slate agrees that books published in england are inferior to books published elsewhere. brit publishers glue bindings (rather than sew them) and don't always use acid-free paper, which causes easy binding wear and tear as well as quick discoloring of the paper.

books published in the UK generally feel lighter and cheaper than their counterparts published outside the UK. my brit-published copy of JG Ballard's "Crash," which I purchased in Paris in 1998, is, after one reading and a few years on the shelf, almost dust.