Date: Tue, 16 Aug 2005 22:41:11 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Keith F. Lynch" <kfl at KeithLynch.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: Books that don't sell...
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at WSFA.org>

"Madeleine Yeh" <myeh at wap.org> wrote:
> "Michael Walsh" <MJW at press.jhu.edu> wrote:
>> .. what to do with 'em:
>> http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/west_midlands/3330245.stm

> Not that I am doubting your story, but would not paper decompose and
> cause the road to fail?

It says "45,000 books were used for every mile."  The M6 motorway is
seven lanes wide, and each lane is 3.65 meters (12 feet) wide.  (Just
try finding that information in five minutes without getting out of
one's seat before the Web and Google!)  That comes to one book for
every ten square feet.  Conclusion:  The highway wouldn't be harmed
if they rotted.  Nor would it be improved if they didn't.  The whole
story seems very implausible to me.