Booksellers have a difficult time selecting books related to terrorism. The attempt to present solid titles on various aspects of this issue often pushes booksellers into a minefield of sloppy titles that fail to educate readers.
|
|
Book buyers find it difficult to stay on top of it all because terrorism titles cross standard bookstore divisions, from current events to religion to history. And booksellers face the nearly impossible task of providing readers with timely and relevant titles on the methodology or geographical setting of a new bombing or foiled attack.
As Middle East tensions escalated into war this summer, for example, customers requesting books on Hezbollah confounded many retailers. Like most bookstores, Powell's City of Books in Portland, Oregon, saw sales of Thomas Friedman's From Beirut to Jerusalem (Anchor, 0-385-41372-6) skyrocket, according to Backlist Inventory Supervisor Gerry Donaghy--even though Friedman last updated the book more than fifteen years ago--when little else was on the shelf.
To help booksellers best prepare for terrorism-related demand, the following pages provide some tips for a balanced bookshelf.
Leave a comment