The Most Valueless $14.14 Book Ever (Theoretically) Published
David Dunham recently alerted me to the presence of a peculiar title on Amazon: Robin Laws Games: Feng Shui, Over the Edge, Heroquest, King of Dragon Pass. It lists for $14.14, although as of this writing it is possible to purchase a used copy for $15.66. The cover consists of the title on blank beige background.
The natural first WTF reaction is to assume that it’s some weird omnibus of pirated editions. But no. For your fourteen clams and change you get a generous 30-page paperback. A quick scan of the product description reveals that the book compiles a series of Robin Laws-related Wikipedia articles.
Googling the publisher, Books LLC, pulls back the curtain on the bizarro business model behind the listing. It packages Wikipedia content (which is legal, given the material’s rights status) in lo-fi hardcopy editions. The FAQ says that their service mostly appeals to libraries. Again, the acronym WTF springs to mind.
The alleged existence of a used copy of this magnificent tome to the contrary, it’s impossible to imagine that anyone has ever ordered this particular product. But are there really libraries that buy pricey Wikipedia repackages on any topic?
Or is this book meant to appeal to people who think they’re getting an off-brand pirated omnibus of my stuff, only to bait and switch them with ganked wiki content?
I hope not, because then I would have to figure out who I’d be rooting for in this situation: the cheated would-be cheat, or the cheater of the cheated would-be cheat. Why, the deontological implications are head-spinning!