Looking for Deals at the AHA Book Exhibit

It has been a long time since I had a Sunday morning free at the AHA to browse the book exhibit for cheap books, but this morning I cleared my schedule to create some time for browsing.  As many of you know, publishers do not like to bring their display books home with them (shipping costs, I think) so they try to unload as many as possible on the last day of the conference.

The best deals usually come from trade presses, but a few university presses also offer display books at up to 50% off the retail price.  MacMillan was selling books for $3.00.  Penguin was selling hardbacks at 2 for $10.00.  New York University Press was offering hardbacks for $10.00 and paperbacks for $5.00.  Sunday morning at the AHA is definitely a great time to build your history library, as long as you can fit all the books into your suitcase.

I only bought two books during my wanderings in the exhibit hall--both from the Penguin table.  For $10.00 I got a copy of Kevin Phillips's 1775: A Good Year for a Revolution and Clinton Heylin's E Street Shuffle: The Glory Days of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.

Since Messiah College gave me an iPad I have been trying to think of creative ways to use it.  When I see a book in the exhibit that I want to read, but do not want to purchase yet, I take a picture of the cover and add it to my wish list when I get home.  This is a lot quicker than trying to write down or "type in" the names of titles while trying to navigate the crowded booths.  You should try it.  I imagine it is a lot easier with an iPhone than an iPad.

For example, here is Eliga Gould's new book, Among the Powers of the Earth: The American Revolution and the Making of a New World Empire.