"To preserve the reputation of the Fraternity unsullied must be your constant care."
BE A FREEMASON

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Book Bargain

Only the publishing Gods understand why some books go on sale and others don't.

Out of the blue, I noticed today that Amazon has slashed the price of Conspiracy Theories & Secret Societies For Dummies down to a paltry $11.29. I will confess that's cheaper than I can buy it from the publisher myself. And if you order over $25 worth of stuff at one time, the order is eligible for free shipping.

They are also doing a package deal with Templar Code For Dummies, both books for $24.88.

I have lots of time to stare into the intertubes today.

My doctor informs me I have pneumonia.

This thrills me to my very core.
Posted by at

12 comments:

  1. Greg StewartWed Jun 18, 05:14:00 PM 2008

    From experience with the retailers at Amazon, they (the website) start to push the price down as sales slow down. Its their glorious way of trying to up sales. I'm not sure what the increment is, but its based on past x# of months sales. I've worked with one retailer whose product made it to $.50 before he pulled it from the marketplace. Do you have any way to work with them to promote it, or work any cross promos?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Scout32Thu Jun 19, 01:09:00 PM 2008

    PNEUMONIA!

    Good Lord, Chris! Can't we get you healthy? Whatever you do, don't give it to Alice. You will both be up a creek.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownThu Jun 19, 01:49:00 PM 2008

    Luckily, pneumonia is not contagious, so your Lady won't get it from you.

    But, yup, Bro. Chris, do take care. I've had pneumonia and the best cure is to simply rest, eat properly, rest, take in some good air, rest and rest.

    You're in my thoughts. Take care.

    --Karen (Imakegarb)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Christopher HodappThu Jun 19, 01:53:00 PM 2008

    Greg,
    Amazon itself is the Big Gorilla. Wiley sets the retail price at $19.99, and Amazon gets the books at 50%, plus a co-op fee. So slashing the price to 44% off the cover, they still make money. And as you've probably heard, 2008 is a bad one for the book business so far. The entire industry is lying in the bathtub with a razor blade in its hand because Dan Brown and J.K. Rawlings are dry. Between the US and the UK, the other 380,000 titles published this year that are not a Harry Potter or Da Vinci Code are, apparently, chopped liver. So, Amazon is doing what it can to move titles.

    Chris,
    It's part of my theory of saving up to see the medical establishment once every 25 or 30 years all at once. But I'm starting to feel like a contestant on Beat The Reaper.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Christopher HodappThu Jun 19, 01:55:00 PM 2008

    Thanks Karen.
    I've had it three times now. Once you've had it one time, it's the gift that keeps on giving.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousThu Jun 19, 04:10:00 PM 2008

    Well I had Pleurisy years ago and that was absolutely rotten.

    So I hope you get better soon.

    I went to visit my old pal in the Hospital , he said his foot was swollen, I said "that.s funny mine is too".

    I had never heard him swear before, he told me he was not really interested in my foot.

    Get well soon Chris.

    Bill McElligott

    ReplyDelete
  7. Jeff NaylorFri Jun 20, 08:36:00 AM 2008

    You couldn't just get pneumonia when everyone else had it, no, you have to be a drama queen and get it in the middle of the summer.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Mike ClevengerFri Jun 20, 08:49:00 AM 2008

    Chris,
    I was looking forward to hearing you speak in Columbus, Ohio on the 24th. Does this mean you may have to cancel?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Christopher HodappFri Jun 20, 01:26:00 PM 2008

    I've been taking antibiotic pills the size of schnauzers for a week, and I specifically asked the doctor about the Columbus trip next Tuesday. He said I should be okay to go, as long as I don't wear myself out. The Columbus brethren are actually sending a private plane (!) for me, so unless the flight is a white-knuckler, it will be as low stress as any of these trips can be.

    The coughing fits have stopped days ago. I know it can linger around for weeks at a time, but the worst seems to be passing (I actually had it for a week before I realized what it was).

    So unless I take an about face, I'll be there Tuesday night. Looking forward to it.

    My apologies, BTW, to my Vitruvian brethren. The Columbus trip was scheduled months before the MM degree Tuesday night.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Christopher HodappFri Jun 20, 01:30:00 PM 2008

    Jeff,
    Drama queen indeed.

    Although I gotta admit the whole Camille business (complete with pathetic cough) is getting tiresome.

    But I am getting caught up on CSI:Miami reruns!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Jeff NaylorFri Jun 20, 06:34:00 PM 2008

    At least now you don't have that bothersome goiter impeding your ability to cough with the manly vigor that pneumonia truly deserves.

    ReplyDelete
  12. AnonymousMon Jun 23, 02:10:00 AM 2008

    If it makes you feel better Chris,(pneumonia notwithstanding), copies of your books were on sale at the Grand Lodge of BC and Yukon annual communication.

    ReplyDelete

ATTENTION!
SIGN YOUR NAME OR OTHERWISE IDENTIFY YOURSELF IN YOUR COMMENT POSTS IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A GOOGLE ACCOUNT.
Your comments will not appear immediately because I am forced to laboriously screen every post. I'm constantly bombarded with spam. Depending on the comments being made, anonymous postings on Masonic topics may be regarded with the same status as cowans and eavesdroppers, as far as I am concerned. If you post with an unknown or anonymous account, do not automatically expect to see your comment appear.

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)