Moe's Books - Berkeley, California

Francisco R.

Moe's is an amazing enormous book shop, not cramped. ALL types of books, for all ages, genre, creativity levels, etc! From children, politics, academics to fiction, non fiction, rare books... you name it!!

It's a 4 story building... you can imagine the amount of books you can find in here.

Their staff are friendly and approachable.

They have MANY books on sale on every floor. They even have a section of MAPS!! The maid got me!!

Barry H.

Moe’s Books on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley is one of the most comprehensive independent bookstores in the United States. It occupies seven full floors, including a basement, and carries an unusually wide selection of academic and general-interest titles across disciplines. Its strengths lie in its depth, organization, and pricing.

The store has entire sections dedicated to medieval, Renaissance, and Enlightenment Europe; U.S. and Latin American history; Chinese and Japanese history and art; architecture; dance; art; philosophy; sociology; economics; political science; and, of course, literature, especially American and British. That really just scratches the surface. Each section is large enough to support serious research browsing. Books are shelved clearly and logically. Titles often include multiple editions—older university press printings, out-of-print translations, and newer reissues. This makes Moe’s particularly valuable for students, scholars, and anyone working across editions. Moe’s buyers are skilled, selective, and unusually dedicated to buying only the best.

All books are individually priced in pencil inside the front cover. The prices are typically well below market value, even for rare or high-quality academic titles. There is also a dedicated rare books floor with first editions and collectible volumes, accessible without special appointment. The basement includes art books, postcards, and a small selection of games and miscellaneous media.

Staff members are knowledgeable, efficient, and unobtrusive. The store buys and trades books regularly and does so with integrity: good books are valued appropriately, and trade credit is fair.

What makes Moe’s unusual is its location. It is not tucked away or operating on low overhead—it sits in the center of Berkeley, just steps from the university. Its scale and inventory would suggest a more marginal site. Instead, it persists at the heart of a dense intellectual community. That fact alone makes it noteworthy.

Having spent plenty of time on major university campuses and in college towns, I can say there are few if any analogues. Some collections in Paris come close in breadth but are limited to French-language holdings. In New York and Oxford, one finds rare or specialized bookstores, but none with this combination of size, general accessibility, and subject breadth. There might be something like this in Cambridge—either side of the pond—but I do not know and somehow doubt so.

Moe’s is not hyper-curated, stylized, or brand-driven. (Though its reputation travels far). It is functional, extensive, and unusually well-stocked. Its value is straightforward: a large, diverse collection of useful books, available for purchase at reasonable prices, in a location frequented by people likely to read them. That’s rare.

Jeremy R.

This is the quintessential college town bookshop. It has extensive philosophy, literature, and art book sections, which are my measures of a strong, highly intellectual collection (in addition to many other popular and niche subjects). They sell new and used books and seem to have a decent rare books section. They also have ample seating to allow you to take your time perusing the selection. I wish my college town’s bookstore was this good!

Ahsan A.

A Treasure Trove for Book Lovers!

Moe's Books is an absolute gem for anyone who loves literature! The moment you step inside, you’re surrounded by towering shelves filled with an incredible selection of new, used, and rare books. Whether you're searching for a bestseller, a hard-to-find classic, or something totally unexpected, Moe’s has it all.

The atmosphere is warm and inviting, perfect for browsing at your own pace. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and always ready with great recommendations. I especially love the rare book collection upstairs—it feels like stepping into a literary time capsule!

Moe’s Books isn’t just a bookstore; it’s an experience. If you’re in the area, don’t miss the chance to visit this iconic spot. Highly recommend!

Guilherme K.

My favorite used book store! I always try to stop by when visiting Berkeley. The selection of math and physics textbooks in particular is unparalleled.

Douglas S.

Excellent, large, multi-floor bookstore with a great mix of new and used (and many rare) books. Pretty eclectic place. Very helpful staff. Great place if you like unique and classic bookstores rather than the more typical Barnes and Noble sorts of places. Loved their selection of old posters, too.

D. M. R.

Seems like a great used book store, but why would they use Amazon to value books? Biblio is the standard, and Amazon is garbage and values way too low. You guys need to do better than Amazon.

M. G.

Best bookstore in Berkeley. New, used, and rare books covering multiple floors (with elevator). Just down Telegraph from Cal campus.