A very

exciting idea: the Random Book Club  sends me  something unpredictable each month. This is the first to arrive -  an eloquent reminder that capitalism contains the seeds of its own decay, leaving us with hope that small bookshops may survive the onslaught of online discounting and astonishing convenience. This copy has detailed pencilled notes possibly by G. Morison (in ink), and on the frontispiece "Germinal Subjects / 1. Crowd scenes, their handling by Z."

I have resolved to reuse the packaging and try to keep shelf space under control by sending books I have enjoyed to friends. Not random, and nowhere near the virtuous asceticism of the 'one in, one out' rule of book management. But there is pleasure to come in choosing a book,  and matching it to a friend.