Hinman, who has worked at the Coop for some seven years, added that a fairly well accepted theory among booksellers has it that there have been no definitive trends over the past five years. This lack of direction represents a drastic change from past decades, when students appeared to only be interested in the same cults and social issues.

Hale says students who shop at the Hathaway shop have spent increasing amounts of time upstairs in the children's book department.

"They spend hours up there, which might not be such an unusual thing among college women, but males?..." Hales queries. He sees real value in children's literature, and cites the good humor and illustrations which can be found in such books.

"Granfa Grig," and "Mother Goose Rhymes Without Reason" is one of the most popular children's books he sells. "I don't think children would even understand what this book is about," Hale says, "because it mentions people that only adults know about."

Cartoon books, such as "Cat" and "Never Eat Anything Bigger than Your Head," both by Kliban, are selling madly at the Harvard Bookstore. Full of pictures and "very funny humor," according to Hewet, these books appeal to students who are looking for gifts and light reading. They are also "hilarious," Hewet adds.

The Harvard Bookstore has, apparently, never sold many books on leftist politics or social issues because, Hewet asserts, "the people interested in that kind of stuff usually steal their books."

"Rich Man Poor Man" has been a big seller at the Hathaway store recently, along with "Sybil,"--a work that has experienced a marked increase in popularity since a TV series by the same name began this fall. Hale says he does not understand why students are buying these books, explaining "these are suburban house wife books and I am very surprised that students are buying them."