The Impossible Knife of Memory

All books we offer have been cleaned and individually inspected for quality.

The following describes the types of wear often noticed on used books:
Cover Wear
Cover Chips/Abrasions - At fine level or below, may indicate 1-2 chips of about 2mm on the edge of the cover. At very good level, may indicate several chips/abrasions along the edge of the cover or 1-2 chips in the body of the cover. There may be also light indentations in the cover.
Cover Crease - At fine level or below, may indicate a dust jacket is not flush against the book, 1-2 barely perceptible crimps on the inside flap of the dust jacket, or small crimps following the curve of the spine. At very good level or below, may indicate 1-2 creases in the cover less than 1/2in from the edge of the book. At good level or below, may indicate larger or multiple creases or crimps on the cover.
Cover Tear - At good level, may indicate a tear or cut up to 1/2in from the edge of the cover. At acceptable level, may indicate a larger tear as long as the cover is substantially intact.
Cover Discoloration - At fine level, may indicate barely perceptible residual price label adhesive. At very good level or below, may indicate the cover is discolored due to sunlight/aging, mild staining, or residual label adhesive.
Cover Scratches - At fine level or below, indicates barely perceptible scratches in the dust jacket or cover. At very good level or below, may indicate a small number of visible scratches or more generally scratched appearance.
Cover Rubbing - At fine level or below, indicates rubbing of the dust jacket or cover resulting in a "dusty" or slightly discolored appearance, particularly near the back cover board seam.
Cover Peeling - At very good level or below, indicates the edge of the cover laminate is peeling, making the laminate visible with a tape-like appearance.

Edge/Spine Wear
Spine Wear - At very good level or below, indicates a crease on the spine suggesting the book has been read. At good level or below, this may indicate a curvature to the spine, suggesting the book has been left open for some time.

Page Wear
Page Crimping - At very good level or below, indicates a small number of pages may have been crimped and then flattened. At good level or below, an area up to 1/4in from the edge of some pages may be crimped, abraded, or dog-eared.
Page Discoloration - At very good level or below, indicates the edge of some pages may be discolored from sunlight/aging or small stains. At good level, the inside cover pages may have small stains. At acceptable level, content pages may have stains around the page edges.
Pages Cut - At good level or below, indicates an area up to 1/8in from the edge of some pages may be cut or torn, provided all of the text and content is still readable.
Pages Uncut - At very good level or below, indicates some pages may have not been cleanly cut by the publisher.

Used Markings
Remainder Marking - At condition level fine or below, there may be a black or red mark on the edge of the pages indicating it is used. At condition level very good or below, there may be a marking on the inside or rear cover barcode.
Store Marking - At condition level very good or below, this may indicate a hand-written price on the inside cover. At condition level good or below, this may indicate a stamp on the inside cover or edge of the pages indicating it was purchased form a used book store. There may be a price tag on the rear cover which is difficult to remove without damaging the cover.
Library Markings - At condition level good or below, this may indicate the book has stamps or stickers on the outside and/or inside cover and/or page edges, indicating the book was formerly property of a school or public library. The cover may be partially or fully laminated. There may be a card holder attached to record check-out records.
Owner Markings - At condition level good or below, indicates a prior owner may have written their name or brief note on the inside cover. In rare cases, the owner may have laminated the book.
Page Writing - At acceptable level, indicates writing or highlighting on the content pages.

Dust Jacket Notes
No Jacket - At condition level very good or below, indicates a hardcover book missing its dust jacket.
Dust Jacket Damage - At condition level very good or below, indicates a torn or otherwise damaged dust jacket, which would otherwise result in a reduced condition grade. The dust jacket is provided for completeness and may be discarded by the purchaser.
Irrespective of wear, we expect each book sold to be pleasant to read.

Autographed books have been personally signed by the author.

Return Policy
We offer a 30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item is lost or arrives damaged or is not as described. If you wish to return an item for any other reason (such as a duplicate gift) we offer a refund of the purchase price less shipping and site fees for up to 7 days after delivery, provided the item is preserved in the same condition in which it was received.

Shipping Policy
Items are sent via the USPS. Domestic standard shipping is Media Mail, Expedited is Priority Mail or First Class Mail (depending on weight), and Express is Priority Mail Express. International shipping is Priority Mail International. If you prefer a particular alternative shipping option please contact us and we will work with you to meet your preferences.