Book Depository will be closing on 26 April 2023
bookdepository.com
bookdepository.com
Wonder if there are any good alternatives for non-fiction titles and medical technology textbooks.
It was the only remotely affordable place to order physical books from. Amazon proper charges $60+ for delivery regardless of the item's price.
It is going to be signifantly harded for me to expand my library in the future.
This move will drive more traffic to Amazon, unfortunately.
I feel for you and your friends. It truly was disruptive when BD launched, and made such an impact on the book scene. Sad day.
No it won't, at least not from my entire country.
BD: You pay $20-$40 for a book. It gets delivered to your door (mostly, after a period so long you forget which book you even ordered). You pay a tiny fixed local import tax (around $1).
Amazon.com: You pay $20-$40 for a book + $49.95 fixed delivery fee + ~$15 for "taxes and import duties".
I have never purchased a physical item from Amazon.com because of those fees. I have ordered dozens of books from BD, aware that it's owned by Amazon, because it was at a price I'm willing to pay for a book. I will continue not buying from Amazon.com because it's way above my price range (or really anyone's) for a physical book.
BD founded by someone who used to work for amazon; Wordery founded by someone who used to work for BD. Maybe this is Wordery's big chance.
exactly same thing when they acquired Book Depository
I have long thought to add a book search to my semi-popular Gnod literature projects (https://www.gnooks.com and https://www.literature-map.com).
But I always thought everybody is only buying at Amazon anyhow. Interesting to see the closing of a book shop on the front page of HN.
If there is a list of interesting alternatives, I will add them to this new book search page:
Believe the motivation behind cutbacks? Never, FAANG is motivated by greed, so it is incentivized to lie regarding the reasoning.
If you're not from US and you don't need physical books buy a used one, deliver it to a book scanning service like
(used them for several books recently)
And for 30-40 USD (or even less) you'll get a scanned version.
Physical book stores where you get at least some value out of speaking to someone can afford to charge a little bit more, but an online store that is more expensive than Amazon is doomed to fail.
Btw.: A topic in DHH's book "Rework" is the actual goal and value of a company. It is a good read.
That's a bizarre and kinda awful sentiment. If we're going to focus on absolving Amazon, we might as well just reach for the standard cop-out of blaming consumers.
Why?
It'd probably improve their balance sheet and public image.
Amazon's edge is the cross sell.
The Amazon brand is known worldwide because of the retail. The retail business is an extremely valuable behemoth.
Anyways, I heard a website called Amazon.com sells great books...
Amazon.com is where the books are.