…not much of a price break for a paperback edition. Ouch!

Good point, that would seem to be a slightly strange publishing decision.

I'd have thought that anyone that can afford $89 for a book can also afford a few dollars more for hardcover, especially when we're talking about such a wonderful reference tome. On the face of it, in this price bracket a paperback edition doesn't provide much of a purchasing incentive, and may even make the purchase less attractive for some people.

…not much of a price break for a paperback edition. Ouch!

Last I checked though, you could still order hardback copies from Alcor.org, of all places! Get them before they run out…