Don't Mess With Routledge

A students’ life cannot be separated from books and library. Hence, the routine of borrowing books continues. This semester it seems that I always a step quicker than my colleagues. Right after class, each time the lecturer mentions about particular books for reference, my house mate and I will ensure that our immediate next destination should be the library.

On Monday, Prof. S has assigned everyone a book each for review. Mine is "Islamic Political Thought"by W. Montgomery Watt, 1998 edition. When other class mates were busy jotting down their books particulars, I stepped forward to consult Prof. S. I asked him whether the same book of earlier edition, with year 1968 in mind will do, because I told him that I have borrowed the book from library. He okayed, while asking me if the book really being in the library. However, when returned to my seat, I found out (from the list of books borrowed which written on the last page of my notebook) that the book I referred to actually entitled, "The Political Language of Islam" by Bernard Lewis. LOL.

At the library, I used the online application to search for the book. There was none published in 1998, all available published in 1968. Coincidentally, the Watt’s was also published in the same year as Lewis’s. Heading to the shelves, there were about 4 to 5 books under the same title. I chose the one with the biggest letters possible and the cleanest from scribbles (you know students tend to write Malay translation for certain jargons).

Being among seas of books drove some sort of euphoria in me. From supposed to be a straight-forward mission of only a book searched, found and borrowed, it dragged for several more minutes in search for several more books. Luckily, they were all situated on the same level, same section, same row of shelves. One of the book is Political Thought and Governance Critical Concepts in Political Science edited by Abdullah Saeed. I noticed the renowned label of publisher, printed on its cover. From my sour sour sweet experience during KL International Book Fair this year, I have learnt not to mess with any books which bear the name of that publisher. At that time I picked about half a dozen books by the publisher to the counter. Maybe from her own wisdom, the Chinese-descent sales representative scribbled with pencil the price for each book. There were lots of other booths and books to look for, so I as relaxed as possible took back those books from the counter, put them back on the shelf and quietly took the further path away from that booth. C’mon, how on earth a student like me was going to buy a book of just slightly more than 200 plus pages worth RM400 to RM500 each.

I once thought that sort of price is the nuttiest for a book with that kind of thickness. But with Abdullah Saeed’s Political Thought and Governance Critical Concepts in Political Science, I am  craving for suitable term besides nuttiest. Maybe “out-of-my-mind” suits it best. The reason? I could understand if it is an encyclopaedia, but for an approximately 460 pages with no colours except green for its cover, after 5% discount to cost RM3,091.82…

I swear I am going to bring that book to nowhere until the time it needs to be returned.