A slim but invigorating guide to an appealing and promising concept.
A college instructor shares his plan to help independent bookstores survive: shopping trips specially designed for–and marketed to–tourist readers.
Portzline conceived the idea for bookstore tourism after hearing a fellow community college instructor explain restaurant adventures he led in New York City. Wanting to own a bookstore himself, Portzline figured he could learn about the business by leading tourists on buying trips, beef up the bottom lines of independent retailers, earn money for himself and encourage reading. As of last August, Portzline had organized and led six bookstore tourism groups–five to Greenwich Village in New York City and one to the Georgetown and Dupont Circle neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. Portzline’s whim eventually evolved into a self-styled grassroots campaign–he launched a Web site (BookstoreTourism.com), actively sought media attention and penned his thin guide to organizing journeys to independent retailers. The handy how-to section covers many common questions: Do you have to be some kind of expert to do this?; Who should consider planning a bookstore road trip?; What’s the main purpose of your trip?; Will it cost anything to get started?; Who are you inviting?; How will you handle reservations?; Where do you want to go?; How long do you want the trip to be?; What day will you go?; etc. Even for those who don’t take action with groups of their own, Portzline’s guide is engaging reading because of the specific independent stores he mentions. They’re not necessarily the most famous bookstores in the nation, nor does Portzline attempt to provide a comprehensive list. But each retailer has its own story to tell, and most will hold the interest of any book enthusiast.
A slim but invigorating guide to an appealing and promising concept.Pub Date: Oct. 20, 2004
ISBN: 0-9758934-0-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis...
Privately published by Strunk of Cornell in 1918 and revised by his student E. B. White in 1959, that "little book" is back again with more White updatings.
Stricter than, say, Bergen Evans or W3 ("disinterested" means impartial — period), Strunk is in the last analysis (whoops — "A bankrupt expression") a unique guide (which means "without like or equal").Pub Date: May 15, 1972
ISBN: 0205632645
Page Count: 105
Publisher: Macmillan
Review Posted Online: Oct. 28, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 1, 1972
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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