Sachin Tendulkar - Ooh let me finger your pages!
Well, I talked about it and I even asked my publisher whether it was possible, but finally someone has got round to publishing a book that contains human blood mixed in with the pulp. According to the BBC, a special edition new biography of Indian cricketing star Sachin Tendulkar will contain drops of his blood, its publishers have reportedly said. Ten copies are being printed containing a signature page mixed with his blood that will sell each for $75,000 (£40,000) each. This is the ultimate in memorabilia collecting that I have written about and I just want to say I told you so. Some people want to have a physical connection to someone they admire through owning and touching the objects that are imbued with psychological essence.
When I asked my publisher about doing the same for SuperSense (now re-titled, “The Science of Superstition”) they thought I was crazy. More importantly I am not a sporting legend like Tendulkar. It may have just seemed a bit gross. In any event I did have a stamp made up with red ink that contains my essence. So some of you who proudly own such a rare copy which I have personally signed with this special stamp, could in principle have me cloned at a later date. One problem that the publisher’s may not have considered is that such books containing human tissue may violate strict regulations without a special import exclusion. There again nobody knows what cricket is in the US.
One of the good things about blogging and Tweeter is that people keep sending you stuff and I just got this from @AbrasiveShrub. Thanks – keep sending me more.
OK, so he’s done blood, you could still do sweat and tears for your next book…
Why stop there?
Now, would wanting to have a copy of your book with the stamp – not because of wanting to have your essence, but because of wanting to have a copy of a book about essentialism with an essentialist twist to it – make me into a metaessentialist?
In 1977 the band Kiss mixed their own blood into the red ink used in their first comic book (which I own – gah!). http://www.snopes.com/music/artists/kissblood.asp
In 1997, the ashes of late Marvel comic book editor Mark Gruenwald were mixed in with the ink for a special reprint of Squadron Supreme.
http://articles.latimes.com/1997/aug/29/news/mn-27069
Those are two I can think of off the top of my head. I’m sure there are others.
Lene, that’s brilliant info… must use in my next interview..Guess, I was not that original. Thanks for dropping by.
Hey Bruce, how U doing lately? That was always like this. you know, athletes and people wander around sports have always been more influential than scientists, philosophers and knowledgeable people such as you.
So, U tweet, aren’t U? interested in NEWS from Iran and their quest to democracy and freedom? add me up @samIranian
have a good day
Ooh goodie. I have a Bruce Hood red stamp. Now where do I go for cloning?
Bruce, saw this today on BoingBoing and thought of you – you can have ashes pressed into vinyl records! http://www.andvinyly.com/