Starring:
Date It Happened: March 08, 2007
Summary: Samantha searches for a copy of Activating Evolution at a local bookstore.
Seeking Enlightenment
Enlightenment Books
Late afternoon is normally busy in the store. And that holds true for today. There are many different patrons perusing the shelves, sitting in the seat reading, or talking with others. Now that she has employees - one, soon to be two - Cass is coming up with pointers that she can give the two young girls that could help them here. Notebook out, she's munching on her pen and thinking.
This…really isn't Sam's sort of bookstore. It's not that she objects to Mom and Pop shops - in point of fact, she's a huge proponent, but this is the sort of place that sells stuff by the Dali Lama and Cunningham's Guide To Fluffy Bunny Paganism. Still, having done some of her research online, this seemed like the easiest place to get the book she's looking for directly from the shelf instead of having to order it. Why shlep to Barnes and Noble, and who wants to wait for Amazon? She considers her options - wondering what section it would be under. Alternative Medicine, maybe?
The Dali Lama shelf is over in Buddhism. As for Cunningham's Guide to Fluffy Bunny Paganism…well, the store is currently out of it. Cass glances up from her notebook and list to glance around the store. Her store owner spidey-sense is going off. "Anyone need any help?" she calls out in a friendly manner, sticking the pen behind her ear.
Samantha hears the clarion call of the bookseller, and makes her way over, hands tucked into her light spring jacket. "Hi there," she says, flashing a smile. "Actually, maybe you could tell me what section I could find a particular book in?"
Flipping her notebook closed, Cass stands up and smiles. "Of course. That's what I'm here for!" Stepping around from behind the counter, she looks around the store. "What's the book? I can tell you if I've got it in stock."
Samantha pulls her hands out of her jacket; one has her cellphone which is terribly and overly high tech. She taps a button or two, looks at a note, and then offers, "'Activating Evolution'. By Dr. Chandra Suresh. I Googled and your store came up."
Cass isn't phased by high tech gadgets, it's the way things are going. The mention of the book makes her smile, though. "Ah, I should have figured that one out. I think someone's come in to buy that once every day for the past week or so. It's right over here." The woman walks over to the proper shelf and picks out the book. "I should put it in the window it's selling so well."
"A lot of people are buying it?" Caution wars with curiousity. "Have you read it yourself? It was reccomended to me by a friend." Yes, that's vague. But maybe she can find out a bit more about it…and the people who've bought it.
"Well, I wouldn't say a lot." Cass moves out of the way of a customer trying to search the shelf right behind her. "But quite a few. I have read it and think it's a very good read. Not like the normal science books. What's your interest in it, if I may ask? Other than the friendly recommendation?"
Oh, crap. It takes Sam a moment and then she says, "I'm a doctor." Well, it's the truth! Enough of it for Cass to hopefully jump to whatever conclusion makes the most sense. Occams Razor is Samantha's friend. "My friend swam some of Dr. Suresh's theories in front of me over drinks, I thought it sounded intriguing."
"That's lovely. My father's a doctor, too. What's your specialization?" Cass does, of course, just assume that her customer means a medical doctor. She's a little biased that way. "It definitely is intriguing. And involving."
Samantha reaches for the book, taking it off the shelf. "Well, my specialty is ER and trauma care, but it's hard not to be interested in something so intriguing as the development of our bodies and their capacities for change." Idly she flips through the pages, allowing pauses to read this or that passage in brief or to glance at the first few lines of a chapter. "What do you think of Dr. Suresh's theories?"
Cass nods while she listens to Samantha talk. "That sounds action paced. When I was a med student, I was planning on doing theoretical work, actually. Or maybe pediatrics. But I didn't really like the structure, so I left." Grinning, she shrugs the question off a bit. "I think they're interesting. I think they could have some credibility, too." She's not about to spot off to just anyone that she believes them whole heartedly. "But, it's a book that's sold in /my/ bookstore and not Columbia's Bookstore."
"My father's a pediatrician." Samantha murmurs absently. "No, that's true." She gazes thoughtfully at the author's bio. "Does Dr. Suresh still reside in India?"
Cass smiles. "So doctors run in the family? Mine too." Speaking of fathers, she has plans to visit hers soon. "I…you know, I don't know. I heard something about him being in New York, but I'm not really up to date on my author news. I would love to have him come in for a book signing." And to pick his brain about his theories. "You should come when that happens."
Samantha smiles at that. "You know, I think I would." She lets out a little breath of determination and inquires, "Could you ring me up? It looks like I've got a little reading before bed tonight."
"That's what I'm here for, too." Cass writes out her receipt, tells her customer the total and gets all that money stuff squared away. Putting book and receipt into a bag, she holds it out for Samantha. "Thanks for coming in. Stop by again. Let me know what you think of it."
"I might just. Thanks for your time." Samantha salutes Cass with her free hand, and picks up bag and credit card before she heads back into the crisp NYC spring air.