TJ International

Bestsellers? Best-readers More Like

Catriona — Tue, 15 May 2012 08:26:33 +0000

Best-readers? Even that neologism doesn’t entirely reflect the nature of this topic. Us book readers often find ourselves easily seduced by various bestseller lists. An interesting exercise however, would be to see which of the books on these bestseller lists are actually the most read. Here comes the good news, someone did all the dirty work for us.

James Chapman set himself the task of researching and compiling a list of the top 10 most read books in the world. The criteria set for this project included books printed and sold. Multiple readings of a book were not counted. Similarly, even though some titles have had more copies produced than others, only ones that were sold (based on the assumption that these were actually read) were taken into consideration.

Jared Fanning, designer, then took all this knowledge and created a neat little infographic for your enjoyment.

4 Reasons Why Permanence Matters

Catriona — Wed, 09 May 2012 14:47:59 +0000

One of the most overused words in the world is the word ‘cuts’. At least I think it is. Apparently there are cuts everywhere. Whenever you read a newspaper or watch news on TV, ‘cuts’ is the word that’s IN. So, with some relief, I’ve read about an initiative that calls for NO cuts in book production.

Permanence Matters is a campaign that was started in 2008 in the US by a company behind paper for books. The concept is quite simple and I think it carries a certain significance in times when physical books have to compete with their digital counterparts. I wouldn’t like to turn this post into another from the ‘books will never die’ series, however I truly believe that if this statement is to remain truthful then campaigns like Permanence Matters have weighty considerations. Here’s for why:

1. The quality of papers used in first hardback editions is declining

“(…) book publishers are using groundwood paper to print many hardcover first editions, including fiction and nonfiction bestsellers, literary prize winners and critically acclaimed works, textbooks and more — all titles worth preserving. The practice is increasing at an alarming rate and seriously threatens book production quality and book preservation (…)”

2. Groundwood paper is more often replacing freesheet (permanent) paper

“Until several years ago, groundwood paper was traditionally used for printing newspapers and other more disposable publications, and freesheet, or permanent paper was used for printing books. As the newspaper industry faces declining readership, groundwood paper manufacturers have promoted their paper for lower-cost book production.

More than 50 percent of titles on ‘The New York Times’ bestseller list are printed on groundwood paper.”

3. The quality (as well as longevity) of books produced using groundwood paper is compromised

“Books printed on groundwood paper prematurely age and deteriorate. Within two to three years after purchase and after only one reading, the pages of a book acquired as part of a reader’s long-term book collection may begin to show yellowing, tearing, dog-earring, wear and degradation.”

4. Savings from lesser quality papers are minimal

“‘Money’ magazine estimates that printing makes up only about 10% of the cost to print a $27.95 bestseller. Of that cost, about 30% is for the book paper — about 85 cents.

Choosing to print on freesheet, or permanent paper for higher quality book production costs about 10 cents more per book.”

As I’ve said, quite a simple concept. And if you’d like to read more about this initiative go here.

Why Not Get a Job as a Professional Book Smeller?

Catriona — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 13:51:55 +0000

Whenever there is a public debate on why printed books will never disappear people always like to emphasize the importance of their smell and how this means that people will always prefer a printed book to its digital cousin/brother/sister/nephew/whatever you find appropriate.

I find it quite entertaining. Surely there must be more obvious and simpler reasons for why printed books will always have their place in people’s lives. Anyway, in my daily web-roamings I came across a project that’s quite out of the ordinary. Rachael Morrison is a Senior Library Assistant at The Museum of Modern Art Library (New York). She’s also an artist and one of her ventures is called “Smelling the Books”. This performance started in early 2010 and basically consists of Rachael going round and smelling every single book in the MoMA. So, let me get this right – not only do you work in a pretty cool place but on top of that you can just go round and smell books all day long. I mean come on, wouldn’t anyone love this as their day job? Where do I sign up?

There are 300,000 books in the MoMA collection so it might be quite a lengthy process…

And if you’d like to know what’s the science behind the smell of books, go over to the kind folks at AbeBooks. They’ve put together a neat little clip that might help you answer that question.

Happy Birthday Shakespeare!

Catriona — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 08:35:11 +0000

Busy, busy week. Seems like London Book Fair was just yesterday and already there’s plenty more to celebrate. This week it’s all about Shakespeare and the World Book Night event.

It was Shakespeare’s birthday on Monday and the world is celebrating it by showcasing 37 Shakespearean plays in 37 languages! So if you have a chance, get yourself here and take part in this amazing event. I had a little debate yesterday whether Shakespeare can work in any other language than English. I’ve had a chance to read him in two different languages and can confidently say that it absolutely can. See for yourselves, a haka version of Shakespeare.

And if you were lucky enough, Monday night could have been the night when Stephen Fry, Alexander McCall Smith or The Duchess of Cornwall (amongst another 20,000 book-givers in the UK alone) gave you one of the copies of the 25 books that were chosen to be given away that night. Three boroughs in London organised a double decker bus travelling round with writer Sophie Kinsella on board, giving her novels away. And all of this for #lovebooks.

Cornwall Business Awards 2012

Catriona — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 09:12:34 +0000

TJ International have made the shortlist for Employer of the Year at the prestigious Cornwall Business Awards.

We are one of only three companies short-listed, and have impressed a judging panel consisting of a number of Cornwall’s leading business men and women.

The winner will be announced on 17th May at an awards ceremony to be held at St Mellion International Resort. Former Olympic medallist, Roger Black MBE, will be the celebrity guest speaker at the event, to be attended by around 350 business leaders.

www.cornwallbusinessawards.co.uk

The Moment When You Realise That Books Make You Fly

Catriona — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 09:20:56 +0000

OK, so I was meant to post something else but in my search for inspiration I’ve stumbled upon this little marvel. Well, maybe not so little, about 15 minutes long. It’s a wonderful creation, a short animation (if we’re talking professional terms) by William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg. So wonderful in fact it won them an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film earlier this year. No wonder, it has a great title: “The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore”.

It’s a truly charming and magical story. Plus I’m a sucker for all things creative and all things inspiring, and this is certainly one of them. So without further ado; enjoy!

Ps. The book is out just a day after my birthday so feel free to get it as a belated birthday gift!

That Moment When You Realise You HAVE Seen It All!

Catriona — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:24:24 +0000

I do not know how I’ve managed to go through life without realising the existence of the most exciting event the world has ever witnessed. I’m talking about the Edible Books Festival. Yes, books that you can actually eat. In my humble opinion it’s the most ingenious thing ever! Whoever thought of this amazing combination of books and food should be awarded a Nobel Prize for their services to humanity, or an equivalent.

Anyway, the Edible Books Festival is an annual event that takes place on April 1st (or around that time). It was set up by Judith A. Hoffberg and Béatrice Coron in 2000. Even though the Festival is widely celebrated in the US, its organisers encourage people from all over the world to join in the celebrations. The rules are simple: the event must be held on April 1st (or close to that date) and all edible books must be “bookish” through the integration of text, literary inspiration or form.

The Festival brilliantly sticks to Sir Francis Bacon’s preaching: “Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some to be chewed and digested” and it’s definitely something that’s going to be added to my 30-things-to-do-before-I’m-30 list. Let them eat book, I say. And if you’ve ever been in a situation where you’d be forced to eat your words that could be the perfect occasion!

TJ Newsletter – Spring 2012

Catriona — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:38:27 +0000

Click here to view our latest company newsletter.

The Library You Have Always Wanted

Catriona — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 10:15:57 +0000

If you are, like me, in the early stages of putting your collection of books together you might want to have a look at these:

1. Chaos is the word

So this is Nigella’s library is it? For some reason I’m a bit dubious. Have you ever seen her kitchen, or pantry? If you have, then you’d know that everything there is super organised. Maybe this was before she got the organising ‘bug’, but either way this is probably how my library would look. An organised chaos.

2. It’s a wonderful place

You know that film It’s a Wonderful Life? The all-time classic, frequently on top of the list of the-must-see before/during/after Christmas films? Well, the guy who plays the main role (James Stewart) owned this library. It’s got everything that a respectable library should have, the right colour wooden table, comfy sofas, shelves of books and a nice little table lamp.

3. It’s all about the chaise longue

If you’ve ever wondered what was missing from your library, have no fear here’s the answer – a chaise longue! Funny how everything comes into place now! This Keith Richards is not just a guitar and party-rock-hard dude, you know.

4. And then there was light

If you’ve ever seen Woody Allen (not necessarily in person), you’d probably imagined him with a different kind of library (well, at least I would), more of a Nigella-style I’d have thought. I love how this room incorporates the sort of colonial, deeply southern style, with huge windows giving lots of natural light, which to me is a must for reading (I’m kind of an artificial light hater, sorry…). And have you noticed the sweetest wooden step ladder you’ve ever seen on the right hand side?

5. Stacks of brilliance

And finally a hint of industrial. I’d imagine Karl Lagerfeld has a number of libraries across the world in the many houses that he owns. This I think comes from his Paris studio and let’s not beat about the bush, it’s pretty impressive. The massive walls, WALLS of books – that’s my ultimate dream. And the unconventional stacking of books on top of each other, rather than next to one another, brilliant!

244 Years – 2928 Months – 12688 Weeks – 89121 Days

Catriona — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 12:00:47 +0000

Almost 10 generations, 25 decades or two and half centuries. That’s how long the Encyclopaedia Britannica has been in print. So far 8,000 sets of the final print run have been sold and at present there are only 4,000 available. For just £1,195 you can be the proud owner of the last ever printed edition so you might want to hurry, the final printed copy could be worth thousands (if not more) in years to come!

Since being printed for the first time in Edinburgh in 1768, Britannica has become an invaluable and reliable source. “From children to adults, students to professionals, from the committed researcher to the casual browser – whatever your interests, Britannica has the answers!” (via). And now 7 million sets and 15 editions later, Britannica, as we know it from bookshelves, is no more.

Over 65,000 articles written by more than 4,000 contributors make up the impressive 32-volume final set, weighing in at 129 pounds – that’s over 9 stone or 58.5 kg! That’s some impressive knowledge right there! Here are a few interesting “facts” from the very first edition of Britannica (via):

- Chocolate: it was a luxury, and ready made chocolate and cacao paste were prohibited to be imported from overseas. It could, however, be made at home for private use ‘upon 3 days notice given to the officer of excise, and provided no less than half a hundred weight be made at one time.’

- Human Species: homo sapiens were sub divided into five varieties: the American, the European, the Asiatic, the African and the monstrous.

- Petrol: petroleum was used as an ointment to treat pains of the limbs, and to try and cure paralysis.

I can remember endless hours of homework spent skipping through the pages of Britannica in search of an explanation to some obscure questions from chemistry, biology or history. In the pre-Internet era, anything you ever wanted to find out was in books. I might be on the verge of sounding like an old lady here, but I must admit these seemed much simpler times. Maybe it’s nostalgia, but it’s sad to see it go.