An offer I really could refuse
The other day, with some money my nan gave me, I went into Borders in Kingston to get some books. I hoped to take advantage of the "three for the price of two" offer they've got going, but in the end couldn't find three books I actually wanted that badly among the selection they had in Kingston. (Noam Chomsky doesn't float my boat, even if he floats other Muslims'.) I ended up buying Libby Brooks' The Story of Childhood: Growing Up in Modern Britain. When I got to the checkout, they gave me the offer of 15% off my next purchase if I'd sign up to their email list. I thought, why not? So I did.
Anyway, my coupon arrived in email - you have to print it out - a couple of days later, and today I went up town after work with the intention of finding a book, preferably a computer book, to spend it on. There are actually two Borders stores in the West End, one on Charing Cross Road and one on Oxford Street. I headed downstairs to the computer section, and found it as inadequate and disorganised as ever. Trouble is, computer books have actually gone up dramatically in price over the last few years. For example, the earlier edition of Mac OS X for Unix Geeks for OS X.3 (Panther) cost me £17.50 at Blackwell's; the Tiger edition costs £24.95. How on earth do they justify that? The least I could pay for any of the O'Reilly books I thought I might find useful was £24.95, and 15% off that is really not much: the price is still more than £20. For most of them there is twice that discount on Amazon.
And Borders, frankly, doesn't inspire me with any great loyalty, unlike the independent bookstore Foyles across the road. I've written about the issue of buying in shops versus buying on line here before, and I buy from bookshops sometimes because I don't want to wait, but also because they let you browse the books and you can't do that on Amazon. Foyles actually used to give me discounts as a regular, and they sometimes have other offers, but the thing that keeps me going back to Foyles is that their computer section is simply the best in London. It's big and it's well-organised, which is much more than can be said for the section at either of Borders' West End shops. I found nothing that I wanted so desperately that I could not buy it off Amazon and get a better discount.
Comments
I generally don't buy books though I read many.
If there is a book I want, I put a request in my central library for it. Usually I succeed in getting the books I wanted.
I advise you to do the same. Any central library of any major town/city should allow you to put in requests for books. And then the library will use its links with all the libraries across the nation to obtain the books you requested.
Yesteday I requested 6 books, and last week I requested 8 books.
I'm surprised by the books my library will manage to get for me.
I requested Principles of Sufism by Al Qushayri, translated by B R Von Schlegell, and got it. I requested Brainwash by Dominic Streatfeild as soon as it came out, and my library actually brought the book because of my request. (Btw both are great books I recommend)
Sometimes I'm charged a pound for the service, but usually nothing.
I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to make full use of this service from their libraries. And don't hesitate to recommend any book (so long as amazon.com stocks it, you have a fair chance of getting the book)
Posted by: Electric | September 1, 2006 2:49 AM
It's a shame you don't live in S'pore; there's this decent-sized bookstore here that's about 99.9% devoted to computers, software, e-commerce, etc. I've bought a fair number of their books since I discovered the place two years ago.
Posted by: JD
|
September 1, 2006 4:53 AM
Foyles- from my point of view- was much better in the old disorganised days: books that had been out of print for years still on sale at their original prices and books that first edition specialists kept locked away. In 1990 I bought a book still priced in £.s.d. I had a long debate with the cashier in her cage as to whether to round the 6d up or down. The only problem was when you actually wanted a specific book which- of course- was unfindable. When Miss Foyle retired and they decided to make Foyles like every other boring bookshop they got rid of the ancient stock at £1 per volume. I spent a very happy and profitable week buying as many academic books as I could carry, taking a 'bus up to Waterstones' university bookshop and selling them at a profit.
Posted by: Thersites | September 1, 2006 10:04 AM
assalamu alaykum
I don't think I've ever purchased anything from Borders. It doesn't inspire anything in me, let alone loyalty.
Foyles is good, but I prefer the academic Waterstone's on Gower Street, largely out of habit I guess. They do seem well-stocked on books, including obscure academic titles. Having a coffee shop on the premises helps too. Those two with Amazon and Abebooks are sufficient to cover all my interests.
Posted by: thabet | September 1, 2006 12:33 PM
Electric is right. Libraries are great. They even offer extensions on loans so you don't have to pay the overdue fees. Except if you're me and then no matter how many extension you get, you still manage to return the book too late.
Posted by: Tasmiya | September 2, 2006 8:00 AM
I'm so happy... Today I got "The Seals of Wisdom" by Muhyiddin Ibn al-Arabi from my library (translated into English by 'Aisha at-Tarjumana)
Posted by: Electric | September 5, 2006 5:43 PM