An Ottawa couple is selling book jackets bearing unusual self-help titles, challenging those who might judge a book by its cover.How to Murder a Complete Stranger… And Get Away with It and The Nutritional Benefits of Nose-picking are a few of the 20 titles Michelle and Brian Watters have come up with since they started their book jacket business, FlapArt Inc.
The Watters hire a graphic artist to turn their titles into covers that fit over most hardcover books.
It's up to the person who buys the jacket to decide what goes inside.
But why buy a jacket?
Helen Aikenhead, who carries the books at her Ottawa store, Three Wild Women, offered a suggestion.
"These are great if your mother wants the latest Danielle Steele for Christmas. You put How to Make Your Mother a Porn Star on the cover [of the actual Danielle Steele book]," said Aikenhead. "And when she opens it up on Christmas morning, she doesn't know what your intentions are."
Not everyone's mother may appreciate that kind of prank.
But there are other uses for the jackets, said Michelle Watters. She recommends them for transit users who would like some space on the bus.
"If you want to sit by yourself, and you don't want anyone bothering you, Perfecting the Art of Fart Projection will guarantee you a solo seat," she said jokingly, although she admitted the potty humour might not appeal to everyone's taste.
The jackets are sold at bookstores and boutiques in about a dozen countries around the world. In Ottawa, they sell for about $6.
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