I have searched for years for a book I once owned; I cannot remember the title, but the physicality of the book remains vivid. It was paper-bound, roughly 8″ square, and I think there was a good deal of yellow in the cover design. Most of the book consisted of perforated pages, with four 4″-square black-and-white photos per page, meant to be torn out and used as focal objects for meditation (or perhaps divination, in the manner of tarot cards). The photo pages were printed on heavy card stock and had photos on each side. The images were varied: people, landscapes, buildings, etc., all inviting contemplative regard. There were also pages of text in the front of the book describing ways of using the photo cards. My other lasting memory is that the book was the same size as Ram Dass’s Be Here Now (published 1971), so that, once all the photos had been torn out, the Ram Dass book could more or less fit into the space left behind. Since this book does not neatly fit any standard category, I’ve never been able to track it down. Many thanks to anyone who might share this memory with me and know the title.
Stump the Bookseller
New format, same book stumper solving.
Ram Dass, Seed?
MamaSquirrel, you may have solved a mystery I’ve been pursuing for years. I just read a description of Seed, and, while not all of the features jibe (for instance, it was published in 1973), it comes closer than anything I’ve found to date. I’ll try to find a copy and see if it rings any more bells. I will post here if successful.
Many thanks!
Solved! And many thanks to Mama Squirrel for identifying this. It turns out that this book is rare and highly collectible, so at first it seemed that I wasn’t going to be able to afford it. But I got lucky and now have in my hands a copy in remarkably good condition for a paperback of this vintage–and with none of the photo pages torn out! It is indeed the very book that I remember, despite my flawed description (the cover is blue and green). Thank you also to Loganberry for providing a platform where people can name their memories. I’m tempted to ask for more (Button factory in peril because of the invention of zippers, which made me a Luddite at the age of six…).
Great! Glad to help.