You see, I really enjoy spending time in these places: not only can you browse around the many books and topics; but you can also enjoy a cup of fresh-brewed coffee or espresso while you browse.
I must admit, I'm quite addicted to the experience. For those of us who consider ourselves lifelong learners, sponges of information, this is heaven on earth. And caffeine and tasty goodies, to boot!
Clearly, I have a tendency to spend too much time in these stores. But the main root of my problem is more philosophical. I like to buy more books, so I can enjoy them at home. I appreciate great literature of all sorts, and I have an even greater appreciation for reading a great book if it happened to be one I'd randomly plucked from the shelf.
Inherent in this plucking is a certain risk. Books aren't cheap; most that I've bought nowadays are upwards of 10, even 12, dollars. It's not a huge investment, but it adds up when you buy a lot of books. And when you make a semi-educated book selection, based on perhaps the reviews written on the inside cover or a recommendation from an acquaintance, you are taking a risk. For if you happen to buy more books over time randomly in which you end up not becoming engrossed, you end up with a net loss of money.
It's easy to get caught up in such a temptation -- you wish to read something new and exciting, like nothing you've read before, yet you don't want to risk the idea of picking up something which feels laborious to read. In this case, I end up pawning the book off onto a friend...
I have much the same problem with CD stores... maybe I'm just picky?