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Re: [xmca] Classics in Activity Theory



There is no chance of getting these into bookshops, Bruce. The economics of this is impossible for us.

The traditional way of doing it was to print them in very large numbers, investing a great deal in editing, translating, proofing, etc., and publicity, touring authors etc., etc., and then placing 100s of 1000s in bookshops all over the world, giving a large margin to the book sellers and then earning income for many many years to come. MIA does not have any capital - we exist from month to month. Also much as these works will (I hope) be appreciated by xmca people, but I believe there is no commercial publisher willing to invest in the hope of these writers getting a mass market. It seems that one way or another living writers get themselves into print as part of their own career development, but reprinting Soviet writers who have been dead for 30 years is something few people are willing to invest in. When the USSR collapsed, that was it.

On the other hand, many people think that the days of the high street book store are numbered. I can get a new book delivered to my door from the US via Amazon, cheaper than if I took a tram down the street to Readings Bookstore and bought it, and if Readings have to order it in, quicker.

People are talking about print-on-demand machines being located in bookshops where you key in the ISBN and the machine prints out your book. I think you can already do this for a selection of books over the internet. It is already possible to download eBooks to read on Kindle or something.

In other words the days of the book trade as we know it are numbered. The high street bookshop cannot compete on price with internet sites and print-on-demand machines in anything other than books like Harry Potter or something.

The MIA has been facing a declining income from sale of our DVD for the very good reason that it's easier to access MIA live, and our costs continue to grow as our traffic grows. So we have to get into the business of selling something, so this seemed like a good idea.

And yes, it is easier in the UK. My university library doesn't have this material, let alone the secondhand bookshops.

Andy

Bruce Robinson wrote:
Thanks, Andy. I think I have acquired all of the Ilyenkov texts through obsessive rummaging in secondhand bookshops over the years (perhaps they're easier to find in the UK?) but I'd definitely like the others.

Is MIA only selling books by mail order or are you aiming to get them into bookshops too? Left bookshops have virtually disappeared here but I'm sure you'd find some outlets.

Bruce

----- Original Message -----ars (
From: "Andy Blunden" <ablunden@mira.net>
Cc: "eXtended Mind, Culture,Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Tuesday, May 19, 2009 3:39 AM
Subject: Re: [xmca] Classics in Activity Theory


http://www.marxists.org/admin/books/index.htm#activity

For Leontyev, it's the collection: "Problems of the
Development of Mind" (1981) plus his article "Activity and
Consciousness". For Ilyenkov we have the beautiful
collection "Dialectical Logic" plus several articles
published in various places mainly around the problem of the
ideal, and one which many people on this list would not have
seen, his book on "Materialism and Empirio-Criticism". For
Meshcheryakov I have just his famous book on deaf-blind
children, my favourite actually.

I have not published Leontyev's "Activity, Consciousness and
Personality" because (1) there are copyright issues and (2)
It is apparently a poor translation. With Ilyenkov, I am
saving up his "Abstract and Concrete in Marx's Capital" for
later if there is demand and I have omitted several possible
articles on political issues which I felt were dated.

1,090 pages in all.

Andy

Bruce Robinson wrote:
Andy,

Which titles are you publishing? I looked on the MIA site but couldn't
find any details.

Bruce

----- Original Message ----- From: "Andy Blunden" <ablunden@mira.net>
To: "eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity" <xmca@weber.ucsd.edu>
Sent: Monday, May 18, 2009 10:24 AM
Subject: [xmca] Classics in Activity Theory


Colleagues,

marxists.org have just published 3 books of Soviet era
translations of Leontyev, Ilyenkov and Meshcheryakov -
altogether over 1,000 pages of material that constitutes,
next to the work of Vygotsky himself, the theoretical
foundations of our work. Profits go to the Marxists Internet
Archive to keep the classics of Marxism available to all for
free.

I you don't have these classics, I recommend you take
advantage of the offer of $20 per book if you buy the set.

thank you all
Andy



--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Blunden (Marxists Internet Archive) http://www.marxists.org
Books: http://www.marxists.org/admin/books/index.htm

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http://www.erythrospress.com/
Orders: http://www.erythrospress.com/store/main.html#books

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------------------------------------------------------------------------
Andy Blunden (Erythrós Press and Media) http://www.erythrospress.com/
Orders: http://www.erythrospress.com/store/main.html#books

_______________________________________________
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xmca@weber.ucsd.edu
http://dss.ucsd.edu/mailman/listinfo/xmca