Are books too expensive?
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ClosingADoor
Member
Your phone bill is too high if anything. Books aren't that expensive I think. These are hard covers?
it's why ebooks are so nice. A fraction of the price for the same thing.
If you are a barnes and noble member you can get some ok prices, but outside of that, physical books are reallllly expensive
Never buy books new. Ever. Go to the library.
If you insist on owning your books, Goodwill is responsible for 90% of my library. Specific purchases I get off of Amazon used. The thing about books is almost no one actually reads them and those that do tend to take care of them so I've gotten used books that were essentially untouched.
If you insist on owning your books, Goodwill is responsible for 90% of my library. Specific purchases I get off of Amazon used. The thing about books is almost no one actually reads them and those that do tend to take care of them so I've gotten used books that were essentially untouched.
teruterubozu
Member
Nah, I use the library.
WaffleTaco
Wants to outlaw technological innovation.
They are pretty ridiculous these days. I think the most I would ever spend on a book would be $20, unless it's something professional. Prices have increased so much in the past few years it feels like.
OniBarubary
Banned
I only buy used.
As a result I often find books I'd never have otherwise read, but books I sometimes really wanna read may not show up for a while/ever. Oh well.
I read way too fast and travel a lot for my job so paying 16 bucks or so for a 400 page book I'll read in 2 or 3 days just isn't for me.
As a result I often find books I'd never have otherwise read, but books I sometimes really wanna read may not show up for a while/ever. Oh well.
I read way too fast and travel a lot for my job so paying 16 bucks or so for a 400 page book I'll read in 2 or 3 days just isn't for me.
TheExhaustedWalrus
Member
I only really buy used or on Amazon because their prices for new books are unbeatable. Physical bookstores are way too expensive, but if you know where to look, books are extremely cheap.
GamerMax73
Member
Depends, what were the books? I found non-fiction texts, especially anything on undergrad reading lists to be fairly expensive. Back in 2000 I was spending £15-30 per book on things like C++ programming guides.
These days, now I'm unemployed and living on limited means, I've discovered the wonders of the local library - and they even do eBooks these days.
I'm guessing by the '$' your US based? What are public libraries like over there?
These days, now I'm unemployed and living on limited means, I've discovered the wonders of the local library - and they even do eBooks these days.
I'm guessing by the '$' your US based? What are public libraries like over there?
My phone bill is $50 a month, unlimited.
These are two soft cover books.
I picked up Aziz Ansari's Modern Romance , and Oliver Sacks' On The Move.
SoldierIce64
Member
I buy a lot of books (mostly art, history and filmmaking) on Amazon. They tend to be a bit pricey but I enjoy the feeling of holding a book in my hands and looking at the glossy pages of the more visual books. Worth the price in my opinion.
teruterubozu
Member
Yeah scholastic books, scientific journals and studies are often very expensive. They usually only have a limited print run.
ClosingADoor
Member
Seems you overpaid. A paperback of those can be found for $10 at Amazon. Or yours must be nicer versions.
Strangelove77
Member
Your first mistake was buying ANYTHING at B&N.
Everything is expensive there.
Everything is expensive there.
Yeah, what would those two books have cost you on Amazon OP?
Edit: Looked it up in under a minute, they would have run you about $21 on Amazon for the pair.
GasProblem
Member
I enjoy reading fantasy. I mostly read it in english because that's usually the language it was originally written in and because it 'sounds' better then reading books in my native language. It sucks how my local library usually only has fantasy books in Dutch.
I mostly buy softcover books. Price range is around 10-15 most of the time. Sigh, I wish my library would carry more fantasy/sci-fi books in english
I mostly buy softcover books. Price range is around 10-15 most of the time. Sigh, I wish my library would carry more fantasy/sci-fi books in english
You'll get more time out of those books than you probably would from 37 dollars worth of videogames. If you care about the price, however, you can always get great deals on used books from your local stores or Amazon / eBay / etc. I'm talking books in the sub-5-dollar range.
Also, LIBRARY. The books there are freeeeeeeeee!
Also, LIBRARY. The books there are freeeeeeeeee!
I see that many here read through e-books. Mainly, I like physical books because I want to have a collection for good references. The last physical book I bought was mainly about social psychology and how we act; it's a goldmine for references and information, stuff suitable to include in an essay.
Too high? Phone bills in the US for cell phones tend to run $70-90 for a single person and only become decent in pricing when you do family plans. Nothing like the cheap European plans with tons of data/unlimited minutes ;p. To get the $30-35 cell phone bill in the US, there are a ton of compromises like with Tmobile you get almost 0 voice and only a small amount of data with 5 GB of fast data.
As for books, I only purchase Ebooks because regular books are way too expensive and for the Ebooks I wait till they are the paper back version or on sale or buy from an indie author who only charges $1-5. Screw the publishers, it's almost like the Apple price collusion is back again with publishers trying to charge $14-16 for a new Ebook "hardback" instead of $9-12 like it used to be... Anyone know why big publisher Ebooks are back to Apple pricing?
Are books too expensive? Yes
Are eBooks too expensive? Yes
Go to the library or buy used books.
Are eBooks too expensive? Yes
Go to the library or buy used books.
I wait for the deals (under $5).
Admiral Woofington
Member
College textbooks were ridiculously expensive, and when the teacher was the author what the fuck. I rented 95% of books and returned them at the end of the semester.
Novels though I'm going digital.
Novels though I'm going digital.
GamerMax73
Member
As much as I agree and do exactly this, It'd be a little remiss not to point out that if everyone followed that advice we'd likely have no books (or the ones we do have would be even more expensive).
As with any media, if you like it then the creator needs to be appropriately compensated for their hard work and time.
Haha, wow.
OP, I'd return it and purchase them from Amazon. You could buy another book with the remaining $16.
For me I try a variety of places to get books, depending if I want new or used. I prefer actual books than to a e-reader, as in Canada the e-reader prices tend to be wonky. Seveneves is $20 kindle and the paperback is $17. Plus I check out used book stores and book sales at libraries as the tend to be a dollar a book here. Garage sales and flea markets aren't half bad either. If it's new, I'll see who has a sale on the hardback, otherwise I'll wait till the soft cover comes out.
I really wish our dollar was stronger tho.....
I really wish our dollar was stronger tho.....
This right here, books are free.
No, they are not. Only selfish assholes who have no appreciation of other people's work think so. New, hardcover or specialty books can be too expensive for poorer people (and for poor people, I can understand not wanting to splurge 20-29$ for a new book), but if we are talking about people who have disposable income, no they are not too expensive.
Nappuccino
Member
I don't mind paying a bit extra if I know the book is damage free. Not to mention physical browsing is much more satisfying than on digitial stores.
But, for books I think are a risk, I'll use amazon or ebook if its cheap enough.
That said, nothing beats a well designed and laid out physical book. I've been burned by weird publisher choices and poorly edited ebooks one too many times to go to them first.
But, for books I think are a risk, I'll use amazon or ebook if its cheap enough.
That said, nothing beats a well designed and laid out physical book. I've been burned by weird publisher choices and poorly edited ebooks one too many times to go to them first.
Chezzymann
Member
I was all for supporting physical books and book stores for things like "community" and "experience" until I discovered that a book I wanted at barnes and noble was $20 and on amazon it was $8.
More_Badass
Member
I mostly get Nook books, those tend to range between $6 and $18. New hardcovers are sometimes as expensive as $25
Nappuccino
Member
Some of them mark it up to 36. I'm looking at you, stephen king('s publisher).
If you bought them from the brick-and-mortar, then yes, it will be expensive.
Maybe the horror that is college textbook prices has desensitized me to the cost of even hardcover fiction (which charges a less horrifying, but still hefty, premium).
I'll have no problems dropping $30 - 40 bucks for a 1000 page behemoth because if I can justify $20 for a 2-hour movie night-out, why can't I justify it for the pinnacle of human creative expression?
Maybe the horror that is college textbook prices has desensitized me to the cost of even hardcover fiction (which charges a less horrifying, but still hefty, premium).
I'll have no problems dropping $30 - 40 bucks for a 1000 page behemoth because if I can justify $20 for a 2-hour movie night-out, why can't I justify it for the pinnacle of human creative expression?
I don't think so, I can get a "used" book at my local bookstore for anywhere from $5 to $8 on average. They sell all books at 50% of the MSRP (often closer to 20-35%) and many of these books are unread or remainered, so they are effectively brand new. When you factor in the entertainment value of a book and compare that to seeing a movie at the cinema (or just renting it), the value proposition of a book is amazing.
TechnicPuppet
Nothing! I said nothing!
Audiobooks certainly are.
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