Disclaimer

I would like to know what conversation prompted this disclaimer in the front of a book in our library:

"This Book is manufactured in compliance with no known regulations, from materials which happened to be at hand; printed - in some cases not too well - from hand and machine-set types by letter-press and offset".

From the book "Stout and Allied Families" 2nd ed. by Herald F. Stout.

Andy Rooney's Book Proposal

Andy Rooney of 60 Minutes fame proposed that there be three (or maybe four) sizes of books - small, medium, and large. That way libraries and book collectors don't have to worry about how to fit their books on their shelves. Why isn't there a more standard size? Office paper generally comes in 8 1/2 x 11, 8 1/2 x 14, or 11 x 17 sizes. Why don't books?

There can be standard hardback 8 1/2 x 11, maybe a half size for paperbacks. Children's books can be long and short using 8 1/2 x 14 paper, and maps and atlases can be 11 x 17.



When/if I write a book I will make sure that the pages fit conveniently onto a standard photocopier that reproduces 8 1/2 x 11 pages. That just makes sense.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/1998/07/08/60minutes/main13495.shtml



- SorghumGrass