[geromek]

Based on my interest in this field I am willing to pay around $5 for the book. However I agree that it is not a fair price. What should I do? Note that it is not a matter of money. I could afford the suggested price or even more but I am not that interested in the topic.

Downloading for free is not morally acceptable for me, I would like to support this business plan.

[bigtunacan]

I'm going to quote Patrick McKenzie's article that was on here last week.

"Because everyone in the negotiation is a businessman and any number we are mutually happy with is a morally acceptable number."

I buy tons of books. If the author makes the book available at a choose your price, then I always choose the lowest price even if that price is free. If it is morally acceptable to the author, then it's acceptable to me. I've bought books for as low as free, but others for more than $100.

This is quite different from stealing or pirating a book. But you should do what you think is right and leaves you with a clean conscious.

[mark_l_watson]

I would take the authors at their word and pay just what you are comfortable paying.

Variable pricing is really an interesting business model. I have three books for sale on leanpub, each with a suggested price of $6 with a minimum of $4. A lot of people pay more than $6, BTW, the most so far that anyone has paid is $50. Payments in the $10 to $12 range are common, but probably less than 15% of sales.

[baldeagle]

Pay $5 for it; if you find it useful or more valuable than intended then buy another 'copy' for the rest of the perceived value.

[reefoctopus]

Pay $5. Their marginal cost is essentially $0. I'm willing to bet the authors would rather have the $5 than nothing, and that is probably why it was priced this way.

[darkxanthos]

Sounds like you pay $5. If you don't buy it the authors will be worse off since they won't have any money.

[geromek]

Yeah, although I am not a big fan of "the ends justify the means" saying :)

[ThomPete]

Buy it for $19. Even if your aren't that interested in the topic just one potential insight from that book will make it worth way more than the $19USD.

[stared]

This sounds naive. Most books have opportunity cost much higher than their added value.

[ThomPete]

What are you basing that on?

[stared]

My personal experience. Plus, I quit reading most of books I ever bought, not considering it worth my time (comparing to other activities, or - other books).

[ThomPete]

And you don't think I have that experience?