Category Archives: Economics

Would you apply for a job with these conditions of service?

Posted on April 13, 2013 by bookvolunteer

Every person employed by the Company must devote himself exclusively to their service. He must reside at whatever place be appointed, attend at such hours as may be required, pay prompt obedience to all persons placed in authority over him, … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Engines and Machines, History, Manchester, Transport | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How did Manchester change during Mrs Thatcher’s lifetime?

Posted on April 9, 2013 by bookvolunteer

This handbook celebrates Manchester in 1926. The photographs show buildings that I recognise but Manchester’s manufacturing, its trade, its optimism and its massive civic pride are not so obvious today. In the mid 1920s the Port of Manchester was buying … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Engines and Machines, History, Manchester | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Is this the Debris from the Wall Street crash?

Posted on February 20, 2013 by bookvolunteer

These documents, each equal in size to at least 20 bank notes and printed with the same fine lines and detailed patterning, are no longer worth the hundreds of francs, pounds, roubles or dollars that are so beautifully inscribed upon … Continue reading →

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The Dictionary of Urbanism by Robert Cowan

Posted on November 24, 2012 by bookvolunteer

This is an amazingly interesting book: my favourite, possibly, of all the thousands of books that I have looked at  in the Oxfam sorting room this year. Open it and you’ll be meandering pleasurably in its pages for hours.  According to Professor Michael … Continue reading →

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Things my Mother should have told me – The Best of Good Housekeeping 1922-1940

Posted on November 6, 2012 by bookvolunteer

This is an anthology of advice-giving , advertisements, fiction, and articles on health, fashion and food taken from the first 18 years of the UK publication of this magazine. Some of the titles are intriguing : ‘Reflections on the Thorny Path which … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Food, Gardening, History, Sociology | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Altrincham – An Illustrated History by Pat Southern

Posted on October 18, 2012 by bookvolunteer

This profusely illustrated history is by a professional historian, librarian and author, who is writing about her own home town – and it shows. This is a great read. There are hundreds of fascinating photographs and the text is engagingly written, ranging … Continue reading →

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We’ve got a lot of books from and about Korea

Posted on September 25, 2012 by bookvolunteer

We have a lot of wonderful books about Korea. If you are interested in Korean history, culture, literature, music, society or politics come and look at our collection. Unusually, because, this is such a specialist collection and we can’t count on local … Continue reading →

Posted in Art, Crafts, Economics, Education, Fiction, History, Humour, Music, Poetry, Politics, Travel, Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Cheshire Domesday (Studies and Maps)

Posted on September 4, 2012 by bookvolunteer

These three very large (elephant folio) books and accompanying maps examine the data collected from Cheshire for the Domesday survey in 1086. They would make a fantastic present for anyone interested in the history of Cheshire. Give them to someone … Continue reading →

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Historic Newspapers (The Gulf War 1991)

Posted on August 17, 2012 by bookvolunteer

We have nine issues of the Financial Times, dated between 10th January and 1st March 1991. It’s interesting to see how much has changed in the last twenty years. Internationally, apart from the invasion of Kuwait by Iraq and the subsequent Gulf … Continue reading →

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The Book of Household Management by Mrs. Isabella Beeton, dated 1892

Posted on June 27, 2012 by bookvolunteer

This thick book of 1644 pages, not including the advertisements at the back, is falling apart. Physically, it’s easy to describe. It’s bound in green cloth, with a red spine that was highly decorated and is, for the most part, … Continue reading →

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