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Amok

posted by Kong on April 5, 2002

Back when I was kid in the early 90s, I was taken by the Amok bookstore in LA and their fantastic catalogs of weird books. It seemed they died out circa '95, so imagine my surprise that you can still get their 576 page catalog from '99:

Amok Fifth Dispatch: Sourcebook for the Extremes of Information

Phil, why didn't you tell me about this?

Amok also appears to have assmebled this 488 page compendium of weird information from '96:

Amok Journal Sensurround Edition

Phil, why didn't you tell me about this?

I've looked around for a web presence for Amok before and never could find one, and really I don't understand why. I would think an Amok bookstore would make more sense on the Internet, where one didn't have to print and mail 500 page catalogs all over the planet just to get some orders.

Of course I get the sense Amok was never about money. I think their reason for existence was merely to assemble their "dispatches" - a collection of unusual books that may have exsited at one point in recent history. When I went to their bookstore in LA (which was basically someone's garage with a couple of paperbacks sitting around), I inquired about several books they had in their catalog and the standard response was "we don't have it in stock, but we can probably order it".

Indeed, I just now found their website, amokbooks.com, and they are more interested in selling their catalog then selling the various books, maybe they don't ever bother trying to sell other books anymore.

Still, if any of you web professionals have any venture capitalist friends and feel like starting an Amok-style online bookstore, I'll buy a book or two.

Comments

Phil, how could you let King down like this?

Posted by: mccreath at April 5, 2002 11:41 AM

(sotto voce) i am so ashamed....

[falling to knees] KING, PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: lang at April 5, 2002 12:09 PM

I still have the fourth volume with the psychedelically frightening painting of the wicked woman on the cover, it's a great reference. If I ever get bored with all the unread books in the house i'll get it out and find another author to get into and trot down to the dalpublib for something. id like to get these new versions for the same reason.

semi-relatedly, i think i might someday wear out my welcome at the DalPubLib, and sooner rather than later, cuz this semester I have checked out nearly every jazz record they have.

"I'm sorry Mr. Flowers, your library card has been revoked [snip], buh-bye!"

Posted by: lang at April 5, 2002 12:22 PM

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