The Lifelong Learner :: Do what you can, with what you have, where you are -Roosevelt ::

I love books and I buy a lot of them. (I would say I’m buying a book per month.) Do I spend a lot of money on them? I guess I do, but before I buy any book I do the following to make sure that the book I’m buying is a good one and that I’m getting it at a good price:

1) Read the reviews2) Find the best price available

1: Read the reviews

I use Amazon.com to find out what other readers think about the book. If the book does not have at least 4 stars, I usually don’t buy it. (Unless it was recommended by somebody that I know.) I don’t want to read books that I’m not going to like. I want to read the best books, so that’s why I buy the highest rated books and books recommended by somebody.

On Amazon.com, I also like the lists (recommendations) from other Amazon.com users. A good list tells me which books I might need on any subjects and the reasons why that user thinks so. If I find somebody with a good list, I add him/her to my Favorite People or to my Friends’ List at Amazon.com. Once I know what book I’m going to buy, I find the best price.

2: Find the best price available

I use a book search engine to find a best book deal. I have two websites that do the job for me: FetchBook.info and BookArea.com. Each of these sites looks in around 40 on-line bookstores and gives me a list, sorted by the best book price. I buy based on this list. A lot of times, used books on Amazon.com and Half.com come on top of those lists, so, if I don’t want to search, I buy a used book from those sources.

So there you go. That’s how I buy my books. Hopefully, you can save a buck or two doing it this way. I know I do. Do you have a different, better way? Let us know.