[quote=“pqkdzrwt”]Getting any sort of book is not a problem, for example in Taipei, there is a famous building called “Taipei 101” which has a western book store that is a more books than any Borders I have ever been into (which is not many)
this is a total myth! PLEASE STOP TELLING PEOPLE THIS!
:fume: :fume: :fume:
page 1 is crappy!
There are many books you can not get off the shelf in Taiwan.
I have had some luck with finding stuff I like, but then I’m not looking for specific titles.
If you need specific books, you can try to order them through the books shops, but it is USUALLY NOT POSSIBLE.
The best book shop in Taiwan is the Eslite Mall at Taipei city hall MRT. It’s great until you need something they don’t have in stock. I have asked three times for a title they didn’t have. One time I got it ordered - the other times, they just said it wasn’t possible.
I see you say you don’t want to spend the money on an e-reader. But if you are really trying to do a distance learning course here and you really need to read specific books, you are going to need to spend a lot of money ordering books from the US.
You can buy e-books online and have them downloaded directly to your Kindle. And you can find tons of classic books on Project Gutenberg. The Kindle eliminates the need to carry tons of heavy books around.
I agree about Page One: used to be THE place to go because of their huge selection of English language books. No longer. Now Eslite fulfills our need to read.
… I write lots of notes and highlights for analysis and such. I doubt an e-Reader will be able to give me the necessary freedom and ease of scribbling in my notations.[/quote]
Highlighting and annotating Kindle books is a mixed bag. Highlighting while reading on the Kindle itself is easy, although you can’t use multiple colours (which doesn’t matter to most people, but annoys me); typing notes is a pain. However, one huge benefit is that your ebooks sync across different devices, so on your computer or through a web browser or on your smartphone you can see the same highlights and notes that you’ve made - and of course typing notes at a computer is much easier. And then those notes will show up on your Kindle later. Being able to search is also very helpful.
Scanning through pages on a Kindle for a particular passage you vaguely remember is painful, unless you remember a couple of key words and can search for it.
If you’ve got access to NTNU library, then that library will probably be able to give you access to NTU, which means you’ll have lots of material to read; I’ve never used NTNU, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how much NTU has available. However, if you order a book through a university library, it can take a full semester or more to show up. (The ones I ordered back in February began to show up in June, when the term papers were due - far too late for my purposes.)
And if you’re a big reader, in Taiwan, you’re probably going to have to get used to paying more for books than you’re used to.
I can’t stop recommending this site to people, it’s tops in my opinion. I buy books from there once every couple of months. I even buy books that are available here because the price is usually the same or less and it saves me a whole load of hassle.
I can’t stop recommending this site to people, it’s tops in my opinion. I buy books from there once every couple of months. I even buy books that are available here because the price is usually the same or less and it saves me a whole load of hassle.[/quote]
I just did a comparison of prices at Amazon and Book Depository for all the books I currently have in my Amazon cart. On BD, they were all about 30% more expensive than Amazon. When you add shipping costs on Amazon, the prices are about the same.
I can’t stop recommending this site to people, it’s tops in my opinion. I buy books from there once every couple of months. I even buy books that are available here because the price is usually the same or less and it saves me a whole load of hassle.[/quote]
I just did a comparison of prices at Amazon and Book Depository for all the books I currently have in my Amazon cart. On BD, they were all about 30% more expensive than Amazon. When you add shipping costs on Amazon, the prices are about the same.[/quote]
mmm yeah, and I just found out I can’t transfer money into PayPal from my bank account! WHATS THE F***IN POINT OF THAT!!! :raspberry:
[quote=“pqkdzrwt”]
[/i]
I see you say you don’t want to spend the money on an e-reader. But if you are really trying to do a distance learning course here and you really need to read specific books, you are going to need to spend a lot of money ordering books from the US.[/quote]
Its not for school, but for me, lol.
Ill definitely check out Eslite and the bookdepository
Thanks so much guys!
lostinasia: I didnt know about the syncing capabilites. Makes the e-reader more interesting. But I sitll dont think it will work for me
Any suggestions for USED books? I try to be cheap with the books I buy. Since I often want to read books that are not the most recent, in the US, I used to browse used bookstore and, occasionally use ABEbooks or Amazon. But, books are sold by individuals on those sites, and they don’t usually want to ship outside the US. Confusingly, it seems cheaper to buy them on Amazon new than have my mother ship me books.
Bongo’s is the only place I know of. Their selection of Science Fiction and Fantasy is probably better than PageOne or Eslite. But, not as large. I don’t want to read “franchise” books. Also, I’d like to find more non-fiction and more traditional literature.
Simon doesn’t do Grandma Nitti’s anymore. He runs the thing at Bongo’s though. Good and eclectic, but not large.
Do you know the name of the bookstore on QingTian? I looked on google maps, but it seems residential.
I’ve been to Mollie’s a couple of times, and didn’t find anything interesting either time. Whose Bookstore was a little better. Since moving to Shilin, I haven’t seen anything interesting. I don’t know if they changed their selection or I just bought all the interesting(to me) books. I try to be picky about what I read. When I was younger, I wasn’t and don’t remember most of what I read then. I want memorable books.
And, I realize for non-fiction, I probably need to start buying new books. I’ve been here a while and I’m getting low on non-fiction and Literature. I dread the prices. I found new books expensive in the US.
藏
The area is pretty residential but there are a number of businesses there. I can’t find my photo with their address, and I’m having trouble searching for it online. if you have the afternoon, just walk around the area. The store is quiet and cozy with a small garden area in the front. English books are on the right-hand side of the store. There aren’t too many books, actually, but the store is great to browse if you like books. The owner is a collector and a true book lover.
There’s also book street in Taipei, near main station. Mostly Chinese-language books, though.
And, if you found new books expensive in the US you’re going to find them even more expensive here.
When my company gets more stable, I’d love to turn the reception area into a bookstore with interesting books new and old. I’m legally able to import books and media… But, you’d have to come down to Taichung for that!
Sorry, I was unclear. I read a lot of Science Fiction and Fantasy. In those genres, it is increasingly popular to write books as part of a franchise. Star Wars, Star Trek, Dungeons and Dragons. Most of those books, when I’ve read them lack in creativity. I think the publishers choose an author and “give him an assignment”. I think the books sell more by the name of the franchise than by the author’s name. I’ve found authors to usually be a reliable way to find quality books.
If anyone knows a more specific address for the QingTian bookstore, it would be appreciated. I went there with my girlfriend today, and didn’t see anything that looked like a bookstore on Qingtian St.
I sift through the philosophy of mathematics, set theory, and Analytic philosophy texts at a handful of bookstores around the Taipei area. The books that they sell here are way more obscure than the ones that they sold at the BN in America. Hell, I finally found stuff that my professors said that they published here.
I also packed the essential texts, but sold the books that were in public domain and in e-book formats, because professors and librarians often reprint them.
I’m trying to get my hands on a Chinese-language logic book that doesn’t sell on its weight. It really shouldn’t take 1,000 pages to teach predicate logic.
I’m placing a book order for my shop on Friday. If there’s a book you’d like, send me a message and I’ll check availability and prices. New books only; prices based on retail price. Shipping to Taipei available; my shop is in Taichung. I can also order DVDs and CDs. Shipping is quick – this shipment is expected to arrive Tuesday 6/4.
If you’re in Taichung, I have a good selection of English-language books. New and used; graphic novels, picture books, non-fiction, literature, history, and more. Lots of postcards. Scrapbook paper and odds-and-ends. Books for learning Chinese. Check our Facebook page and blog (www.wilsenpublishing.com/blog) for updates on what is currently in the shop.
