10 o’clock list: The Five Most Boring Books in Olin
December 4, 2011
Before we get into this list, I should point out two things. First, these aren’t actually the top five from all of Olin, they’re just the top five in what appears to be the German Classicists and Furniture Design aisle on the third floor (that’s probably not the official designation, but I’m not a library scientist). Second, I’m sure that these are very interesting and highly useful books to someone, and I’m sure the authors are highly competent experts in their fields. Still, to the general public, these are probably pretty dull, and you should thank your lucky stars that the Chaucer and Plato you’re studying for finals is comparatively fascinating.
- The Pine Furniture of Early New England, by Russell Hawes Kettell. 229 pages plus an appendix of drawings.
- An Encyclopedia of Sofas, by Constance King. 127 pages.
- 1000 Chairs, by Charlotte and Peter Fiell. 768 pages. (This doesn’t seem as long if you think of it as being less than one page per chair.)
- Bibliographie der klassischen Alterthumswissenschaft (Bibliography of Classical Studies; literally “old-time science”), by Emil W. E. Hübner. 434 pages. Not only is this in German, but it is nothing but one huge works cited list. My theory is that it accompanies the many nearby volumes of Handbuch der klassischen Altertumswissenschaft, herausgegeben von Iwan Müller.
- The Red-Figured Vases of Apulia, Volume II, by A. D. Trendall and Alexander Cambitoglou. Volume I was nowhere to be found, but together they consist of 1,074 pages plus 400 pages of photographs. There is an accompanying volume that is solely index.
Kenyon’s library boasts all of the resources of a research-based university while also possessing a remarkable student-professor ratio of 12:1. You’ll really get to know your professors both in the classroom and out–either at Middle Ground getting coffee, saying “hi!” on Middle Path, or even having dinner at their houses in Gambier!
are you for real? who in their (varying stages of correctness/viability) mind is researching chairs? unless by “research” you mean going around and sitting on every comfy chair in a furniture store (or on campus, for that matter) to find the comfiest chair of them all…
“Alterthumswissenschaft” is an archaic spelling. like, when was that even published????
maybe they should have cited a Wörterbuch HA
Originally published 1876!
“1000 Chairs” is a great book. ‘nuf said.
but actually, it’s just pics of cool chairz…
You might not think about it, but the aesthetic appeal of furniture is an absolute essential f your everyday life. Where would we be without a modernist masterpiece like the Eames Chair or the deliciously rococo Duchesse Brisee? Tell me, where would we be? WHERE THE FRUCK WOULD WE BE? We’d be animals.
Think again before publishing such ignorant dribble that can’t find some respect for quality Pine Furniture.
Hey, I’m all for awesome furniture, just not pine. Teak is where it’s at!
this is honestly offensive. you realize should take the phrase “one persons garbage is another persons gold” before publishing. art history and studio art and mll are popular departments at kenyon that make it so a variety of students would be able to use these books in their work.
think twice before making generalizations. furniture design is critical to our everyday existance—-LIKE WHO DISCOVERED THOSE DESKS THAT ATTACH TO CHAIRS—-wh the fuck are they so tiny…..aint practical.
Offensive? I thought it was great. Are you really that offended because a satirical article jokes about how a 800 page book called “1000 Chairs” might be a little dry? Did you write the book? “Furniture design is critical to our everyday existence?” This post could be joking as well, and if it is I’m sorry I didn’t pick that up, because it is also funny. I know it’s exam time, but lighten up a little!
also i would probably argue that chairs are alot cooler than plato.
thiis is straight up offensive think before you generalize next time david hoyt or just htink about what the library would be like without any chairs…..
You missed the 31 “Quarterly Journal of Mathematics,” about 400 “Psychological Abstracts” and 100 “Psychological Monographs” down here on da first level. and that’s only in one section of these little robot shelves that i may need to pull an indiana jones on in any moment
Read the part before the bullet points; I point out that the list isn’t exhaustive and also that the books are surely useful, just not very exciting for most people.
You might not be aware of just how important furniture is to members of the philosophy department, who rely exclusively on those volumes in coming up with examples of philosophical issues. Such as, how do you know that [early New England pine] table isn’t actually a Martian?