<p>Relevant article from today’s Chronicle of Higher Education: [Rise</a> of Online Booksellers Brings Complaints From Campus Bookstores](<a href=“Rise of Online Booksellers Brings Complaints From Campus Bookstores”>Rise of Online Booksellers Brings Complaints From Campus Bookstores).</p>
<p>I had never considered “revisions” to Chaucer or Shakespeare being a sore subject. I guess that’s because I am on the more technical side of the textbook discussion. My current gripe is Math. Son has calculus book by the same author I used 20+ years ago. I am pretty sure calculus does not change.</p>
<p>Why don’t universities create a common book for core subjects that don’t change and share them freely? A lot of material has not changed for several decades, and in some cases several centuries.</p>
<p>Also, take advantage of websites that offer used textbooks among students at the same college. Some students also find textbooks through the facebook pages of their college. For example, if you belong to the Swampgas University Class of 2016 facebook group, you may want to join the Class of 2015 group to find textbooks being offered by students who are a year older. </p>
<p>In response to Decide’s comments, there actually is a movement for open-source free online textbooks on various subjects. I don’t have a link, but I read that some professors have been working on it, on a volunteer basis</p>
<p>My daughter has also saved money by choosing the looseleaf versons of expensive textbooks.</p>
<p>Wasatch, more than a few points in that article ring true. For example, why is it that despite multiple revisions and editions, you can find the same or similar errors and typos in a STEM textbook? That students are charged a premium for a shoddy product is outrageous.</p>
<p>Heres a link of some courses that use open source textbooks.</p>
<p><a href=“http://collegeopentextbooks.ning.com/page/adoptions-of-open-textbooks”>http://collegeopentextbooks.ning.com/page/adoptions-of-open-textbooks</a></p>
<p>Heres a link of some courses that use open source textbooks.</p>
<p><a href=“http://collegeopentextbooks.ning.com/page/adoptions-of-open-textbooks”>http://collegeopentextbooks.ning.com/page/adoptions-of-open-textbooks</a>
<a href=“ChemWiki takes on costly textbooks”>http://phys.org/news/2013-10-chemwiki-costly-textbooks.html</a></p>
<p>I encouraged Lake Jr. to investigate MIT Open Course Ware as a supplement to required materials, but I don’t think that OCW can replace assigned texts, unless there’s a fundamental change in classroom instruction in higher education.</p>
<p>Maybe U.S. colleges should consider the method used in the U.K. As I understand it, assigned textbooks are rare for a U.K. university “taught course.” Instead, in addition to lectures, students are permitted to use any sourcebook or reference germane to their academic discipline in preparation for their major projects or exams.</p>
<p>On the topic of open courseware:</p>
<p>Professors have a lot to do without writing textbooks, and sadly most universities do not give a lot of weight to textbook authorship when making advancement and tenure decisions. (I suppose there are exceptions.)</p>
<p>The financial rewards of writing a text that sells well are high enough that some professors practically abandon their research and teaching and become textbook machines. They see it as a fair trade – especially after they have earned tenure and made a name for themselves.</p>
<p>Since there is no financial incentive to write free courseware, time constraints usually keep professors from investing a lot of time in such a project.</p>
<p>BUT. 20 years ago, who would have imagined that a thing like Wikipedia was even possible? So much effort for ZERO reward! I think we will eventually see excellent online textbooks at zero cost to students.</p>
<p>
This is what I thought, too, but in fact the line numbers weren’t quite the same. I guess it’s remotely possible that scholarship could result in editing changes to some of these classics, but, gee whiz.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p><a href=“Big Savings for U.S. Students in Open-Source Book Program - Parents Forum - College Confidential Forums”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1289172-big-savings-for-u-s-students-in-open-source-book-program.html</a> lists some, but they may not be that widely used.</p>
<p>Interestingly, Berkeley’s math department uses a custom version of Stewart’s calculus book – but the custom version costs less than the regular version at Amazon.</p>
<p>In a side-by-side comparison, I’d like to see how truly different the custom version and the general textbook really are. In a discipline like Calculus, I tend to doubt that there’s a substantive difference, or at least a difference that results in a critical change in learning outcomes for the students. Think about it. Is it financially optimal for a publisher to simultaneously produce different editions at Berkeley, RPI and Alabama? Only if the investment is cheap and the return is significant. Also, I understand that ‘Stewart’s Calculus’ has been around for ages, so the publisher’s sunk costs were probably recovered long ago.</p>
<p>Just like the international editions, the text may be very similar and even identical. But the problems may be different and that may be critical if the instructor just assign homework from there.</p>
<p>Berkeley’s custom edition of Stewart’s calculus apparently does the following:</p>
<ol>
<li> Comes in paperback.</li>
<li> Splits into two volumes, one for single variable calculus (Math 1A and 1B) and one for multivariable calculus (Math 53).</li>
</ol>
<p>Prices (new) for Stewart’s calculus 7th edition:</p>
<p>Berkeley single variable volume at campus bookstore: $62.50
Berkeley multivariable volume at campus bookstore: $59.75
Both Berkeley volumes at campus bookstore: $122.25
Generic hardcover version at Amazon: $219.96
Generic paperback version at Amazon marketplace: $194.15</p>
<p>The split volume options are confusing and as a clear as fog on a Scottish Moor at midnight. Lake Jr. ran into this problem last year with a Physics textbook. Unfortunately, the only rational thing to do was to purchase the pricey copy from the university bookstore. Of course that was the publisher’s intent.</p>
<p>I’m glad my son emailed his prof about the “Sampling” book. The prof didn’t have any better luck finding the book! He emailed the class and said that if anyone had the book, he would make copies for everyone until the text is in stock again. We can’t figure out why the prof doesn’t have his own copy yet!</p>
<p>My son gets anxious about this kind of thing. I told him he handled it well. Every time a problem comes up, he should just take a deep breath and take it one step at a time. Most problems are fixable!</p>
<p>My daughter’s college uses some customized versions of textbooks for their college. It makes it impossible to buy used books on the wider market, and limits choices for new purchases. The college claims that the books end up having a cheaper list price, because they tell the publisher to only include the chapters that are covered in their classes.</p>
<p>in reference to Barnes and Noble, they used to occasionally email out coupons for 10% or 15% off. The coupons always said they could not be used at their college bookstores.</p>
<p>^ Same thing for Neebo. Many campus bookstores are affiliated with Neebo. There are online coupons and cashback for Neebo that one may easily save 15-20% and pick up the same book in their college bookstore (or shipped free).</p>