The enshittification of Amazon paperback books · Alex Erhardt

I was a voracious reader as a child, but as I approached adulthood, my ability to focus on the written page waned. It seems I’m not alone: ​​PISA reports show unprecedented declines in reading ability, professors at elite universities claim humanities students can’t finish books, and looking around me, it seems there are fewer book readers than ever. Fingers point to excessive screen time, and at least in my case, it was definitely the primary culprit.

However, a few years ago, I rebelled against doom-scrolling and sought help from a psychologist. It took me a lot of hard work to create a modest but consistent habit of reading twenty minutes every day. However, what started as discipline turned into wildfire, and I now read at a pace of about 1.5 books per week. Russian literature, history of ideas, ancient philosophy, 19th-century Europe, computer science – so many topics, so little time!

Learning to cherish the act of reading here and now, rather than looking for some benefit in the future, is similar to this process. But the benefits are also many, and they go beyond the purely intellectual: the imagination is more vivid, and the soul more calm.

Since reading has become my favorite pastime, I have started buying many more books. Inspired by Umberto Eco’s philosophy on book collecting, I now acquire more books than I can read and find great joy in developing a personal library based on the emotions of the moment. Following the spirit of Echo’s recommendations, I stick to a monthly budget that feels generous but affordable and that grows my collection at a steady pace. It’s a pretty affordable hobby compared to my other hobbies.

I have tried e-books many times in my life. The experience is great, but I’m skeptical of the ownership model, and above all, for me, nothing beats the physical experience of printed books. Being surrounded by so many interesting topics creates a good mechanism that motivates me to read more. Wandering inside a bookstore, picking up books and turning the pages is a great way to spend some free time. And receiving books in the mail feels like a mini-Christmas every time.

Subsequently, like many others, I buy most of my books through Amazon. I don’t find delivery speed that valuable, but competitive pricing (especially factoring in Prime), ease of ordering, and above all, the massive selection – including books in Spanish, English, and French, languages ​​I vaguely read – are huge factors for me.

It is not uncommon for Amazon books to be damaged. However, there is a problem with Amazon book orders that to me is worse than mishandled books: the emergence of print-on-demand books, that is, books that are not sourced from a stock edition, but are printed on the spot when you order them.

I remember the first time I saw a print-on-demand book from Bertrand Russell problems of philosophy. The cover was somewhat strange and out of the ordinary, featuring a cartoon illustration of the English philosopher. The publishing house was nowhere to be found, and upon inspection, I saw “Printed by Amazon in France” on the back. I figured it was a book in the public domain, perhaps in low demand, so I didn’t think much of it.

But then, some time later, after receiving an order for Jack London’s classic martin edenSomething bothered me. It was a Penguin Classics book, of which I have a few. Their quality is only serviceable compared to other paperback collections, but I appreciate their uniformity and their cover art, which is often based on classical illustrations. This copy of martin edenHowever, it looked completely off. The cover texture was grainy, the art print was low resolution, and the page typesetting looked very poor. Once again I looked at “Printed by Amazon in Italy” on the back, and this time, I thought I had been sold a pirated book.

This happened again to me shortly thereafter with another Penguin classic, Knut Hamsson soil development. This, in addition to other hints, made me change my initial suspicion that it was a scam, rather than a deal between Amazon and Penguin Random House. Then came another best-selling novel, flowers for algernon By Daniel Keyes, this time from another publishing house (Mariner). And then, with other popular non-fiction books conflict of viewpoints by Thomas Sowell, on writing well by William Zinsser (apparently misprinted on this cover), or by Steven Pressfield war of art.

I’ve reached the point where I can Immediately Let us tell you that a book has been printed on demand without any background check for confirmation. A few days ago, I received Pressfield war of artAnd just seconds after tearing open the box and holding the book in my hands, I could tell. The glossy cover with shoddy printing gave it away, and sure enough, after checking the last page, I could read “Printed in France by Amazon.”

I might be accused of being picky, but collecting books as a hobby gives me great pleasure, and as an enthusiast I appreciate the nuances of the experience. To add insult to injury, print-on-demand books tend to be significantly more expensive than their stock counterparts. soil development And martin eden Each cost me 18€, almost double the price of my stock (and even more) copy of Penguin Classics Brothers KaramazovWhich costs 10€. Why would I want to pay so much for a shorter version of a book? It’s also surprising that a household brand like Penguin would agree to any of this.

I can see Amazon’s PR argument defending this practice: It allows users to buy rare books that are out of print, and so everyone wins. But these books are not that rare, and I should be able to consider alternatives, such as buying from another online store, importing from the US or UK (where many of these are apparently still in print, and may remain affordable to import), or buying used.

Enshitification is a viral Internet theory that states that digital platforms start out with pristine user experiences, but as time goes on and they lock in users and businesses, platform owners capture the value for themselves and the quality declines significantly. I’ve been buying books on Amazon since my father opened an account in the mid-90s – an oddity in Spain at the time – and it feels like a real switcheroo after taking over our custom.

To be fair to Amazon, their return policy really comes in handy here. they have refunded the full amount martin eden (so that I can get better options) and on writing well (which is not only not popular, but also has printing defects), and even asked me to keep the books. Regardless, it all seems depressing, depressing, and useless. Adding print-on-demand to damaged books upon arrival has made the book buying experience seem much worse.

I have thought arranged From now on all print-on-demand books will be returned, and I am currently considering what to do with Pressfield war of artBut I’m also busy and have other things to do besides engage in this disappointment/return/re-order cycle several times per year. Wouldn’t it be better for all parties if Amazon at least informed us that a book would be printed on demand and allowed us to decide before purchasing?

PS: If you love reading, feel free to join me on Goodreads!