"Our fiat currency hasn't always been good, but it's been doing sorta okay for a long while now." Wow. That's confidence. Phillip, you bring up some good points about the gold standard, but you ignore many of the problems about it's alternative. The Federal Reserve has allowed the Treasury a free pass, and according to new information from released from the Fed, they have, in fact, been printing much more money than the 2.5% inflation you suggest. Precious metals like gold and silver, unlike fiat currencies like the dollar, have never become worthless. They have held their purchasing power consistently over time. 100 oz of gold would have bought you a house in 1800, and the same could be said today. $100 in 1800 might have bought you the same house in 1800, but it wouldn't pay your electric bill today. All fiat currencies fail, and the dollar will soon join the club. And while the gold standard has it's problems, our current fiat currency has far greater. With a national debt like ours, and little courage in congress to tackle it, the only alternative will be to inflate the money supply so that the government can pay its bills. Take for example the weimar republic in Germany, and recently Zimbabwe. To think we are incapable of repeating their past is the same arrogance that has gotten us here.
I prefer to go into the store to browse and buy hard copies of books. I love the feel and sound of turning pages. That said, I am thinking of getting an e-reader- mostly for the "on the go" factor
Fiction is bought on Kindle, except for my 2 favorite authors. Illustrated books are purchased as real books on Amazon. Books that I may need to refer to...well a judgement is made whether a real book is preferable to an e-book (or not).
I usually look for books at the library these days. I also love to find books at second hand stores and the Friends of the Library store...I sometimes find books for a quarter! I think as a last resort, if I need a particular book, I'll order off of Amazon.
I would disagree with the pH theory. Tomato juice is acidic. Urine is acidic. How can drinking acid possibly make urine less acidic? The salt theory makes more sense to me.
I use my local library first, paperbackswap.com second, and/or friends and family last. My entertainment budget is $10 per month. Therefore, I buy maybe 2 books a year. Before the Great Recession, I would buy two books or more per month.
I normally buy hard copies of books, online using my membership card from the bookstore. I prefer to actually hold the book in my hands and feel the satisfaction of turning the page. I will occasionally buy ebooks, but my main purchases are hard copies.
I love getting books at the library, and I'm fortunate that my local library has great selection. If I want to buy a whole series, I'll usually look on eBay. In college, I bought most things on Amazon or from other students. I do love good old fashioned bookstores though. You never know what gems you'll find!
I buy my books from thrift stores! I will stop by and browse every once in a while and I almost always find something I have been meaning to read. They usually only cost $1-$2 for hardback and even less for paperbacks.
Stopped buying books and movies a long time ago. Get both from the library. Log on the internet, put the books and movies I want on hold, the library notifies me when they are in, I pick them up. Can't beat that.
I buy hard copies of books from both brick & mortar stores (sometimes you just can't replace the experience of physically shopping for books) and from online retailers, mainly amazon.com.
Hi! :) I got with both amazon.com and a bookstore, usually B&N. I love Borders, but the fact is, there are more B&N's around, and closer. I've been doing a lot more through amazon.com since I earn gc's from survey sites and swagbucks. Regardless of where, it's always print books. :)
I like to support my local independent bookstore. We have a specialty store for Mysteries and SciFi and it is wonderful so I do a lot of shopping there. We also buy from Amazon and our local Barnes and Noble. It just depends on what we are looking for at the time.
We are also book collectors and travel everywhere to go to used bookstores. I take photos of used bookstores before I go into them. So many are closing down nowadays that I am documenting the stores I visit in case that is the last time I get to see them before they close. It is sad but many can't stay open and the sellers are becoming internet only and working out of their homes.
I start out by looking at bargain book sites - usually hamiltonbook and bookcloseouts. I then compare the prices at bookfinder, bookbutler, and addall.com. If I can find a used copy in great shape from sites such as amazon, alibris, or abebooks cheaper than the bargain sites, I buy it there. Of course, I also figure in the shipping aspect of it.
For textbooks, I always search and buy online for the best prices. I pretty much never have occasion to buy a book in person, since I don't buy my pleasure reading books either. That's what the public library is for!
I like to borrow from my local library more than anything. Books I read for enjoyment are usually books I only read once, so that money is better served someplace else. Reference books that I have to revisit multiple times are usually purchased through Amazon.com or, if available, a local discount book store, typically located in some of the college towns I've visited. Students and faculty are always buying brand new books and after they're done, they sell the books back to the stores who then sell the used books at a reasonably discounted price. I don't buy books at Borders or Barnes & Noble unless there's a great deal to take advantage of (such as the deals offered during the Borders liquidation lol).
How about "all of the above"?
I usually buy books online, and I look for small sellers via Alibris and Amazon Marketplace. Some of those sellers are in my community! I go to the local bookstores, too.
I also have a B&N Nook that I use for downloads of books that are in the public domain, so they're free or very inexpensive. I can also download library books onto my Nook--can't do that with a Kindle, yet.
And then there's the library--I use it to try out books I'm considering buying.
already like you on fb (jaimee wood)
"Our fiat currency hasn't always been good, but it's been doing sorta okay for a long while now." Wow. That's confidence. Phillip, you bring up some good points about the gold standard, but you ignore many of the problems about it's alternative. The Federal Reserve has allowed the Treasury a free pass, and according to new information from released from the Fed, they have, in fact, been printing much more money than the 2.5% inflation you suggest. Precious metals like gold and silver, unlike fiat currencies like the dollar, have never become worthless. They have held their purchasing power consistently over time. 100 oz of gold would have bought you a house in 1800, and the same could be said today. $100 in 1800 might have bought you the same house in 1800, but it wouldn't pay your electric bill today. All fiat currencies fail, and the dollar will soon join the club. And while the gold standard has it's problems, our current fiat currency has far greater. With a national debt like ours, and little courage in congress to tackle it, the only alternative will be to inflate the money supply so that the government can pay its bills. Take for example the weimar republic in Germany, and recently Zimbabwe. To think we are incapable of repeating their past is the same arrogance that has gotten us here.
tweeted http://twitter.com/crypticmama/status/95887625637998592
I prefer to go into the store to browse and buy hard copies of books. I love the feel and sound of turning pages. That said, I am thinking of getting an e-reader- mostly for the "on the go" factor
Since purchasing a Kindle before Christmas, I just buy most of my books from Amazon and have them sent to my Kindle.
Fiction is bought on Kindle, except for my 2 favorite authors. Illustrated books are purchased as real books on Amazon. Books that I may need to refer to...well a judgement is made whether a real book is preferable to an e-book (or not).
I usually look for books at the library these days. I also love to find books at second hand stores and the Friends of the Library store...I sometimes find books for a quarter! I think as a last resort, if I need a particular book, I'll order off of Amazon.
I would disagree with the pH theory. Tomato juice is acidic. Urine is acidic. How can drinking acid possibly make urine less acidic? The salt theory makes more sense to me.
I use my local library first, paperbackswap.com second, and/or friends and family last. My entertainment budget is $10 per month. Therefore, I buy maybe 2 books a year. Before the Great Recession, I would buy two books or more per month.
Twitter comment
http://twitter.com/#!/applecsmith/status/95874643608612866
I normally buy hard copies of books, online using my membership card from the bookstore. I prefer to actually hold the book in my hands and feel the satisfaction of turning the page. I will occasionally buy ebooks, but my main purchases are hard copies.
I love getting books at the library, and I'm fortunate that my local library has great selection. If I want to buy a whole series, I'll usually look on eBay. In college, I bought most things on Amazon or from other students. I do love good old fashioned bookstores though. You never know what gems you'll find!
I buy my books from thrift stores! I will stop by and browse every once in a while and I almost always find something I have been meaning to read. They usually only cost $1-$2 for hardback and even less for paperbacks.
Stopped buying books and movies a long time ago. Get both from the library. Log on the internet, put the books and movies I want on hold, the library notifies me when they are in, I pick them up. Can't beat that.
I used Paperbackswap.com, very rarely will purchase from B&N, or I'll download on my iPhone in the iBook reader.
I buy hard copies of books from both brick & mortar stores (sometimes you just can't replace the experience of physically shopping for books) and from online retailers, mainly amazon.com.
I purchase the majority of my books at thrift stores like Goodwill.
We actually get most of our books through Paperbackswap.com, though my husband does use Amazon to buy his school books.
Hi! :) I got with both amazon.com and a bookstore, usually B&N. I love Borders, but the fact is, there are more B&N's around, and closer. I've been doing a lot more through amazon.com since I earn gc's from survey sites and swagbucks. Regardless of where, it's always print books. :)
Lois
You've recently lost your job/one income & still are planning a Disney vacation next year? You're either not a 'regular Joe' or in denial.
I like to support my local independent bookstore. We have a specialty store for Mysteries and SciFi and it is wonderful so I do a lot of shopping there. We also buy from Amazon and our local Barnes and Noble. It just depends on what we are looking for at the time.
We are also book collectors and travel everywhere to go to used bookstores. I take photos of used bookstores before I go into them. So many are closing down nowadays that I am documenting the stores I visit in case that is the last time I get to see them before they close. It is sad but many can't stay open and the sellers are becoming internet only and working out of their homes.
I start out by looking at bargain book sites - usually hamiltonbook and bookcloseouts. I then compare the prices at bookfinder, bookbutler, and addall.com. If I can find a used copy in great shape from sites such as amazon, alibris, or abebooks cheaper than the bargain sites, I buy it there. Of course, I also figure in the shipping aspect of it.
For textbooks, I always search and buy online for the best prices. I pretty much never have occasion to buy a book in person, since I don't buy my pleasure reading books either. That's what the public library is for!
I like to borrow from my local library more than anything. Books I read for enjoyment are usually books I only read once, so that money is better served someplace else. Reference books that I have to revisit multiple times are usually purchased through Amazon.com or, if available, a local discount book store, typically located in some of the college towns I've visited. Students and faculty are always buying brand new books and after they're done, they sell the books back to the stores who then sell the used books at a reasonably discounted price. I don't buy books at Borders or Barnes & Noble unless there's a great deal to take advantage of (such as the deals offered during the Borders liquidation lol).
How about "all of the above"?
I usually buy books online, and I look for small sellers via Alibris and Amazon Marketplace. Some of those sellers are in my community! I go to the local bookstores, too.
I also have a B&N Nook that I use for downloads of books that are in the public domain, so they're free or very inexpensive. I can also download library books onto my Nook--can't do that with a Kindle, yet.
And then there's the library--I use it to try out books I'm considering buying.