You've now doubt read about the ongoing war between Amazon and book publishers. Amazon's business model is predicated on getting the best possible product to the customer at the cheapest possible price with the best possible service, even if that means squeezing the supplier and obliterating the competition. Publishers - the suppliers - are, quite understandably, not so happy to be squeezed. They're trying to fight back, to defend their profits and, to an extent, their writers' livelihoods by keeping book prices, as much as they can, up.