"Endangered Bookstores of NYC" by Bob Ekstein
Via: The New Yorker
A lot of people are mourning the so-called death of the brick-and-mortar bookstore, but while I love bookstores, I think that these people are forgetting the other side of the coin. I grew up in a town where the only store with any significant selection of books was a tiny B. Dalton's at the mall. For me, Amazon was sweet mana from heaven. Any book in print delivered to my doorstep in three days? Yes, thank-you.
I think there are a lot of people who feel the same way, because most the planet's population don't get to grow up in New York or San Fransisco. Most of us book worms grew up in towns with bookstores small enough that we could memorize the titles of every book in our favorite genre, and for a book worm, that's a miserable state of affairs.
Amazon may be the enemy of the publishing houses; it may even be the enemy of professional writers; but it drives down prices and offers a staggering selection of titles. So, for my money, I count Amazon the friend of readers.
I think there are a lot of people who feel the same way, because most the planet's population don't get to grow up in New York or San Fransisco. Most of us book worms grew up in towns with bookstores small enough that we could memorize the titles of every book in our favorite genre, and for a book worm, that's a miserable state of affairs.
Amazon may be the enemy of the publishing houses; it may even be the enemy of professional writers; but it drives down prices and offers a staggering selection of titles. So, for my money, I count Amazon the friend of readers.
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