Buy the PDF and print it yourself. I do this all the time. I prefer printed material when I'm going to study something seriously.
Printing it yourself is actually quite inexpensive -- provided that you have a laser printer. (The economics of an ink-jet printer for long documents is horrible.)
Let's do the math:
The OP says his book is a 125-page PDF. My double-sided laser printer will use just 63 sheets of paper. I can buy high-quality 22-pound paper for $10, including tax, for a 500-sheet package. Therefore, paper will cost 63/500 * $10 = $1.26.
The cost of my laser printer is one-time sunk cost, and I need a laser printer for other reasons than printing e-books, so I'll ignore the laser printer's cost (besides, it's not even that expensive).
I can refill a 6000-sheet toner cartridge (black only) for $75 including tax. Thus, toner to print the 125-page PDF will cost 125/6000 * $75 = $1.56.
Total cost to print the PDF yourself: $1.26 + $1.56 = $2.82.
So unless you really care about the binding, or the PDF is in color (and needs the colors), then printing it yourself is really quite cheap.
Increases barrier to his "I want a paperback" as a simplistic counterpoint. Your sunk cost of "I need a laser printer for other reasons" does not reflect the issue of "I want a paperback," not that "I want a paperback, but I'll settle for buying and printing it myself."
Comments
Buy the PDF and print it yourself. I do this all the time. I prefer printed material when I'm going to study something seriously.
Printing it yourself is actually quite inexpensive -- provided that you have a laser printer. (The economics of an ink-jet printer for long documents is horrible.)
Let's do the math:
The OP says his book is a 125-page PDF. My double-sided laser printer will use just 63 sheets of paper. I can buy high-quality 22-pound paper for $10, including tax, for a 500-sheet package. Therefore, paper will cost 63/500 * $10 = $1.26.
The cost of my laser printer is one-time sunk cost, and I need a laser printer for other reasons than printing e-books, so I'll ignore the laser printer's cost (besides, it's not even that expensive).
I can refill a 6000-sheet toner cartridge (black only) for $75 including tax. Thus, toner to print the 125-page PDF will cost 125/6000 * $75 = $1.56.
Total cost to print the PDF yourself: $1.26 + $1.56 = $2.82.
So unless you really care about the binding, or the PDF is in color (and needs the colors), then printing it yourself is really quite cheap.
Increases barrier to his "I want a paperback" as a simplistic counterpoint. Your sunk cost of "I need a laser printer for other reasons" does not reflect the issue of "I want a paperback," not that "I want a paperback, but I'll settle for buying and printing it myself."