In an attempt to drive even more business their way, online retail giant Amazon announced that it will now offer rental textbooks for Kindle, and for Kindle apps ^[1]. The e-book equivalent of college bookstore textbook rentals, Kindle Textbook Rental ^[2] is a route to both increased profits for Amazon, and (hopefully) decreased educational costs for students.

While the savings vary, depending on the textbook chosen and its rental duration, Amazon claims a potential savings of up to 80 percent over the list price of the printed version. In most cases, the minimum rental period is 30 days (although some books require a longer minimum) and the maximum is 360 days.

To find a book, search the Textbooks Store ^[3]. If one is available for rent on Kindle, that option will be displayed in the Formats section.

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Once a book has been selected, set a rental end date by clicking the calendar icon to the right of the Ends: field (an end date can be extended at any time). Hovering over a date on the calendar will reveal the cost of renting a book until that time. When a date is set, click the Rent now with 1-Click button.

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Clicking the Details link (shown above) will reveal more information about terms and price.

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If you’re a student, or if there’s a student in your family, and you’re burdened by the rapidly increasing cost of a college education, Kindle Textbook Rental ^[2] offers a convenient way to offset some of those expenses.

~Kevin