Buying Books

The charms of the used bookstore are irresistible to me.  The more cramped, cavernous, and confusing the better.  I tend to visit the same sections (theology usually though never exclusively) and I tend to look for certain types of books and a few specific authors.  But the appeal of a used book store is discovering a book you weren't looking for, a book you didn't even know existed which now makes you look back upon your years and say, "Until now my life was but a shadow, a footnote, a commercial break before I discovered this treasure."

If only the prices were better.  True, you can find some great deals in used bookstores.  Powell's Bookstore on the South Side of Chicago, for instance, puts a box of free books on the sidewalk every week to make room for newer arrivals.  But almost always if I buy a book at a used bookstore I can go home and find the same book on Amazon for much less than what I paid.

Which brings me to the point of this post.  Buying books online definitely (for me at least) lacks the charm of a real life bookstore, but it is cheaper.  Most people know of Amazon as a great place to find new and used books at good prices, but let me introduce you to two other sites you might want to consider.

I often, but not always, find better deals at Abebooks than on Amazon, especially for academic books.  Similarly, Westminster Theological Seminary's online bookstore is fantastic and has frequent specials.  Until two days ago you could have bought David Helm's One to One Bible Reading (which I enthusiastically praised) for 60% off.  They do this all the time, and I'll try to post their deals as they come up.

Online book shopping may not be charming and you might not discover a gem you weren't looking for, but it's definitely cost effective, which, if your stage of life resembles anything like mine, is a big deal (pun intended).