Hot, Flat and Unenvironmentally Priced

I was looking forward to purchasing Tom Friedman's new book: Hot, Flat and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America until I checked out the Kindle price.

Rather than the Kindle standard price of $9.99 this one is priced at $22.36. More disappointing was to see that I could order the hardcover dead tree addition for $18.45. In order to get the version that requires no physical resources I would actually have to pay $3.91 more! And unlike the physical book which I could sell once I was done, I have no such opportunity with the Kindle version.

Reading books on the Kindle is more environmentally friendly than having a physical paper version shipped to you. How ironic then that a book about tweaking the economic system to make it more environmentally friendly is sold with a pricing structure that does just the opposite.

And if there is one author who doesn't need the money, it would be one who married an heiress to a $4.1 billion estate.

Here's hoping that this is just a pre-order issue and that when the book is actually released the price will go back to $10 and all this whining is for nothing.

Update: All the whining was for nothing as the price has gone to $9.99. I wonder if you get a refund if you pre-ordered at $22.36.