Reading titles

Reading books can be fun, but then so can reading the titles of books. I noticed this again while leafing through the latest catalog from Edward R. Hamilton Bookseller.

When I wrote recently about how books attract customers ("How to sell books," Jan. 5), I neglected to mention the importance of titles. A good title can grab your attention, whether you are browsing through a catalog or in a bookstore. You may have no interest at all in the subject of the book, but some titles just make you stop and look twice. Here are some titles that made me look twice at listings in the Hamilton catalog:

The Military Guide to Armageddon

The Secret Life of Fat

Don't Be Evil

No One Cares About Crazy People

How to Examine a Wolverine

History of Ohio in Words of One Syllable

Pigs, Missiles and the CIA

How to Make a Plant Love You

Ghost Dogs of the South

The Secret Life of Groceries

The Hilarious World of Depression

How to Think Like a Fish

The Good Provider Is One Who Leaves

Arguing with Zombies

Philosophy for Polar Explorers

Tin Can Magic

A Celebration of Dolly Parton Activity Book

The Cancer Whisperer

The (Other) F Word

Heather and Homicide

I don't plan to order any of those books, but I must confess the titles did make me stop to read the book descriptions. If you are publishing an obscure book — as most of these books certainly are — then that is what you hope for.