Article April 24, 2006 Issue

NEW STUDY BOOKS

A message from The Writings of Mary Baker Eddy

Ethel Baker

For the past year, The Christian Science Board of Directors, as Publisher of Mary Baker Eddy's writings, has been considering the pivotal role of the Christian Science pastor—the Bible and Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures—as well as the Manual of The Mother Church, Prose Works, Poems, and Christ and Christmas, and what can be done to make them more available to those most ready to value and use them. So, over the next couple of years, beginning with the Bible and Science and Health, these writings will take new forms that serve both new and longtime audiences. The new Study Edition Bible and Science and Health in English (hardcover) will be followed this summer by a new paperback designed for sharing, and this Christmas with a premium leather set of books. In addition, we expect to offer hardcover editions of Mrs. Eddy's other writings listed above.

The new Bible and Science and Health, which began to arrive in Christian Science Reading Rooms in March, were developed in response to repeated requests over several years from Christian Science Sunday Schools. Their design grew out of ideas shared by Sunday School students, Christian Science teachers and practitioners, and Reading Rooms librarians, as well as book designers, typographers, publishers, and printers. They said they wanted the books to "feel good in your hand," lie flat when opened, be "textbooks" that work with metal markers, respect the content but have a contemporary look, feature the Cross and Crown seal on the front cover, convey a sense of calm, and yet be surprising and inviting. And almost everyone wanted them in blue!

There were other considerations, too. Affordability was important; yet, at US $65.00 a set, these books are not inexpensive. Why? One reason is that cost is largely dependent upon the quantity of books printed; the larger the quantity, the lower the price. But if these books do not sell quickly, there are additional costs for warehousing. And the cost of paper, which accounts for nearly 50 percent of the cost, has risen significantly in recent years. Also Bible thumb-tab indexing (which was wanted by more than 90 percent of those surveyed) is done by hand and adds to the cost.

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