I worked for B. Dalton in the early 90's - during my starving college student days - and that was standard practice. We ripped off the front covers of paperbacks and threw them in the dumpster. That was cheaper than sending the books back.

I'd heard from a friend that used to work for a book retailer that dumping books is a pretty common practice--and even required by the retailer's agreements with the publishers--for trade paperbacks and magazines. (Usually, I think the front cover has to be torn from the book when it is dumped though so that the publishing companies can tell if someone is trying to sell dumped books). I believe, though I could be wrong, that the books are dumped so that the publishing companies don't have to pay royalties to their authors for unsold books.

Ginger Allen needs to get a real job.....
This wasn't investigative journalism... this was a cheap parlor trick. And many cities have ordinances prohibiting dump picking....

Ginger Allen is so hot. Channel 11 could feature as an A Team at Million Dollar Saloon and they would rake it in. Rowrrr!

Always loved Jerry Seinfeld's take on books.

"Who needs a book after you're done reading it? People have them stacked up in their homes like trophies. Most of them have never even been read. Do you really need all of these books taking up all of that space just so you can appear smart to the occasional person who happens to drop by?"

I just finished Chuck Klosterman's "IV". If anybody wants my copy they can have it. My trophy case is in storage right now.

Jeff, I'll take it! I just finished my first Klosterman book (the one about rock and death...I think it's called "Dying to Live") and I loved it.

I sent an email to a friend begging for his Klosterman books, but apparently, the books belong to someone else.

It may be a common practice, but it's still obnoxious, ill-considered and wasteful. There are better ways to deal with overstocked books. Publishers, book stores, and royalty owners should come up with alternatives.

And if you have books that you don't want or are finished with, by all means, pass them around.

I've shopped at the Barnes & Noble at Preston & Royal many times and would like to come to their defense.

The manager of the store, who was interviewed by Ginger Rogers, is Craig Schlabs. Craig is a military veteran who had previously managed the Barnes & Noble on 15th Street in Plano. Sharp guy!

The boy in charge of the dumpster at that Barnes & Noble, Axel LaForest, is from France. Maybe this error was the result of a language problem or something.

And please remember, the next time you take those worthless magazines and old paperback novels to the great book recycler, Half Price Books, be aware that most, if not all, will be "donated" to their dumpster in the back.