sell you any of my books.

Author Book title
Achebe, Chinua Things Fall Apart
Agresti, Alan Categorical Data Analysis
Albee, Edward Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Allen, Woody Getting Even
Allen, Woody Side Effects
Amis, Martin Information, The
Aristotle Nicomachean Ethics, The (translated by J.E.C. Weldon)
Ayer, Alfred Jules Language Truth & Logic
Baker, Nicholson Fermata, The
Bamford, James Puzzle Palace, The: Inside the National Security Agency, America’s Most Secret Intelligence Organization
Baradat, Leon P. Political Ideologies: Their Origins and Impact (5th Edition)
Barnes, Julian Flaubert’s Parrot
Belli, Gioconda Country Under My Skin, The: A Memoir Of Love And War
Bellow, Saul Adventures of Augie March, The
Bellow, Saul Dangling Man
Billingsley, Patrick Probability and Measure (3rd Edition)
Bishop, Yvonne M.M.; Fienberg, Stephen E.; Holland, Paul W. Discrete Multivariate Analysis: Theory and Practice
Bloom, Allan Closing Of The American Mind, The
Box, George E.P. and Tiao, George C. Bayesian Inference in Statistical Analysis
Bradbury, Ray Fahrenheit 451
Bradley, F.H. Appearance and Reality: a Metaphysical Essay
Bratley, Paul; Fox, Bennett L.; Schrage, Linus E. Guide To Simulation, A (2nd Edition)
Breathed, Berkeley Bloom County
Breathed, Berkeley Bloom County Babylon: Five Years of Basic Naughtiness
Breathed, Berkeley Bloom County Presents: The Night Of The Mary Kay Commandos (featuring Smell-o-Toons)
Breathed, Berkeley Penguin Dreams and Stranger Things
Breathed, Berkeley Politically, Fashionably and Aerodynamically Incorrect
Breathed, Berkeley Tales Too Ticklish To Tell
Breathed, Berkeley ‘Toons For Our Times
Bringhurst, Robert Elements Of Typographic Style, The (version 2.4)
Calvino, Italo Invisible Cities
Capote, Truman In Cold Blood
Card, Orson Scott Ender’s Game
Chabon, Michael Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, The
Chvátal, Vašek Linear Programming
Clarke, Susanna Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
Coleridge, Samuel Taylor (Wallen, Martin, ed.) Coleridge’s Ancient Mariner: An Experimental Edition of Text and Revisions 1798-1828
Cross, Wilbur S. and Brooke, Tucker, eds. Yale Shakespeare, The: The Complete Works
Darwin, Charles Origin of Species, The
de Tocqueville, Alexis Democracy In America (translated by George Lawrence, edited by J.P. Mayer)
Dostoevsky, Fyodor Crime and Punishment (translated by Constance Garnett)
Eco, Umberto Name Of The Rose, The
Eliot, T.S. Complete Poems And Plays 1909-1950, The
Ellickson, Robert C. Order Without Law: How Neighbors Settle Disputes
Ellison, Ralph Invisible Man
Fanon, Frantz Wretched Of The Earth, The
Farrell, John Aloysius Tip O’Neill and the Democratic Century
Feynman, Richard P. “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”: Adventures of a Curious Character
Feynman, Richard P. “What Do You Care What Other People Think?”: Further Adventures Of A Curious Character
Fisher, Ronald Aylmer Statistical Methods, Experimental Design, and Scientific Inference
Fitzgerald, F. Scott Great Gatsby, The
Flaubert, Gustave Madame Bovary
Foer, Jonathan Safran Everything Is Illuminated
Franklin, Benjamin Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, The
Franzen, Jonathan Corrections, The
Franzen, Jonathan How To Be Alone
Gaughan, Edward D. Introduction to Analysis (2 copies)
Gilbert, William J. and Vanstone, Scott A. Classical Algebra (3rd Edition)
Gilks, W.R.; Richardson, S.; Spiegelhalter, D.J. Markov Chain Monte Carlo In Practice
Gitlin, Todd Sixties, The: Years Of Hope, Days Of Rage
Glatzer, Jenna Words you Thought You Knew
Goldsworthy, Andy (Photographer); Friedman, Terry Time
Graybill, Franklin A. Theory and Application of the Linear Model
Gribbin, John In Search Of Schrödinger’s Cat: Quantum Physics and Reality
Halberstam, David Fifties, The
Halberstam, David Reckoning, The
Hawking, Stephen Brief History Of Time, A: From The Big Bang To Black Holes
Harold, Elliott Rusty and Means, W. Scott XML In A Nutshell: A Quick Desktop Reference (2nd Edition)
Hesse, Hermann Glass Bead Game, The
Hoffman, Paul Man Who Loved Only Numbers, The
Holmes Jr., Oliver Wendell Common Law, The
Hornby, Nick Songbook
Horstmann, Cay S. and Cornell, Gary Core Java Version 1.2, Volume 1 — Fundamentals
Horstmann, Cay S. and Cornell, Gary Core Java Vol. II: Advanced Features
Hume, David Treatise of Human Nature, A
Hurston, Zora Neale Their Eyes Were Watching God
Huxley, Aldous Brave New World
James, William Pragmatism and The Meaning Of Truth
Jin, Ha Waiting
Joyce, James Dubliners
Juster, Norton Dot and The Line: A Romance in Lower Mathematics
Kant, Immanuel Prolegomena to Any Future Metaphysics (Beryl Logan, ed.)
Kaplan LSAT 180
Kaplan LSAT (2004 Edition)
Kaufman, Charlie Adaptation: The Shooting Script
Keppel, Geoffrey; Saufley Jr., William H., Tokunaga, Howard Introduction to Design & Analysis: A Student’s Handbook (2nd Edition)
Krause, Andreas and Olson, Melvin Basics of S and S-PLUS, The
Krugman, Paul Great Unraveling, The: Losing Our Way In The New Century
Lahiri, Jhumpa Namesake, The
Landau, Edmund Foundations of Analysis (translated by F. Steinhardt)
Larson, Gary Cows of Our Planet: A Far Side Collection
Larson, Gary Far Side Gallery 2, The
Larson, Gary Far Side Observer, The
Larson, Gary In Search Of The Far Side
Larson, Gary Night Of The Crash-Test Dummies: A Far Side Collection
LeMay, Gen. Curtis E. America Is In Danger
L’Engle, Madeleine Wrinkle In Time, A
Lessig, Larry The Future Of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons In a Connected World
Levy, Steven Crypto
Levy, Steven Hackers
Lewis, Anthony Gideon’s Trumpet
Leyner, Mark Tooth Imprints On A Corn Dog
Lie, Håkon Wium and Bos, Bert Cascading Style Sheets: Designing For The Web
Llosa, Mario Vargas Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter
Lonely Planet Florence
Lonely Planet Prague
Luenberger, David G. Linear and Nonlinear Programming (2nd Edition)
Main, Michael Data Structures & Other Objects Using Java
Malamud, Bernard Natural, The
Mamet, David Glengarry Glen Ross
Mamet, David Oleanna
Matuz, Roger Handy Sports Answer Book, The
Maugham, W. Somerset Of Human Bondage
McCarthy, Ed and Ewing-Mulligan, Mary Wine For Dummies (2nd Edition)
McCullagh, P. and Nelder, J.A. Generalized Linear Models (2nd Edition)
McCullough, David John Adams
McCullough, David Truman
McEwan, Ian Atonement
McSweeney’s McSweeney’s 6
Microsoft Corporation Microsoft Windows NT Workstation Resource Kit
Miller, Arthur Crucible, The
Miller, Arthur Death of a Salesman
Miller, Robert H. Law School Confidential
Mooney, Shane Useless Sexual Trivia
Moore, Alan and Gibbons, Dave Watchmen
Morris, Edmund Theodore Rex
Morrow, James Towing Jehovah
Mosteller, Frederick Fifty Challenging Problems in Probability With Solutions
Munkres, James R. Topology: A First Course
Murakami, Haruki Hard-boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
Murdoch, Iris Severed Head, A
Nabokov, Vladimir Speak, Memory: An Autobiography Revisited
Naipaul, V.S. Bend In The River, A
Nietzsche, Friedrich Birth Of Tragedy from the Spirit of Music, The (translated by Clifton P. Fadiman)
O’Connor, Flannery Wise Blood
Onion, The Finest News Reporting Volume One
Onion, The Our Dumb Century: 100 Years Of Headlines From America’s Finest News Service
Orwell, George Homage to Catalonia
Orwell, George Keep the Aspidistra Flying
Pais, Abraham Subtle Is The Lord: The Science and the Life of Albert Einstein
Pasternak, Boris Doctor Zhivago
Petzold, Charles Programming Windows (5th Edition)
Phillips, Peter & Project Censored Censored 2000: The Year’s Top 25 Censored Stories
Pirsig, Robert M. Zen and the Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values
Plato Republic, The (translated by Desmond Lee) (2nd Edition)
Plato Sophist (translated by Seth Benardete)
Plato Theaetetus (translated by Robin A.H. Waterfield)
Plato Euthyphro, Apology, Crito, Memo, Gorgias, Menexenus: The Dialogues Of Plato Vol. 1 (translated by R.E. Allen)
Plato Symposium: The Dialogues Of Plato Vol. 2 (translated by R.E. Allen)
Przeworski, Adam Democracy and the Market: Political and economic reforms in Eastern Europe and Latin America
Quigley, Ellie Linux Shells By Example
Ramsey, F.P. Philosophical Papers (edited by D.H. Mellor)
Rasmussen, Jorgen S. British Political Process, The: Concentrated Power Versus Accountability
Rawls, John Theory Of Justice, A
Regan, Priscilla M. Legislating Privacy: Technology, Values, and Social Policy
Remarque, Erich Maria All Quiet On The Western Front
Robbins, Tom Even Cowgirls Get The Blues
Rousseau, Jean-Jacques Émile
Royko, Mike Boss: Richard J. Daley of Chicago
Rushdie, Salman Satanic Verses, The
Russell, Bertrand Autobiography of Bertrand Russell, The, Vol. 1
Russell, Bertrand Autobiography of Bertrand Russell, The, Vol. 2
Russell, Bertrand Autobiography of Bertrand Russell, The, Vol. 3
Russell, Bertrand Essay On The Foundations Of Geometry, An
Russell, Bertrand Human Knowledge: Its Scope and Limits
Saaty, Thomas L. and Kainen, Paul C. Four-Color Problem, The: Assaults and Conquest
Salinger, J.D. Franny and Zooey
Sampson, Geoffrey Educating Eve: The `Language Instinct’ Debate
Savage, Dan Skipping Towards Gomorrah
Scheffé, Henry Analysis of Variance, The
Schneier, Bruce Secrets & Lies: Digital Security in a Networked World
Schwartz, Randal L. and Christiansen, Tom Learning Perl (2nd Edition)
Sedaris, David Barrel Fever
Sedaris, David Me Talk Pretty One Day
Sedaris, David Naked
Silverstein, Shel Falling Up
Silverstein, Shel Light In The Attic, A
Silverstein, Shel Uncle Shelby’s ABZ Book: A Primer For Adults Only
Simon, James F. What Kind Of Nation: Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, and the Epic Struggle to Create a United States
Sinclair, Upton Jungle, The
Smith, Zadie White Teeth
Snow, C.P. Two Cultures, The
Solzhenitsyn, Aleksandr One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich (translated by H.T. Willetts)
Stearns, Peter N. World History: Patterns of Change and Continuity (2nd Edition)
Stephenson, Neal Snow Crash
Stigler, Stephen M. History Of Statistics, The: The Measurement Of Uncertainty Before 1900
Stoppard, Tom Arcadia
Styron, William Sophie’s Choice
Sunstein, Cass Republic.com
Swift, Jonathan Modest Proposal and Other Satirical Works, A
Tanenbaum, Andrew Computer Networks (3rd Edition)
Thoreau, Henry David Civil Disobedience and Other Essays
Tiger, Caroline How To Behave: A Guide To Modern Manners For The Socially Challenged
Tolkien, J.R.R. Fellowship of the Ring, The
Tolkien, J.R.R. Return of the King, The
Tolkien, J.R.R. Two Towers, The
Trudeau, Gary B. Doonesbury’s Greatest Hits: A Mid-Seventies Revue
Trudeau, Gary B. People’s Doonesbury, The: Notes From Underfoot
Tucker, Alan Applied Combinatorics (2nd Edition)
Updike, John Rabbit, Run
U.S. Census Bureau Statistical Abstract Of The United States 1996
Vintage Contemporaries Vintage Contemporaries Reader, The
Volokh, Eugene Academic Legal Writing: Law Review Articles, Student Notes, and Seminar Papers
Wallace, David Foster Brief Interviews With Hideous Men
Wallace, David Foster Girl With Curious Hair
Watson, James D. Double Helix, The
Watterson, Bill Authoritative Calvin and Hobbes, The
Watterson, Bill Calvin and Hobbes
Watterson, Bill Calvin and Hobbes Lazy Sunday Book, The
Watterson, Bill Something Under The Bed Is Drooling
Watterson, Bill Weirdos from Another Planet!
Watterson, Bill Yukon, Ho!
Weisberg, Sanford Applied Linear Regression (2nd Edition)
Wilson, Cintra Massive Swelling, A: Celebrity Re-Examined as a Grotesque Crippling Disease and Other Cultural Revelations
Wilson, Edmund To the Finland Station: A Study in the Writing and Acting of History
Wilson, Edward O. Biophilia: The human bond with other species
Winchester, Simon Professor and the Madman, The
Wittgenstein, Ludwig Philosophical Investigations
Wolff, Francis Blue Note Jazz Photographs
Young, Mark C. (ed.) Guinness Book of World Records 1997
Total books 220

9 Comments

  1. You’re going to sell Eliot? And isn’t the Blue Note photo book a gift from your brother?

    Comment by j wreezy — January 1, 1970 @ 8:00 am

  2. How could you sell your Larry Lessig book?

    Comment by Adam Rosi-Kessel — January 1, 1970 @ 8:00 am

  3. Isn’t that the Classical Algebra (3rd Edition) that your great grandfather gave you before succumbing to a debilitating euchre injury?

    Comment by chris r — January 1, 1970 @ 8:00 am

  4. j wreezy: I’m selling Eliot because I’m trying to pare down my book collection to what’s absolutely essential, and Eliot isn’t, really.

    Adam Rosi-Kessel: A friend bought me a signed paperback copy of Lessig’s book, so I’m selling off the hardcover copy that I bought.

    chris r: My family still speaks of that euchre injury the same way we speak of ‘women getting the vote’ and ‘the dropsy’.

    Comment by Steve Laniel — January 1, 1970 @ 8:00 am

  5. Do you think there is a chance you’re going to regret some of these book sales years from now the same way you regret selling most of your music collection years ago?

    Comment by agerard — January 1, 1970 @ 8:00 am

  6. It’s highly doubtful that I’ll regret them. For one thing, I’m keeping my all-time favorites (Bellow’s Herzog and Mr. Sammler’s Planet will never leave my collection). For another, I get all my books now from the library, and I have thoroughly kicked the book-buying habit: I go into stores now, browse, find books that interest me, then get them out of the library.

    I’m thinking of selling off my CDs, too, now that I have them all on MP3, but that’s tantamount to piracy and I probably won’t do it.

    Comment by Steve Laniel — January 1, 1970 @ 8:00 am

  7. It’s highly doubtful that I’ll regret them.

    It ain’t nothin’ but a thang, but I bet you would have said this about the Pearl Jam and Led Zeppelin CDs you sold years ago, as well.

    Just looking out for you. But I’m sure this is all for the best.

    Comment by agerard — January 1, 1970 @ 8:00 am

  8. I bet you would have said this about the Pearl Jam and Led Zeppelin CDs you sold years ago, as well.

    Ahem. He did. And on finding out that you no longer consider Eliot to be essential, Spammo: “After such knowledge, what forgiveness?”

    Comment by j wreezy — January 1, 1970 @ 8:00 am

  9. I go into stores now, browse, find books that interest me, then get them out of the library.

    Wait, is that illegal file sharing? I’m confused. How will the record companies make a profit?

    Comment by chris r — January 1, 1970 @ 8:00 am

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.