Almost 200 books have already been sold. The retail value of the orders placed totals $2,900--more than has been sold at Pathfinder street tables at political events in Paris in the last year.

Of the 19 stores contacted, only two said they would not place an order. Eleven placed orders on the first visit and six stores will be visited a second time.

In preparing the weeklong effort, Pathfinder supporters noted that placing Pathfinder books in local bookstores had been neglected for some time. While great time and energy had been productively spent in helping translate Pathfinder titles into French and articles for Nouvelle Internationale, much less effort had been made to get local bookstores to order them. The mobilization demonstrated some of the openings that exist for a much wider Pathfinder distribution in France.

Among the 83 titles sold in French were 33 copies of the French-language edition of Capitalism's World Disorder by Jack Barnes. In addition, three copies of the English edition of this book were sold and one in Spanish. Five copies of the French edition of The Changing Face of U.S. Politics, also by Barnes, were ordered.

There was also great interest in titles by Cuban revolutionary leader Ernesto Che Guevara, with 10 copies of Socialism and Man ordered in French and seven in Spanish. Che Guevara Talks to Young People was also popular, with orders for eight copies in Spanish and five in English.

Another topic of interest was Pathfinder's books on cultural questions. Black Music, White Business and John Coltrane and the Jazz Revolution of the 1960s were good sellers, and a copy of What Is Surrealism? by Andre Breton was also sold.

Based on this experience, discussions by Pathfinder supporters here concluded that one of the main obstacles to placing orders in smaller local bookstores is the difficulty and expense such stores incur in ordering from Pathfinder's European distributor in London.

It was decided to set up a local "pick-and-pack" operation to make it possible for bookstores, particularly those outside the Paris area, to place small orders to be shipped directly from Paris. This will open up the possibility for many working people--such as the farmers and truckers who have engaged in recent struggles outside the Paris area, as well as workers and young people from Marseille and other cities--to order Pathfinder books through their local bookstores.

Return visits are now being planned for the six stores visited that have not yet placed their orders. Plans are being made to visit 20 additional bookstores during the month of October.  
 
 
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