TWO BOOKS ABOUT THE GLOSSY MAGAZINE BUSINESS & ONE ABOUT OLD BOOKS

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 The three most interesting books I have read so far in 2025 are:

1. When the Going Was Good: An Editor's Adventures During the Last Golden Age of Magazines by Graydon Carter - former editor, over 25 years, of Vanity Fair.  A terrific memoir laden with anecdotes about the business and bitchiness of the glossy magazine world. Highly recommended.


2. Empire of the Elite: Inside Conde Nast, the Media Dynasty that Reshaped the World by Michael M. Grynbaum.  A compelling history of power, personalities, eye-watering expenses in and around the company that included Vanity Fair.  Highly recommended.

The books are not intended to be companion pieces, but together they tell a helluva story.

3.The Bookseller of Hay: The Life and Times of Richard Booth byJames Hanning - a profile of an eccentric man obsessed with collecting second-hand books from all over the world and attempting to sell them in various building in the Welsh town of Hay-on-Wye, the "town of books", location of the famous book festival.  Booth had nothing to do with the festival directly, although the concentration of his businesses and life are both firmly embedded in the town's history.  This book is fascinating as it recalls a man's passion, erratic personal behaviour, lousy business skills and underneath all the negatives, a charm that attracted much loyalty from those who worked for him.  Highly recommended.



Keep reading and encouraging reading.


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