Titles of the Sublime Mundane: the Empty Calories of the Over-Obvious

JF Ptak Science Books LLC  Post 540

Sometimes publications have absolutely no pretense, stating exactly what it is that sleeps between their covers. And sometimes these titles seem more like declarative broadsides or posters and not books at all, the "book part", or any writing furthering the cover's statement,  being unnecessary.  The first example here (and one which begs the response "yup!"), Saturn Has Rings, written in 1944 by Donald Lee Cyr (of El Centro), should've stopped at the end of the title of chapter one, "A Rose has Petals".  But no, it didn't, and stretched itself over another fifty thin pages. 

Frederick Blaine Humphrey's Know Your Groceries (1931) takes an unexpected twist, spiraling into something called "biochesspathy", "natural dianetics", and somehow "applying the natural science of the Bible...to the philosophy of youth and health". 

The Book of Envelope Facts...yes.  This is actually a lovely book, in its very special way, with 55 pages of non-stop facts and semi-useless information on envelopes.  Chapter Two's "Arousing Interest with Envelopes" competes wildly with Chapter Three "Attracting Attention with Envelopes" and Chapter Four's "Creating Desire with Envelopes".  It is completed with eight pages of a glossary of envelope terms.

This last example, Alice Mills' Notes on Reading Aloud, really doesn't belong, because it is mainly on acting; but the title is so lovely I just couldn't resist. 

Comments

[Jeff]

That was a great way to start the day. All of those titles are gems. Notes on Reading Aloud is wonderful (and lovely to see), and The Book of Envelope Facts is remarkable and seductive for its presumption alone. I know I could not pass it up if I saw it in a shop. (Of course, it could have been handed out by the thousands at trade shows 60 years ago, but nevertheless.)

[John PTak]

I know! I did make fun of Envelope Facts, but, well, it is a great book on envelopes. Not long on history, but all of the practical (1945 or whatever) stuff that you needed or had a need to know was there. Like that flagpole painting book I mentioned here long ago--just a very well done thing. The Reading Aloud pamphlet IS very nicely designed, you're right. These were serious people; folks who wouldn't have gotten this country into the fix it is in right now, I tell you what.

[Jeff]

I meant to say, too, that I like the way Saturn seems to be going into a a black hole. It looks like our mimeograph art from P.S. 29.

[John Ptak]

It DOES look a PS 29-ish, more like a small ball in a drain than a planet. Didn't see that at all until you mentioned it; now that's all I can see in it. Funny how that works....