It's not nearly as bad as that.
First, and most importantly, you should know that the book is published by John Neal!
Second, you should know that the book is indeed out of print, but it is slated to be reprinted soon due to demand. And when it is, it will be the regular cover price of $35 USD.
Source: The horse's mouth.
http://www.johnnealbooks.com/product/Foundations_of_Calligraphy/17I freaked out at the prices on Amazon too, but then found out that John Neal stocked them and was only charging the $35. The answer as to why was clear as day as soon as my copy arrived in the mail: It has the John Neal logo clearly printed on the spine of the book, on the back inside the cover, and says “Published by John Neal” on the bottom of the back cover.