Sneak it Through cover

Smuggling Made Easy

Vice Patrol 16 comments

Sneak it Through : Smuggling Made Easier
Michael Connor
1984
Paladin Press

Submitter: This book was found on shelf by one of our library clerks and brought to my attention. A surprising purchase, and my only guess is a collection development librarian had watched too many episodes of Magnum, P.I., Remington Steele, and or the A-team. However, its value to a public library seems limited even with the published date of 1984. For those like us in the northern climates, will enjoy the snow on the car roof trick.

Holly: Because, as the back cover says, “You never know what you might want to smuggle when times get tough!”

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Jump rope!

Jump for Joy!

Sports, Games, and Exercise 10 comments

Jump Rope!
Skolnik
1974

This ancient artifact was only recently weeded from a public library. Given the publication date, I very well could have checked this out as I was teen in 1974. Even if the information isn’t “wrong”, this just is so old, it’s embarrassing. Check out the array of fashion choices. Just yikes!

When I was thumbing through the book, I was really disappointed in the pictures. I am not referring to the fact they are black and white, but how they are just bad pictures and add nothing to the narrative. It wasn’t just the ones posted here, but all through the book. It was like someone’s mom grabbed their Kodak Instamatic and just pressed the button in the general direction of some jump rope action.

Jumping rope was a pretty standard fare during my elementary school days. Everyone did it. Now I only see jumping rope as part of a fitness routine. Do kids even jump rope any more?

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diet away your stress

Fructose: A Magic Formula

Health and Safety 11 comments

Diet Away Your Stress, Tension, and Anxiety
The Fructose Diet Book
Palm
1976

Well folks, this is the miracle diet you have been waiting for!

Dr Palm’s theory is that a fructose regimen can improve the function of the nervous system. Benefits include decrease of demand for alcohol in alcoholics and eliminate cravings for food among those who overeat. In addition, he continues with claims to improve symptoms in psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, lessons the “premenstrual tension” and improves the management of diabetes.

Sounds like fructose is magic.

I think you can safely weed this one.

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Christmas Decorations cover

Ho Hum Decorations for Christmas

Craptastic Crafts and Hobbies 6 comments

Christmas Decorations for you to make
Purdy
1965

For a book from 1965, surprisingly this edition was in remarkably good condition. That should be a red flag right away. Why isn’t in rougher condition? Did this book not get used enough? Was it a crappy choice in 1965?

The book does look old and the crafts aren’t that interesting. 5 minutes on Pinterest would yield better craft projects. Time to let this one go.

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Christmas Tree Crafts cover

Christmas Tree Crap, I mean Crafts

Craptastic Crafts and Hobbies 4 comments

Christmas Tree Crafts
Tichenor
1975

I was a year old when this book was published. That makes it 47 years old this year. I’m all for holiday craft books for kids, but this one is old and tired. There are giant chunks of pages falling out. Some kid, probably 47 years ago, colored on many of the templates in this copy. That kid probably has these hand-made ornaments on her tree to this very day, and her grandkids think they’re sooo old and weird, but dang it, she loves them. Especially the Christmas frog (see below).

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Holly

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ecology cover

Time to Weed

Bleeding Edge 8 comments

Ecology
Farb
Time, Inc
1970

The Time-Life Books have always been popular back in the 1970s. I remember them being advertised on TV. They were like a subscription series or book of the month club. We have a featured a few here, here, and here.

I know these Time-Life series books might still be popular with some folks depending on the topic. However, I am going to say that some of the science topics probably need to go in favor of more up to date information. Given that some of these sets had multiple volumes, space consideration could also be a factor. The western series I still see on the shelves in many libraries, so I think that series still has some fans.

For the most part, these books are weedable but they do represent a time before the Internet was the source of information. You have my permission to be sentimental when you weed these books.

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Traveling alone cover

Travel Advice for the Ladies

Spanning the Globe 10 comments

Traveling Alone
A Practical Guide for Business Women
North
1979

If you want an example of outdated advice this is the book. It is full of technology references and advice that would probably be unknown to anyone under the age of 40. Although safety in travel is an excellent topic, this one doesn’t even come close to today’s reality. This was before any rolling suitcases were popular, tighter airport security, not to mention the amount of technology changes since 1979. Some highlights of the advice:

Things to pack:

Other advice includes strategies for avoiding sexual harassment, using a travel agent, getting hotel reservations, etc. I think this book was probably edgy and helpful in 1979 (edgy, because women could go out alone and travel by themselves!). This book probably was outdated by the late 1980s.

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