Thanks for all the interesting replies and recollections. However, when I woke up late Saturday and was rushing to the recycling center, I whisked those seven grocery bags of old books into the wagon and parted with them moments later, having forgotten about this thread.

In some of the since texts I flipped through, the science was so hard I got a bruise. As you all have mentioned, I wonder if current texts are watered down, forgetting these molded, water-stained facts.

Yet, in them, I saw no comical recipes for explosions or incorrect "fact", not even Luminiferous aether. Now I'm hoping I did keep some of the good ones, like the few early edition Merk Manuals.

And yes, Goodwill stores should think twice about the dross and glass they accept. By me, people "donate" by dumping late grandma's dresser drawers in trash bags, used silky bits and all, and heaping the bags on Goodwill's back porch. The one or two grocery bags of nicely folded, never work, tags still attached donations from my sister are easily overlooked.