September's Book of the Month...

At a time when the U.S. is in a raucous debate over Health Care, there are a few people who are looking to help those with no drinkable water, hospitals, food or schools.

People like Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health, the subject of Tracy Kidder's Pulitzer Prize winning book Mountains Beyond Mountains. Just as a new, expanded edition of Mountains Beyond Mountains is released with updates on the progress of PIH, so is Tracy Kidder's new book Strength in What Remains another inspirational story.

We at Green Apple guarantee that you will love this book, or your money back.

If you loved Mountains Beyond Mountains, here is another truly inspirational, heart-wrenching account of one man trying to overcome everything that stands in his way--everyone who would like to see him fail, if not dead--to help others in need.

Strength in What Remains is the story of Deogratias, a man from a small village in Burundi, one of the ten poorest countries in the world. Despite this, Deo was attending medical school when Civil War and genocide broke out in Burundi and neighboring Rwanda. I think Kidder puts it best:

When I first heard Deo’s story, I had one simple thought: I would not have survived. I hoped in part to reproduce that feeling in recounting what seems to me a rich tale: an adventure story, a survival story, an immigrant’s story, a story of despair and determination, of evil and kindness.

Kidder (described by the Baltimore Sun as a "master of the non-fiction narrative") has accomplished what he set out to do. He deftly and masterfully describes Deo's terrifying run through fields and jungles, barely surviving his escape to New York. When he lands in America, he doesn't speak English and knows no one. Deo pushes on, delivering groceries and living in Central Park.

Deo's is a truly terrifying & powerful story, of what the human body & spirit can withstand. He now is helping the country that he left with Village Health Works whose motto is, "Where there is health, there is hope."

I don't really know how to end this other than saying that I think both Mountains Beyond Mountains & Strength in What Remains should be required reading for everyone. It would make us all a little more humble, a little kinder, and a little more considerate to those around us and those less fortunate than us.

Books for Boys

School is back in session, and if you've got a boy starting first grade, he's going to be asked to start reading books without pictures. Now, I know that your daughter will be asked to read those same books, but often (certainly not always, don't start sending me hate-mail) the girls take to reading more readily than the boys. My son went through this a couple of years ago, and I have some reading suggestions for kids who may not be embracing the fine art of cuddling up with a good book.

1) The Ricky Ricotta books by Dav Pilkey. Sure this is a hedge, because they're illustrated, but they do require real reading. Boys will eat these books up: they are very very silly, and they feature a boy whose best friend is a giant robot.

2) The Droon books by Tony Abbott. Kids love series, because when one book is done, there is always another one to read. Droon, a fantasy series geared toward new readers, now has some 30+ books to choose from.

3) Roscoe Riley Rules. Now up to 7 books in the series, this one is near and dear to me, because these books were the ones that switched on my son's reading light. He would be oddly quiet in his room, then come running out and say "Dad, guess what page I'm on now. 45!" I tried to explain to him that it's not a competition, but I don't think he heard me.

The last thing I will say on the subject is that we love to see our youngest customers (Junior Green Applers in the store parlance) bringing books in to trade. We understand that at $4.99 for a book that a kid will read in half an hour, it's not a cheap habit. But bring those books back, get some trade, and it will ease the sting a bit, as well as give our Junior Green Applers as sense of independence.

42 down, ten (+?) to go

Green Apple Books turns 42 this month. The store has evolved greatly since 1967, as has the book business, our neighborhood, the city, and so on. In fact, our evolution is one reason we're still here. Change or die, right?

When Green Apple first opened, it took up only half of what is the now the first floor at 506 Clement (the other half was a shoe repair business). That's about 900 square feet. The store only carried used books and magazines. But founder Rich Savoy soon doubled the width of the store. The photos below are from that era. Eventually, he added new books, comics, the mezzanine, the second floor, the Granny Smith room, and, in 1996, the music annex at 520 Clement. We're up to about 8,000 square feet. 28 employees. Countless good books.

About twelve years ago, Mr. Savoy recognized encroaching burnout and started trying to find successors. After a false start or two, he assembled a three-man team to buy the store from him. And as of today, the ten-year buyout is officially complete. Mr. Savoy is semi-retired at his vineyard in Boonville, where he grows pinot noir and other grapes for sale to top Anderson Valley winemakers. That's a mustachioed Rich Savoy below at the front counter in the 1970s (note the sign by the cash register: "no smoking near register"--that policy still stands!)


The new owners of Green Apple, who have been effectively running the store for about 7 years, are Kevin Ryan, who started in 1987; Kevin Hunsanger, who started in 1991; and Pete Mulvihill, the newcomer with only 16 years of service. Together, that's 56 years of Green Apple experience.

Oh, and Green Apple just signed a ten-year lease on both buildings, so as long as the readers of San Francisco (and the world) continue to support us, we'll do our damnedest to keep Green Apple the welcoming, unique, literary place it is.










Here's Kevin Ryan (far left and far right) with Pete (the cute one at left) and Kevin Hunsanger (in goatee at right). I'm sure there are better pictures, but these old ones leaped out of the historical archive drawer at me today.

Thanks to the last 42 years of customers and excellent booksellers, and here's to the next ten years of good books and good times.