Comments on: Myths and Facts about School Textbook Prices http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/05/31/myths-and-facts-about-school-textbook-prices/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Tue, 07 Oct 2008 13:45:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Sell your old books through CampusBooks | Indian Entrepreneurship | Oodami http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/05/31/myths-and-facts-about-school-textbook-prices/#comment-831632 Sell your old books through CampusBooks | Indian Entrepreneurship | Oodami Mon, 23 Jun 2008 00:48:18 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6631#comment-831632 [...] have realized that this unorganized sector is eating up their profits. Publishers have found ways to counter this issue. They release new editions of the textbook with a little change and [...] [...] have realized that this unorganized sector is eating up their profits. Publishers have found ways to counter this issue. They release new editions of the textbook with a little change and [...]

]]> By: Juan http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/05/31/myths-and-facts-about-school-textbook-prices/#comment-762407 Juan Sun, 13 Apr 2008 20:21:51 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6631#comment-762407 Whoever is in charge of this, can you give me more information. I'm doing research on this topic, and I'm getting it, but some stuff still seems unclear. Can you tell me what can a student do in a private university to help reduce the cost of textbooks locally in their university, like the steps? And what are your arguments and your counter arguments concerning this using facts? Please respond, since I'm very anxious about this topic and finding new ways to reduce costs, something practical that we can do to lower prices in our school. Please email me at juanitojr13@hotmail.com. Whoever is in charge of this, can you give me more information. I’m doing research on this topic, and I’m getting it, but some stuff still seems unclear. Can you tell me what can a student do in a private university to help reduce the cost of textbooks locally in their university, like the steps? And what are your arguments and your counter arguments concerning this using facts? Please respond, since I’m very anxious about this topic and finding new ways to reduce costs, something practical that we can do to lower prices in our school. Please email me at juanitojr13@hotmail.com.

]]> By: suyw http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/05/31/myths-and-facts-about-school-textbook-prices/#comment-721002 suyw Fri, 22 Feb 2008 18:06:28 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6631#comment-721002 The U.S. Department of Laborís Bureau of Labor Statistics cited in this article doesn't exist. They didn't give a citation and it seems they were trying to invoke use of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics The U.S. Department of Laborís Bureau of Labor Statistics cited in this article doesn’t exist.

They didn’t give a citation and it seems they were trying to invoke use of the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics

]]> By: Robert Nagle http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/05/31/myths-and-facts-about-school-textbook-prices/#comment-393717 Robert Nagle Sat, 02 Jun 2007 07:07:41 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6631#comment-393717 Annotations are really important! I find it hard to understand why devices like Sony Reader have really limited support for that. I personally don't like reading on a laptop, but it would be nice to have the ability to make annotations on the actual text. Annotations are really important! I find it hard to understand why devices like Sony Reader have really limited support for that. I personally don’t like reading on a laptop, but it would be nice to have the ability to make annotations on the actual text.

]]> By: Joseph Gray http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/05/31/myths-and-facts-about-school-textbook-prices/#comment-393376 Joseph Gray Fri, 01 Jun 2007 18:39:15 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6631#comment-393376 One more comment about textbooks, this time from the ebook angle. For the courses that I am currently taking, I specifically tried to find ebook editions for all six of them. I only found one and it was a novel. One of the textbooks was supposedly available as an ebook, as I found an ISBN for it. However, I could not find anywhere to buy it. I even emailed the publisher, but never got a response. The reason I wanted ebook editions is that I have a tablet PC and find it much easier to annotate and highlight an ebook on the tablet. It is also easier to copy text passages to use for study notes. Besides, I hate marking up a p-book. Perhaps that is one reason why I couldn't find ebook editions. If I have to markup a p-book, I can't sell it as a used book. This means fewer used books on the market and more sales of "new" books. One more comment about textbooks, this time from the ebook angle.

For the courses that I am currently taking, I specifically tried to find ebook editions for all six of them. I only found one and it was a novel. One of the textbooks was supposedly available as an ebook, as I found an ISBN for it. However, I could not find anywhere to buy it. I even emailed the publisher, but never got a response.

The reason I wanted ebook editions is that I have a tablet PC and find it much easier to annotate and highlight an ebook on the tablet. It is also easier to copy text passages to use for study notes. Besides, I hate marking up a p-book.

Perhaps that is one reason why I couldn’t find ebook editions. If I have to markup a p-book, I can’t sell it as a used book. This means fewer used books on the market and more sales of “new” books.

]]> By: Joseph Gray http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/05/31/myths-and-facts-about-school-textbook-prices/#comment-393372 Joseph Gray Fri, 01 Jun 2007 18:28:58 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6631#comment-393372 The textbook business is more like a racket than a business. The changing of a few words and page numbers, to make a "new edition" is a farce. Very little or no new content is added. This is done to kill the sale of used textbooks and force the student to buy a new book at an unjustifiably high price. In most academic subjects, there really isn't a need to have a new edition every year. I am currently taking three classes (Summer session) and I purchased the required textbooks online for about $200 (with shipping). If I had purchased these same textbooks at the university bookstore, the price would have been double. I'm sure the online sellers are making a good profit, so the university pricing is pure price gouging of a captive market. Some years ago, I took a course where the required textbook was written by the instructor. Not only was the textbook pure crap, but it was outragiously priced. And it was a medium-sized paperback. If textbooks had to compete for sales like other books, none of this would be happening. However, the collusion between the publishers, the universities and the professors, keep this extortion racket going. The only recourse that the student has is to see if he can find the textbooks online. Even there, he usually has to buy the expensive "new edition", rather than a perfectly good used book. Our governments investigate businesses like Microsoft, phone companies and satellite radio companies over concerns about monopolistic practices, price fixing and dirty deals. What about taking a look at the textbook industry? The textbook business is more like a racket than a business. The changing of a few words and page numbers, to make a “new edition” is a farce. Very little or no new content is added. This is done to kill the sale of used textbooks and force the student to buy a new book at an unjustifiably high price. In most academic subjects, there really isn’t a need to have a new edition every year.

I am currently taking three classes (Summer session) and I purchased the required textbooks online for about $200 (with shipping). If I had purchased these same textbooks at the university bookstore, the price would have been double. I’m sure the online sellers are making a good profit, so the university pricing is pure price gouging of a captive market.

Some years ago, I took a course where the required textbook was written by the instructor. Not only was the textbook pure crap, but it was outragiously priced. And it was a medium-sized paperback.

If textbooks had to compete for sales like other books, none of this would be happening. However, the collusion between the publishers, the universities and the professors, keep this extortion racket going.

The only recourse that the student has is to see if he can find the textbooks online. Even there, he usually has to buy the expensive “new edition”, rather than a perfectly good used book.

Our governments investigate businesses like Microsoft, phone companies and satellite radio companies over concerns about monopolistic practices, price fixing and dirty deals. What about taking a look at the textbook industry?

]]> By: Branko Collin http://www.teleread.org/blog/2007/05/31/myths-and-facts-about-school-textbook-prices/#comment-392782 Branko Collin Thu, 31 May 2007 23:28:13 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=6631#comment-392782 I don't understand how the "fact" is supposed to contradict the "myth"? I don’t understand how the “fact” is supposed to contradict the “myth”?

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