Expensive books

[Kissables]

I have bought a few textbooks for non-school reasons. My mom does it all the time. She can't go to a college without picking up at least one textbook.

[Katya]

When I worked in the BYU Bookstore I was always checking books out (yes, we could check out the merchandise, and it was awesome).

Oh, I've heard of being able to do that! (I had a friend who worked at Borders and could check out books, so long as they were hardcover.) It's supposed to be a good sales technique, because then your staff has read all of the latest books.

[Katya]

Also, I really want the Cambridge Grammar of the English Language, but it's $170.

[Tao]

I'd love to understand the pricing of some books. I was looking for a copy of Gödel, Escher, Bach for a while and was surprised to find a paperback copy going for 100$. As far as I could tell, it wasn't first edition, nor signed, just someone was really proud of it.

[Katya]

I'd love to understand the pricing of some books. I was looking for a copy of Gödel, Escher, Bach for a while and was surprised to find a paperback copy going for 100$.

Good book. Have you read it?

[Tao]

Sadly, not as of yet. The heathen local libraries are markedly lacking in both selection and inter-library loan. I've been impressed with what snippets and reviews I've been able to come across though.

[Katya]

Sadly, not as of yet. The heathen local libraries are markedly lacking in both selection and inter-library loan.

I live in great fear of ending up in such a situation.

I've been impressed with what snippets and reviews I've been able to come across though.

I liked his Le Ton Beau de Marot even better, but that's probably because it deals with language and translation issues, which are closer to my area of specialization.

[Sky Bones]

You know, I just realized that I had completely forgotten about a couple textbooks that I had voluntarily purchased and never used them in an actual course. I bought an Ancient Greek and Latin textbook each for about $70, and a few Japanese grammar books for about $50 each. There have also been many, many textbooks that I've had to purchase for classes, but then kept a hold of them (i.e., didn't sell them back).

I still fiercely love my Final Fantasy: Best Collection book, though! It's priceless to me, especially considering they don't even have an official English version, let alone sell it outside of Japan (okay, fine, ebay...).

[C is for]

I was about to talk about the Graham Dixon-Place books that UVU bought that I made my own for free, since all the teachers always talked about them as being like $100 each. But I looked, and maybe he's lowered the prices or something because they're only $40 each. Plus...shipping from Spain. So, that's still not super expensive. But if ever I spend a lot of money on something, it's probably for a music book rather than a book to read.

Oh. Except for maybe when I start my household and get the Complete Calvin & Hobbes. That will also be a pretty penny.

[Whistler]

Sadly, not as of yet. The heathen local libraries are markedly lacking in both selection and inter-library loan.

There's a 1980 version paperback for sale on Amazon for $2... so if you can spare $8 you can buy a copy.

[Laser Jock]

I didn't actually buy this, but a few years ago I came very close to buying Diccionario Del Uso Del Espanol, by María Moliner. It's a standout usage dictionary in Spanish, and it costs about $250 for the two-volume set. There's also an electronic version that costs around $100. I didn't end up getting it, and since BYU has the set I can get to it if I really need it. But I was close.

[Imogen]

the most expensive book i bought was my nook, which is many books in one convenient location.

[Emiliana]

Sadly, not as of yet. The heathen local libraries are markedly lacking in both selection and inter-library loan.

I live in great fear of ending up in such a situation.

That's the situation I'm in right now too, unfortunately ... I work in a very small international school that has a pretty good children's library (which, awesomely enough, is built into the back half of my living room since I live on the school's property), but in the year that I've lived here I've already read most of the ones that interest me. As well as a few that didn't. Ah well. I bought Middlemarch and Pride and Prejudice with me, both of which I think I could read twice a year for the rest of my life, so that's something, at least, to occupy me.

[Dragon Lady]

I tend to check them out from the library before I buy them

Oh wise Katya, teach me of your ways.

I've found that putting things on hold at the Orem library has been a lifesaver for me this summer. I find a book I want to read (and those are almost always all checked out, especially young adult fiction in summer), then I put it on hold online. Then when it becomes available, they email me and tell me and I have three days to go get it. And it's nicely available on a shelf just inside. It's great! I can get in and out of the library in 5 minutes or less, not have to search for anything, and it spreads my reading list out nicely, cuz I can only put 2 books on hold at a time.

Granted, now my "Books I want to buy someday when I have money" list is getting quite long. Because I love, love, love owning books. But at least this way I get to read them first.

[mic0]

Today I bought a textbook for fun at the Bookstore. It was originally 40$ but since it was discontinued it was actually 20$.

More importantly, I bought another discounted book the price of which was lowered to 13 cents! What are the cheapest books everyone has bought?

[thebigcheese]

Well, besides free... I think I've gotten some used books for like a dollar on Amazon. Used is seriously the way to go! Especially with hardcover books. So cheap.

[Wisteria]

I adore the Orem library. I worked there when I was a teenager. Such a good place . . .
I have also bought textbooks for fun. The ones I remember off the top of my head was a text for a sewing class that is a very good reference, a perennial plant book, and a couple of books from a marriage prep class when I realized that I wouldn't be taking the class but I thought it would be valuable information to have. And although I remain unwedded so far, I think they were a good investment.
Also, I have a love-hate relationship with Amazon. SO many amazing books available at my fingertips . . .

And on another unrelated note, I went on a date this summer with a guy who does woodworking and he was telling me how he bought a cheap set of the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, took off the covers, and is making custom hardwood covers from scraps at the lumber mill. Then he went back to medical school in Ohio before I could really petition to see the finished product . . . *sigh*