Suggestions to medical writers / by George M. Gould.

  • George M. Gould
Date:
1900
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Suggestions to medical writers / by George M. Gould. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    “back ” of the book must be broad in order to neutralize a wretched slipshodness and a silly economy in binding and in paper. When binding and paper are cheap, then the wide expanse next to the stitching must be allowed, be¬ cause the book and page will not open out and lie flat, and this wasted paper and space is necessary for the curve and to hide the expensive economy. By far the greatest reasons for the existence of un¬ necessarily big books is that buyers foolishly, and publish¬ ers cunningly, prefer them large. But is it not long past the time when physicians should have learned the folly of the “most, i. e., the biggest, for the money,” instead of the most and smallest ? Every buyer should earnestly demand of publishers that offered books shall not be as huge and imposing, but rather as small and serviceable as possible. The grand array on the shelves, whether for one’s own satisfaction or to make an impression, is scarcely a valid excuse for depleting one’s purse and for cumbering one’s bookcases. “It is magnificent, but it is not—literature.” Still another powerful reason for the big book lies in the fact that it is the bigness that seems to justify us in paying the big price, whereas we should prefer the small book, if equally complete and scholarly, at the same or even at a greater price. Let us quit buying books by the pound ! And lastly, it is only the big book at the big price that pays the canvasser’s expenses. At present we prefer tO' pay a man several dollars to convince us of the value of a book, rather than to order it direct. It would be far cheaper and better to order the complete volume “ on in¬ spection,” paying express charges both ways, rather than to order from the “dummy.” Publishers, we believe, would be willing to accept this offer, and we doubt not would prefer this plan of selling their books. We have reserved to the last the single consideration of dominating importance—that of the paper used in books. It is by means of poor, bulky, cheap paper that books are
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