Giving up the Ghost: A memoir By Hilary Mantel. 9780007148417

Booksellers use a very specific set of grades that has been developed over centuries, so that buyers will be able to get a reasonable idea of the condition of the book they're buying without having to examine it. We use the standardised grading system, which is explained below.\n\n--New: Without imperfections and, in the case of modern hardbacks, likely to be sealed in shrinkwrap if supplied as such by the publisher. It has never been read; as a result the spine is uncracked and there are no marks, though there may be very minor bumps to the corners from being placed on shelves - all in all, it will be in the same condition you would expect to find with a brand new book in a bricks-and-mortar bookshop.\n\n--Like New:  The book is very close to brand new condition and has almost certainly never been read, with an uncracked and uncreased spine and no marks. Imagine a book which has spent a few weeks on the bookshop shelves, occasionally being picked up and moved around, but n.