I'll have that book and a pound of salami, please.

Have you noticed that books are turning up in some interesting places? Everyone's talking about Starbucks, but take a look around at your local clothing boutiques, furniture stores, and even butcher shops. It seems like everyone is carrying a few books these days, but what does it mean? It's marketing books in a new way, but is it attracting people with an interest in the topic or is it simply another type of accessory for the look you're trying to achieve? It's a little bit of both and I suppose there's nothing all that wrong with it, provided you actually read the books you buy. If it's just something that sits on your coffee table and makes you look interesting, then I'm not so sure about that.