I am boycotting Amazon. Support your independent bookstores!

[kgnu_fan]

http://www.antiwar.com/blog/2010/12/02/daniel-ellsberg-says-boycott-amazon/
Daniel Ellsberg Says Boycott Amazon
Daniel Ellsberg, December 02, 2010

Open letter to Amazon.com Customer Service:

December 2, 2010

I’m disgusted by Amazon’s cowardice and servility in abruptly terminating today its hosting of the Wikileaks website, in the face of threats from Senator Joe Lieberman and other Congressional right-wingers. I want no further association with any company that encourages legislative and executive officials to aspire to China’s control of information and deterrence of whistle-blowing.

For the last several years, I’ve been spending over $100 a month on new and used books from Amazon. That’s over. I ask Amazon to terminate immediately my membership in Amazon Prime and my Amazon credit card and account, to delete my contact and credit information from their files and to send me no more notices.

I understand that many other regular customers feel as I do and are responding the same way. Good: the broader and more immediate the boycott, the better. I hope that these others encourage their contact lists to do likewise and to let Amazon know exactly why they’re shifting their business. I’ve asked friends today to suggest alternatives, and I’ll be exploring service from Powell’s Books, Half-Price Books, Biblio and others.

So far Amazon has spared itself the further embarrassment of trying to explain its action openly. This would be a good time for Amazon insiders who know and perhaps can document the political pressures that were brought to bear–and the details of the hasty kowtowing by their bosses–to leak that information. They can send it to Wikileaks (now on servers outside the US), to mainstream journalists or bloggers, or perhaps to sites like antiwar.com that have now appropriately ended their book-purchasing association with Amazon.

Yours (no longer),
Daniel Ellsberg

[NuclearDem]

1. Off to Borders for me!

Always liked it better than Amazon anyway.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

2. just bought several books from a local + abebooks.com

f*ck Amazon.

[TerryGH]

33. just bought several books from a local + abebooks.com

Unfortunately, ABEBooks is owned by Amazon.  Try
www.biblio.com: independent, good folks, who take a much less
aggressive chunk out of their listers' proceeds.

[Sonoman]

3. All of our friends are shopping our local bookseller.

I don't even read books, I just want them to stay open and in business. They are such a wonderful couple.

Sonoman

[kgnu_fan]

92. We do have many independent and progressive bookstores in Boulder and

They have great used book buying services/used book shelf. Great children' book section. Great coffee shop next door.....

[JuniperLea]

4. I'm all for buying real books that will be mine as long as I want them...

And not some electronic version that can be taken away from me after I paid good money. I like books, and bookstores.

[kgnu_fan]

5. Amazon sold its soul to the darkside....

[Hawkeye-X]

6. They take away the books I buy?

The kindle books?

[pipi_k]

22. Yeah, a little Amazon.com man sneaks into your Kindle

while you're sleeping and steals them all.



Actually, Amazon keeps an archive of all the books you've purchased in case you get a new device and want to transfer content.

[JuniperLea]

25. Well, aren't you snarky... and wrong...

Amazon can and has removed books remotely from Kindles.

"In a move that angered customers and generated waves of online pique, Amazon remotely deleted some digital editions of the books from the Kindle devices of readers who had bought them."



http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html

[pipi_k]

34. And you need to read the whole story first....

Amazon didn't delete the books it had authorized through its own site.

They were deleted because they were from a company that did not have rights to them.

They were illegal copies. They were deleted, and the customers' money was refunded.



That's a hell of a lot different from someone implying that Amazon runs around arbitrarily deleting books IT has sold to customers.

[JuniperLea]

26. Ignore the snarky assed response...

And check this link:

Amazon can and has removed books remotely from Kindles.

"In a move that angered customers and generated waves of online pique, Amazon remotely deleted some digital editions of the books from the Kindle devices of readers who had bought them."

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html

If they did it once, they can do it again.

[pipi_k]

35. Actually....

I think the person you're trying so hard to console was probably being a bit facetious in reply to the suggestion that Amazon runs around arbitrarily deleting books its customers have purchased. I sensed a bit of disbelief there and added my own disbelief.



What HAS happened with deleted books is that Amazon deleted illegal copies from people's Kindles and refunded their money.

[tularetom]

8. We do too but we're running out of places to stash 'em

We've been married almost 50 years, lived here for the last 25 and we have bookshelves in every room except the dining room and kitchen.

We haul a load of books to Goodwill at least once a year, we send boxes of them to relatives and they're still gaining on us.

I think they are reproducing much like coat hangers do. And I think they're feeding on all my socks that disappear in the wash.

[pipi_k]

23. That's why I got a Kindle...

the (real) books were starting to become a fire hazard.

I've had mine since September and already I have over 80 books on it and four word games.

I love it.

:)

[TBF]

30. I'm keeping my favorite books & reading new stuff on Kindle -

especially things like mysteries that I rarely read more than once. If I like a book enough to want to read it again I'll buy the hard copy (like the Manifesto). :)

Of course they could delete them accidentally, on purpose, go out of business, any number of reasons ... but living with stacks of books everywhere gets cumbersome as well. So hopefully I'll strike a happy medium.

[pipi_k]

38. You know what's neat....

Of the 80+ books I have on my Kindle, at least 95% of them were free.

They're not mainstream reading material (I read some strange stuff sometimes) and a lot of it is Classics. I would probably not have actually bought many of these books, but since they were free, I said what the hell...what's to lose?

and I've been pleasantly surprised....

Right now I'm reading a book on life/customs in Europe during Medieval times. Interesting reading...

:)

[JuniperLea]

29. Me too...

I've barely been alive that long, but my collection is ridiculous. I do all those things too... and buy, sell, swap at a used bookstore. I even have a damn bookcase at the landing at the top of the stairs! :rofl: And I'm thinking of how I can get another up there!

It's a sickness... but a good one.

Amazon has the ability to remove books from your Kindle remotely... they say they will never do it again... I don't believe them.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html

[boppers]

42. Where do you keep the cooking/food books, then?

Our dining room and kitchen are our gardening, cooking, and crafts book sections of our libraryhouse.

[tularetom]

75. Oops you are correct

One shelf in the kitchen is full of cookbooks but there still aren't any in the dining room.

[pipi_k]

36. Yeah...pay good money through the Amazon site itself

and, in all likelihood, you get to keep every single thing you purchased.

Download books from someplace else, or download illegal copies, and I would imagine that Amazon has the absolute right to delete them from your device.

We all know what "illegal copies" means, right?

[pipi_k]

7. So this makes....what....

Entity #4,263 we're supposed to boycott for one reason or another?

Sorry...I'm old and can't remember them all, and I'm too busy to actually keep a ledger of all the places we're supposed to be pissed off at.

Are we still supposed to be boycotting businesses in Red States that voted for Bush in 2004? How about Republican businesses? Businesses that play Fox News on their waiting room/lobby TV sets? BP? Everything made from petroleum products?

Hell, I know I've missed some...

Anybody want to give us the complete list?


sigh....

[NoPasaran]

10. The list of things not being boycotted is a lot easier

Rainwater

Pure grain alcohol

Julian Assange brand frozen sperm.

There may be a few other things.

[pipi_k]

53. It is...and...

what sort of makes me laugh is that nobody thinks my question is a serious one, although it really is.


How many other places are on the "Evildoers We Need To Boycott" list?

Nobody knows, I guess.

Or maybe nobody wants to admit how truly ineffective most "boycotts" are.


How many people were bound and determined to ruin BP over the oil leak disaster a few months ago?

I see BP is still around, conducting business as usual...

so much for boycotts...

:+

[MilesColtrane]

72. "Julian Assange brand frozen sperm."

:rofl:

[WingDinger]

9. Give me a break. They attempted to resist. Good on them, you have no idea what threat they recieved.

[kgnu_fan]

11. Phone call from Lieberman? Give me a break!!!

[kgnu_fan]

19. ?????

[Brickbat]

12. I've been boycotting for years because of their anti-union work. If I have to buy a book online, I

buy through ILWU 5's portal to Powells bookstore.

http://www.ilwulocal5.com/shop-union

[kgnu_fan]

14. Thank you for your information. We can re-organize our life's habit

[Lucian]

13. So what am I supposed to do with my Kindle?

Throw it away?

[kgnu_fan]

15. I am sorry for your misfortune...can you give back to Amazon and get refund???

[Lucian]

17. No.

I love my Kindle. What I was saying is although I don't agree with Amazon's decision regarding WikiLeaks, I will however, keep using my Kindle. It's a great device, has a long lasting battery, and I can hold my whole book collection on it.

[kgnu_fan]

OK...enjoy!

[kgnu_fan]

16. I want to tell everyone NOT to buy Kindle for X'mas gift

F**k Amazon!

[JuniperLea]

27. I say the same... for more than one reason...

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/18/technology/companies/18amazon.html


They have the ability to remove books from your Kindle remotely. They CLAIM they will never do it again... do you believe them?

[pipi_k]

37. Sigh...do you really want to do this?

I mean, seriously....


did you even read the entire story you're linking to?

again...

Amazon did NOT delete anything it had sold customers. It deleted material sold by another company...books that company had NO rights to.

Customers got their money refunded.

Amazon does not run around arbitrarily deleting books from people's Kindles.

I'm a member of a pretty large online Kindle forum and I haven't seen ONE complaint from anyone concerning Amazon deleting legally purchased books.

[DainBramaged]

52. Kindle RULES!!!!!!!!!!!

[Bragi]

54. Just buy a different e-reader

Anything that uses epub files will do you fine, and you download and transfer to your device. No big deal, and they CANNOT come in and delete anything you own.

So if you already have the Kindle, enjoy, but people who don't want to support Amazon should know that they have e-book alternatives.

[obxhead]

18. Another reason to boycott Amazon.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=389&topic_id=9683700&mesg_id=9683700

[kgnu_fan]

20. No Xmas for Amazon!!!

[Cid_B]

21. Assange is a tool of the highest order...

I'm off to read my Kindle...

[Imajika]

24. Meh, no thanks...

Love Amazon, love my Kindle, don't much care for Assange.

[sailor65]

28. Fail thread

DU loves it when Amazon drops something DU hates....

Sorry, but it works both ways. Deal with it.

[surrealAmerican]

31. I wish I had local, independent book stores.

The last one in my neighborhood closed about 15 years ago. All we have now is Barnes and Noble or Borders.

I go to used book stores as much as I can; at least they're still locally owned.

[Violet_Crumble]

32. Fuck Amazon. I'll buy my books elsewhere n/t

[Godhumor]

39. No, I don't think so...

Love Amazon and have no use for Wikileaks.

[DainBramaged]

40. They won

http://www.newpages.com/bookstores/


52 independent booksellers in Florida (as an example). There used to be THOUSANDS, just like video stores. E-readers will be the end of them.

Sorry, fact of life.

[RainDog]

47. e-readers aren't the problem with amazon

it's the unfair trade practices they engage in that are the problem.

They coerce publishers to give them discounts that are not available to other booksellers and, if the publishers refuse, they censor them - refuse to make ANY of their books available via Amazon until Amazon gets the discount they want.

..which impacts writers, too.

Not the big name brand writers, of course, but writers who are trying to publish their first works, writers who cover controversial subjects...

Amazon is the WalMart of booksellers.

Of course there are good things about Amazon - they make a lot of titles available.

But they also try to drive smaller bizzes out of business using the same tactics that got WalMart, Borders and Barnes and Noble sued for anti-trust violations in the 1990s - they lost the lawsuit with the Independent Booksellers Asso. but part of the settlement said the ABA couldn't release much of the information it has gathered that showed what they had been doing.

Even so, publishers have talked about it.

http://www.bostonreview.net/BR35.6/roychoudhuri.php

Whether you like Wikileaks or not, if you don't buy at least some of your books from local, independent booksellers, they will go out of business and a monopoly will have the whole pie. Indies can also sell e-books - but they have to be willing to deal with the technology. A lot of people in the indie biz don't have the foresight to get into this market - or the willingness or ability to invest in their bizzes to be able to provide this service.

But every dollar you spend in your community in locally-owned businesses puts 40 cents back into your community. If you don't care about this - no biggie. But it's the equivalent of "outsourcing" to only purchase from vendors who are not part of your community. fwiw.

[DainBramaged]

49. First I understand the book business pretty well

my beloved ex worked for Baker & Taylor for over a decade before she worked for Gannett. B&T SHIPS FOR AMAZON, because they can't make a living selling to independents and educational customers any longer. They've laid off so many people they are a shell of a company since they were taken private many years ago.

Where I live in NJ there are THREE independent bookstores within a 30 square mile range, and ONE is a children's book store. There are 33 in the entire state. There are two Barnes and Nobles and one B. Dalton within 15 square miles. PS ONE of those independents is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10-5, when should I go there? Should I skip work?


I boycott WalMart and REFUSE to support japanese and Korean automakers, now you want me to not buy from Amazon because the few books I buy in a decade I should pay full price for from someone I have to drive to who maybe will order it for me if I pay in full and wait for them to get it from B&T? And my beloved beautiful Daughter should buy her textbooks at full price from maybe a bookseller she has to drive all over the state to find wen she gets a student discount from B&T?


No.


I support E-Books because they will reduce our dependence on paper, reduce the pollution of paper mills, reduce the destruction of our forests, and because we live in the modern era. I refuse to go back in time. I bought a Kindle for my Sweetie and will get one for my Kidlette for Christmas (thanks for your patience, interruptions breaking my thought train)

Thanks for listening.

[RainDog]

56. no, I didn't say don't buy from Amazon

I said.. if you don't buy SOME of your books from independents they will go out of business.

If you like your kindle - enjoy it. I also noted that indies can sell e-books too - in fact baker and taylor has an e-book distribution set up.

No one is telling you to go back in time.

I was saying that if people like and want independent bookstores they have to support them via sales in order to keep those stores. If you don't want to put your book-buying money in that direction, don't. that's your right.

most independents don't sell textbooks anyway, and that market is something else entirely. the majority of money that textbook sellers make is in reselling used textbooks. they face issues that are entirely different than a general interest independent bookstore.

textbooks, because they are so heavy, because information in them may change fairly quickly, because of the cost of small print runs - those are expensive books - and I think the textbook industry will go electronic sooner rather than later (it's already going electronic and those stores that made their money in used textbooks are also going into the e-book business.)

What I do think, however, is that Amazon should not be able to extort and coerce publishers. There is a lawsuit that was settled already that backs up the idea that Amazon is violating anti-trust law. That's reality.

The Nation magazine wrote about this a few months ago and The Boston Review link here talks about that as well.

That has nothing to do with what kind of book you buy or where you buy it from. That has to do with unsavory business practices that are allowed to stand because Amazon is not made to engage in fair business practices.

Where I live, people will, after the fact, be all sad because a local business closed. But, as one of my city council members noted when people fussed about a particular corporate food chain - if they didn't want that, then they should have supported the local restaurant. But they didn't. So it closed. And the chain food place moved into the location instead.

It's that same sort of issue.

So, enjoy the books you buy! Buy them where you want and in the format you'd like.

To others who want to keep independent bookstores alive, I say that if you make at least some of your book purchases from them, that's how they will stay alive. Used bookstores will maintain a niche for a while - they may be more along the lines of an antique store in some ways, but there will still be stores when they are able to afford the costs of maintaining a brick and mortar business - rents are a big factor in that situation.

[RainDog]

58. oh, and the reason there are so few bookstores within your driving range

is because Borders and Barnes and Noble drove many stores out of business, again, with the unfair trade practices they engaged in for which they were sued and lost, along with WalMart in the 1990s.

The reason Baker and Taylor cannot make it selling to independents is because Borders and Barnes and Noble drove so many of them out of business. That's not really the fault of the independent.

Again, where I live there was a large independent bookstore in town that had lots of customers. It was doing really well.

Borders moved in next door to it and undercut its sales to the point that it had to close. And I'm not exaggerating when I said Borders moved in right next door. Their walls were touching.

Now that Borders is going out of business. Borders was trading as a penny stock two years ago around this time so they held on for a while but they built stores all over the place - like the one here - and haven't responded, like Barnes and Noble with the Nook, to the e-book biz and so not only did they kill one store, they'll be gone soon too.

Barnes and Noble, however, is still open across the street.

[DainBramaged]

79. They aren't coming back, and I refuse to participate

I used to have a video rental store in the 80's. Blockbuster put me out of business. Now Blockbuster is going out of business because of Netflix. Should I boycott Netflix because they are injurious to the independent video rental stores concept that Blockbuster ruined? Or Redbox, should I vandalize those machines because they are taking business from Netflix who took business from Blockbuster who took business from me?


The cycle of change. It's inevitable. This is a rapidly changing digital age. When kids watch movies on Ipods and I can communicate to you across space and time like this, DRIVING to a bookstore seems ecologically wasteful.


PS

The children's book store near me, it's out of business. Found out this morning. I guess I'll have to get my kiddie books from Amazon now.

[RainDog]

87. lol

again - I never said that you shouldn't enjoy media of any form in the way you enjoy it.

you're right - this is a rapidly changing time. Robert Darnton wrote a pretty good book, based on essays in the NY Review of Books, about these changes. It's important for those who can to offer alternatives for those who want them.

some people still like books in physical format some people still like bookstores they can walk into and know the owner. some people who own local businesses do more for the community in lots of ways other than simply maintaining a store.

and, again, I said that those who do like that experience can keep it around by spending some of their book dollars there.

that's all.

[-..__...]

41. Moral dilemma...

what if Assange uploaded "The Pedophile's Guide to Love and Pleasure: a Child-lover's Code of Conduct" to his website and Amazon shut him down...

Do we boycott Amazon.com or not?

[Luminous Animal]

43. It is only a moral dilemna if it happens.

[pipi_k]

44. Hmmm....I would say....

Probably not. Amazon.com would probably be everyone's best friend.

Until they did something someone didn't like. Then they'd be shit again.


Honestly, it's like watching the emotional rollercoaster of my pre-pubescent niece who loves the world one minute, and hates it the next.

[pipi_k]

55. I just thought of another dilemma....

don't quite know whether or not it's a moral one, but anyway...

What if someone who dislikes Amazon.com gets a gift card/certificate from someone to use on Amazon...

Does he/she:

Use it and ignore the whole Wikileaks thing? Just this once.... :eyes:


Send it back to the giver and look like an ungrateful asshole?


Throw it out...knowing that the money someone spent on that card probably could have gone to a charity or something and is now wasted forever...


Donate it to someone else and let THEM deal with supporting Amazon?


I wonder how someone would deal with a situation like that...

[boppers]

45. I've been boycotting them for years over one-click.

Never bought anything from them.

[in_cog_ni_to]

46. No way! Amazon.com is my favorite Web site.

I'll NOT be boycotting them over the Wikileaks issue. Assange will find other servers. Amazon.com ROCKS! Best site on the web.

[Liquorice]

48. I like Amazon. They have the largest selection and good prices. And you can buy used

books and other things from individuals from the site too. I sell used books on there occasionally. I also love my Amazon Prime membership.

[ezmerelda39]

50. Thanks for

the encouragement. I just received a large shipment from Amazon for Christmas presents at the same time I learned of their cowardly behavior. I returned the entire shipment unopened. I completely agree with the others who feel it is just to boycott Amazon. Joe Lieberman does not support Amazon, we the people do and by not supporting them perhaps they will be a little more, no, a lot more understanding of exactly what it is that real honest-to-goodness whistle blowers do for our country. Say NO to Amazon. SaNTA

[ezmerelda39]

51. By getting

away with this nonsense the next step is not allowing Amazon to sell books by our favorite authors so now is the time to quit Amazon before they really quit on us.

[LAGC]

57. I don't know, ever since their Kindle for PC application added support for key-word search...

...and built-in dictionary, its been pretty hard to not indulge in a few Kindle e-books here and there, reading one on my netbook as I type.

While it was cowardly for them to stop hosting Wikileaks, I can only imagine the terrible pressure they are under to please the U.S. government, which controls their key market.

I think its probably better for WikiLeaks to find more permanent servers located outside the U.S. anyways, for obvious reasons.

[Nye Bevan]

59. DemocraticUnderground has not offered to host the Wikileaks stuff on its servers.

So should we boycott DU too?

[EFerrari]

60. Are you seriously comparing the disposable resources of DU and Amazon?

Seriously?

[PavePusher]

61. So, Amazon doesn't want to play a part in possibly getting some of my military comrades killed....

by being a party to disemination of espionage?

Awesome.

Time to place an order for some books I've been saving up for.

[cornermouse]

68. It looks like Amazon is opposed to and trying to eliminate

whistleblowers in general. One could also view it as opposition to freedom of speech; one of the values and freedoms that you are supposedly fighting for. Odd how that works, isn't it...

[PavePusher]

78. Not a "Freedom of Speech" issue.

Assange is free to post his stuff anywhere that will let him, or set up his own facilities. He does not have "freedom" to use someone elses facilities without permission.

Nice try at moving the goal-posts, five yard penalty, loss of down.

[cornermouse]

83. Well, yes, it is a free speech issue.

And your attempt to deny that fact gets you an F.

[PavePusher]

86. Wow. Just.... wow.

Critical thinking is in short supply at your end today.

You really ought to look into that.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

62. why would anyone shop at amazon to begin with?

Go to a local book store...a used book store...a library.

There are people who love literature and dedicate their lives to it...and there are fools who just give their money to amazon or a big box store because it's easy? That's sad, and it's no different than shopping at a Wal Mart or Target rather than supporting your community.

[TBF]

64. It's cheap - and personally I do it to avoid sales tax. It's very high in TX. nt

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

66. is it really that cheap?

what kind of stuff do you buy? i get that some stuff is cheaper. when it comes to books though, except for really hard to find stuff, I'm not sure I've ever seen anything on there for cheaper than i can find in a used book store (or a library, obviously). plus there's shipping. besides, texas sales tax seems like its a pretty standard sales tax compared to other places.

[TBF]

85. Sales tax where I live (Houston) is over 8%.

I don't go to used book stores because they send me into allergy attacks (the main reason I decided to give Kindle a try). I do searches on-line because sometimes other sources are cheaper. Perhaps Amazon is more of a convenience for me - I pay the Amazon Prime fee and have free shipping all year - and I buy a lot of toys on there for the holidays (and use free shipping and no tax on those too). For me it works out, it might not if you just do purchases occasionally.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

90. that seems pretty standard

in Philadelphia it's 8% (that's in addition to the hefty city income tax). in Minneapolis, where i last lived, it was 7.75. so i'd say that's pretty standard sales tax. like i said before, it's the book stuff that bothers me. not toys and other stuff. i really like literature, and i really like supporting people who like literature. it's a shame that a bookstore, really one of the most honorable stores there could possibly be, would lose income because of a couple bucks sales tax. especially since that will probably end one day and people will have to pay sales tax on amazon orders.

i really like book stores, and i'm not too worried about them. most people i know who are seriously into literature don't read kindles. unlike the mp3 player which put all my favorite record stores out of business - i can't say i'm really too considered about bookstores. but i could be wrong - and they are a niche thing run by normal people, and probably not as financial secure as other types of businesses. so it does concern me a bit to see so many people buying all of their books at mega stores and online behemoths.

[cornermouse]

70. But not always reliable if you're looking for specialty books.

I had a book on backorder with them for 6 months before I finally gave up. I should have gone directly to the website of the organization that sponsored/printed that material.

[TBF]

84. Absolutely -

there are small book shops (both here in Houston and on-line) where I find specialized books.

[pipi_k]

73. Reasons...

I've shopped at Amazon for a long time.

Their prices are often lower than little independent sellers...and believe me, I do a lot of searching to find the cheapest prices. I do like supporting local businesses, but if there's no bookstore within 25 miles, that's not my fault. I even check out regular people selling on eBay. Yeah, their prices will be cheaper, but then they'll charge outrageous shipping fees. To hell with that. I'm on a fixed income. If getting the best bargain for my money makes me a fool, then so be it.


Also...Amazon has fantastic customer service. Nearly a year after purchase, one of those oil-filled heaters bought there crapped out. Amazon paid to have it shipped back AND sent a new one. No whining...no threats needed.


I'm sure others have similar stories.

[FamousBlueRaincoat]

80. i'm on a fixed income too

that's why i don't even buy books anymore actually, haven't for years. i use the library - worst thing that happens is you have a wait a week for someone to return it, probably about the same you'd have to wait for shipping anyway. and then i throw them a couple of bucks when i have it.

i understand looking around for deals for expensive things like oil heaters, i don't think anyone would judge you for that. i'm just talking about books...where bargain shopping usually means saving a couple of bucks. it's just sad to see used and local bookstores close up, yet be surrounded by people with kindles on the train home from work, as if having your entire collection of books in your hand is something necessary or even desirable. I have never once thought to myself "oh crap, if only I had my entire collection of books on me RIGHT THIS SECOND, then i'd be happy." Weird, weird stuff.

[pipi_k]

82. I do have a library card...

but I live in a tiny rural town where the library is very small, and only open a few hours a week. Town Hall itself is only open on Monday nights between 6 and 9 PM.

I did used to buy nearly all my books from independent sellers on eBay, and from the Goodwill store 20+ miles away, but that led to big time storage problems. Especially when there are books I really want to keep and read over again many times. I have books I've read over and over for over 30 years...had to replace them a few times because they wore out. It's nearly impossible for me to give away my books...I guess you could say I'm a book hoarder...

I end up keeping them, and because my house is pretty small, it's a problem.


Having my entire collection of Kindle books (80 so far) on one little device really does make me happy because it fits on my bedside stand whereas 80 real books are presently taking up a whole lot of room in a cabinet that could be used for other things (not to mention another 50 or more out in boxes in my storage shed and those are just mine...Mr P has his own collection).

I know this is going to sound a little strange, but when I can look through the list of all my Kindle books, it somehow makes me feel rich. It's really like a treasure chest...

For me, it's the same as being able to have nearly all my music on my MP3 players. Treasure...

:)

[XemaSab]

63. I'd love to

but all we have here in Redding is B&N.

(And for those of you who think Redding is teh suxxor, consider this: there's Eureka/Arcata, Chico, and Yuba City... and there's NOTHING else north of Sac. :( )

[NuttyFluffers]

65. well, already do indie bookstores, but amazon sometimes stock super rares for class.

no, i'm wrong, scratch that. it facilitates me to reach other indie book sellers w/o having to go through an auction.

though i do have a few other websites that are good for bibliophiles. let me see if i still can find them...

abebooks and alibris is a good start. hope that helps others. it's good to support competition.

edit: hell, just found that abebooks is now owned by amazon. so sorry.

[kgnu_fan]

67. capitalism is winning

[Godhumor]

77. Good. n/t

[AngryAmish]

69. I thought we were boycotting Arizona?

[pipi_k]

71. That was last week. Or next week. I forget.... n/t

[Smarmie Doofus]

74. Huge rec. But.....

... do the Amazonian mullah$$$ even know who Ellsberg *is*?

Do the unreccers of this thread?

[Upton]

76. No thanks Daniel..

I have an Amazon account, just bought some items yesterday in fact, and will continue to use it. I respect you and I like what Julian Assange has done, but you can't blame Amazon for not wanting to get involved in this mess. You'll get no boycott from me..

[Lurks Often]

81. What a bunch of crap

Why should Amazon expose itself to potential lawsuits, that even if they win, will cost them a great deal of money? Besides there are probably more people threatening to boycott Amazon for HOSTING Wikileaks.

Don't they also have a responsibility to the other companies that they host?

If you don't like it, come up with the money yourself to host Wikileaks.

I am not going to boycott Amazon:
There are no independent booksellers around
95% of what I buy isn't available at retail stores anyway or even still in print

[bemildred]

88. Vromans:

http://www.vromansbookstore.com/

[bemildred]

89. Powell's:

http://www.powells.com/

[kgnu_fan]

91. Kick!