How to Shop at the Strand (or any good bookstore) with Michael Orthofer & Tyler Cowen

[@brianscrane]

This was excellent. Browsing world-famous bookstores should be a KZbin sub-genre.

[@ucrclxl]

Yes! The best kind of voyeurism.

[@stevedavenport1202]

Totally!

[@FPOAK]

I love these kinds of videos. Criterion Collection has its Closet Picks series and Amoeba Records has its What’s In My Bag series; the Strand should do a KZbin series where literary people browse the store and talk about books. Thanks to Orthofer for all the great recommendations over the years, like Exercises in Style which I just finished.

[@ccpIz]

I'm rather interested in what his favorite Dante translation is.

[@RaleighBecketGipsyPilot]

It's so nice to see people who enjoy complex, puzzling books. I'm so tired of booktubers going for the very easy, simple to read ones and really only talking up those.

[@bookmistress7142]

Research beforehand. I am not swayed by covers altho a cover can give one a great impression of what is inside a book. A few times a year I allow myself to simply wander around the entire store looking for something new. Then I let my intuition guide me usually with great success!

[@neilcanta1302]

OH MY GOSH! I'M SO ENVIOUS OF YOU!!!❤️

[@shafayetjamil442]

This is one of my most favourite youtube videos

[@JudithSanchez-ht6jn]

I went to strand before Covid-19 in 2019 and bought 14 romance books at $1.00 per book. Wonderful bookstore to get books that are not in bookstore who sell new books only.

[@jdfromparis6230]

So, I actually own the Odd Nerdrum book which was given to me... I'd say about 10 years ago by Odd Nerdrum... and I still haven't read it. That was pretty random seeing this book here.😅

[@wophugus]

Well, what *does* he think of Neal Stephenson?

[@MercatusCenter]

Orthofer: "I enjoy him very much. That one [the book Tyler is holding] didn't seem to do quite as well, but I thought it was interesting. I always enjoy them."

[@randolphperkins6584]

I love both Tyler Cowen's podcast and Michael Orthofer's "Complete Review" website. I disagree with Mr. Cowen's politics much of the time, but I admire his creative thinking and open mindedness in every subject he broaches. He has also had some spectacular guests. This was a great match. I did want to comment on their recommendations near the end. I like international fiction (translated into English), and often enjoy dense, long, and what may be considered 'difficult' fiction by the average reader. To give examples: Thomas Pynchon, William Gaddis, Marcel Proust, etc. I think both Cowen and Orthafer downplay the immense challenge of tackling any fiction by Arno Schmidt. His work, in my opinion, is barely readable. There are so many layers of literary, linguistic, and cultural contexts to work through, in addition to it being translated from German. May I just say good luck to anyone who can get through the longer novels of Arno Schmidt.

[@danialtanvir]

yo man its danial tanvir from pakistan and i love the book shops of new york city like any thing. i love the strand and barnes and noble and i can spend hours looking at books over there on religion and philosophy. new york city rocks man!/.

[@MercatusCenter]

What's your process for buying books? Are you swayed by book covers or do you do research beforehand?

[@NaptownSubaru]

For me, books are a lot like people. Their appearance draws your attention but it's about what's on the inside that keeps it.

[@kristelh]

I usually buy books that are recommended by people who I admire intellectually or classics that have stood the test of time.

[@gravitysrandom5612]

The more complex and obscure, the better

[@LaWendeltreppe]

Totally depends, sometimes I see a book on someone's Flickr photo and look it up, sometimes my friend ( a former book seller) talks me into buying one, sometimes I follow a recommandation on TV, sometimes I see a cover in a bookstore and want to learn more. I seldom buy novels and I avoid to buy best-sellers. I love biographies, memories, diaries, shorter-than-short stories (Lydia Davis) or Peter Handke and poetry (Mary Oliver, Mark Strand, Billy Collins). I love to re-read books. I love the magic in children's books ("Albion's dream"). I also love non-fiction. I love good covers. I can get very angry about bad ones. I hate old British paperbags and their bad quality. I love Germany for their often very nice looking books and the facts that bookstores are always nice places with big armchairs to sit. But my fav bookstore is Waterstone's in London, Picadilly. There is nothing like the section for art and photography. You can sit and browse for hours and this store is huge and so peaceful and silent.

[@atefless]

I do research before, but among the books I want to read, I only buy books whose covers attract me. Because, in this age of easy piracy, if I have to spend money on a book, I’d rather if it looks and feels good. Otherwise I might as well read the ebook of it on my computer.

[@jennifersantiago6728]

I loooved this!

[@danwroy]

Heed. Books. Now!

[@KtRosemary]

I need to go there someday

[@LaWendeltreppe]

M-train by Patti Smith is one of my all-time-favs. The Goldfinch on the other hand- not my cup of tea. And they are so right about the awful German translations. The worst of all are the Harry Potter books. But also many others. I try to read the original as often as possible. But of course Arno Schmidt, translated...this seems to be a hard hard thing to do.

[@DeviantFish]

I get the sense that to hang out with Tyler for an afternoon is to receive a non-stop barrage of the most interesting and oddly specific questions you'll ever be asked in your life.

[@bradkilgore406]

OUTSTANDING

[@fernandogavino1984]

Gonçalo M. Tavares! Saramago predijo que él un día ganaría el premio Nobel de literatura. Además dijo que dan ganas de meterle un puño en la cara porque escribe demasiado bien.

[@rolandsievers1610]

Wenn er "Sitara" von Arno Schmidt mitnimmt, sollte er sich vielleicht auch gleich als Referenztext eine Karl-May-Gesamtausgabe dazu kaufen ...Der geschäftstüchtige Buchhändler hätte ihm dazu geraten... ;-)

[@LaWendeltreppe]

Hihi, auf jeden Fall :)

[@Randomstupidthings]

True reader never ask is this book good how can other tell which book is good

[@melizaerana9323]

That new york?

[@mekman4]

I haven’t been there in years.

[@Phlegethon]

How much is a book there

[@General_reader]

What do they call “significant”?

[@titwarbler]

What's the background music?

[@MercatusCenter]

www.musicbed.com/songs/saloma/21227

[@charlespeterson3798]

Joy...

[@raywhitehead730]

April 12 2021, the Strand has laid off about half it's employees, I read. And the Owner has stated the book store is in deep financial problems.

[@anibalcesarnishizk2205]

I hope they overcome such a rack.

[@charlespeterson3798]

Did I get a new car”””

[@alinorkadir1175]

Infinite titles

[@gbluecheez]

He looks like hugo strange

[@samsonwilkinson8090]

"The French and German section" Which is in English... doh!

[@jdc9023]

They are in French and German. Orthofer is fluent in both of those languages.

[@sayyestoislam8240]

Aaahhh That means no Hahaahaha

[@der-buchhandel]

bookstore berlin germany

[@deckiedeckie]

This is BS.....all you need is.....MONEY!!......have u bought any new books lately?...They're VERY EXPENSIVE!!

[@mikeywestside8509]

Used books are cheap. New books are expensive crap.

[@lindaharrison3240]

Does he read people of color or just Europeans?

[@acatssoftnose3940]

I'd love for either a bookstore or library that just specialized in works by POC.

[@namingisdifficult408]

I think one opened in the Bronx a few months ago. As of now it’s our only independent bookstore. I hope that changes.

[@rolandsievers1610]

Entschuldigung, das ist doch überhaupt kein Kriterium! Bücher sind entweder gut oder schlecht; die Hautfarbe des Autors spielt überhaupt keine Rolle.

[@Stoney-Jacksman]

who gives a f

[@mikeywestside8509]

Here we go

[@newyardleysinclair9960]

fiction is so boring to me. I've read all the Sherlock stories but that's it fiction wise.

[@rosepetal34]

you seem boring

[@albatroce2324]

You’re truly missing out

[@Stoney-Jacksman]

There's a lot more/better fiction besides sherlock.