ISBN
The ISBN number, short for International Standard Book Identifier is the 13 digit book order code which gives the country, publisher, author and title. It also specifies paperback, hardback, or e-book, to be sure you get the right version, up to date or back number edition. It is used when ordering, or when the shop is stock taking, and when tracking. Known as an EAN-13 format. The first two digits are the country.
EAN stands for European Article Number. It is an acronym. Acronym comes from the Greek for top and name, meaning new word formed from initial letters.
Acronym
Acro, as in acropolis, top of the city. Ak from a previous language means top, tip, sharp point. EAN for European was changed to International Article Number but the term EAN is so well entrenched that it is still used.
Nym means name. Put the two together and you get acronym.
Bar Codes & Prices
The bar code 9000 after the ISBN means there is no set price for the book. So as inflation increases, and so do printing costs and packaging, the price of the book goes up.
Amazon or Kindle refused to accept a book with a marked price, because customers get irate at being charged more when the original typesetting of the first edition included the old price.
When I take books to events I may have two copies of the book. One has the cheaper price because I bought it last year. After I have sold that one, the other book has the higher price because I ordered it in the current year and paid more postage.
A separate issue is whether to pay in the local currency, the currency of the card (which may be where the card is registered, where you used to live, rather than were you are now, if you are an expat with two homes.
If the bank is charging you to change currency, you are better off using the home currency.
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