explanation

I've gotten several questions concerning one of the things listed in the "Hates" portion of my profile. To clarify (from The Society of American Archivists' website)

Red Rot:
1. The deterioration of leather into a powder.
2. The hardening and embrittling of leather.
Notes
"Leather bindings before 1830 may become hard and brittle. Later leather bindings suffer red rot, which may completely destroy the leather."

So basically, it's irreversible and often inevitable that goregeous old books become riddled with this sad red-mold, and it makes me angry.