I thought it telling that the URL for the book mentioned in the article, "1848: Year of Revolution," was a link to Amazon.
I used to spend hours in the local Borders. They always had a wonderful selection of the obscure titles I was interested in and any special orders I placed came in quickly. The staff was helpful and knowledgeable. I spent a lot of money there.
Then they moved. The new store was just over 2 miles away, but the new location isn't right off the beltway any more. It's in a large strip mall that's a PITA to get into and out of. I stopped by at the new location a few times, but noticed that their selection wasn't nearly as good as it used to be. It wasn't worth the effort to shop there.
It's a shame. Still, there is a B&N in town and it's convenient but not as convenient as Amazon, and not nearly as good in customer service. I rarely shop there.
I'm happy to spend hours finding gems in the local indie and used bookstores these days, but the B&M chains are just not worth it.
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