It’s a huge racket - RICO worthy maybe.
I have a bit of knowledge of the production side. The actual cost of materials and labor plus factory overhead to produce a book might be seven or eight bucks. This is the domestic cost - off shore might be half that.
Not sure what the editorial costs would be, but on a $100 book, could it be $90 per copy? Hmmmm
So, just cough it up. Academia and marxist publishing monopolies thank you for your continued support.