I’m wondering about this because a hardcover book I been frequently using a lot for university just got its front cover torn out after frequent use for my homeworks across the semester. Granted it was already used when I bought it but the whole reason I chose it over the much cheaper softcover copy was precisely because I’m expected to use this text for multiple semesters.
So I wonder does a book really being hardcover really protect it for longterm use? Are they really worth the extra typical $10-$30 dollar price over softcover and paperback books? If protection is not the reason, why even buy hardcover books? I ask this because of my disappointment of how my textbook didn’t last long in an entacted state?
No. I have mass market paperbacks from the 80s that have been thrown in backpacks, and suitcases for decades that are in good condition. I have never had a hardback that survived that kind of treatment.
Paperbacks might look faded but the binding holds. Hardbacks just fall apart at the spine.