tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29676463.post7745057601819118536..comments2024-03-29T14:45:32.326+13:00Comments on The Imaginary Museum: Mark Young: Lunch PoemsDr Jack Rosshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01805945600952222957noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29676463.post-56148303523312441482009-03-19T00:45:00.000+13:002009-03-19T00:45:00.000+13:00Jack - it was right - but here is problem I couldn...Jack - it was right - <BR/>but here is problem I couldn't solve - how many square are there on a chess board!?? <BR/><BR/>I gave up on that. Someone on a <BR/>chess site I'm on gave the formula but when I protested that I had spent hours trying to work out the formula etc and still couldn't understand their formula - some wit said all you need to know are the 64 squares the pieces go on!<BR/><BR/>Chess maybe symbolises the infinite (altho von Neumann in his game theory said it wasn't a game as it could theoretically be solved - )and he was right - in fact he was about most things in maths) - the number of possible games is about that of the number of atomic particles in the Universe! (But it is still a finite number).<BR/><BR/><BR/>I saw a set of Arabian Nights in a book shop in town (s/hand) but one vol was missing!! It always is the case!); I forget the authors but the shop wanted $44 per volume. I think there were 12 vols or so.<BR/>I might read some of the children's ones I have for sale - were the Grimm's tales influenced by the 1001 Nights? - I have a complete Grimms - beautiful book for sale - I might second it...<BR/><BR/>Whe I was at Ron Riddell's shop he had a copy of Grimms (it may have been in German) and someone from the German Dept acme into the shop - now the book had been picked up in Scotland by Ron's (former) wife - who actually designed the cover of my book RED - now she knew German and picked it up - but University man (buying for the Goethe Society) was able to price the book for NZ$80 - I remonstrated with Ron that he hadn't done any checking - I said - as they had scoured the world looking do for the book -he could have named his price!! Ron was rueful...and of course the book wasn't his - to add insult to injury! <BR/><BR/>My asking price in he same situation? At least NZ$1000 - especially if I didn't know how many there were around and how rare and so on - or before I could get an estimate - but Ron just sold it thinking that $80 was lot to pay!!<BR/><BR/>The joys of books...Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10272507198753290435noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29676463.post-77062097131691544022009-03-10T22:44:00.000+13:002009-03-10T22:44:00.000+13:00Jack - thanks for this. I've just been re-reading ...Jack - thanks for this. I've just been re-reading "The right foot of the giant" and will be getting Lunch poemsAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29676463.post-82762348851750924032009-03-09T07:59:00.000+13:002009-03-09T07:59:00.000+13:00Dear Richard,No, I'm afraid the chess problem was ...Dear Richard,<BR/><BR/>No, I'm afraid the chess problem was a bit above my head, but it sounded pretty similar to what the book's author had to say about it inside, so I imagine you must have had it right.<BR/><BR/>Michael Steven's the man to go to for the Mark Young book ...Dr Jack Rosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01805945600952222957noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29676463.post-85250325754077586152009-03-08T22:26:00.000+13:002009-03-08T22:26:00.000+13:00I would be interested in buying a copy of this boo...I would be interested in buying a copy of this book - looks interesting.<BR/><BR/>Jack - did you follow my explanation of the Chess conundrum on the cover of one of your Arabian Nights books?Richardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10272507198753290435noreply@blogger.com