[irahul]

> The end result is that Indian book prices are quite high for a country with largely third-world living standards.

Indian book prices, especially for foreign books which are published in India, is quite low.

http://www.flipkart.com/feynman-lectures-physics-mainly-mech...

Price: Rs 236

http://www.amazon.com/The-Feynman-Lectures-Physics-Vol/dp/04...

Price: USD 38(about Rs 2100)

That's almost a 10 fold difference. The paper quality isn't good, it's mostly paperback[1], but paying 10 folds for a hard cover isn't worth it. Books which aren't published locally(imported) are an issue. Prices are too steep compared to books which are published here.

http://www.flipkart.com/algorithm-design-manual-0002/p/itmdy...

Price: Rs 5163

[1]: In the examples above, both books are low quality paperback books.

[kamaal]

You have taken one book, but in most general cases foreign author books are quite expensive in India.

[irahul]

> You have taken one book, but in most general cases foreign author books are quite expensive in India.

Books which are published in India are quite cheap(especially if they happen to be popular). Most of the pearson books are LPE(low price editions). Books from other publishers which are published here(marked for the Asian subcontinents) are cheap. Foreign books being cheap is the norm, not the other way round(unless they are imported).

[kamaal]

I don't know from where you are buying 'foreign books for cheap' and I'm not sure if you are referring only to LPE text books.

But most of the novels, and other books that I know are definitely expensive.

Text books are not the only books. And of course it also depends on the definition of cheap.

But pirated books sold on by footpath hawkers sell like hot cakes only because many foreign best sellers are generally expensive.

[irahul]

> I don't know from where you are buying 'foreign books for cheap' and I'm not sure if you are referring only to LPE text books.

I don't have special shops to buy books for free, and I am not referring to LPE editions only. I am saying most of the foreign books are LPE whether explicitly or implicitly. They do compromise on paper quality, printing and covers.

> But most of the novels, and other books that I know are definitely expensive.

An average novel costs me 350. That is by no stretch expensive. Sure you can get a "lord of the flies"(or may be not; I mostly see Chetan Bhagats and Sidney Sheldons) on a pavement for 50 bucks, but that doesn't mean 350 is expensive.

> But pirated books sold on by footpath hawkers sell like hot cakes only because many foreign best sellers are generally expensive.

Pirated books are cheap doesn't mean most of the foreign books aren't reasonably priced.

[kamaal]

Thanks,

Surely if you measure cheap by what starts at 350 rupees. A lot of things get cheaper.

[irahul]

Surely if you measure cheap by what starts at 350 rupees. A lot of things get cheaper.

You keep changing stance - most foreign books are not cheap(they are), technical books aren't the only books(no they are not; fiction is cheaper, non-fiction is a bit higher), and lastly 350 isn't cheap. Doesn't my very first comment in this thread has 236 termed as "quite low"? If your basic objection is 350 isn't cheap for most books, why bother with the needless arguments about foreign books and novels.