New book: My North East: By its Famous Sons & Daughters

[Justme]

Contributors include Peter Beardsley, Tony Blair, Bobby Charlton, Jack Charlton, George Clarke, Kat Copeland, Simon Donald, Bryan Ferry, Brendan Foster, Robson Green, Tim Healy, Brian Johnson, Chris Kamara, Si King, Mark Knopfler, Ian La Frenais, Terry Laybourne, Carol Malia, Joe McElderry, Gina McKee, Bob Moncur, Jimmy Montgomery, Jimmy Nail, the Duchess of Northumberland, Chris Ramsey, Vic Reeves, Sir Bobby Robson, Bryan Robson, Pam Royle, Alan Shearer, Jeff Stelling, Sting, Kathryn Tickell, Rachel & Becky Unthank, Denise Welch, Kevin Whately, Sid Waddell and more!.

"All profits from this book will be donated to the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, the cancer-treatment charity launched in 2008 by the man himself during his fight with the disease. The Foundation has raised over

[Knopflerfan]

Cool - thanks for that. And glad it hasn't a lot to do with Football too

[straitsway75]

I'll have to have it!

[IrisRose]

Thanks for this info and link!

[twm]

Mrs twm advises that the cheapest she found it, on a fairly quick look at various book retailers' websites, was W H Smith. You can buy it from them on-line and, in the UK, arrange to collect it at your local branch, thus avoiding postal charge.

Since we don't much approve of Amazon's business practices, in particular its tax avoidance arrangements, we often check other websites first and, surprisingly often, one or more other websites are cheaper than, or no dearer than, Amazon.

[IrisRose]

Just some new info on Amazon.    I pay California sales tax when I order from Amazon.   They have been including state sales taxes for maybe a year now.   

[twm]

It isn't the sales tax (known in the U.K. as VAT, or Value Added Tax) which Amazon does charge (Although books are exempt from VAT, so it isn't relevant to book sales). It is not paying corporation tax in particular. This places Amazon at a competitive advantage in comparison to the UK-based retailers.

This is the relavant extract from a "boycott Amazon" website:-

What singles Amazon out as a consumer-facing tax avoider is not just its size and market power, but the fact that its whole business model appears to be built around tax avoidance as a way of competing on price.
 
The Guardian (a UK newspaer) ran a series of articles on Amazon

[dmg]

Mrs twm advises that the cheapest she found it, on a fairly quick look at various book retailers' websites, was W H Smith. You can buy it from them on-line and, in the UK, arrange to collect it at your local branch, thus avoiding postal charge.

Since we don't much approve of Amazon's business practices, in particular its tax avoidance arrangements, we often check other websites first and, surprisingly often, one or more other websites are cheaper than, or no dearer than, Amazon.

It would be good if it was circulated through the MK official site, and even better if it wasn't distributed from Toronto (to those of us in Europe anyway).

[IrisRose]

Thanks for the very informative reply.  I did not know about the corporate tax business.    Unfortunately I live 150 miles from the closest bookstore--and that is a Barnes and Noble! (Which Amazon is doing heavy damage to, btw).    We have very little retail in our isolated area, but I try to buy local whenever I can.    Lots of retail people struggle this way. A lady who owns a local yarn shop has customers come in, pick over her yarn, then order online.     Fortunately, we are too far away from big florists shops, so that 1800Flowers and similar online stores do not cut into that part of her business.     Even with my loyalty to local business, I still need to buy online often, since so many things are not available here--unless I drive that 150 miles.     Amazon is getting like the big banks--too big to fail.    99 percent versus the 1 percent.   

[twm]

I really sympathisise with you, being so far from a physical bookshop. They are getting fewer and fewer in number, unfortunately.  And Amazon is a major culprit in their demise.

I don't know what the situation is in the USA but there are several physical booksellers in the UK who have an on-line outlet and several book retailers, other than Amazon, who operate through the internet or by mail order.  It can be worthwhile to look elsewhere.

Take a book like "Mapping The Roads" by Mike Parker (cover price

[Justme]

And the company we were talking about is known to exploit its employees in the worst way.

[Pottel]

You talking walmart? Coz that is a whole different ball game ...

[Pottel]

Watch this  amazon is a little innocent baby compared to these suckah's

[Justme]

Watch this  amazon is a little innocent baby compared to these suckah's

I reckon you're right concerning this company. And there are a lot more like these.
"The Times They Are a-Changin'", as one famous barking dog once sang.