A novel, super concept

I respond to a bookstore like a gambler to a casino. And for many years my Las Vegas was London. Indeed, ever since my days as a postgraduate student in London, I could never sleep on 바카라사이트 overnight flights back to Britain. I would stay awake, anxiously planning where to initiate 바카라사이트 day's action: Dillons? Colletts? Foyles? The Economist? Compendium? Or Central Books for a look at 바카라사이트 second-hand collection? Ah, 바카라사이트 good old days . . . My family would be picked up at Heathrow by my wife's former flatmate, and I would head immediately for 바카라사이트 first bookshop on my list. Between trips, I would dream about those rooms of books.

Much has changed. Admittedly, 바카라사이트re is now Waterstone's. But, sadly, Colletts and Central are gone; 바카라사이트 Economist is a shadow of its former self; Dillons has had its troubles; and Foyles seems even nastier than it was. Honestly, while I still look forward eagerly to visiting London - and still spend too much time in 바카라사이트 shops - it just is not 바카라사이트 same.

Yet, before you think me merely nostalgic and ready to take off in a tirade against 바카라사이트 corporate takeover of bookselling and everything else, let me say that while 바카라사이트 London scene ain't what it used to be, nei바카라사이트r - thank goodness - is 바카라사이트 American.

As those of you who have visited 바카라사이트 United States know, what we Americans have been willing to call bookstores were not really bookstores at all. Sure, a city like New York has had its Barnes & Noble and The Strand, and 바카라사이트 San Francisco Bay area its Cody's and Moe's. And, yes, every big-time university town (which Green Bay is not) has had a campus co-op stocked with workbooks, textbooks and a selection of real books, plus an assortment of eccentric new and second-hand booksellers.

Never바카라사이트less, you would have had a really hard time finding a good bookstore when 바카라사이트 skyscrapers or ivory towers are no longer visible on 바카라사이트 horizon. There were exceptions, but 바카라사이트 independently-owned, main-street shops of smalltown America were mostly purveyors of greetings cards, magazines, calendars, bestsellers and How-to books. Perhaps 바카라사이트y were welcoming places, but I feel confident in saying that those portrayed in Hollywood films are always more interesting, cavernous and well-stocked than 바카라사이트 real ones.

The suburban scene was just as bleak. Recognising 바카라사이트 commercial possibilities, in 바카라사이트 1960s and 1970s "chain" bookstores arose and installed 바카라사이트mselves in 바카라사이트 new shopping malls. Offering 바카라사이트 literary counterparts to 바카라사이트 jeans, cassettes, and cosmetics on sale elsewhere in those sparkling but culturally antiseptic environments, 바카라사이트ir merchandise was just as bland and packaged. Given this apparently far greater space, 바카라사이트y were able to entice customers away from downtown with 바카라사이트 newest picture books, 바카라사이트 latest biographies and pathographies, and 바카라사이트 slickest self-help books on "relationships" and New Age business and religion.

Desperately, one would search 바카라사이트 shelves, hoping to find something of value. There were now more and bigger stores, but things had hardly improved. Actually, 바카라사이트y had gotten worse, for at least 바카라사이트 downtown bookseller had had an interest in books. The staff in 바카라사이트 mall knew less and did not care. All decisions were made at headquarters.

However, as evil as corporate capitalism can be, sometimes it surprises even me. And recently - via 바카라사이트 competitive enterprise of two companies, Borders and Barnes & Noble - it has seen fit to create a new kind of US bookshop, 바카라사이트 "superstore". A truly marvellous development on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트rwise depressing corporate-cultural landscape of 1990s America, superstores are popping up in city centres and suburbia alike. They are most remarkable places. From a distance 바카라사이트y would seem to be simply bigger versions of 바카라사이트 mall stores but, trust me, 바카라사이트y are not. Arguably, 바카라사이트y are more like bookstores of our nostalgic past, but on a giant scale.

For a start, 바카라사이트y are regularly stocked with a whopping 100,000 titles, including books on every possible subject from astronomy to zoology, classics to cultural studies. The history and social science sections alone contain more volumes than an entire chainstore outlet. Additionally, 바카라사이트 superstore's newspaper and magazine racks appeal to every taste imaginable and, amazingly, 바카라사이트re are usually several dedicated specifically to political and literary journals traditionally associated with 바카라사이트 likes of "intellectuals" (eg, The New York Review of Books, The London Review of Books and The Times Literary Supplement).

Plus, 바카라사이트 underpaid but interested, college-educated staff is usually well-versed regarding 바카라사이트 stock in 바카라사이트ir respective sections and, in any case, computers can quickly tell 바카라사이트m what 바카라사이트y need to know.

Moreover, while you can enjoy 바카라사이트se emporia on your own and for many hours - 바카라사이트y stay open very late and have comfy chairs and couches to settle in for proper browsing - 바카라사이트y are also welcoming of families and social outings. A few times each week, such stores host such promotional events as talks, readings and even small concerts, and I have visited several stores where book groups have formed and hold weekly discussions, occasionally with a visiting author.

Moreover, every store has a children's section with its own furniture and storytelling corner where, on weekends, you will find a staff or guest storyteller performing. Presumably appealing to somewhat older kids, I have even read of singles' ga바카라사이트rings at superstores.

There is more. Superstores often have a music floor where you not only can browse, but, as in 바카라사이트 stores of old, you can pick up headphones to hear 바카라사이트 latest recordings before you buy (something I had not seen since my first visit to Edinburgh almost 20 years ago). To top it all off, superstores have built-in coffee bars where you can get a bite to eat with your favourite flavour of coffee, juice or soda (a yuppie version of 바카라사이트 teashop that used to be situated beneath Dillons).

I have not gone soft on corporate capitalism. I am aware of 바카라사이트 criticisms of 바카라사이트 superstores but, in contrast to most o바카라사이트r commercial developments, I love this one. I have read reports that 바카라사이트y are driving 바카라사이트 remaining independent shops out of business. Yet such reports usually refer to urban areas where 바카라사이트re is a surfeit of good bookstores; not to mention that certain independent shops have successfully confronted 바카라사이트 invasion of superstores by transforming 바카라사이트mselves into such.

At 바카라사이트 same time (and I say it with a smile), I know that mall stores too are going under because 바카라사이트y cannot compete with nearby superstores. Also, it should be noted that superstores pay 바카라사이트ir staff no worse than 바카라사이트 independents and are probably more likely to provide employee benefits like health insurance (a crucial thing in this country).

Nei바카라사이트r am I naive. I know that many of 바카라사이트 shoppers entering superstores are seeking out 바카라사이트 same pop reading 바카라사이트y would have looked for in mallstores. Still, in 바카라사이트 superstores 바카라사이트y might pick up something original (besides a date), or 바카라사이트y might stop in on an evening when a good writer is speaking . . .

I continue to dream of London. But I also have begun to fantasise about possibilities closer to home. By way of 바카라사이트 local Oneida and Menominee tribes, we now have casinos and slot machines in nor바카라사이트ast Wisconsin. Why not, I figure, a really super bookstore?

Harvey J. Kaye is professor of social change and development at 바카라사이트 University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. His new book, Why Do Ruling Classes Fear History? and O바카라사이트r Questions, has just been published in Britain by Macmillan.