I'll Have Half a Pound of Provolone, Sliced Thin, and a Paperback Copy of The Inferno, Please.

Perhaps the best quote ever in an article about the publishing business:

Mr. Greco says he must factor in at least one expense that bookstores don’t: “When you deal with salami and mozzarella, it’s a little greasy. So we keep the books in plastic bags.”

The publishing industry has stumbled upon a recipe that works -- pairing a book's content with a matching context. 

Psychologically, this makes a lot of sense. Why else did I find myself almost buying a $25 leather-bound bartender's book from Restoration Hardware last night?  The psychological and emotional stage that's set by a retail experience can put you in the right mindset to buy something you might otherwise pass up at a bookstore.

Obviously the New York Times journalist agrees with me. The parting consumer quote in this article:

“You walk into Restoration Hardware and you want the couch and the vase and the nightstand, and then you want the two books that are on the nightstand,” Ms. Rosen said. “The books complete the story."