Book Apparently Bound in Human Skin Found

Sat Apr 8, 2006 2:34 PM EDT

world-news, odd-news, britain, book, skin, human-skin

Associated Press

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Regions: United Kingdom , London

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{"commentId":89819,"authorDomain":"MrESq"}

MrESquid

hmmm... written in black ink, eh?

not blood?

so it's not the Necronomicon that i misplaced, and i wont be the "owner" that they contact.

bummer

{"commentId":89819,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"MrESq"}

6 votes

#1 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 2:54 PM EDT

{"commentId":89840,"authorDomain":"gregplancich"}

Greg Plancich

Dang, you beat me to the Army of Darkness reference.

{"commentId":89840,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"gregplancich"}

1 vote

#1.1 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 3:20 PM EDT

{"commentId":89915,"authorDomain":"spring"}

Corey Spring

Clatto... Verata... Nicto!!!

{"commentId":89915,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"spring"}

4 votes

#1.2 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 5:01 PM EDT

{"commentId":89948,"authorDomain":"ianw"}

IANW

There sure aren't many books like that around these days.

{"commentId":89948,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"ianw"}

#1.3 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 5:47 PM EDT

{"commentId":89839,"authorDomain":"maaz"}

Maaz

Thats weird.

{"commentId":89839,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"maaz"}

#2 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 3:19 PM EDT

{"commentId":89842,"authorDomain":"tj"}

TopJedi

Very similar to this article seeded earlier on Newsvine of http://top.newsvine.com/_news/2006/01/07/52159-some-of-nations-best-libraries-have-books-bound-in-human-skin">books at Harvard bound in human skin.

{"commentId":89842,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"tj"}

1 vote

#3 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 3:23 PM EDT

{"commentId":89845,"authorDomain":"tj"}

TopJedi

Here try this link books at Harvard bound in human skin.

{"commentId":89845,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"tj"}

3 votes

#3.1 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 3:25 PM EDT

{"commentId":89857,"authorDomain":"slack"}

Slack

So can tags be modified on wire items? This should have anthropodermic-bibliopegy.

I am glad to see they aded the picture though.

{"commentId":89857,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"slack"}

#4 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 3:40 PM EDT

{"commentId":89861,"authorDomain":"noah"}

Noah Bradley

As nasty as this is... it looks like a pretty cool cover.

{"commentId":89861,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"noah"}

#5 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 3:42 PM EDT

{"commentId":89867,"authorDomain":"tj"}

TopJedi

You would think as involved as this process must have been that somehow tattoos would have been more prevalent.

{"commentId":89867,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"tj"}

#5.1 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 3:46 PM EDT

{"commentId":89877,"authorDomain":"slack"}

Slack

Books Bound in Human Skin mentions some human skin bound books with tattoos on them.

{"commentId":89877,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"slack"}

#5.2 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 3:58 PM EDT

{"commentId":89873,"authorDomain":"prompt"}

prompt

Much of the text is in French, and it was not uncommon around the time of the French Revolution for books to be covered in human skin.

The practice, known as anthropodermic bibliopegy, was sometimes used in the 18th and 19th centuries when accounts of murder trials were bound in the killer's skin.

I don't know if anyone feels the same way, but it really gets under my skin when something like this is seen as "big news" and makes it to headlines. I mean, the article is saying that it is not uncommon for books around the time period of the French Revolution to be covered with human skin. I mean this article is little more then a "lost and found" piece.

{"commentId":89873,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"prompt"}

5 votes

#6 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 3:53 PM EDT

{"commentId":89878,"authorDomain":"tj"}

TopJedi

Since when does the AP have the corner on big news? I've always been convinced we can seed real news better than the AP.

You're right, just think how many "news" articles the AP could write from the halls of the Smithsonian.

{"commentId":89878,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"tj"}

2 votes

#6.1 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 4:01 PM EDT

{"commentId":89887,"authorDomain":"prompt"}

prompt

You raise a good point, and it brings light onto the issue as to whether there should be more emphasis placed on seeded news. With the current system, it is either AP articles or user articles which get the most attention, but a good question is, shouldn't there be more attention put on user submitted news (seeds) then on a feed? I'm not sure where I stand, but I do feel that the seeds don't get enough attention, and that the AP articles have too much emphasis...the question I ponder is how could the two be balanced better.

{"commentId":89887,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"prompt"}

5 votes

#6.2 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 4:10 PM EDT

{"commentId":91234,"authorDomain":"annasebestyen"}

Anna Sebastian

I think the problem is not with the piece of news itself, but how the news is treated and extended (unfortunately, it remains shallow and sensationalist). The event (lost and found) takes us back to a completely different era of treating the human body, long before the genocide of the WW2 a turning point in our interpretation of the human body objectified. I lack the socio-historicocultural and philosophical depth that could have been discussed, or at least hinted at, for instance on what grounds was a murder's body skinned, what it meant for the people of that age, what it meant for the people of 1700's century to touch a book covered in human skin (how discourse formed the body), etc., or some further historical data on until when this practice was accepted and how and why it was abolished etc. Some more information that gives you the feeling of enrichment in history and how human culture changes, instead of the creepy headline and a very lean historical background.
Another thing: in 2002 there was an exhibition Von Hagens' Body Worlds showing the remains of real human bodies (donated specifically for this purpose) and causing widespread controversy. I think the exhibition was organized to make us (re)think about what our relationship is with our bodiness/ body/ flesh/ sexuality/ death etc. It is a different question if the mission was completed or not. In contrast to the exhibition, here lay a piece of news (not organized, given by accident) with the opportunity for the journalist to add some extra thoughts on such matters. But the opportunity was left untouched.

{"commentId":91234,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"annasebestyen"}

1 vote

#6.3 - Mon Apr 10, 2006 6:45 AM EDT

{"commentId":89884,"authorDomain":"rlm"}

Robert Moreno

300 years is considered "ancient"?

{"commentId":89884,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"rlm"}

1 vote

#7 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 4:09 PM EDT

{"commentId":89900,"authorDomain":"bport"}

AwesomeBrad

No big deal. A library at my university has 3 - it's great for talking about on the tours, though.

{"commentId":89900,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"bport"}

1 vote

#8 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 4:35 PM EDT

{"commentId":89938,"authorDomain":"tj"}

TopJedi

Good point. Maybe this is just a news piece to sensationalize books and libraries when today's generation wouldn't be caught dead in either.

{"commentId":89938,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"tj"}

1 vote

#8.1 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 5:32 PM EDT

{"commentId":89943,"authorDomain":"thethoughtcollide"}

Charles Laird

I hope this doesn't convince kids to start covering their school books in human skin. Whatever happened to just brownbagging your books? It's certainly cheaper than hunting down a human.

{"commentId":89943,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"thethoughtcollide"}

1 vote

#9 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 5:43 PM EDT

{"commentId":89949,"authorDomain":"prompt"}

prompt

But not nearly as fun :devilsmilie:

{"commentId":89949,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"prompt"}

1 vote

#9.1 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 5:47 PM EDT

{"commentId":89945,"authorDomain":"titan124"}

Titan124

Since when is 300 years ancient? Plus if this is so common, why is it such big news?

{"commentId":89945,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"titan124"}

#10 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 5:43 PM EDT

{"commentId":90406,"authorDomain":"thethoughtcollide"}

Charles Laird

We're Americans. 50 years of our History seems like centuries gone by.

{"commentId":90406,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"thethoughtcollide"}

#10.1 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 9:21 AM EDT

{"commentId":89968,"authorDomain":"phaedrus72"}

Phaedrus72

I think instead of ancient, they meant antique.

No skin off my back!! Ba-da-bang!!

{"commentId":89968,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"phaedrus72"}

1 vote

#11 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 6:24 PM EDT

{"commentId":89991,"authorDomain":"alphex"}

alphex

I think they mean it was an ancient book, lost 300 years ago... it's obviously a copy of the Necronomicon...

A Delta Green Clean up team is en route.

{"commentId":89991,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"alphex"}

#12 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 7:14 PM EDT

{"commentId":90147,"authorDomain":"gogocosmonaut"}

Nick Wood

i got here too late. i wanted to make an AoD reference, but about a billion people already have.

{"commentId":90147,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"gogocosmonaut"}

#13 - Sat Apr 8, 2006 10:34 PM EDT

{"commentId":90208,"authorDomain":"basilbub"}

basilbub

Rock the casbah!!!!!!!

A book bound in human skin...

What is more cool than that??

{"commentId":90208,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"basilbub"}

#14 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 12:32 AM EDT

{"commentId":90409,"authorDomain":"thethoughtcollide"}

Charles Laird

A human bound in Paperback?

{"commentId":90409,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"thethoughtcollide"}

1 vote

#14.1 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 9:24 AM EDT

{"commentId":90435,"authorDomain":"rodoula"}

rodoula

Actually, I rather like hardcover.

{"commentId":90435,"threadId":"3812","contentId":"160732","authorDomain":"rodoula"}

#14.2 - Sun Apr 9, 2006 10:08 AM EDT

{"canLink":false,"threadId":"3812","isPrivate":false}

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Book Apparently Bound in Human Skin Found

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