About
BookFool.com is an independent book buyer and seller based in Nashville, TN.
On this page:
- The Mission
- Foolish History
- Meet the Fools
- The Meaning of Fool
- Contact Us
THE MISSION
BookFool’s mission is to inspire and equip you to pursue knowledge, challenge the status quo, and have fun.
We are rebels with a cause: Putting students back in control of their textbook needs. We were students ourselves and know how it feels to buy a book new for $128 only to have the bookstore offer you a “wholesale price” of $4 for the same book at the end of the semester.
So we’re on a mission to fix how you buy and sell textbooks. It starts with Personal Customer Service. You can call us on the phone and ask for us by name (see “Meet the Fools” below). How many online booksellers can say that?!
We’re also using technology to put students back in control of their textbook buying and selling. If we can’t give you the best deal on a book, we’ll show you who can!
We’re taking a phased approach to revolutionizing the industry:
- v.1.0: Textbook buybacks. We come to your school to buy your books in person–possibly even the ones that your school won’t take back–then sell them online at a reasonable price.
- v.1.1: Online price comparisons. Helping you find the best prices on new and used books anywhere. Our book search is a continual work in progress, so we welcome your input as we refine it.
- v.1.2: Online book buybacks. Did you miss one of our buyback events? Never fear! We’ll buy your books online and mail you a check. Find out more at our SELL page.
- v.1.3: Foolish Guarantee. Our version of the 30-day unconditional guarantee. Visit our SUPPORT page to read more.
- v.2.0: Buy Direct with Free Shipping. You can now buy used books direct from BookFool.com and we’ll ship them with Free Standard Shipping. Not bad!
- v.2.1: Stay tuned! We’re always up for suggestions of how we can make your book life better. Use our handy contact form at the bottom of this page.
FOOLISH HISTORY
BookFool.com was founded in 2003 by Kris, then a Junior at Ole Miss, who noticed that many of his fellow students were not getting a fair shake when selling their used textbooks at the bookstore. He found that he could offer fellow students more money than the bookstore for their used books and began building a company around this radical-yet-simple idea.
At the end of 2005, Kris moved to Nashville to take a job in his chosen field, Accounting, but he never forgot the excitement of entrepreneurship. In early 2007, he left the corporate world to restart the Fool, refitting his basement for warehousing/shipping and hiring his first employee.
It’s been a long road out of the basement to where we are today. In early 2008, we moved to a small warehouse in East Nashville. In 2009, we upgraded our warehouse. In 2010, we upgraded warehouses again!
Where are we headed in 2010 and beyond? Hard to say exactly, but we love what we do and believe we will continue to grow as long as we remember to put students first.
MEET THE FOOLS
In alphabetical order, we are…
CASEY
Casey is our Tech Fool over a multitude of complex technical systems, some of which he wrote himself. He built and maintains this website and is charged with implementing our Foolish ideas in code.
In addition to development, Casey is passionate about adoption. He and his wife have adopted one boy and one girl from Ethiopia.
KRIS
Founder, visionary, reader, father. You can read some of Kris’ adventures establishing BookFool.com above, though the most sensational of our adventures have never been (and will never be) written down.
(cc) Flickr user Leo Reynolds
When he’s not founding companies, demolishing paradigms, hiking the A.T., or riding his bike, Kris can be found making ridiculous faces to entertain his literarily-named babies.
LOU, a.k.a. The Wizard
The Wizard knows logistics and keeps our warehouse running like a top. A former overseas Air Force MP with a degree in graphic design and years of leadership experience, if Lou can’t make it happen, it simply can’t be done.
Those who may want a piece of the Fool are going to have to go through Lou to get it. And they’d better bring their A game.
LUKE
After learning that motorcycle driver wasn’t a paid, full-time gig, Luke taught literature and writing for a few years, founded a video production studio, and then leapt into Accounts/Project Management at a marketing startup.
For BookFool, he’s the Minister of Communication and Strategy. At home, he’s in charge of tossing the baby in the air in a safe but exhilarating manner.
THE MEANING OF FOOL
The word Fool means a lot to us and was not chosen lightly. There is power in Foolery:
1 Corinthians 1:27 says, “But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong” (NIV). Weakness and foolishness can be powerful if you look at them the right way.
This power through foolishness can be seen in the existence of medieval court jesters (a.k.a. fools). Court fools had a provisional license to “speak truth to power” and were usually the only ones allowed to publicly call the King and Queen to account for their behavior. The small and insignificant Fool was the only one who could take on the large and powerful King and live. His very foolishness was the source of his power … and his protection.
To us, Fool implies a new way of looking at the world and at business. Who else but a Fool would go up against the ginormous textbook monopolies that run your campus bookstore? You’d have to be a Fool to try!
Also, it means we like to have fun with our work. If you can’t tell, we don’t take ourselves too seriously.
We’d love to hear your Foolish story. Contact us using the form below to tell us how you apply the magic of Foolery in your life. With your permission, we may feature your story on our blog or in our newsletter.
