A theological bookstore with a 75% off sale is a very dangerous thing.

Then again, what good is money if you can't use it to buy books?

The sort of books one acquires at a 75% off sale mostly fall into the category of books I would probably never bother to acquire otherwise but this is too good of a deal to pass up. Sometimes, if I'm having a very good day, I'll find one or two books in the category of books I would eventually be willing to pay retail (!) for but now fortunately don't have to.

But there is an even finer category one might, on especially special occasions, find at the 75% off sale: Books I would dearly love to own but could never justify the expense at anything near the sticker price.

Like this.

I saw it, thought, "ooh, I have to have it!", flipped it over, choked on the retail price, then reasoned that the discount offered gets it down into the top end of reasonable. (BTW, the sticker price at Cokesbury was lower than the sticker price on Amazon -- but still out of my league.)

Just this morning I was reviewing my material on the doctrine of inspiration, searching futilely for a bibliographic reference to pass on to one of my students, while also getting my juices flowing about the possibility of having a doctrine of inspiration question on my long-postponed preliminary examinations. I couldn't find the book I was looking for, but I did find a footnoted reference to Wm Abraham, which reminded me that his work might be suitable for my student's questions, not to mention my own. The coincidence of finding an otherwise-unattainable volume by an author who was already on my mind was too great for me to be able to resist the impulse to put my money where my mind was. So now I am somewhat poorer in money but richer in books.

Alas, the book I really want by this author is this one. And for that, I am afraid, I still must rely on the library copy.

P.S. I bought nine books. My total savings, compared to the lowest available price at Amazon.com (including shipping, where applicable) was $157.33. I am almost as excited about that number as about the books themselves.