Amazon Versus B&N Versus Borders Versus Independent Bookseller: The Battle Of Bioteams

Today I went on a journey.

This journey began on foot and soon ended in a train. My journey was the search for a book. This book Ken Thompsons BIOTEAMS was recommended to me by a friend, and was also a part of a featured story in the latest WIRED magazine. Bioteams details the subject of Biomimicry, or in lay terms, the adaptation of natures rules into a corporate business team. An example is the way bee's work and converting that idea into a real world scenario( project management).

I knew this book was going to be hard to find. It was published in January with little fanfare. I wanted to test and see if the reliability of the two major booksellers and one independent bookseller would be as reliable, efficient, and dependable as my favorite site, Amazon.com.

I first visited my local Borders. Borders is what Barnes and Noble would be if it was more user friendly. Walking into Borders there is a readily available computer console where I can search the stacks for my book. I had already done advance research and new that both major bookstores kept them in stock. In a pre-journey ranking I expected my best chance was to find this book at Borders.
Sadly the book was not available. I spoke with a floor attendant and she told me that they would easily be able to order this book for me. She said it would take 7-10 days. I did not accept and moved on.

Barnes and Noble, at least the ones I visit are a complicated experience. Whereas Borders offers easy search on certain computer consoles, and the independent bookseller has better customer service, Barnes and Noble is hardly either. Walking in, it took me a few minutes to find the business books. I was able to find a Star Wars section, a Fiction and Literature section, and a section completely devoted to Winnie Cooper( yes from Wonder Years). Apparently Winnie, being not only my first real crush, also is a mathematician who is helping young people succeed in Math. Amazing. ANYWAYS, Barnes and Noble was a complete bust, however they have an exorbitant amount of Donald Trump books. evidently in-stock research does not take in has-beens on there list.

My final jaunt was to an independent bookseller. It was with little hope that I would find the book i was looking for. Most of the times, the hard to find books will be here, but for me my little book wasn't available. I left with my head down and decided that with this little journey, I could officially say that what we know as the modern bookstore is DEAD.

Online booksellers are the way of the future. Not only will they have the book in stock, they will also offer you used books from people who may share the same taste. They will show you books that fit the same description, and they will continue to be on the cutting edge of technology. Easy search, less coffee smells, and customer service that is a click away. I ordered my book in two clicks. It is now somewhere between Omaha and Des Moines and will be in my hands on Wednesday.

So it goes.