Monday, November 07, 2005

You got the look

The NYTimes briefly followed up on the story of how Britons are quite likely to buy a book merely to impress their friends. My favorite detail is the hedge strategy of carrying one book to impress and to actually enjoy. Presumably when on the bus with the commoners it is fine to read a mystery but you better have something weighty at the coffee shop. What's more helpful than impressing are items that will get people to talk to you. While carrying Fast Food Nation did wonders for striking up random conversations, I have found my Weather Channel fleece gets about three to four random people approaching me per day.

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