ok you missed the point on the book prices. forget conversion of currency. look at it in real terms, eg the money in your wallet right now. standard wage in the UK 150. the book (paperback of say Jurassic Park) costs $5.99. now compare that to the US of Ca prices where they are at 8.99 and 10.99! in real terms they are MORE expensive than the UK book. stupid thing is, the US and CA are cheaper than the UK on everything else. I bought the jeans I'm now wearing at Walmart for $20. the same pair would have cost me 80 in the UK. (gotta love the mark up on a pair of wranglers!) as to being there? how can we both be right? I know I am. you say you are. my figures are based on suppling the machines per job with ink and paper (plus the allowed wastage) and taking the resulting material to each stage,(cutting, binding), wrapping the pallets and shipping 'em out to the trucks. where's the fault? different countries? working at different times of the year? different (book)markets?