Learned in his obit today that he was one of the pioneers of the paperback industry. Some prices from Amazon.com

The Hobbit : Hardcover $13.59  Paperback $6.28  Text: Exactly the same  Coffee spill: Pretty much the same result. Well, maybe a little worse with the paperback, but if you buy another, you’re still ahead, and I’m sure you will have learned your lesson about drinking coffee and reading by then.