steal this book or something like that
You remember Hoffman’s opus, “Steal This Book”, a manifesto for all things anti-establishment, urging future readers to go ahead and break the legs I’m standing on. There was a similar one called Steal This Computer Book released by O’Reilly, which I thought was kinda a good subtle reference to the past. I checked it out, some interesting stuff, but maybe not worth the cashola. I recently saw this posting on bOING bOING about the most commonly stolen books. It referenced Flying Off The Shelves: The Pleasures and Perils of Chasing Book Theives. Tellingly, the ten most commonly stolen authors are:
- Charles Bukowski
- Jim Thompson
- Philip K. Dick
- William S. Burroughs
- Any Graphic Novel
It goes on to say that Crowley’s books have to be kept behind glass in many stores because they dissappear so fast! I have read a few of Bukowski’s books, being the alcoholic humorist, I suppose I can kinda see it, what with his anti-everything life perspective. Thompson, I don’t really know, Philip K. Dick is of course a classic and brilliant scifi writer, though I still don’t see the connection. Burroughs, well what more needs to be said there!Anyway, interesting stuff. I’m surprised more libertarian classics don’t show up in the list.