The ugly truth…

There’s an ugly side to the book business that most readers never know exists, never witness. It’s an act so shocking, so deplorable, it’s kept hidden deep in the dark recesses of the stock rooms of otherwise cheery bookstores. The people in “the know”, the ones actually asked to commit this nefarious deed visibly cringe at its mention, many enduring hours of counseling–reprogramming if you will–before they can leave the scars behind them and once again blend with society.

This crime against books is called…stripping.

That’s right—stripping.

The books, unread and innocent, are grasped in the trembling hands of some poor underpaid bookseller. Their pages unbent, their covers uncreased, these tomes await their fates. Then with little warning, the sound of tearing rips through the night and the book is laid bare, its cover missing, its pages unprotected. Glancing over her shoulder, praying no one witnesses her moment of weakness, the bookseller brushes away a tear. But tears won’t save the book. Its time is over…not even recycling awaits. No, the glue on its spine prevents that small kindness. There’s only one place for a book missing its cover–the dark pit of the trash bin.

It’s a fate that awaits many, many books–books that you could help save.

Do your part today. For as little as $1 a day you could save sixty books this year alone. Make your pledge. Do your part. The books will thank you, as will I.

Lori Devoti…and her books, ripe for saving…