WHY BOOKS ARE BOUGHT AND BORROWED

Abstract

Books are among the most diverse products of our civilization. They combine a simple technology with the complexity of human thought to provide knowledge, insight, and entertainment. But little is known about why people use books the way they do. This article is a thought experiment, like Einstein's train, which will consider part of this question. It will develop a model of the costs to people when they buy or borrow books. The underlying premise is that librarians, booksellers, and publishers do not have a clear understanding of the costs—especially the cost of time—involved in using their services. Their successes tend to be the result of trial and error.

Citation

Lewis, D.W. (1989), "WHY BOOKS ARE BOUGHT AND BORROWED", The Bottom Line, Vol. 2 No. 4, pp. 21-24. https://doi.org/10.1108/eb025196