George Koppelman and Dan Wechsler may have found the Holy Grail of rare books—a dictionary they claim was owned and annotated by William Shakespeare. If their assertion is true, this book could provide amazing insight into how Shakespeare crafted his plays, poems, and sonnets, all of which feature his highly inventive wordplay and have thus shaped how modern English is used today. Even if the scholarly community does not back their claims, their find will undoubtedly inspire further research and vigorous debate, and the book, Baret's Alvearie (1580), will still be considered an important 16th century artifact with valuable Elizabethan-era annotations.
Anticipating skepticism from academics and laypeople alike, Koppelman and Wechsler spent the last six years researching Shakespeare’s works and connecting with other experts. They have completed a careful analysis of the handwriting, paying special attention to “personal markers” left by the annotator. The majority of their claim for Shakespeare’s dictionary lies in their analysis of the linguistic elements, the annotations that show uncanny correlations to the Bard's body of work.
As booksellers, this is the kind of find Koppelman & Wechsler have been waiting for-- an important discovery that will put them at the forefront of Shakespeare research (and hopefully bring a big payday). For any entrepreneur, here’s a how a great find or new invention within your industry can impact your business:
It Changes Everything
For the world of rare books, finding Shakespeare’s dictionary would be akin to the invention of the compass: it would provide guidance and a point of reference for something we previously thought we understood. To continue with the invention reference, consider the impact of the printing press, widely considered to be one of the most important inventions of mankind. When the first book was pressed, the Gutenberg Bible around 1450, it represented a faster and cheaper way of disseminating knowledge. When information can travel faster and cheaper, expect revolution. The examples are almost endless: Rousseau’s Social Contract and the French Revolution, Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin and the American Civil War, Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front and WWI, just to name a few. In a more recent example, who can deny the impact Twitter and bloggers have had on political debates? And when discoveries change everything, they in turn lead to more discoveries: the inventions of the telephone, radio, television, semi-conductor electronics, personal computer, and the Internet were all fundamentally borne out of the invention of electricity.
Onward and upward, entrepreneurs! If you’re not forging ahead, you’re probably falling behind.
Your Industry Becomes A Part Of Cultural Consciousness
Booksellers have been waiting a long time for rare books to get the fair share of the collectibles limelight. TV shows like Pawn Stars, Storage Wars, and American Pickers have highlighted art and antiques, but until now, rare books have only been shown modest attention. If Shakespeare’s dictionary has been found, this will all change. Koppelman and Wechsler are using their discovery not only to benefit themselves, but to also shed light on the entire rare book trade, make a valuable contribution to Shakespeare research, and educate the public at large on the important cultural contributions rare books make to our society.
When your industry is in the spotlight, take advantage of it—but also keep in mind that it is bigger than yourself.
There’s Money To Be Made
Regardless of its reception among the scholarly community, Koppelman & Wechsler’s Alvearie is sure to fetch a high price. To put this book in context, consider what the Codex Leicester, containing the scientific writings of Leonardo DaVinci, sold for: Bill Gates paid $30.8 million for this relic in 1994, the highest price ever paid for any book. More recently, the Bay Psalm Book, the first book printed in British North America, sold for just over $14 million in 2013.
A rising tide raises all ships: with your industry in the spotlight, it’s a great time to maximize profits, or reinvest profits into new R&D.
It Will Inspire Future Research And Fuel Debate
It remains to be seen how scholars will respond to Koppelman & Wechsler’s claims, but one thing is for sure: it will be hotly debated for some time to come. Their book and website, Shakespeare’s Beehive and www.shakespearesbeehive.com, cannot provide the “smoking gun” many will clamor for in order to be fully convinced of the authenticity of their find. Instead, the finders of Shakespeare’s dictionary provide expert analysis, scholarly research, and convincing probabilities—a mountain of circumstantial evidence in absence of direct proof. They have also provided a complete digital scan of their Alvearie on their website, inviting not only academics, but anyone interested in this unique book to comment, ask questions, and keep the conversation going.
Even if you can’t convince everyone of the importance, relevance, or authenticity of your discovery, if you exercised due diligence, it will surely become part of the canon of information currently available, and perhaps inspire further inquiry or become a stepping stone for something greater.
It Will Inspire Confidence And Hope
How this book was found (eBay? really?) will keep the buzz alive about making rare finds at local yard sales and flea markets. And the fact that Koppelman and Wechsler found it gives hope to anyone who is just like them-- intelligent, hard-working people, not starting out with a particularly large fortune or strong society connections, but who with a little luck and a lot of persistence are attempting to prove the impossible. If you’ve been seeking entrepreneurial inspiration, look no further than the discovery of this heavily annotated dictionary. Indeed, finding an old, tattered copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland 10 years ago at a street sale inspired me to start my own rare book business.
Inspiration is out there everywhere; keeping our eyes and mind wide open will help you to recognize it.
The idea of finding Shakespeare’s dictionary seems impossible. But where would we be without dreamers like Johannes Gutenberg, Benjamin Franklin, and Steve Jobs? Where would the English language be without Shakespeare? As entrepreneurs, it is our job to innovate, discover, and inspire. Onward and upward!
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