[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"$fAqP6CQjw2wnrd--HPjj5DdoFY-nHBaGikQ8Y-I3lEa0":3,"$fqrf3nPVDhSJa_6IJdUx5L93s9B2Z01DaOHIM2A7M5ao":16},{"author":4,"tags":11},{"author_id":5,"author_name":6,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"bio":9,"short_bio":9,"slug":10,"image_url":9},14477,"Shaun Bythell","S",12,null,"shaun-bythell",[12],{"tag_id":13,"tag_name":14,"tag_count":15},63,"funny",5,{"quotes":17,"pagination":171},[18,36,47,61,77,91,105,127,147,159],{"id":19,"quote_text":20,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":23,"source":24,"quote_tag":25,"commentary":9},797475,"I am putting a mental jigsaw together of what a hobbit looks like, based on a composite of every customer I have ever sold a copy to.",2,false,{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[26,31],{"id":27,"tag":28},3707987,{"id":29,"tag_name":30},44780,"the-hobbit",{"id":32,"tag":33},3707986,{"id":34,"tag_name":35},52151,"hobbits",{"id":37,"quote_text":38,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":39,"source":40,"quote_tag":41,"commentary":9},793466,"Коли я виставляв ціни на видання, до мене підійшов старший чоловік і попросив: - Не допоможете мені знайти книжки із самодопомоги? Певний, що він не помітив у цій фразі суперечності, я спитав, яка самодопомога його цікавить. Той відповів: - Сам не знаю.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[42],{"id":43,"tag":44},3699538,{"id":45,"tag_name":46},3,"humor",{"id":48,"quote_text":49,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":50,"source":51,"quote_tag":52,"commentary":9},703725,"This group derives an alternate sort of gratification from the fact that their niche obsession somehow differentiates them from other people, mistakenly assuming that it makes them more interesting.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[53,56],{"id":54,"tag":55},3472284,{"id":45,"tag_name":46},{"id":57,"tag":58},3472285,{"id":59,"tag_name":60},12116,"reminiscing",{"id":62,"quote_text":63,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":64,"source":65,"quote_tag":66,"commentary":9},591140,"Prefacing a sentence with 'I don't want to appear rude, but...' flags up the same alarm bells as 'I am not racist, but...' It's quite simple: if you don't want to appear rude, don't be rude. If you're not a racist, don't behave like a racist.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[67,72],{"id":68,"tag":69},3130002,{"id":70,"tag_name":71},3729,"racism",{"id":73,"tag":74},3130003,{"id":75,"tag_name":76},37174,"rudeness",{"id":78,"quote_text":79,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":80,"source":81,"quote_tag":82,"commentary":9},582904,"A less than friendly email this morning... [from a booksop customer]After lunch I went to my parents' house to get my shotgun and shoot a kindle (broken screen, bought on eBay for £10)",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[83,86],{"id":84,"tag":85},3100672,{"id":13,"tag_name":14},{"id":87,"tag":88},3100671,{"id":89,"tag_name":90},3574,"book-lovers",{"id":92,"quote_text":93,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":94,"source":95,"quote_tag":96,"commentary":9},511256,"It should go without saying that anyone who introduces themselves as 'a bit weird' is almost certainly not.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[97,100],{"id":98,"tag":99},2836753,{"id":45,"tag_name":46},{"id":101,"tag":102},2836754,{"id":103,"tag_name":104},2326,"sassy",{"id":106,"quote_text":107,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":108,"source":109,"quote_tag":110,"commentary":126},198487,"Money can't buy happiness, BUT it can buy books (which is basically the same thing).",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[111,116,121],{"id":112,"tag":113},1264620,{"id":114,"tag_name":115},18,"happiness",{"id":117,"tag":118},1264618,{"id":119,"tag_name":120},177,"books",{"id":122,"tag":123},1264621,{"id":124,"tag_name":125},576,"humour","**The Backstory**\nThis quote is attributed to Shaun Bythell, the owner of The Bookshop on the Corner in Scotland. Bythell's life and writings often touch on the intersection of books, business, and personal happiness. In his memoirs, he frequently shares anecdotes about managing a small bookshop amidst financial struggles.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nWhat most readers miss is the tension between the two statements: \"Money can't buy happiness\" sets up an expectation of spiritual or existential fulfillment being independent from material wealth. However, Bythell's witty addition that money can indeed buy books subtly shifts the focus to the idea that true happiness may not be in grand experiences but in the accumulation and consumption of meaningful objects—books.\n\n**How to Use This**\nTo apply this mindset, a modern professional or creative could prioritize investing in resources that cultivate their intellectual curiosity and personal growth, such as book collections, courses, or access to expert knowledge. By doing so, they can potentially find happiness not in fleeting grand experiences but in the continuous engagement with meaningful content.",{"id":128,"quote_text":129,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":130,"source":131,"quote_tag":132,"commentary":146},189160,"When the old man in the crumpled suit came to the counter to pay for the copy of Dostoyevsky's The Idiot, I discreetly pointed out that his fly was open. He glanced down - as if for confirmation of this - then looked back at me and said, 'A dead bird can't fall out of it's nest', and left the shop fly still agape.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[133,136,141],{"id":134,"tag":135},1209479,{"id":13,"tag_name":14},{"id":137,"tag":138},1209477,{"id":139,"tag_name":140},12636,"customers",{"id":142,"tag":143},1209475,{"id":144,"tag_name":145},15383,"bookshop","**The Backstory**\nThe quote is likely from Shaun Bythell's book \"Confessions of a Bookseller,\" which chronicles his experiences as the owner of The Bookshop on the High Street in Celbridge, Scotland. The passage captures a moment of peculiar customer interaction, where the author uses humor and observational skill to highlight the absurdity of human behavior. Bythell's book offers a wry and insightful look at the challenges of running a small business, particularly in the face of eccentric customers.\n\n**The Hidden Insight**\nThe quote contains a counter-intuitive truth: the old man's statement, \"A dead bird can't fall out of its nest,\" can be seen as a commentary on the idea that people often resist change or help when they are in a state of decline or disarray. The man's refusal to acknowledge or address his open fly, despite being pointed out by the shopkeeper, can be seen as a manifestation of this resistance. This behavior is a form of psychological denial, where the individual refuses to confront their own flaws or weaknesses, even when confronted with them directly.\n\n**How to Use This**\nWhen faced with a situation where you need to address a colleague's or customer's flaws or weaknesses, use the \"dead bird\" principle to your advantage. Instead of directly pointing out the issue, use subtle cues or indirect suggestions to encourage the person to recognize and address their own problems, allowing them to take ownership of the solution and make positive changes.",{"id":148,"quote_text":149,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":150,"source":151,"quote_tag":152,"commentary":9},189150,"Awomen spent ten minutes looking around the shop, then told me that she was a retired librarian. I suspect she thought this was some kind of a bond between us. Not so. On the whole, booksellers dislike librarians.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[153,156],{"id":154,"tag":155},1209441,{"id":13,"tag_name":14},{"id":157,"tag":158},1209440,{"id":89,"tag_name":90},{"id":160,"quote_text":161,"author_id":5,"source_id":21,"has_image":22,"author":162,"source":163,"quote_tag":164,"commentary":9},189146,"...people still cling to the notion that first editions are somehow imbued with a magical and financial value.",{"id":5,"author_name":6,"slug":10,"author_name_first_letter":7,"article_count":8,"image_url":9},{},[165,168],{"id":166,"tag":167},1209425,{"id":13,"tag_name":14},{"id":169,"tag":170},1209424,{"id":89,"tag_name":90},{"currentPage":172,"totalPages":21,"totalItems":8,"itemsPerPage":173},1,10]