Buying books on any and all subjects is one of the best ways to enhance your existing knowledge level. It's also one of the most enjoyable. After all, reading is a pleasureable pasttime, and makes learning new ideas interesting and fun.
We have already examined several ways and places to purchase used books in "Books and Knowledge: Invest in yourself Part 1". Today, we'll look at buying new books for your personal or business library.
Brand new books can either be purchased online via the internet; or offline at various chain or independent bookstores. The volume of titles offered in each case varies widely, and so does the quality on offer.
Online, most people are familiar with online giants like Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. Their selction is virtually inlimited and many reviews of available titles are right there at the click of a mouse.
A quick Google search of online book stores will turn up hundreds of other options for internet book shopping. You can easily spend hours searching the various book sellers, especially if you are seeking hard to find titles.
For business book specialty shoppers, I recommend 800-CEO-READ and their 800-CEO-READ blog. As a disclaimer, I have written a few book reviews for their blog, and will have more reviews appearing there in the near future. That said, the staff are friendly and helpful and offer an important service to authors and readers of specialized business books.
Offline, you can buy books at the many bookstore chains and discount centres. Be sure to look at their sale and remainder tables, and sift through those heavily marked down volumes. Some real bargains can often be picked up in that way. As always, the large stores have a huge selection and cover an unlimited number of subject areas. Spend a day wandering through their shelves and you are almost certain to find a book that will increase your knowledge.
Independent bookstores are one of my favourite places to shop. Operated by a person who knows and loves books, the owner and staff are almost unlimited in their importance as a source of information. They can tell you of upcoming releases and take special orders. As the book shop owners get to know you personally, they can find you titles at prices equal to or better than anyone else. They also enjoy talking about books and sharing knowledge, and that can often be the most powerful mind building exercise you can ever find.
Often overlooked sources of very specialized and academic level books are the bookstores at the various universities, colleges, community colleges, and junior colleges. Very often, the textbooks for those expensive and specialized courses are available; and for a fraction of the tuition price. While there is no real substitute for the advice and assistance of the college level teaching staff, the various textbooks can enhance and deepen your current understanding of a topic. College bookstores have titles that literally can't be found anywhere else, without some intensive searching on the part of the buyer. Take a tour of your local university campus bookstore and you'll be pleasantly surprised at the knowledge available for purchase.
Books are a pleasure and a treasure. They provide endless hours of enjoyment and personal enrichment. There is also a sense of pride and accomplishment that goes along with owning your a personal reference library. It's always available, and it's never closed. You don't have to worry about overdue book fines or finding a parking space either.
Build your own home and office libraries through purchasing new books and buying used books. You always be glad that you did.
Start buying and reading those books today and watch your level of personal and professional knowledge grow beyond your wildest dreams.
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