Comments on: Spinal Discord

By: Raytibbitts

Raytibbitts — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 00:15:28 +0000

When they are arranged on a bookshelf, neither is easier to read than the other.
Even if the books were ‘upside down’, with their spines facing out, English is just as easy to read as Spanish, and just as easy than if it had been ‘right side up.’

When laying flat on a table, with the front cover facing up, it is easier to read the English way, as you have shown.

Good thing I don’t read books anymore, with or without spines; just blogs.

By: jairo

jairo — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 09:18:29 +0000

With the spanish way is easier to read the tittle when the book is on the bookshelf.
On a table wins the non spanish way.
But I have to say that are spanish books printed in both ways.

By: spinaltap

spinaltap — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 17:29:38 +0000

this is really interesting. i think, however, that when a book is upright, the spanish way is much easier and more natural to read.

By: erik

erik — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 15:08:11 +0000

Could be worse. My mate, Hubbers, appears to come from Ohio when he’s at work in London. Silly corporate WANs.

By: simon

simon — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:52:17 +0000

That post was actually from home - it’s when I post from work that it thinks I’m in Luxembourg. Like this.

By: erik

erik — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:40:33 +0000

Wow, Simon, that’s really odd. No, I’ve never seen that.

Congratulations on having a Belgian flag on that comment, btw. You must be using a different ISP (at work?).

So we’ve eliminated the Arabic hypothesis. It must just be a lack of thinking it through as I’ve done on this post.

By: simon

simon — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:32:03 +0000

The French and Italians are the same, so it may not necessarily be an Arabic thing.
Although sometimes they do it one way, and sometimes the other way, so if I’m browsing the titles in a bookshop my head will flop back and forth as I try to read the titles.

Related: do they do this (http://simonlitton.livejournal.com/14616.html) in Spain too?

By: erik

erik — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:49:48 +0000

Thanks for your comment. I’m always glad to have new people take the time to sign up and leave a thought.

Having just now gotten up from my chair and scanned the bookshelf, I think that your argument is a weak one. It all depends on which way you tilt your head. If, when you cast your eyes to the left side of the shelf, you also tilt your head slightly to the left, then you are correct. But it’s not that much more uncomfortable to look left and tilt your head to the right (the required movement to read English spines). But by the time your gaze gets to the right side of the shelf, your argument turns on itself and it would be more comfortable to read English spines.

I like your on-shelf line of thinking, though. And you’ve made me think of something that had never occurred to me. For someone with a mixed bookshelf like me, it would make the most sense to put Spanish titles on the left side of the shelf and English titles on the right side. That layout would reduce neck strain the best. I wouldn’t want to hurt my spine.

By: ChristyK

ChristyK — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 14:34:09 +0000

I actually arrived here via a search on wordpress. However, having an interest in Spain (would move there if not for family) and photography, I clicked around a bit. I also hoped to see a ‘daily living’ comparison of US and Spain but you take a unique approach.

In comment to the book spines, put those books back on the book shelf. Now try to search for a specific book. Most people will read from left to right and in doing so, which spine is easier to read? The one facing to the left in the same way your focus is? I think the Spaniards got it right (or in this case left ).

By: erik

erik — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 22:34:59 +0000

Hmm.. I was thinking more along the lines of smaller quirkier things like book spines. Not a full-on culture “compare and contrast”. We’ll see what occurs to me…