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Thursday, February 10, 2005

BLOGGING THE BOOK FAIR: II (ON SALE)

I admit to never really understanding the difference between "Shiney Shoe Music" and "non-Shiney Shoe Music."

With one or two exceptions, it's all derivative and it all more or less sounds the same. (And I'll not even get into the ridiculous notion, advanced by some that the music they favor is divinely-inspired and also holy, while the music they dislike is not.)

But I am a music ignoramus. So what do you expect? What I am not, however, is an ignoramus when it comes to non-fiction (I don't pretend to be a scholar, but I can separate good writing from bad.) So it's a little frustrating to see crap titles like "A Happier You" right alongside serious books.

It's a little like grazing a kiddush. For every plate of perfect kugel, there were far too many trays of week-old sponge cake, and no reliable way for a novice to tell them apart.