the corner office

Two quotes from an interesting article:

I expect you are familiar with the inspiring story of publisher Allen Lane, who, when coming back from a stay with Agatha Christie in 1934, found that he couldn't buy a decent book at Exeter train station's bookstall. He resolved to fill this gap by reissuing good hardback books in cheap paperback format ... and so Penguin was born.

and

There is a certain cache in being seen to be reading a clever topical book, announcing your thoughtful engagement with a current issue to anyone who cares to glance your way. This is lost on a Kindle, or iPad, when people tend to assume you're either reading erotica or playing Angry Birds.