Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ll-xn!mit-eddie!killer!dcs!wnp
From: wnp@dcs.UUCP (Wolf N. Paul)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Re: THE BOOK in germany - (nf)
Message-ID: <71@dcs.UUCP>
Date: 2 May 88 12:01:17 GMT
References: <31000006@nixpbe.UUCP>
Reply-To: wnp@dcs.UUCP (Wolf N. Paul)
Organization: DCS, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 42

In article <31000006@nixpbe.UUCP> schro@nixpbe writes:
>
>I found the book "OPERATING SYSTEMS" by Andrew S. Tanenbaum in a library.
>I thought that's the kind of stuff you want on your private bookshelf and
>the colored hardcover even makes it look good.  
>So i wrote down the ISBN 0-13-637406-9 and ordered it through a local 
>bookstore.  It arrived yesterday after 11 weeks. 
>
>The price tag -> 116.80 Deutsche Mark
>                 and it's the paperback version!
>                 ISBN 0-13-637331-3
>
>Exchange rates are below 1.70DM for the US$ these days so i paid about 65$.
>The cover says it's an "especially priced series" for students. What kind
>of student can afford this?
>
Blame the trade association of German booksellers, the "Boersenverein des
Deutschen Buchhandels" in Frankfurt. The book trade has always used its own
exchange rates, which are supposed to cover the extra expenses associated with
importing books from outside the German-speaking world. There were times when
I worked in a bookstore in Vienna (the Austrian booktrade works just like the
German trade) when the booktrade exchange rate for the dollar or pound was
about twice as expensive as the bank exchange rate.

The German book trade is used to trade discounts of up to 40% even on single
copy orders, but most foreign publishers offer a maximum of 15% unless you order
large quantitites per title. Add to that the shipping charges, and the fact that
in the US, sales tax is not included in the cover price while in most of Europe
it is, and you can see why they feel tempted to use the exchange rate to
increase their profit margin.

As for Andy's book, the paperback version is not available in the States, and
the hard cover costs more like $40.

I would not suggest photo copies -- they don't come close to the nice look of
the colored cover on your bookshelf :-) . Rather, if you have a credit card
(Visa, Eurocard/Mastercard, or Amex), you should have little trouble ordering
books from some of the mailorder bookstores over here. Of course, if you order
air mail, you may end up paying about the same as in a German bookstore.
-- 
Wolf N. Paul * 3387 Sam Rayburn Run * Carrollton TX 75007 * (214) 306-9101
UUCP:     ihnp4!killer!dcs!wnp                 ESL: 62832882
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