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The Phone Book: The Curious History of the Book That Everyone Uses But No One Reads

By on November 4, 2012 in Books

Did you know that Hollywood generated 33% less revenue than the US yellow page industry last year? Neither did I until I read a fascinating new book called The Phone Book: The Curious History of the Book That Everyone Uses But No One Reads.

Ammon Shea is not your typical thirtysomething book enthusiast. After reading the Oxford English Dictionary from cover to cover (and living to write about it in Reading the OED), what classic, familiar, but little-read book would he turn to next? Yes, the phone book. With his signature combination of humor, curiosity, and passion for combing the dustbins of history, Shea offers readers a guided tour into the surprising, strange, and often hilarious history of the humble phone book.

From the first printed version in 1878 (it had fifty listings and no numbers) to the phone book’s role in presidential elections, Supreme Court rulings, Senate filibusters, abstract art, subversive poetry, circus sideshows, criminal investigations, mental-health diagnoses, and much more, this surprising volume reveals a rich and colorful story that has never been told-until now.

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Business Opportunities Weblog editor and publisher Dane Carlson lives in the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, just 15 miles from Yosemite National Park. He accidentally became a professional blogger in 2001. He has added 12,203 posts to the site.

Another Idea: How to Start a Book Business

  • http://wahm.business-opportunities.biz Angela Shupe

    That does sound pretty interesting. Besides using it, I never once thought about its history.

  • Nan

    People may have used it in the past, but not so much now. Internet, anyone?

    It may be a cash generator for companies that publish it, but it’s a horrible waste of money for advertisers and gross waste of resources. They deliver them to your door whether you want them or not (where’s the “opt out” button?) and mine goes right back to recycling.

  • http://n.a. Cindy Hawkins

    Nan’s right on. I am a P/T building super and trust me: try though I have, over the years to explain to the phone book delivery guys – I ONLY need x number of books, they persist in giving me ten/twenty more than I will ever use. What happens? They sit on our lobby table until my co op board prez screams, ‘wouldja throw those blasted things out, please?” I think the book itself is fascinating, no doubt. Though there ought to be a way to opt out of delivery, saving paper, trees and extra work for already weary building staffers like me!

  • http://www.callfresh.com Joe

    I can’t believe it is still published when the internet is so much better and more efficient.

  • stillworxs2day

    Everyone wears underwear but no one goes around telling people what color they are wearing. It would be old fashion to admit you use the phonebook. the phonebook is the original search engine

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