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"When you sell books at a loss, by the millions, to corner the market, you're not interested in competing. You're interested in burying your competitors and then burying the shovel."
-- Richard Russo, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
Amazon is playing hard with publishers, insisting on greater discounts, or else having their products removed from the site. And this is not the only story circulating on the arguably predatory tactics of the Internet behemoth.
Personally, I feel that I am in an awkard position, philosophically speaking. I generally do not care to side with savage capitalism, but, god, I do love the low prices on their books. For instance, recently, in a GoodReads newsletter, I came across a new novel, "Strange Flesh" by Michael Olson, about virtual reality and wilder sex, and I wanted it badly. This is a brand new novel, and Amazon is already able to sell the new hardcover for only fifteen dollars, but, better yet, I was able to order the e-version for the Kindle for only, get this, one-ninety-nine. Merry fucking Christmas to me!
But I don't know where this is going to end. In the long run, the development of monopolies does not bode well for the republic, for the welfare of the people. However, I am not going to be around for the long term, and I am ecstatically grateful to be able to get books practically for free.
-- Richard Russo, a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist
Amazon is playing hard with publishers, insisting on greater discounts, or else having their products removed from the site. And this is not the only story circulating on the arguably predatory tactics of the Internet behemoth.
Personally, I feel that I am in an awkard position, philosophically speaking. I generally do not care to side with savage capitalism, but, god, I do love the low prices on their books. For instance, recently, in a GoodReads newsletter, I came across a new novel, "Strange Flesh" by Michael Olson, about virtual reality and wilder sex, and I wanted it badly. This is a brand new novel, and Amazon is already able to sell the new hardcover for only fifteen dollars, but, better yet, I was able to order the e-version for the Kindle for only, get this, one-ninety-nine. Merry fucking Christmas to me!
But I don't know where this is going to end. In the long run, the development of monopolies does not bode well for the republic, for the welfare of the people. However, I am not going to be around for the long term, and I am ecstatically grateful to be able to get books practically for free.
