Why do books cost so much?

Christopher Dreher, Salon: Why do books cost so much? Interesting look at the publishing industry and why books cost what they do.

According to the article, hard cover prices have pretty much stayed steady since 1975 after you account for inflation. But the price of soft covers has skyrocked due to the introduction of the trade paperback (aka "the paperback that won't fall apart in 10 years").