The free-book frenzy

Free books! For an academic, is there anything better?

Anyone looking at my shelves would assume that I already have more than enough books, and my giveaway pile keeps growing--and yet I still get excited when someone offers me a free book.

Back when textbook publishers used to send packages of sample texts, opening the boxes felt like Christmas. Usually most of the books went into the giveaway pile, but there might be one jewel that I would be happy to read even if I didn't want to spend my own money on it. A collection of critical essays on Charles Chesnutt? Yes, please!  

Some free books aren't really free, of course, but serve as compensation for service. Today I've been promised a book in exchange for reviewing a prospectus for a publisher, and while I enjoyed reading and commenting on the prospectus, my favorite part of the transaction occurred when I went online and chose one from a selection of books. I hope I enjoy the book as much as I enjoyed selecting it.

Funny story: at a recent academic conference, the book table included display copies of various books written by conference attendees, and at the business meeting the organizers drew names to give away those books. The twelve people whose names were picked from the hat had to cross campus to another building to choose their free books--first come, first served. The minute the meeting concluded, the winners made a frenzied dash across campus as if heading for the last helicopter out of Saigon. I'm slow so I knew I wouldn't get my first choice, but I got a free book on an interesting topic and took pleasure from the knowledge that I could send it to a friend who would find it compelling. 

But that wasn't my favorite part of that transaction. My book Teaching Comedy was one of the giveaways, and as I hobbled out the door I heard a swift young grad student calling out, "I've got to get there first so I can get Bev's book!"

He got it. I appreciated his enthusiasm for the book, but most of all I delighted to see that free books can still inspire such joy.