[Slartibreakfast]

I know how I'd spend the first $100:

http://mitpress.mit.edu/books/introduction-algorithms

I don't know about the other $1.9K.

[fredleblanc]

Don't forget that you can stretch $2k a lot further on something like half.com instead of buying new books: http://product.half.ebay.com/Introduction-to-Algorithms-by-C...

[saalweachter]

Abe is generally the only place I check, besides Amazon Marketplace: http://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?an=stein+rives...

Also, don't worry too much about getting the latest edition -- for the core things, it won't have changed much.

[semi-extrinsic]

If you do wish to purchase new books, get them from overseas. The "let's make an expensive US version and then a cheaper but identical international version, the latter being illegal to sell in the US" practice is horrible, and it is your moral obligation to circumvent it as best you can.

[Slartibreakfast]

I'm embarrassed to admit I didn't know about half.com. That is pretty cool.