How do you decide?

There is a book I want to buy. It is entitled Marvels, Monsters, and Miracles: Studies in the Medieval and Early Modern Imaginations.

The cost is not prohibitive, though it is not cheap. $45.

So why am I thinking about it?

This week I’ve spent $120 on other books. One of which was definitely a good buy and three of which might be useful if I actually take the time to read them. (Unfortunately reading time for me these days is usually the summer.)

So why am I considering the book?
1. I think it sounds interesting.
2. I am teaching a class on early medieval next spring.
3. …
Nope, that’s it. It sounds interesting and it might be relevant for a class I haven’t yet decided how to structure. This book might help me structure the class or it might add a 15-minute aside to the course.

So I am still considering.

Does anyone who is a bibliophile (as I think most English-field folks are) have good criteria for deciding when to purchase and when to pass by a cool-sounding book?