Outlines of Astronomy

Herschel, Sir John F. W., Outlines of Astronomy, Part One & Part Two, New York: P. F. Collier & Son, 1902, pp926, inc illustrations.

This work of astronomy comes in two parts and they're separately bound into two hardcover books. The pages are a little yellowish due to their natural ageing process.

astronomy
books

The Pith of Astronomy

Bayne, Samuel G., The Pith of Astronomy, New York: Harper & Brothers Publishers, 1896, pp124. B/W Illustrations. No Dustjacket.

You notice from the contents that Pluto wasn't mentioned 'coz then it hadn't been discovered yet.

This is one of the oldest books in my collection and its condition is still nice and neat.

astronomy
books

Fodor's People's Republic of China, 1983

Summerfield, John, Fodor's People's Republic of China 1983, New York: Fodor's Travel Guides, 1983, pp609 (text), pp8 (color photos).

This thick guide book was a nice gift in 1984 from a student from China studying in the USA, who might be hoping that I would visit China someday. But the closest I'd ever gone somewhere near China was to Hong Kong and Taiwan.

books
China

The Hammer for Smashing Illusion

Sankaracarya, Sripad, The Hammer for Smashing Illusion, explained by Hansadutta Swami, Singapore: Hansa Book Trust, 1983, pp230 inc illustrations.

In 1987, a good friend had made a generous donation to a civic organization and was presented with this hardcover book. He'd passed this book to me as a gift later in the same year.

books
meditation

The HP Way

Packard, David, The HP Way: How Bill Hewlett and I Built Our Company, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, Inc., 1995, pp212 inc illustration. Dustjacket. New.

The author tells the simple yet extraordinary story of his life's work and of the truly exceptional corporation that he and his co-partner started in a garage 65 years ago.

This readable hardback was a gift from a good friend some 10 years ago.

books
Silicon Valley

1989 Price Guide of United States Coins

Hudgeons, Marc, The Official 1989 Blackbook: Price Guide of United States Coins, 27th edition, New York: The House of Collectibles, 1988, pp299 inc illustrations.

This small handy paperback was a gift in 1990 from a good friend who'd used to run a numismatic shop downtown at Coleman Street. SOLD!

coin collecting

Cacti & Other Succulents

Scott, S.H., The Observer's Book of Cacti & Other Succulents, 10th reprint, London: Frederick Warne (Publishers) Ltd, 1977, pp160 (text), 16 color plates and 66 b/w photos. Nice used.

This isn't exactly a tiny book but it's small enough to be handy. I'd bought this nice used book sometime last year from Romie who runs a bookshop called Books Galore.

gardening

The Life of Pablo Picasso

Hawes, Esme, The Life & Times of Pablo Picasso, Sydney: The Book Company International Pty Ltd, 1996, pp73 inc illustrations.

Here's another one of a few tiny books in my collection. It's a gift from Romie who runs a bookshop called Books Galore at Scotts Road. It's fun to hold and read a tiny book like this.

books
Picasso

Gems, Pocket-size Book

Nature's Treasure: Gems, edited by Daniel Giles, London: Dragon's World Ltd, 1994, pp45 inc color illustrations.

Bought in 1995 from the Kinokuniya bookstore at Orchard Road, this is one of a few tiny books in my collection. It's fun to hold and read a tiny book like this.

books
gems

Gem Hunter's Guide

MacFall, Russell P., Gem Hunter's Guide: How to Find and Identify Gem Minerals, 5th Revised Edition, Reprint, New York: Bell Publishing Company, 1989, pp323 inc b/w illustrations.

This hardcover book is a complete amateur collector's manual to the precious and semi-precious gems of North America.

Meanwhile, check out another book written about gems by clicking here.

books
precious stones

The Diamond Invention

Epstein, Edward Jay, The Diamond Invention, London: Hutchinson & Company (Publishers) Ltd, 1982, pp270.

The international diamond monopoly is in the hands of a few syndicates. The artificially maintained high value of diamonds by these syndicates is in danger of total collapse.

Or has the value collapsed some time ago? The world may yet learn that nothing, not even a diamond, is forever.

Meanwhile, check out another book written about diamonds by clicking here.

books
diamonds

The Silver Bears

Erdman, Paul, The Silver Bears, London: Hutchinson & Company (Publishers) Ltd, 1974, pp201.

This book is history. It's about the bear market of silver from 1968 to 1971 when the price of silver bottomed out at only US$1.29 an ounce. But while small investors were hit badly, some really big speculators made millions by selling short.

Meanwhile, check out another book, entitled Silver Bulls, written about the silver market by clicking here.

books
silver

Silver Bonanza

James U. Blanchard III, Silver Bonanza, Revised Edition, New York: Simon & Schuster, 1995, pp288.

The price of silver had crashed from its peak of US$50 per ounce more than 25 years ago. Is there a chance that the price might rise to that high level once again?

The purchase receipt dated 16/06/95 from Times The Bookshop, formerly situated in Colombo Court shopping complex, is still tucked inside this book. Well, from 1995 until now, the price of silver is still way below its peak level. For your information, the price is currently at around US$12.50 per ounce.

books
silver

The Great Silver Bubble

Fay, Stephen, The Great Silver Bubble, London: Hodder and Stoughton Ltd, 1982, pp275 (text), pp4 (b/w photos). Dustjacket. As Good as New.

Here's another investigative journalism about a conspiracy by two of the richest families in the world to corner the entire silver market from the late 1970s to 1980.

books
silver

Bre-X, The Inside Story

Francis, Diane, Bre-X: The Inside Story, Toronto, Canada: Key Porter Books Ltd, 1997, pp240 (text), pp8 (b/w photos). Dustjacket. As Good as New.

This is an investigative journalism about a gold-mining conspiracy that ended in a suicide of a chief geologist. The story reveals one of the biggest investment scams on earth when the share price of Bre-X Minerals crashed from its high of US$280 to almost nothing.

books
gold

The Realms of Gold

Vicker, Ray, The Realms of Gold, London: Robert Hale & Company, 1976, pp244.

This is a readable hardcover book telling the story of gold from the ancient Egyptians to the modern-day magnates of South Africa.

books
gold

The Gold Companion

Green, Timothy, The Gold Companion: The A-Z of Mining, Marketing Trading and Technology, London: Rosendale Press Ltd, 1991, pp159 inc illustrations.

While browsing for books inside Times The Bookshop downtown Kuala Lumpur in 1998, I'd come across this attractive hardcover book and bought it without much hesitation. This book is almost like a handy encyclopaedia of gold.

books
gold

James Bond, 6 Novels

Ian Fleming's James Bond, Complete and Unabridged, London: Chancellor Press, 1994, pp847.

While browsing for books inside Times The Bookshop downtown Kuala Lumpur in 1998, I'd come across this huge hardcover book and bought it without much hesitation. This book has six electrifying novels featuring the special agent James Bond.

books
fiction

Hiroshima, 1945

Takaki, Ronald, Hiroshima: Why America dropped the Atomic Bomb, New York: Little, Brown and Company, 1995, pp194 (text), pp8 (b/w photos). Dustjacket. As Good as New.

I went downtown today and dropped into Romie's bookshop, Books Galore, in Far East Plaza at Scotts Road and bought this hardcover book. This is the first book that I'd bought from Romie for the year 2007.

books
Japan

Nagasaki 1945

Akizuki, Tatsuichiro, Nagasaki 1945, translated by Keiichi Nagata, London: Quartet Books Ltd, 1981, pp159 (text), pp8 (b/w photos). Nice used.

Here's a paperback that I'd bought in 1998 from the Skoob bookshop at Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is a book written about the detonation of the atomic bomb on Nagasaki in Japan.

books
Japan

Children of the Flames

Lucette Matalon Lagnado & Sheila Cohn Dekel, Children of the Flames: Dr Josef Mengele and the Untold Story of the Twins of Auschwitz, London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1991, pp320 (text), pp8 (b/w photos). Dustjacket. As Good as New.

Here's another hardcover book that I'd bought in 1998 from the Skoob bookshop at Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is a book written about the holocaust.

books
Holocaust

Buried Treasure

Johnstone, Paul, Buried Treasure, London: Phoenix House Limited, 1957, pp111 with 67 plates and a frontispiece. Dustjacket torn at top edge.

This hardcover book was dug up like buried treasure from a huge pile of used books at a corner inside the Skoob bookshop at Bangsar Baru, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In 1998, I flew north over there to watch the Commonwealth Games held for the first time in Malaysia, and dropped over into that bookshop at the same time. I'd bought a number of used hardbacks and paperbacks, and this was one of those books that I'd brought home.

archaeology
books

How to Invest in Gems

Zucker, Benjamin, HOW TO INVEST IN GEMS, Dorset (UK): Blandford Press, 1977, pp128 (text), pp16 (color plates). Dustjacket. Nice used.

This used book was bought from Romie some ten years ago when he was then running Sultana Bookstore at Selegie Road. It is out-of-print and hard to find.

This interesting book is a layman's guide to the connoisseur's world of rubies, sapphires, emeralds, diamonds, and other precious gemstones.

books
gems
precious stones

Guide to Collecting Silver

Holland, Margaret, Silver: An Illustrated Guide to Collecting Silver, London: Cathay Books, 1978, pp144 inc illustrations. Dustjacket. As Good as New.

Bought from the former MPH bookshop at Stamford Road in 1979, this is a large hardcover book about collecting silver objects used at the table and in the house. It's illustrated with 45 superb color and over 120 black & white illustrations.

books
silverware

Phaidon Guide to Pewter

Brett, Vanessa, Phaidon Guide to Pewter, Oxford: Phaidon Press Ltd, 1981, pp256 inc illustrations.

This is the most recent book that I'd bought from Romie, just two days after Christmas of 2006. It's a nice used hardcover book and its pages are made from good quality paper.

It's a nice way to end the year of 2006 and herald the year of 2007 by reading about some collectibles that I like.

books
pewter

An Old Book about Collecting Jewelry

Curran, Mona, Collecting Jewellery, London: Arco Publications, 1963, pp151 (text), pp4 (b/w photos).

This is a handy hardcover book that I'd bought from Romie a few days before Christmas Day of 2006. I am glad to add this useful book to my collection of several books written about jewelry.

books
jewelry

The Lost Wreck of the Isis

Ballard, Robert D., The Lost Wreck of the Isis, Kent, UK: Hodder & Stoughton/Madison Press Book, 1990, pp64 inc illustrations.

This large hardcover book has large print and it's easy to read. The inside of its dust-jacket unfolds to become a full color wall poster.

archaeology
books

Romie of Books Galore, Far East Plaza

BOOKS GALORE
14 Scotts Road,
#05-107,
Far East Plaza,
Singapore 228213.

Sole Proprietor: Romie (top photo).
Telephone Numbers: 67328773 and 93852696.

Check out my friend's bookshop selling mostly second-hand (used) books like Fiction (Novels), Non-Fiction (Self-Help, Inspirational, Motivational, Business, Hobbies, Fashion, General), Children's Books, Comics, and Imported Magazines.

Best bookshop downtown selling and renting used books. No regrets walking into Romie's bookshop 'coz I've been buying used books and magazines from Romie since 1991. This is the man who has been selling books since the good old school days at Bras Basah Road. He will gladly answer all your questions about books.

books
Singapore

Recovery of a Spanish Galleon

William M. Mathers and Nancy Shaw, Treasure of the Concepción, edited by Catherine R. Wygant, Hong Kong: APA Publishers (HK) Ltd, 1993, pp165 inc illustrations.

This is a large hardcover book written about the archaeological recovery of the Spanish galleon called Nuestra Señora de la Concepción.

I'd bought this colorful and interesting book at a high price in 1994 from the MPH bookshop formerly situated at Stamford Road.

archaeology
books

Discovery of the Mary Rose

McKee, Alexander, How We Found the Mary Rose, London: Souvenir Press Ltd, 1983/rpt, pp152 inc illustrations.

This large used paperback was bought from Romie some ten years ago when he was running Sultana Bookstore at Selegie Road. It has many drawings and photographs.

archaeology
books

Fatal Treasure

Smith, Jedwin, Fatal Treasure: Greed and Death, Emeralds and Gold, and the Obsessive Search for the Legendary Ghost Galleon Atocha, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2003, pp257 inc illustrations. Dust-jacket. New.

This is yet another exciting book written about the quest for the sunken treasure of the Spanish galleon Nuestra Señora de Atocha. In 1969, the legendary Mel Fisher set out to find that treasure.

archaeology
books

The Silent World

Cousteau, Captain J.Y., The Silent World, New York: Harper & Row, Pyblishers, 1953, PP266 inc 64 pages of photographs. Hardback, Dust-jacket. Nice used.

In this interesting book, Jacques Yves Cousteau with Frédéric Dumas wrote about the exciting adventure of the undersea world. This book was bought more than ten years ago from that former bookshop in The Adelphi at Coleman Street.

archaeology
books

The Underwater Dig

Marx, Robert F., The Underwater Dig: An Introduction to Marine Archaeology, New York: Henry Z. Walck, Inc., 1975, pp250 inc illustrations.

Bought from that former bookshop at Coleman Street, this is a nice used hardback that I'd paid a relatively high price for it some ten years ago.

archaeology
books