Philosophy Now Forum

I am completely against buying books

For what reason?

amateurphilosophynerd wrote:Especially to Mary Shelley who reminds me of the people around the French Revolution and the wondrous Mary Wollestonecraft who I have yet to read.

Vive la revolution!

Marys can be quite contrary, you'll find.

Rortabend wrote:

I am completely against buying books

For what reason?

I prefer libraries to shops.

I love libraries (in fact I used to be a librarian) but what's wrong with book shops?

Rortabend wrote:I love libraries (in fact I used to be a librarian) but what's wrong with book shops?

They pimp books.

How else do you propose that publishers get their books to consumers?

I suppose they could give them away.

How would that work? How would they cover their costs? Do you want publishers to work for nothing? As someone who works in academic publishing this is an area close to my heart!

Well books could be sold to library networks to allow publishers to cover costs and generate a little income. Readers could then get them free at point of contact. Just like it were in the old days.....

Anyone wanting to buy Jordan's autobiography is free to do so in tesco (oh naughty MS).

What about the economic costs of your free provision and for those publishing academic texts, the lifeblood of PN Readers; recouping costs involved in that latest glossy volume that will shed further enlightenment on a particular issue/philosopher.
If you were an Author you would wish to see the largest possible royalties and sales and be on a right little earner, the market , in places such as Amazon UK can make this as low as possible so people like me on low income can get hands on these lovely sensual smelling volumes. (anyone who loves books will remonstrate about the sensual qualities of the hard copy book as much as the perceived benefit of being exposed to a particular author)
I think your view is well meaning but niave, Books gradually lose value the older they are and they get remaindered, if that remaindered items is a serendipitous object d'desire then fine, but one cannot depend on serendipity to shine one's path so one becomes the most assidious and efficient bargain hunter.
Not willing to buy books might be limiting you as it limits choice to what is available in the library unless you are frequently able to order items whose ongoing value will be dictated by their wow factor meaning OTHER PEOPLE have desires such as yourself for Dr X Philosopher Y Professor A's latest magnum opus; so if you like there has to be an INTELLECTUAL MARKET for you to enjoy a regular supply of PN friendly philosophy volumes (whatever field that philosophy comes in)

CONTINUED FROM ABOVE
The Intellectual Market would be aided by people reading and continuing to read ie buy and or subscribe to copies of PN as it would de facto create a market for the above goods. Free books is well and good if it keeps you going on a particular interest assumed to be Philosophy even if at a very inexperienced level (which is ok by the way because you are one helluva learning curve) but because of the academic authors needing sales, and economies of scale provided by 82 Gower Street and Amazon, Blackwells etc, the more likely it is a book will be sold the lower the price. Marketing or 'pimping' books has to be done, but you must counter such activity by being a woman who knows what she wants so every Tom Dick and Marketing Harriet cannot sell you the books that THEY want you to buy but YOU BUY only the books YOU WISH TO BUY.

If people are only wanting the latest self help book or some novelist then the Library will stock up on those authors meaning any would be intellectuals are in a minority as far as provision goes.
For me the Library HAS A PART in my book provision but only a part; I ordered Karl Popper 'The Open Society and it's Enemies' and after months STILL haven't heard a bean about it.
Libraries my parents ones that is are full of old but suitable material that way I can read so and so free, but if it comes to volumes that are mission critical then buying at the lowest possible price with the highest concievable customer service; is for me and others, the best way.

amateurphilosophynerd wrote:What about the economic costs of your free provision and for those publishing academic texts, the lifeblood of PN Readers; recouping costs involved in that latest glossy volume that will shed further enlightenment on a particular issue/philosopher.
If you were an Author you would wish to see the largest possible royalties and sales and be on a right little earner, the market , in places such as Amazon UK can make this as low as possible so people like me on low income can get hands on these lovely sensual smelling volumes. (anyone who loves books will remonstrate about the sensual qualities of the hard copy book as much as the perceived benefit of being exposed to a particular author)
I think your view is well meaning but niave, Books gradually lose value the older they are and they get remaindered, if that remaindered items is a serendipitous object d'desire then fine, but one cannot depend on serendipity to shine one's path so one becomes the most assidious and efficient bargain hunter.
Not willing to buy books might be limiting you as it limits choice to what is available in the library unless you are frequently able to order items whose ongoing value will be dictated by their wow factor meaning OTHER PEOPLE have desires such as yourself for Dr X Philosopher Y Professor A's latest magnum opus; so if you like there has to be an INTELLECTUAL MARKET for you to enjoy a regular supply of PN friendly philosophy volumes (whatever field that philosophy comes in)

I could care less about the economic costs. If all publishers are interested in are nice little earners then...they get what they deserve.

And volumes don't have to be 'glossy' fgs.

If book buying cash flowed to the libraries, the readers would have the power necessary to order whatever book they so desired. There could even be a nominal charge to those ordering particularly 'obscure' titles. I've never had a problerm ordering academic books from my very small local library, although I won't necessarily find such books on the shelves. There's currently lots of investment going into libararys now anyway. With the introduction of amateurphilosophynerd's technology the future's looking increasingly bookish and low cost.

Naive moi? I think not!

I could care less about the economic costs. If all publishers are interested in are nice little earners then...they get what they deserve.

I work for a university press whose mission is to spread knowledge and learning in printed and electronic forms. We are a not-for-profit organisation but we still have economic costs! Your views on academic book publishing are extremely naive. Academics and publishers make very little money from scholarly titles.

I work for a university press whose mission is to spread knowledge and learning in printed and electronic forms. We are a not-for-profit organisation but we still have economic costs!

Yer, I know

Your views on academic book publishing are extremely naive.

Don't make me hurt you!

Academics and publishers make very little money from scholarly titles.

Yer I know....

Sigh....
" If book buying cash flowed to the libraries....... "

I Have a Dream! Yes I do!

MS's cunning stunt:

The libraries receive money from the local authorities/government and/or from academic book reader subsciptions (or even some combination of the two) to buy the lovely, stimulating books from the academic publishers. The academic publishers get the benefit of the library cash. Academic book readers know they can source their books exclusively from the (national!!!) library network. Academic publishers free of the grubby and costly enterprise of competing in the filthy capitalist pig dog marketplace plough every last penny back into producing even more lovely, stimulating books (and/or online versions); the authors also free from competing in the filthy capitalist pig dog market place get their cuts.

Jordan and her filthy capitalist pig dog publishers can still sell her glossy cleb rags at tescos; thus keeping the filthy capitalist hordes out of our beautiful public libraries.

Everyone is happy.

Can we do it? Yes we can!

Go on challenge me. It is a project I would love to take on for the good of humankind and Rortabend.

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