Sherri, by Max Collier, published 1969 by Softcover Library

A Strange And Stirring Journey Into The Nightmare World Of The Nymphomaniac

"I don't believe you're too young at all," Sherri said.

Benny tensed under her grasp, his face becoming even more flushed.

"Are you afraid of me, Benny?" She leaned toward him, parting her lips.

"I don't know. Gosh - you're married!"

From back when loin was a four letter word and enough to earn you an "Adults Only" sticker.

Guide to Easier Living, Mary and Russel Wright, 1954 edition

Russel Wright (1904-1976) was an influential American industrial designer, famous for his American Modern Dinnerware.  His designs introduced America to Modernism and his signature range of products makes him the precursor to lifestyle brands such as Martha Stewart.

Wright also did a lot of product development using melamine, and his interest in modern materials is apparent in this book, which he wrote with his wife Mary, who was a sculptor and businesswoman.

It appears that the Wrights are one of the reasons why vinyl furniture and furnishings took off during the 50s. The Wrights were all about efficient living, and part of that was efficient cleaning, and vinyl was cheap and easy to clean, comfort and aesthetics (except for a 50s modernist visual aesthetic) were secondary.

Though the title is Guide to Easier Living, it really should be Guide to Efficient Living, as this chapter heading shows:

 

The Wrights were also about order and organisation:

That is one crazy giant entrance closet. And this is a fantastic book.

Our Place Among Infinities, Richard Proctor, 1897 edition

Richard Proctor (1837-1888) was an English astronomer who made a living writing books about astronomy for the general public and giving lectures in England, America and Australia.

Our Place Among Infinities was originally published in 1875. This copy is from an edition published in 1897 by Longmans, Green and Co, and is in great condition. The cover is a little bumped and you can see in the photo the condition of the spine. The interior pages are all very clean with no foxing. Portions do show some faint water staining, the mark on the bottom of the title page being the most extreme example.

You can read some of Richard Proctor's other books on the Project Gutenberg web site here.

I also have a book by his daughter, Mary Proctor, which I will put up here shortly.

BMX Bandits, 1984 - the book of the movie starring a young Nicole Kidman

Nicole Kidman in her BMX regalia:

BMX The Aussie Way, 1981

It's filled with fantastic black and white photos of bike parts, races and this:

Come Be With Me, by Leonard Nimoy

A battered copy with some inscriptions.

The poetry's not great. Here's a webcam shot of an interior page:

Cute pages, poor verse.

Care of the Sick in the Home by the St John Ambulance Association, First Edition

A fantastic cover.

Awake to Science - Book Eight: Magnetism