24 January 2009

In light of long-held convictions and the present state of economic affairs, I hereby declare that I shall no longer link you to Amazon for literature. I really enjoy Amazon, mostly for the sort of reference it has become, reviews, associated or similar books, et cetera. However, I love local economies more than I love the convenience associated with Global Economy’s monetary values.

I urge you to check your local public library for availability of books you find interest in. We don’t need to own everything. Public libraries are a really great resource and one we should take full advantage of. If you can’t find what you’re looking for though, or if it’s something you just gotta have, shop a local bookstore. I find that I’ll often have to pay a few bucks more, but I also find peace in knowing that I’m helping to keep my neighbors stay in business — and if I’m patronizing my public library, I can afford it.

From here on, until something better comes along, I will be linking through IndieBound any books I mention. It’s not perfect; there aren’t reviews or any information about the books there, but you can type in your zip code and it’ll show stores in your area that have the book. I’d love to see some kind of IndieBound-Amazon mashup. (If you know of something like this that already exists, please let me know.)

IndieBound has an affiliate program too, like Amazon, so you might consider making the switch as well.

Support your local economy.