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Price of college textbooks is ridiculus

chellej

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I am in the process of getting DD's books for this semester. She is taking 4 classes and has 5 required books. If we bought them from the bookstore the cost comes to a whopping $855.:eek:

Thank goodness for the used book sites and even craigslist. It is nice when the professors say earlier editions are fine - that saves alot. I may come in at $400 but even that is alot.

Thank goodness I have one(DS) working co-op this semester.

Any one have perspective on why they are soooo pricey and what is up with the international editions - they are often 1/3 the cost of the US edition - are we subsudizing the international editions????:ponder:
 

AwayWeGo

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[triennial - points]
Renta-Renta-Renta.

The Marketplace radio show last week mentioned a move by 1 or more of the big textbook companies to start renting out textbooks, in addition to selling new & used editions.

Maybe that will help.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​
 

PigsDad

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Over 20 years ago when I was in college, I remember some of the books getting into the $100/book range, so this doesn't surprise me that much. Heck, I remember the freshman calculus book (not a specialized / upperclassman book) being $65, and that was in 1984! There is really no incentive for the bookstores to discount the text books that much, because a) they know the students need the books and b) they tend to be small printing of books and therefore the production / distribution costs are higher.

Looking for used texts can save a good amount, but you should have been given estimates from the college for your student's yearly book budget so this didn't surprise you. Of course, some majors tend to have higher cost books than others as well.

Kurt
 
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stmartinfan

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Bad news - a growing trend for college textbook publishers is to include a CD as part of the book that somehow provides access to additional online content...and has a one-use only password system. So that means that everyone has to buy a new copy of the textbook. The "used" book is useless because you can no longer use the password to access the additional information. When we were helping DD pick up her books for her first semester, the book store employees alerted us to that issue. Their advice if you had a class that used one of those books was to wait until you'd attend the first class meeting to see if the professor was actually going to use the CD info, because if not, then you could save money by buying a used textbook.

Luckily, she hasn't had a class that required the new book yet, so we've been able to get most of her texts from Amazon, purchasing the lowest price option. Some of the books are a bit beat up, but the content is still usable and it's certainly cheaper than new.
 

ricoba

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As I remember I believe the statistics text I just purchased in the fall was $187!!! :eek:

To date this has been my most expensive text. I got my two texts for this term for around $40 for two books.

My assumption is that since textbooks are produced for a relatively small market and some are somewhat obscure and the market is "captive" so to speak, all adds to the cost of the books.
 

tlwmkw

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Our local university (UVa) is trying out the Kindle e-book in some departments (business I believe) for this very reason. Some grade schools are trying this out too. I don't know if the experiment is going well or not but they have written about it in the local newspaper.

tlwmkw
 

chellej

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DD just transferred from University of Texas at Arlington to Texas A & M Galveston.

UTA started renting texts last fall - it was ~ $35per book for the semester. Much more reasonable than the most expensive which is $244. New school does not offer rental. I have 2 kids in college right now so I am not suprised I just think it is a rip off especially when many of the the books the new content is relatively the same as the previous edition.
 

jmzf1958

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My daughter and son order their books through Amazon - they save at least half of what the colleges charge. I like the new idea of renting out textbooks. Saves a lot of money.
 

pjrose

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suggestions

They're expensive because many have a frequent reprint cycle, often 3 years. Updated material and supplements that use technology - computer, internet, DVD, etc - are expensive. The frequent reprints are needed by the publishers and authors because by 2-3 years the market is flooded with used copies, which cuts into sales of new books. They can't sell as many of the 2-3 year old new book anymore, so by updating it and having professors/ bookstores order it, they guarantee more sales.

In some cases the updates are relevant - e.g. new discoveries, information, or timely examples for natural or social sciences. In other cases, I think it's more to ensure sales of new books.


Suggestions:

compare prices at dealoz.com

Ask the professor if the previous edition will suffice (for some classes DH emails his students to just order the previous edition online).

Check for other editions, such as 3-hole punch (called books ala carte by some publishers), paperback, or ebooks. Pearson Prentice Hall offers some books in an e-book only, though access to it and the study aids that accompany it expire in six months.

Look at coursesmart.com for ebooks.

After the term is over, do not resell the books to the bookstore for 10 or 20%. First check the going rate on amazon.com's marketplace to see if it's worth selling them that way.
 

hvacrsteve

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They are expensive because of the professors cut!

I love teaching, you have to write your own books though.
The first day of class you make more money than the rest of the year!
Selling Your books of course!
Opps, the secret is out!
I have been teaching for over 30 years now and that is why the books cost so much! It depends on the profit margin the teacher asks for or the amount he gets back form the publisher!
Enjoy your classes!
 

cerralee

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My two got a lot from chegg, you had the option to rent or buy.
 

Passepartout

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Ridiculus:

Dictionary.com: Word not found.

ridiculous
- 4 dictionary results
ri⋅dic⋅u⋅lous
  /rɪˈdɪkyələs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ri-dik-yuh-luhs] Show IPA
Use ridiculous in a Sentence
See images of ridiculous
Search ridiculous on the Web
–adjective
causing or worthy of ridicule or derision; absurd; preposterous; laughable: a ridiculous plan.
Origin:
1540–50; < LL rīdiculōsus laughable, droll, and L rīdiculus (adj. deriv. of rīdiculum ridicule ); see -ous

Related forms:
ri⋅dic⋅u⋅lous⋅ly, adverb
ri⋅dic⋅u⋅lous⋅ness, ri⋅dic⋅u⋅los⋅i⋅ty  /rɪˌdɪkyəˈlɒsɪti/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ri-dik-yuh-los-i-tee] Show IPA , noun

Synonyms:
nonsensical, ludicrous, funny, droll, comical, farcical. See absurd.

Antonyms:
sensible.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Related Words for : ridiculous
pathetic, silly, absurd, cockeyed, derisory
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ri·dic·u·lous (rĭ-dĭk'yə-ləs)
adj. Deserving or inspiring ridicule; absurd, preposterous, or silly. See Synonyms at foolish.

[From Latin rīdiculus, laughable, from rīdēre, to laugh.]
ri·dic'u·lous·ly adv., ri·dic'u·lous·ness n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

ridiculous
1550, from L. ridiculosus "laughable," from ridiculus "that which excites laughter," from ridere "to laugh." In modern senses, ridicule (n.) is attested from 1690; verb is from 1700.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

ridiculous

see from the ridiculous to the sublime.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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I don't see 'expensive' as a synonym. Maybe language books should be cheaper, too.

Meant as humor, not derision in any way.
 

sstamm

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My two got a lot from chegg, you had the option to rent or buy.

My daughter has rented books from Chegg.com also. For some books, it was a substantial savings. She could just save the packaging, and use it to return the books at the end of the semester. They give you a prepaid shipping label. It really was easy and convenient.
 

Patri

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The attached CDs are often never used or assigned by the professors. My kids have bought and sold used textbooks from Amazon and half.com
Never had a problem if CD wasn't included. Just make sure you know that upfront if buying and mention it in your ad if selling.
Yes, I think it's wrong for the teachers to write the book and require the students to purchase it. Tough for them to resell. It's all a racket.
 

pjrose

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I love teaching, you have to write your own books though.
The first day of class you make more money than the rest of the year!
Selling Your books of course!
Opps, the secret is out!
I have been teaching for over 30 years now and that is why the books cost so much! It depends on the profit margin the teacher asks for or the amount he gets back form the publisher!
Enjoy your classes!

What are you talking about - the professor teaching the class, or the author? Sure, the author gets a cut, as s/he should. Of course the person writing the book makes money from it. There's a ton of knowledge, research, and work in this.

DH and I are both professors and we have never never never gotten nor even heard of a cut for adopting a book.
 

pjrose

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The attached CDs are often never used or assigned by the professors. My kids have bought and sold used textbooks from Amazon and half.com
Never had a problem if CD wasn't included. Just make sure you know that upfront if buying and mention it in your ad if selling.
Yes, I think it's wrong for the teachers to write the book and require the students to purchase it. Tough for them to resell. It's all a racket.

The attached CDs usually cost little if any more; publishers offer "bundle" prices for including a CD, Study Guide, or other supplement. Often those bundles cost the same as the text without the CD. Do always check with the professor to see if it's required, recommended, or not used at all. In some classes DH or I require the supplements b/c assignments and videos are in them, in others we recommend them as a useful study aid due to good quiz and sample test questions, and in still others we don't use them at all (and don't order them) because they are not useful.

It is appropriate for a professor to require students to use his/her text, because that text will fit what the professor is teaching. The available texts may not include what the professor considers important, may overemphasize something s/he doesn't cover, or may not explain as well as the professor thinks she or he can.

For many years I used books that just didn't fit a particular class; I picked the best I could, but most didn't have the right emphases. Finally after reading student comments that they didn't use the book because my handouts were better, I stopped ordering a big text, and just stuck to a few smaller inexpensive supplements and my handouts.

If I were to follow through with my own text, I would certainly require it. I would likely make money from the publisher selling many thousands of copies, as I should, for my work, research, writing, etc. However, an extra 30 or 60 copies for my class isn't going to pad my pocket. Meanwhile, my students will do much better studying from a text that fits my class than one that doesn't have the same emphases.

I'm also the Mom of a college student and just bought two of his books on amazon.com. Both were math texts, which are very expensive in the newest editions, and in both cases the professors told the students to order the previous edition. One cost less than the shipping. The other was $70 even in the used previous edition. At least it wasn't over $100 for the newer edition that may not have been much different.

A comment re new editions - some books that are updated every 2-3 years and are in the 10th or 12th edition may not be much different than the previous few editions. In other cases, the first three or four editions are considerably different as reviewers' suggestions are added, student and professor feedback is considered (really!), and examples are clarified. Thus, if you are looking at the 10th edition of a text, certainly ask if the 9th would be ok. On the other hand, if the 3rd has been ordered, it may well be different than the 2nd.
 
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Emily

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I buy all my textbooks from either amazon or half.com

I save at least 1/2 of what my college bookstore charges. I always get the cd and I also buy the electronic version if the book is for one of my major classes (nursing) because I can outload to mp3 and listen to it as well as read it.

I don't rely on my professors to tell me whether I need a cd or not. Most professors don't visit the student site of the publisher and are not familiar with the online resources available (many books have resources). Unfortunately many students aren't familiar with those resources either.

I took a global societies class last semester and the book required was a compilation of writers but was edited by my professor. The book was outdated and the professor was incredibly biased. I think if I found myself in another class with the professor as the author/editor of the required text, I would drop the class.
 
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mo1950

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Many years ago I took a required class where the professor required us to purchase the textbook he had written. It was a terrible book in that it was long and rambling, very difficult to find facts from, and organized in a seemingly haphazard way. It was actually a detriment to learning when we were required to read sections from it and interpret.

Two weeks before the class ended, on a test question, we were required to write our opinion of his textbook. I gave it a scathing review, and the professor never spoke to me again. I did get my hard won A out of the class, surprisingly.
 

Lawlar

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Greed

I still have a few of my college textbooks from the late 60s and early 70s. Most of my teachers assigned paperback books (I majored in histroy). I still have a few and they were priced from $1.95 to $4.95.

In the 80s I taught some classes at night at a private college. The dean encouraged me to write a book for the class. I did that by summarizing what other texts provided and adding some of my own thought. Then I had a printer run it off on the cheap. The college gave me $75 a book for each student. The college made a profit on the book as well.

I made more money selling the book than I made teaching.

I went back to college several years ago to get another degree. The amount I had to pay for books was obscene. The only reason for it is greed.

By the way, Amazon is trying to get colleges to make their books available for the Kindle (I love my Kindle) and sell the books for far less. All the the books can fit easily on the electronic device - no need to lug big books around. But I'm sure the forces of greed will be reluctant to accept change. But we can hope.
 

pjrose

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It's too bad to hear about the students whose professors wrote books that were biased or otherwise not well written. I'm thinking of texts from major publishers, where the manuscript is peer reviewed every stage of the way. You are highly unlikely to find one of those that is poorly written, because the major publishers wouldn't commit to it.

I use the major texts from big publishers (except in the class where none really fits so I don't use one at all), and assume that the authors of same have their own students buy them too. It would be very strange for the author of a major book to use someone else's text.

I agree that they are overpriced. Options such as e-books, unbound 3-hole punched, books on disk, etc help, but even those are often expensive.
 

x3 skier

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Way back in the day in Engineering School, I never bought a textbook until about two weeks into the class. Most of the time, it really was not necessary except for the problems assigned from the book. Then I could just copy the problem from another student or from the college library copy.

I would say that over 80% of the time, buying the textbook was a complete waste of money.

Tines may have changed but blindly buying the book without seeing if it is really helpful never was a good idea to me.

Cheers
 
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