A Kansas City used-book store called “Prospero’s Books” is so desperate to thin out its collection that it started to burn books. Co-owner Tom Wayne says he is unable to sell many of his thousands of books, or even to give them away to libraries and thrift stores, so he started a pyre in protest, according to the Post Star from Glenn Flass, New York.
Actually, this is according to at least 300 more news papers. A suspicious person might start to feel that this is perhaps a publicity stunt rather than a protest. From Prospero’s Books’ website:
For $1 a book (+ postage), you can save these books from the flame. We will not take these $s as profit, but will use them to publish new books.
That’s not a bad scheme: get lots of attention for your business, sell stuff you couldn’t otherwise get rid of at a premium, and use the money to fuel your other business.
Related: Slashdot discussion.
Photos: The Fire. And inside Prospero’s. – D.R.
