Saving Money with Providence Bookstores
The other day, while wandering around Providence, I went into a bookstore called Paper Nautilus and immediately—we’re talking within two minutes—found the main (read: most expensive) textbook for the next semester of my two-part Roman History course. As I’m writing this, the book is on sale at Amazon, cut from $55 to $39.99. Paper Nautilus had it—brand-new, spine uncracked—for $7.50.So I got to thinking—how much money can you save by visiting your local Providence bookstores as opposed to Amazon (which is on its way to taking over the world)? I’ve done some extensive, journalistic research, and found you all the bookstores in Providence likely to save you significant cash. Plus, you can do all that important stuff like "supporting local business" and "stopping Jeff Bezos."For MCM and music concentrators and the general hipster population:Symposium Books (240 Westminster) has an excellent selection of new and used (and relatively cheap) paperback fiction, including a lot of books you’ll probably have to buy for class. Plus, they buy and sell vinyl, so there are bound to be a lot of hipsters in here. The stuff here's a little more expensive, but I'm sure you'll walk out with a strong reason for buying an $18 record that was released in 2016.Beware: When I was in here, there was a group of really young people in suits and nice dresses (Model UN?) discussing the "cultural value" of books. Make of this what you will. 
For English, foreign language, sociology, history, art and architecture, and archaeology concentrators:Paper Nautilus (19 South Angell), besides being the most beautiful bookstore in Providence, hands down, has extremely good history and foreign language sections (especially downstairs—looking at you, German concentrators). There's also a surprising number of small but well-stocked (and super cheap!) sections for some of the more common Brown concentrations like sociology.Beware: This is the kind of place that has multiple books on chess strategy.
(The chess books are on the far right.)
For people looking to buy holiday gifts:Books on the Square (471 Angell) isn’t much, but its children’s selection is absolutely massive, and you can also get things like halfway decent thank-you cards and other cute paper products. Your relatives will be so impressed with your hand-written notes.
For the charitably-minded and those willing to sort through a lot of old books for some really neat stuff:Stages of Freedom (10 Westminster) has a good selection of books, including some really cool histories of Brown. Plus, every dollar they make goes to support swim lessons for urban kids. If you go in, make sure to talk to Ray Rickman, longtime Providence activist and politician, who owns the store. He’s a really cool guy, and he'll probably give you a discount.
Seriously, go talk to him! He does very important work.
