Purchase Paul Loeb’s Books

Please support local bookstores, and encourage them to stock Paul’s books as visibly as possible. Pre-orders build in-store momentum, so please either do this directly, or by ordering online from Bookshop.org, with profits going to your favorite independent bookstore. When initially released, The Impossible Will Take a Little While spent 11 weeks on the American Booksellers Association bestseller list.

The Impossible’s new third edition is out Oct 13. Preorder print or ebook.
Order Soul of a Citizen, in print, ebook, or audio book.

Until October, The Impossible’s current second edition can be ordered in print or ebook.

Barnes&Noble.com

Not an independent, but you’re still supporting physical stores and local stores now have the autonomy to place their own orders, so pre-orders help there as well.

Preorder The Impossible‘s new third edition in print or Nook electronic edition
Order Soul‘s print, Nook electronic edition, or audio book
Order The Impossible‘s current second edition in print or Nook electronic edition.

Amazon.Com

If you only order through Amazon, I’ve given the links below. But whether you’re reading books in print or electronically, I’d strongly prefer you support actual stores like those listed above. Here’s why:

Amazon is destructive to publishing and bookstores. They’ve bullied major publishers to force them to set so low a price on Kindle editions that  they undercut in-store sales. At one point, they offered a smart-phone tool where people would go into brick-and-mortar stores, check out books they wanted, and then get a $5 discount if they captured the info on their phone and bought from Amazon. After Hachette, the publisher of The Impossible refused to give them special lower prices, they jacked up the prices for their books, promoted competing books that would come up when you searched for Hachette authors, and disappeared listings entirely.  Public outrage forced them to back off, but these examples indicate their values.

Amazon also treats their workers terribly, or at least those who ship their books and other products. For years, Amazon kept its warehouse workers in 100-degree heat without air-conditioning, with an ambulance outside in case they pass out. They wrote up workers for getting sick too often and fired them for getting injured. In 2024, the state of California fined them for 59,000 violations of state labor laws.

Amazon also supports regressive political policies. For years, they successfully blocked being charged local sales tax on their book sales, undermining local economies and placing them at an advantage over regular bookstores. They lobbied to keep major loopholes on federal taxes. Owner Jeff Bezos has largely gutted The Washington Post. And that doesn’t even count their $40 million Melania film.

If you only buy books from Amazon:

Order The Impossible‘s new edition from Amazon, in print and Kindle version.
Order Soul from Amazon, in print,  Kindle, and audiobook versions.
Order The Impossible‘s second edition from Amazon, in print and Kindle version.

Bulk Purchases:

Both of my publishers offer discounts for bulk copies, for instance to nonprofit staffers, or volunteers, or to give to students as awards. So do local bookstores. For The Impossible, contact Hachette special markets.  For Soul, contact Macmillan special markets.

Academic Exam Copies

For academic examination copies of The Impossible and information on classroom use, including classroom study questions, see The Impossible Classroom Use

For Soul of a Citizen academic examination copies and information on classroom use, including classroom study questions, see Soul Classroom Use