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The Forum > General Discussion > 'The Book I purchased, that I didn't want, nor had any intention of reading ?

'The Book I purchased, that I didn't want, nor had any intention of reading ?

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I wonder how many of us have bought a book, that we really didn't want, and probably never had any intention of reading ? I did buy such a book recently, titled; 'Through Thick and Thin', an autobiography by; Gok WAN.

I'm sure we've all had to suffer with these irritating advertisements on TV for stuff we apparently can't do without ? Many are for women's apparel, offered by the immense 'Target' organisation, and being promoted by none other than, Mr Gok WAN himself !

All of Gok's advertisements tend to show a svelte, tallish and radiant young bloke, complete with a beaming countenance, and surrounded by a bevy of young beauties, seemingly with the world at their feet ?

However, if one were to give his book even the most cursory look, you would not see an image of young Gok, as he appears now on our TV's ? You see, our young friend is obviously of Asian extract, though he was born in the UK and lived most of his young life in a Leicester housing estate. His parents ran a Chinese restaurant, and it was quite normal within the Gok household, that he and his siblings were relatively well fed.

In fact so much so, his weight increased to a massive 21 stone ! He was therefore characterized as the proverbial 'fat kid' at school ! Then of course, he was Asian, so he was often the object of racist taunts. Another problem he discovered earlier on in his young life, he found he was gay. All these pressures on young Gok, meant he did very poorly (academically) at school. What really got him down, he was constantly bullied !

Sometimes, when we finally delve more closely into a book we never wanted, nor had any desire to read, we learn so much about ourselves, and the awful coercion and iniquity, we may inadvertently occasioned upon some of our young more fragile and vulnerable folk, particularly those in our care. Fantastically, Gok managed to get past it all, and good on him for that.
Posted by o sung wu, Saturday, 29 March 2014 1:39:23 PM
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Dear o sung wu,

Thank you for relating what appears to have been a quite unexpected unveiling of someone's life story and its impact on you personally.

My book can not claim to have delivered quite such rewards for me but it was certainly more engaging than I first imagined. It qualifies mainly because it was a purchase I didn't really want to make, in a little second hand bookshop in north west Victoria, but the title was the clincher;

The Best Hated Man in Australia – the Life and Death of Percy Brookfield 1875 to 1921.

The writing is not brilliant I'm afraid, but there is enough there to ascertain what an extraordinary man Percy was.

Here is the back cover blurb;

'They don't make politicians like 'Jack” Brookfield anymore. From mining underground in Broken Hill he rose like a meteor in public life to be possibly the most extreme anti-politician ever to be elected in this country. The Great War and the years that followed saw unprecedented political turmoil in Australia and Brookfield was in the thick of it. By the time he was fatally shot at Riverton in South Australia, Brookfield held the balance of power in NSW and had played major roles in many of the era's main political and industrial events, the Big Strike, the plot of the 'IWW Twelve' to burn down Sydney, and the bitter national conscription debate.”

It is larger than life characters like Percy whose actions seem to have resonated into the present who make me appreciate being an Australian, yet I had not heard of him until making my chance purchase.
Posted by SteeleRedux, Saturday, 29 March 2014 10:55:36 PM
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O sung, I'm a bit if a sucker for a perceived bargain myself.

I think the latest scam is the free 30 day trial offer, whereby you get 30 days to try something and, if you're not happy, or even if you have just changed your mind, you simply pay $19.95, return the item (within the 30 day period) and get a full refund, provided the item is returned in an 'as received' condition, including original packaging.

Of cause, you have already paid the postage to receive the item, and you have to pay to return it, so essentially, the seller has rented it to you for $19.95 for one month.

Not a bad return on an item that most likely cost them a couple of hundred dollars.
Posted by rehctub, Sunday, 30 March 2014 8:10:18 AM
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Dear o sung wu,

I can honestly say that I've never bought a book
that I didn't want or had any intention of not reading.
I'm very fussy about what I do spend my money on - as
far as books are concerned. I do my investigations
prior to purchase. Also working in a library and having
access to all the new books published - sort of spoils
me for choice. However, I was given a book as a
Birthday present that I just can't seem to get interested
in reading. Ben Elton's novel, "Two Brothers."
I tried to read it - but simply couldn't get interested.
It's apparently about Germany as she marches towards its
Nazi Armageddon. I suppose I should give it another try,
and I probably will - just not yet.

Thank You for being so open with us and sharing your
experience. It's actually made me want to read your book.
The guy sounds like an interesting character.
Posted by Foxy, Sunday, 30 March 2014 1:10:26 PM
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Good afternoon to you both STEELREDUX and REHCTUB...

Percy BROOKFIELD, 'The Best Hated Man in Australia' ? Gee whiz, the title alone would be sufficient rationale for me to at least have a quick peek to see what it's all about ? He sounds to be an extraordinary Australian character, who mixed with some of the tougher elements of our earlier, industrial/political history. Broken Hill in those days, sure was an industrial melting pot, with some of the toughest unionist around who were prepared to take on any government who had the temerity to displease them.

I could only imagine how Billy Hughes and his cronies felt, trying to impose compulsory 'anything' let alone conscription, with the likes of BROOKFIELD and his industrial heavies opposing him ?

You also mentioned, you thought the book was not that well formulated ? Do you believe it was written for the period, or with a particular readership in mind ?

An interesting footnote I would've thought, is the quaint way they avoided a messy (Aussie styled) parliamentary impeachment process, during those halcyon days, they simply shot him ? Today, such a practice would not be thought, quite so politically correct ?

And g'day to you too BUTCH...

Oh so true ! I always wonder with such deals if I'm getting a product the has been returned by another ? Used for the 30 day period, returned to the Vendor, and silly me ends up with a 'second hand' product ? They advertise so many 'appealing' gadgets, contrivances, even tools - spanners that adjust themselves etc.

And stupid here, responding to his own rapidly advancing dotage, buys 'em ! Notwithstanding I have a full set of Sidchrome sockets and spanners, go figure eh ? I'll admit to purchasing 'computer cushions' special eye glasses that double as binoculars, several magazine subscriptions (they're quite OK 'I think'). Anything that represents a 'tool' attracts my attention, like moths to a illuminated globe. It's fortunate my good wife isn't as bad as her profligate husband, eh Butch ?

Thank you both for your contributions, I appreciate them immensely.
Posted by o sung wu, Sunday, 30 March 2014 3:31:01 PM
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Hello FOXY...

Firstly, I sincerely hope your health is fine and continues to remain so. Might I also inquire as to whether you know if BELLY is OK ? Or is he merely taking a well earned rest ? I ask simply because you seem to be on quite good terms, both in your respective ideologies, as well as your rapport within OLO ?

Thank you also for taking the time to respond to this rather banal topic, as evidenced by the fact that it has not generated much discussion, nor will it I fear ?

To the Topic at hand, I really applaud your discipline apropos any purchases you may decide to make, in relation to books. Myself, I'm a dedicated reader, and rather fussy both on the substance of the book as well as the author. Regrettably, if I find it difficult to 'penetrate' the overall thrust of the story (if fictional), I'll often put it aside and move on to another book. I'm inherently lazy, therefore I'll not spend too much time on it, before I discard it altogether.

I've just finished a Swedish (fictionally) trilogy, 'The Disciple' (a single book) followed by, 'Dark Secrets' (The Sebastian Bergman Chronicles), (2 x books) by Michael Hjorth & Hans Rosenfeldt. Initially these three books taxed my patience to it's limit !

So complicated were the characters and place names, it was necessary to incorporate a simple matrix, in order to easily identify, both the players and the locations, and that assisted me enormously. These three books were absolutely brilliant, so much so I'm checking around to find further works published by these two Swedish authors !

Not being favoured with much intellectual prowess myself, I find that some books, demand considerable perseverance initially, until the characters and themes, finally unify coherently ?

I have in my somewhat sedate life, a daily morning ritual? I (alone) attend my favourite coffee shop, and leisurely consume (consecutively) two very hot flat white coffees, and read my current book. N I R V A N A !
Posted by o sung wu, Sunday, 30 March 2014 8:59:30 PM
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