Andy Pays A Visit To The Book Fair

(CBS)  The following is a weekly 60 Minutes commentary by CBS News correspondent Andy Rooney.

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We're so used to having books around us all the time that we don't think of it but books are one of the greatest inventions of all time. They're certainly ahead of the elastic band or the safety pin.

The New York Antiquarian Book Fair is the best book fair in the world and we went and looked at a lot of old books there. You don't have to read a book to enjoy it. Just having a book is as much a pleasure as having a picture on the wall.

There were booksellers from France, Germany, Italy, England, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Spain - even California. Good old books aren't cheap.

At the book fair, some sellers were offering books ranging from $52,500 to $700,000.

Book dealers aren't like used car salesmen. I think they like their books better than the money.

Bookseller: The Hondius Mercator Atlas from 1637.

Andy: And how much would that sell for?

Bookseller: About $35,000.

Andy: Do you sell many of them?

Bookseller: No, and it takes time to sell them. And when the right person comes along.

Unlike most people with something to sell, you don't get the feeling that they're anxious to get rid of their books.

The earliest bound volumes were published several hundred years ago. Hard to pinpoint a date for publishing.

You wonder who reads some of these, like "British Ferns," Volumes One and Two. I'll wait for them to make the movie of that.

"Nicolls Birds Of Egypt," Volumes One and Two; "The Communications Theory Of Secrecy Systems." It doesn't sound like a book you'd keep next to your bed.

"A Fighting Man Of Mars"—this was written by Edgar Rice Burroughs, who wrote the Tarzan books.

No one knows how many copies of some of these books were printed, probably no more than a few hundred. Today they print a million copies of a bestseller. Don't look for any of them 200 years from now though.

It's easy to get thinking that the world is going to hell sometimes but there are a few things that provide hope that our civilization will endure - the New York Book Fair is one of them.

[vinepetal904]

wut a bodacious book broadcast, books are so best, people are such pests always babbling about books, before another pesty pretty babbles about books, the baboon should borrow one and bonker out on it's beauty, but anyway, best books are infant and toddler books, one's by those who pretty much probably die 20,000 per precious day by hunger alone, because too many ballistic bopping brilliants as us spend too many bubbles of a bath babbling about which babbling books are best, too much get sick soon and too little get well soon, perhaps people will best babble about books when people are the books people babble about, when hungry infants and toddlers are the books people babble about as folk fertilze and frolic trails people ponder

[hober_mallow]

"You don't have to read a book to enjoy it. Just having a book is as much a pleasure as having a picture on the wall."

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you, Mr. Rooney.

I've got lots of books that looked good at the bookstore or flea market, but never quite aroused my spirit to read them when I get home.

I probably only read about 75% of the books I purchase.

[rmbdesigns]

andy good story of interest but u missed the point
people who have real money invest in books
people who have money start out buying and investing in culture 1st antiquities, 2nd art, 3rd rugs, 4th jewels, and 5th people who have the most money buy books if one did their research the most expensive book sold is ..... that's a story worthy of you

[hypnotoad72]

'Hard to pinpoint a date for publishing' for a book yet scientists can extrapolate (aka 'pretend to know how') that rocks are tens of thousands of years old. Life is so cool. :)

[puzzler125]

You can find books for FAR less money and talk to some really interesting people.

[rprime23]

I can't see myself spending 7000000 on a book, but I suppose that fair is worth a look anyway :P