babysitting cover

Babysitting Basics

Babysitting
Dayee
1990

I’m going to have to award this book “most boring cover art.” Seriously, this book design looks like they had some bad wallpaper laying around and someone said, “Hey, put that on a book, the teens will love it.”

Cover “art” not withstanding, the content isn’t too bad. The book is written in scenarios, followed by a brief discussion. There is also a business-like theme so kids think about this professionally, including interviewing. The general advice is okay, but the technology available these days (cell phones, nanny cams, etc.) definitely needs to be discussed for 21st century babysitters.

mortgage financing

One man’s loss is another man’s groin

Keys to Mortgage Financing and Refinancing
Barron’s Business Keys
Friedman and Harris
1993

Okay, I admit I picked this one just for the cover. Then I sent it to Holly and she came up with a brilliant title. See above. Although Holly and I are professionals with more than 20 years of experience each, we still have the sense of humor of your average 12 year old boy. Seriously, Barron’s did you not take this to a focus group? Maybe they were hoping some subtle design would make mortgage information sexy.

Blood Brothers cover

Friday Fiction – Blood Brothers

Blood Brothers
Price
1976

Submitter: This cover is… wow. I’m currently weeding my public library’s adult fiction collection. This particular book last checked out just five years ago in 2015, surprisingly enough. This appears to be a first edition from 1976, and the address stamped in the front of the book is from three library locations ago! The description on the dust jacket begins: “The De Cocos of Co-op City are a family of hard hats who think with their hands and kill with their love.” Judging by the Goodreads reviews, this was a pretty popular book at the time and was made into a movie. Dwindling circulation, a seriously dated cover, and poor condition mean it’s time for this classic to go. One of my co-workers described the cover as “A depressed Freddie Mercury-Sylvester Stallone amalgam is comforted by a younger Paul Dooley as Judd Hirsch looks on.”

Holly: Spot on.