Hello.
To try out the "book" concept, I'm just making an example book.
Stop by the store, and buy one.
Since I am in Japan, and buying Apple products are the same price at any store, I thought I might as well pick up some points for the purchase at Bic Camera. This may not have been the best way to acquire it; shop around.
I bought the top model w/ small HDD and memory, and then proceeded to Akihabara to pick up 2 GiB of memory and a larger, faster 7200 RPM drive.
The mac mini is notoriously dense and hence hard to open. However it is certainly possible to successfully open it without even cosmetic damage.
I used a ¥100 お好み焼き spatula (which works perfectly), although I originally set out to find a paint scraper or putty knife.