April 22, 2026
Inflation math vs. eBook wrath
Books are not too expensive
Math says books are cheap; readers say DRM and hardcovers are the real problem
TLDR: The author says inflation-adjusted prices show books are a bargain, so stop blaming bookstores. Commenters fire back that the real pain is dead cheap paperbacks, overpriced hardcovers, and DRM-locked eBooks—splitting the crowd between “go digital” and “give us ownership,” a fight that decides how we’ll read next.
Joel J. Miller ran the numbers and declared the sticker-shock panic a myth: factor in inflation and books are the rare bargain. He cites the Consumer Price Index, noting print prices are basically flat while housing and concerts soar. His punchline: don’t blame books—blame everything else. Cue the internet: comments lit up faster than a midnight book sale.
The loudest clapback? Format, not price. brudgers argues the mass‑market paperback is dead, so the “floor” jumped—trade paperbacks cost close to hardcovers. analogpixel wants to “get rid of hard covers” altogether, because those chunky jackets feel like a luxury tax. Then the e‑book wars broke out. vhanda’s fed up paying paperback prices for digital files they can’t truly own thanks to DRM (digital locks), admitting they resort to… creative workarounds and then tip authors. Meanwhile, A_D_E_P_T says the solution is obvious: go e‑book—it’s “~6x cheaper” and your whole library fits in your pocket.
Between Miller’s “Inflate a Mockingbird” math flex and commenters shouting “free our files,” the real drama is over ownership vs. objects. One jokester (zb3) only wants a niche Android book, proving the other truth of the thread: the only “affordable” book is the exact one you actually want.
Key Points
- •Inflation-adjusted comparisons show 1960s hardcover prices for major titles would be about $43–$54 today.
- •Current hardcover list prices commonly around $28–$34.95 are lower than those inflation-adjusted values.
- •A 2023 hardcover of To Kill a Mockingbird is priced at $27.99, below its inflation-adjusted 1960 price.
- •BLS CPI data (via in2013dollars.com) indicates recreational book prices decreased slightly since 1997 (-0.09%/year).
- •Other categories like housing, healthcare, and event admissions have risen faster than general inflation, unlike books.