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Flimsy Assimil books | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : Language Programs, Books & Tapes |  | |
| Faraday Senior Member United States Joined 5900 days ago 129 posts - 256 votes  Speaks: German* | Message 1 of 28 26 February 2010 at 5:23pm | IP Logged | ||
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I recently ordered some Assimil books, and was surprised by the drastic decline in the physical quality of the books.
Is anyone annoyed by Assimil's decision to switch from flexible, but durable, hard covers to a much more flimsy soft covers? The previous incarnations were able to withstand months of tough use, but the newer prints are much more delicate, and their signatures are haphazardly glued to the spine. In my copy of Le Suedois sans peine, for example, I can see gaps in the spine where glue was not properly filled. Has anyone had issues with these newer Assimil books falling apart prematurely? I would gladly pay a few extra euros for more durable books. 5 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Mark88 Newbie United Kingdom Joined 5461 days ago 15 posts - 21 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German | Message 2 of 28 26 February 2010 at 6:01pm | IP Logged | ||
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What I dislike the most about the new ones is... no little red-rope-bookmark-thingy-
whatever-you-call-it! 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Breogan Bilingual Tetraglot Groupie Spain Joined 5698 days ago 42 posts - 48 votes Speaks: Spanish*, Galician*, French, English Studies: German, Russian, Arabic (classical) | Message 3 of 28 26 February 2010 at 6:06pm | IP Logged | ||
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I agree absolutely, the great majority of their books have now this poor format, even without changing the content. Just a few still have their previous much better shape. If you're interested in any particular language, hurry up and see on their web whether or not it has been spoilt. I don't see the price has fallen either after this change.
Yes, shame on them, and the lace marker has been removed as well. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Paskwc Pentaglot Senior Member Canada Joined 5459 days ago 450 posts - 624 votes Speaks: Hindi, Urdu*, Arabic (Levantine), French, English Studies: Persian, Spanish | Message 4 of 28 26 February 2010 at 7:37pm | IP Logged | ||
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Mine is a soft cover. It's taken A LOT of abuse but it isn't falling apart just yet.
1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| OlafP Triglot Senior Member Germany Joined 5217 days ago 261 posts - 667 votes Speaks: German*, French, English | Message 5 of 28 27 February 2010 at 2:51pm | IP Logged | ||
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The book of the latest "Le Russe" is such a cheap-looking paperback as well, but my Swedish one is a hardcover. It is sad that the lace marker is missing in the new books. However, what annoys me the most is that the book doesn't stay open when you put it on the table. I use to write down the lesson texts, listening to the recording. Of course, I want to check my spelling against the book. So I need one hand for the pen, one for the mp3-player and one to prevent the paperback book from flipping over. I must confess that I was born with a terrible handicap: I've got only two hands!
On the other hand (sic!) this is consistent with modern day computing: you need two hands for the keyboard and another one for the mouse. If a program provides shortcuts, you usually find them listed under "Help for handicapped people" or so. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Woodpecker Triglot Senior Member United States Joined 5593 days ago 351 posts - 590 votes Speaks: English*, Arabic (Written), Arabic (Egyptian) Studies: Arabic (classical) | Message 6 of 28 27 February 2010 at 2:58pm | IP Logged | ||
(sic) is used with a quote to indicate that unconventional usage or spelling was in the original and is not a transcription error. For example: "The House of Representatives shall chuse [sic] their Speaker ..." What you used was a pun. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| OlafP Triglot Senior Member Germany Joined 5217 days ago 261 posts - 667 votes Speaks: German*, French, English | Message 8 of 28 27 February 2010 at 3:58pm | IP Logged | ||
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Woodpecker, your comment is correct, but I had something different in mind. I admit that it goes around too many corners to be obvious. "One the one/other hand" is an idiom that seems to refer to the fact that you have two hands. In the ironic tone that I used, assuming that people are supposed to have three hands nowadays, it would not be clear what "other" means. "On the other hand" is therefore an old-fashioned way that refers to the second of your three hands. Come to think of it, "second hand" would have allowed for another pun. Edited by OlafP on 27 February 2010 at 3:59pm 1 person has voted this message useful |
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