Among the amenities Thoreau lacked at Walden Pond was the one described by H. Horton Sheldon and Edgar Grisewood: Television: Present Methods of Picture Transmission. There was no cable or satellite dishes, not even over-the-air signals when this first American book on the subject for commercial distribution was published in 1929. The concept must have been stunning to an audience still getting used to the invention of radio. Item 68. $1,850.

If you have ever thought about collecting James Joyce, but didn't know where to start, here is the answer. Item 87 is a collection of over 1,750 Joyce items collected over a period of 60 years. It naturally includes a first edition of his masterpiece, Ulysses, along with 137 other printings of the work. There are 117 editions and printings of Dubliners, 121 of Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, and a mere 28 copies of Finnegan's Wake (including a signed first edition). There is much more. A complete descriptive document is available on CD or as an Excel spreadsheet. Price on request.

Michael Sharpe Rare and Antiquarian Books may be reached at 626-405-2934 or info@sharperarebooks.com. Their website is www.sharperarebooks.com.