[faithbw]

For years, I was very anti-Amazon. I wouldn't buy books from them unless I really needed the book and there was no where else to purchase it (e.g. an obscure textbook needed for a course). I saw bookstores closing shop and I was angry at Amazon. No one else around really cared one way or the other. I found kindred spirits online but that's it.

Fast forward to the present, I have a Kindle and I've ordered two p-books in the past month from Amazon. So you maybe wondering what changed. Honestly, I can't pinpoint one thing. To be honest, one thing that really got to me was people's apathy or ambivalence about Amazon. Most people I know either don't care about Amazon's relationship with publishers or the demise of big box bookstores or feel ambivalence about it. They rightly point out that the big publishers also have some questionable practices and that chain bookstores didn't have the best relationship with indie bookstores.

Another is my displeasure with my both the local Barnes & Noble and the few indie bookstores in my area. They just don't have good selections and I usually find books that I want without any hassle on Amazon.

Still, I find myself feeling ambivalent about Amazon. I know that employees in their warehouses aren't always treated the best. Amazon has bullied smaller publishers that don't have the same clout and power as a Big 5 publisher. That bothers me. Yet, I find myself enjoying books on my Kindle. So I guess what I'm wondering is if anyone else shares the same mixed feelings about Amazon or any other company?