Winter Puzzler

Winter Puzzler
The topic of finding books in bookstores came up elsewhere in this forum, and in the course of responding, a contest notion arose.

The all-time best-selling book at the two very large Cody's bookstores in Berkeley is a Ten Speed Press title. Not one of mine ;-( Not any of their million-plus titles (What Color is Your Parachute, Moosewood, Laurel's Kitchen, How to Shit in the Woods).

Very low key winter puzzler: name that all-time Cody's bestselling title, and I'll send you a free copy of it, or, if you own it, another book by the same author, who is, indeed, a long-time friend. Responses either here, or to me at [email protected] Decision of the judge is final. (Ten Speed is found, not surprisingly, at www.tenspeed.com, and no, I have nothing whatever to do with owning or running the company, more's the pity.)

Note for people in distant parts: Cody's is a huge and wonderful privately-owned all-purpose bookstore a few blocks from the Berkeley campus, where the last vacant parking place was spotted in 1976, in deadly competition with the Barnes & Noble a few blocks away (which has a parking lot). They recently opened a big new store in an area of Berkeley that has a little more parking. The book in question is their all-time bestseller in both stores.

 

I'll go with Anybody's Bike Book by Tom Cuthbertson.

 

My first guess would have Dick Boles book which is Ten speed #1 all time best seller.

But based on it being in Berkely I would guess either "Damn Good Resume Guide"
or "Martin Yan's Asian Favorites"

 

Last swag : Graduate Admission Essays by Donald Asher

 

Nicole: Anybody's Bike Book
No. That was Ten Speed's first book, 'published' 30 years ago from his dorm room at Cal by the man who still owns this now-$20-million-a-year enterprise.

Mike Albrecht: My first guess would have Dick Boles book which is Ten speed #1 all time best seller.

More than six million copies to date, and it started as a self-published little guide on how Episcopal priests (which Bolles was) can think about and plan leaving the priesthood.

Albrecht again: I would guess either "Damn Good Resume Guide" (No. That was one of their biggest sellers, until Yana Parker's untimely demise a few years ago, but not the biggest in Berkeley) or "Martin Yan's Asian Favorites" I didn't even know they published that. Not the one, anyway.

Albrecht: Graduate Admission Essays by Donald Asher
No. There was an amusing moment earlier this year when Asher, who writes books on schools and degrees, was believed, by StarrMustGo, to be living in the same part of California as Maxine Asher. Could it be? we wondered. But no. Turns out Donald Asher is a nom de plume, and there is no connection.

 

A winner already. Actually two. Steven King posted here at 1:02 Pacific time, and Gus Sainz eMailed me at 1:02 Pacific time, both correctly identifying the very wonderful book Kill As Few Patients as Possible by the physician using the pen name "Oscar London" as the all-time bestseller at Cody's in Berkeley, outselling the other Steven King, Danielle Steele, and all the rest.

I'm really surprised that there was even one, much less two correct replies so very quickly. Did they phone Cody's? What's going on here.

Several people mentioned Richard Bolles, and his classic 'What Color is Your Parachute.'

As a test of my security systems (is someone reading my mind?), I offer this follow-up puzzler, which I would deem nearly impossible, and so I'll offer a major prize: three dozen of Marina's home-baked chocolate chip cookies.

What is the very unusual and very sad link between Richard Bolles and America's most decorated World War Two hero?

 

They were both killed in a plane crash.


Bruce

 

Bruce: They were both killed in a plane crash.

Reply: Murphy was; Bolles wasn't. And I'm looking for an actual connection, not just a similarity (such as they both had green eyes or a cat named Samantha or whatever).

 

And a sad connection, at that, I take it.

Quinn

 

Both can trace ancestry to the Pilgrims. I wish this question had been posted 12/23. My aunt is his sister and I could have confirmed this when I saw her. Happy New Year Hille

------------------

 

It's no fun if I can't read your mind to figure this out, {eg} but I'd posit the connection would come between Audie Murphy and Don Bolles in some fashion. I just can't fashion the fashion.

Are you sure you don't have any questions about quilts?

 

Horse racing.

Don Bolles (Richard Bolle's brother) was said to have offended a horse-racing kingpin.

Audie Murphy was a notorious gambler, and also owned horses.

Quinn

(Of course, I may be wrong.)

 

Could they both have the same birthday 21 June 1924?

I know they are not the same height (although Dick is 2x Audy's height.

 

Richard Bolles is the ordained Episcopal priest who delivered the eulogy at Audie Murphy's funeral.

Tracy<><

 

Dr. Bear,
Yes, I'll admit I telephoned Cody's this AM. The attendant said, "Well, another gentleman just called here looking for the same information. I find that rather odd."

Armed with that information I zipped over to degreeinfo.com to post my find.

Steven King

 

Just a guess. Was Richards father a casualty from Murphys outfit in WWII?
Happy 5th day of Xmas!
All the best!

 

QJackson is approaching a relevant path, in that the connection is between Richard Bolles' brother Don, and Audie Murphy. But he's still 35 1/2 cookies shy of a 3-dozen cookie jar.

 

All that I was able to find is that Don Bolles was hot on the trail of a certain key figure who were about to be given membership in the Arizon Raching Commission. Since Murphy owned race horses ("Depth Charge"), I see this as being a "likely" connection, that, if one were to go far enough, could lead to any number of interesting leads.

Given that Murphy died some 5 years (almost to the day -- about two weeks apart) earlier, it is unlikely that the connection is related to Bolles' actual investigation.

It's probably also somewhat unlikely that Bolles and Murphy owned a racehorse together for several reasons: a) that's not a "very sad" connection, b) just because he was investigating racing/gambling connections doesn't mean that Don Bolles owned horses.

Win, place, or show, that's all that I currently have time to look into.

Run with it! And there they go...

Quinn

 

gads... look at all my typos...

Does this board have a feature that allows a "one minute grace" period for editing?

Quinn