Comments on: Why I’m Done With Barnes & Noble

By: Revreese

Revreese — Sun, 16 May 2010 14:07:38 +0000

I have had this happen before with Waterstone’s in the UK.
Even more annoying was the fact that I had to spend an hour on the bus to get there (at no small cost) only to be screwed over when I got there!
Needless to say, I am now a firm believer in the power of Amazon!.
The worst part was I had been looking forward to reading it on the way back to relieve the boredom!

By: Shelby

Shelby — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 19:17:10 +0000

For what it’s worth, I grew up with the Michael Hague illustrations in this version of the Hobbit: http://www.amazon.com/Hobbit-Illustrated-J-R-R-Tolkien/dp/0395362903/ and I think they’re awesome.

By: Hans Larsen

Hans Larsen — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 10:38:58 +0000

Try this: http://aphrohead.com/Product.aspx?pid=15246902 Cheaper price and free delievery. Nowadays I use aphrohead for most books I buy and I’ve never had one single complain.

By: Tom Moertel

Tom Moertel — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:55:12 +0000

I pretty much stopped frequenting bricks-and-mortar bookstores when Amazon introduced Prime. Amazon always won on price and selection, but with Prime they started offering fast, free shipping that approximated the impulse-purchasing experience and saved me a trip to the mall. And Amazon’s fulfillment efficiency is undeniable. I’ve started to notice that many of the items I order with the free 2-day shipping arrive the next day. Yesterday, for example, I ordered Michael Lewis’s _The Big Short_; it arrived today. (BTW, psu, if you haven’t purchased a copy yet, I’m done with mine, and you’re welcome to it.)

Cheers,
Tom

By: snogglethorpe

snogglethorpe — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 05:27:36 +0000

If a physical bookstore for you is someplace you drive to to pick up the product, no wonder you’re giving up on them…

For me, bookstores are inviting places in places in locations I often pass by (on foot; note this is another example of why car-culture sucks), where I drop in randomly and browse. More often than not, I don’t buy anything, I just enjoy reading little snippets from lots of books I’d never have thought to look at otherwise, and soak in the vivid sensation of “endless possibilities” that one gets in a good bookstore. No, online snippets are not the same (online bookstores obviously have their own advantages, but they certainly don’t replace the experience of a good physical bookstore).

By: Tilt

Tilt — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 01:13:40 +0000

I find I will go to B&N (or borders), become annoyed they don’t have what I want, and then use the amazon app to buy it before I even leave the building.

By: Goob

Goob — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:55:56 +0000

If you don’t mind the coin, these guys have serious game:

http://www.foliosociety.com/book/HOB/hobbit

By: psu

psu — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 00:55:15 +0000

They often don’t actually know if the book will be waiting for you at the store either. I bought the latest Michael Lewis book using the “pick up at store” button at Borders… Too bad the email at the Borders store was broken for a week and they did not know to hold the book for me.