Cody's Books: The Life and Times of a Berkeley Bookstore [Paperback]

Pat Cody (Author), Fred Cody (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1992

A collection of letters, essays, and reminiscences captures the excitement of the Berkeley activist bookstore that was at the center of many political and literary tempests of our time, including the anti-war movement and the fight over censorship. Simultaneous.

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Chronicle Books; First Edition edition (September 1, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811801403
• ISBN-13: 978-0811801409
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,782,567 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4.0 out of 5 stars The most important bookstore in America, November 4, 2011

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This review is from: Cody's Books: The Life and Times of a Berkeley Bookstore (Paperback)

The Life and Times of Cody's Books is a collection of letters, speeches, and lectures written by Fred and Pat Cody on the subject of their independent paperback bookstore. The Cody's were to become the founders of one of America's greatest bookstores, located in the heart of radical Berkley during a tumultuous time. I learned the story of this amazing institution through the documentary film, Paperback Dreams (which can be viewed for free on snagfilms.com). I was captivated by the store's history, and what it stood for. Freedom of thought, freedom of expression, and the protection of free speech were central tenants of the owner's philosophy, and they made every effort to use their store as an outlet for small presses and unknown writers.

Fred and Pat were young leftist intellectuals looking to find a means of financial support during the straight-laced 1950s. Fred held a doctorate in Latin American studies, but didn't want to sign the required "loyalty oath" that would qualify him to teach at a university. Instead, he and his wife started a small bookstore, the founding of which happened to coincide with the birth of the "paperback revolution."

Prior to the 1950s, bookstores were mainly trade-sellers of expensive hardback books. Paperbacks were seen as cheap novelty items and one had a hard time finding the classics or large philosophy texts at a low cost. Paperbacks changed all of this, making books inexpensive and accessible to the masses. With paperback books, you didn't have to be a wealthy professor or graduate student to be able to read the collected works of Shakespeare or Spinoza. Suddenly, the literary world opened up to a new generation of thinkers and activists. Cody's Books, an almost exclusively paperback seller, helped place important books into the hands of Berkeley undergrads and street-hippies alike.

Despite the popularity of paperbacks and their prominent location, Cody's Books suffered from the turmoil and destruction of 60s politics and social unrest. These letters take the reader inside the great minds of Fred and Pat Cody as they deal with everything from employee/patron theft, to having their windows smashed by vengeful police officers who didn't like Cody's policy of taking in injured protesters who had been beaten by police. During the Telegraph Avenue, Berkeley riots of 1968-70 Cody's was used as a refuge for protesters attempting to escape the batons and tear gas canisters of an oppressive police force. One particularly interesting story tells of a time when cops fired a tear gas canister directly into the store in an attempt to harass protestors taking shelter there. The gas saturated the books, causing them to reek of tear gas for weeks. Customers still bought them anyway, hoping to get a riot memento.

All of this unrest took a toll on the profits of an already low-margin business. The Cody's struggled with financial issues that arose from closing the store early for riots and lack of a steady staff. Fred became deeply involved in community politics and this took a lot of his time away from the store. At one point, the staff even attempted to unionize and demanded shares be given out (only in Berkeley, some would say). After twenty-one years in business, Fred and Pat found a buyer, Andy Ross, who would carry on their tradition of bookselling until the store was forced to close in 2007.

The collected letters of Fred and Pat Cody are very interesting to read, and Pat provides commentary, written in 1992, that adds a biographical side to the book. I would have liked more detail on some of the important moments in Cody's history to be included, but overall this is a great read. Some of the letters get into the minutia of the trade, but this adds great context to the story. I can highly recommend it.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Bookstore Needs To Shed Politics!, March 3, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Cody's Books: The Life and Times of a Berkeley Bookstore (Paperback)

This great bookstore in Berkeley, Calif. is the queen of the Bay Area bookstores. It's true, the bookstore has been in the forefront of political activism - the Free Speech Movement, the Viet Nam War, and all the politically correct and groovy issues of the Left. And that's where Cody's Books fault lies. It has naively romanticized about and tacitly supported the idea of the International Communist Movement, and every Marxist-oriented cause, every leftist writer. It supported the Communist side during the struggle of the Polish workers "Solidarity" movement. It never offered a voice of support and hope for the people of Eastern Europe during the final days of the Soviet Union. Its emphasis on political correctness of Left always was and remains today, tiresome and troubling, but Cody's Books, where you seldom find the cheap remnants of Martha Stewart or Oprah, is one great bookstore.