Election Section

Berkeley’s Best: Analog Books By MICHAEL KATZ

Tuesday March 29, 2005

This jewel box of a bookstore/newsstand sits a half-block north of the UC Berkeley campus, where it serves a select clientele. The person browsing beside you might be a nationally renowned author who teaches at the nearby UC journalism school, or a Los Angeles Times or San Francisco Chronicle columnist who lives nearby. 

Perhaps that explains the surprisingly rich selection of international newspapers and magazines. Looking for the previous day’s edition of La Repubblica, at about the same price you’d pay in Rome? It’s here. 

Owner Nima Shokat and his predecessors have built up an equally stellar book selection to challenge their print-hungry patrons. I often learn more about new, must-read books by scanning this store’s front table than by reading two weekly book reviews. 

Also prominent are graphic novels, art books, prints, and edgy McSweeney’s publications (or what one fellow patron calls “irreverent-looking books for smart and arrogant young people.”) 

But you’ll need to bring your own arrogance, because this is a very friendly store. Shokat—who recently purchased and renamed it—is a welcoming presence, as are his literate staffers. A Berkeley native, Shokat has ink in his blood: His father used to run Albany Press, a local print shop that published books and poster art. 

—Michael Katz 

 

Analog Books (formerly Signal Books) 

1816 Euclid Ave., Berkeley 

843-1816