I don’t know where you live, but I do feel for your wife. In our broken world Amazon has become a utility the saves many folks huge amounts of time searching for items that are no longer available in stores many of which no longer exist. Amazon killed bookstores and if the business hadn’t started with books it might be happy to kill book…
I don’t know where you live, but I do feel for your wife. In our broken world Amazon has become a utility the saves many folks huge amounts of time searching for items that are no longer available in stores many of which no longer exist. Amazon killed bookstores and if the business hadn’t started with books it might be happy to kill books. I like books more than most people so my relationship with Amazon is very tortured.
Blackwells in Oxford,UK is a better bookstore than Amazon. They are online and ship books to the US without shipping fees. You can also get books that have been printed in England before they are published in the US.
Yes I use them, but am pissed off that they closed there London store. London also has Foyles, which is a great store but does not do well on shipping. My guess is that the audience for books is still better in the UK. Americans no longer have the attention span to read or in many instances to think. I blame social media for helping to make people dumb.
I agree with Marie on this one. If we want to have choices, we have to act accordingly as consumers. It might take a little extra searching, but nearly everything can be found somewhere other than Amazon. There are definitely still lots of great bookstores — both online and in person if you’re in a city.
But before I get too preachy, I have to admit that my neighborhood grocery is a Whole Foods and I haven’t cut it out yet. It’s walking distance and a really good store, and it makes me so mad that Bezos scooped it up!
Better World Books is where I buy on-line if a title cannot be ordered through my local indie book store. Yes, I pay more than Amazon charges, but we need to put our dollars where are values/hearts are. And BWB offers books both new and in good used condition, with the price of the latter often less than at Amazon and used better than new for the planet. I very frequently buy used.
Yes I am in New York and we still have The Strand and a few independents so I am ok. For years I lived in the UK and even after Amazon there are bookstores everywhere, although not as many. I miss all the hours I spent browsing which is something Amazon cannot replace especially with its really shitty search engines.
I know it is easier said than done to cancel Amazon for many folks. I live in the NE, close to JVL. It will be an inconvenience for my family, no doubt, but doable.
I don’t know where you live, but I do feel for your wife. In our broken world Amazon has become a utility the saves many folks huge amounts of time searching for items that are no longer available in stores many of which no longer exist. Amazon killed bookstores and if the business hadn’t started with books it might be happy to kill books. I like books more than most people so my relationship with Amazon is very tortured.
Abebooks.com is where it’s at.
Blackwells in Oxford,UK is a better bookstore than Amazon. They are online and ship books to the US without shipping fees. You can also get books that have been printed in England before they are published in the US.
Yes I use them, but am pissed off that they closed there London store. London also has Foyles, which is a great store but does not do well on shipping. My guess is that the audience for books is still better in the UK. Americans no longer have the attention span to read or in many instances to think. I blame social media for helping to make people dumb.
Well put.
I agree with Marie on this one. If we want to have choices, we have to act accordingly as consumers. It might take a little extra searching, but nearly everything can be found somewhere other than Amazon. There are definitely still lots of great bookstores — both online and in person if you’re in a city.
But before I get too preachy, I have to admit that my neighborhood grocery is a Whole Foods and I haven’t cut it out yet. It’s walking distance and a really good store, and it makes me so mad that Bezos scooped it up!
Better World Books is where I buy on-line if a title cannot be ordered through my local indie book store. Yes, I pay more than Amazon charges, but we need to put our dollars where are values/hearts are. And BWB offers books both new and in good used condition, with the price of the latter often less than at Amazon and used better than new for the planet. I very frequently buy used.
Thx for the tip. I'm a book lover.
Many independent book sellers also use Alibris.com if you are looking for a place other than Amazon to buy books.
Yes I am in New York and we still have The Strand and a few independents so I am ok. For years I lived in the UK and even after Amazon there are bookstores everywhere, although not as many. I miss all the hours I spent browsing which is something Amazon cannot replace especially with its really shitty search engines.
I know it is easier said than done to cancel Amazon for many folks. I live in the NE, close to JVL. It will be an inconvenience for my family, no doubt, but doable.