In all, the six-day effort resulted in the selling of more than 280 Pathfinder titles, amounting to $2,300.

A team of volunteers from the United Kingdom, Sweden, and the United States staffed the New York--based publisher's booth at the Communist Party's event. It was the fourth time Pathfinder had a stand at the yearly festival, the first being in 1996.

PCE delegations from across the Spanish state set up large stands featuring food from their respective regions, and as did representatives of Communist Parties from 20 or so other countries. A few dozen solidarity and political groups, publishers, and others also had booths. Late-night concerts by known local artists were organized to help attract youth.

The Spanish-language edition of The Working Class and the Transformation of Learning by Jack Barnes was Pathfinder's bestseller at the event. Many of the 47 people who bought the pamphlet pointed to the recently initiated debate in ruling circles here on "education reform" as a preparatory move for attacks on public education. Others expressed their interest in the broader class questions taken up in the booklet.

Carlos Tielve was among those who purchased the pamphlet together with a subscription to Perspectiva Mundial as a special offer. Two years ago he had stopped at the Pathfinder stand and picked up a copy of Habla Malcolm X (Malcolm X speaks). Commenting that he is interested in news and analysis on the class struggle in the United States, Tielve returned the following day with a friend to buy more literature.

Protests here and throughout Europe by farmers, fishermen, and truckers against skyrocketing fuel prices were the backdrop to the discussions that those visiting the Pathfinder booth engaged in. The discussions often took up the growing turmoil of the capitalist system and the need for a revolutionary working-class party. Twelve people purchased Capitalism's World Disorder to get answers to these questions.

After a discussion on Che Guevara Talks to Young People, three university students from Murcia, in the southeast, pooled their money and bought two copies of this collection of speeches by the Argentine-born leader of the Cuban revolution. The three women said they planned to organize discussions on it. In addition, the Center for Studies on Che Guevara, which had a booth at the festival, bought 15 copies, for a total of 27 of this title.

Of those who purchased the eight subscriptions and 23 copies of Perspectiva Mundial, and 11 copies of the Militant, many said they were particularly interested in its explanation of the U.S. class struggle. Two young visitors from Berlin said they appreciate the Militant, whose web site they visit regularly.

Some 2,000 copies of a brochure specially prepared for promotion in Spain of Pathfinder's Spanish-language titles were distributed at the event.  
 
Sales to commercial outlets in Madrid
During their stay in Madrid, Pathfinder sales representatives visited a bookstore located in the heart of the Gran Vía, a commercial thoroughfare here, where the head of imports met with them for an hour and a half. The store purchased five copies each of Pathfinder's newest titles, Capitalism's World Disorder by Jack Barnes and Che Guevara Talks to Young People in Spanish-language editions. After a careful review of the catalog, she also purchased Polemics in Marxist Philosophy and Democracy and Revolution, both by George Novack, to add to the store's philosophy section. Centrally located, the store receives walk-in traffic by customers who speak a range of different languages, particularly English. About half of the 43 copies ordered were in English.

Equally fruitful was a visit to a store that specializes in English-language books. The buyer took the opportunity to restock, increase the spread of titles, and add recently released books, ordering 37 titles, among them Che Guevara Speaks, The Changing Face of U.S. Politics, and issues no. 5 through 11 of New International. The sales representatives' familiarity with the titles also helped convince him to purchase Thomas Sankara Speaks, Abram Leon's The Jewish Question, and two titles by George Novack.