Beer, books, and race

[nathanjw]

Today alphacygni and I spent a nice afternoon at the Bookmill. I picked up a paperback copy of The Brewmaster's Table, which is a book that I've been saying for at least a year that I'm surprised I don't already own. After I got home, though, I thought the book looked odd, and indeed, they've changed the cover from the hardback to the paperback.

Hardback:


Paperback:


I know that there are lots of reasons to change the cover of a book. I really hope that one of the reasons was not "The book will sell better without a black man on the cover".

Comments

[plymouth.livejournal.com]

I'm reading this on the fairly small screen at my parents house so by the time I got to the last line the top pic has scrolled off my screen enough that I couldn't see the part with the guy... and I actually had to scroll back up to check and said "oh yeah, I guess you're right - he is black". It totally didn't register at first glance.

[signsoflife.livejournal.com]

While I share your suspicions, the second design just looks a lot more professional -- there's a lot about the first cover that looks rather self-published. (Plus, well, he *is* wearing tone-on-tone in OLIVE.)

[sylvari.livejournal.com]

The second one looks more professional. I think it was just a design decision.

[mhaille.livejournal.com]

The first one looks like a beer label- which I assume was intentional (although it'd be better if he were wearing either a powdered wig or St. Pauli Girl frocks..but maybe that's just me.) The second one looks like every other book on food and booze that I've seen come out in the last few years. So yeah, I would say design decision, but I'm not sure I agree with it.

[(Anonymous)]

Ah, how I miss perusing books I don't need in a place I can't find. (And now I probably really wouldn't be able to find it--I hear it's moved.)

[ketzie.livejournal.com]

Oops. That was me.

[hokulea.livejournal.com]

Seeing the book reminded me....Sam Adams is running some homebrew contest. I heard about it on the radiio when I was driving. I forget what the prize is, but I think they said that information is available on their website. You should enter, given your passion for homebrewery.