Thread: The crazy price of technical books

Having just spent $150 on a De Gruyter published book I have to ask, why the crazy prices? I just don't understand the current business model of Springer, De Gruyter and Wiley et al where they charge so much for books of a mathematical nature. Is it the small circulation numbers or what? Ideas?

Originally Posted by river_rat

Having just spent $150 on a De Gruyter published book I have to ask, why the crazy prices? I just don't understand the current business model of Springer, De Gruyter and Wiley et al where they charge so much for books of a mathematical nature. Is it the small circulation numbers or what? Ideas?

I don't understand it either. Books that I bought years ago for $10-$15 are now going for $100-$150 and sometimes much more. Even on the used book market prices are out of sight.

Which title is the offender this time ?

Originally Posted by river_rat

Having just spent $150 on a De Gruyter published book I have to ask, why the crazy prices? I just don't understand the current business model of Springer, De Gruyter and Wiley et al where they charge so much for books of a mathematical nature. Is it the small circulation numbers or what? Ideas?

Anyway, good to see you back on the science forum. I think you vanished for a while.
From (hopefully) a neophyte and not a crank!