In the future, all book reviews will, like this one, be done with cake. This will present a problem for people who like to cut out their favourite reviews and stick them in the front of the book.

• In the past, it could be very easy to tell that you hadn't read that exciting new economics treatise.

• In the present, it's incredibly difficult to avoid responses to Macmillan v Amazon: two of the best, however, are by Caleb Crain (early in the process) and by Charles Stross (repeatedly, and with good links).

• What a literary agent gets in the post.