[Mason Malmuth]

Hi Bob:

Part of the problem is the way our books get handled to a much higher degree than books in general. Therefore we have taken steps, and it is much more expensive, to solve this problem.

The book business is much tougher than many of you think. For instance, when books become "shop worn" at a book store like Borders or Barnes & Noble, they get sent back to us as returns. One of the ways this happens is that when a potential customer takes a book off the shelf, opens it, and then puts it back on the shelf, if the cover does not snap back in place, the book can become damaged by having the cover bent back. Once this happens it becomes a return and we not only lose the book, but we get charged shipping to return it to us. Thus we strive for books that snap back quickly to their original position. That's what you are calling tight.

Best wishes,
Mason