Craig's Experiment with Big Piles of a Good Book

So Craig comes to me from Algonquin and says, "I have this really great book, and if you tried it and I really think it would sell if you made a statement with it." The book is The Cow in the Parking Lot: A Zen Approach to Overcoming Anger. Having had irrational fits of anger myself, I am intrigued by any sort of way to get around it. Most of the time, it doesn't seem particularly productive or satisfying.

I took a look at the book. Why revenge backfires. Rational versus irrational demands. Don't react, respond. Lots of interesting stuff here. The only thing I don't like are the workbook pages. Sorry folks, I don't write in my books (well, I actually use Post-it brand adhesive notes, in a size that seems to have really gone out of style, 3x5, but that's another story). Anyway, I don't like the exercise part. But still, we've done so well with The Power of Kindness (past 100 and keeps on chugging), so why not try this experiment.

So far, we've sold about half of what we brought in. I'll keep you posted.

Just to know that my spiritual guidance does not stop with Buddhism, there's another book we have on our trade paperback table that has some legs, and like several of our displayed titles, the original suggestion came from a customer. It's Rebecca Brown Taylor's An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith. It's sort of a Christian take on mindfulness, and certainly plays off of kindness as well. There's some quoting of scripture, a little walking of labyrinths. Recommendatioons from Marcus Borg, Lauren Winner, very HarperOne (formerly Harper San Francisco). And it's a very attractive package, with French flaps, rough-cut pages, and a very nice cover image.

Now I just need Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, and athiest takes on being kind, and we should have most of the world covered.