Amazon Prime

I surfed over to Amazon to get some information about a book — verifying author / title information and so forth is a lot easier on Amazon than the usual governmental places — and came across this Jeff Bezos “letter” about a new Amazon feature. For $79 a year, you get “free” two business day shipping, with overnight shipping for $3.99 per item. No more combining items to get up to $25 or waiting a week. Or $10 second day shipping, for that matter.

Then there’s Barnes and Noble and its $25 minimum Fast & Free Delivery which gets you three business day service, assuming all goes well. (If there’s a cancellation or delay that brings the price below $25, even if it is not your fault, regular shipping charges apply.) If you’re a regular bn shopper, of course, you’ll want to spend $25 and join the “club”, for an extra 5 percent off online, or 10 percent discount in the brick and mortar stores.

Of course, Amazon’s wish list feature is a nice way to tell the family, or whoever, what you would really like to get when a birthday rolls around.

Or you can stand up for personal service and small, local businesses and get your books at the Little Shop Around the Corner. No shipping cost, but no discounts, either.