<p>S is taking an intermediate French class. There were three books on the list at the bookstore. I found them online for $90, which was less than half the price for used books in the bookstore. The main book ($45) was the 7th edition, which was the most recent one online and matched the ISBN on the bookstore list.</p>
<p>The professor put the syllabus on Blackboard the first week of the semester. There were two additional books listed, the lab manual and answer key for the main book, also 7th edition. They weren't added to the bookstore list, but I found them online for $81 and had them shipped directly to S.</p>
<p>This week, the third week of the semester, the professor announced that the bookstore now had the 8th edition of the books and she was going to start using them immediately. They cost $194! :eek: The students who bought the books at the bookstore can trade them in for credit toward the new ones, but those who bought them elsewhere are SOL. I can't even find the 8th edition listed online.</p>
<p>The 7th edition came out in 2006. Were there some fantastic new discoveries in the French language in the past four years?</p>
<p>That professor is unreasonable. Last semester in my Intro Spanish class, I used the old edition of the textbook but got the new edition of the activities manual (since she assigned exercises from there for homework)</p>
<p>I would have your son look at a classmate’s book and see how much difference there is. Sometimes the changes are minimal. Our Spanish book changed between Spanish 1 and Spanish 2 and the changes were really slight (mostly cultural stuff, and sometimes the same questions but in a different order). The teacher said anyone with the old book could use it.</p>
<p>Personally to change the book once class has started seems very unreasonable to me.</p>
<p>I think its ridiculous! I would never do that to my students. Moreover, I know many a textbook writer who happily plays along with the publisher with edition after edition. In many slowing evolving fields, it’s a complete scam as the only purpose most of the time is to sell more new (as opposed to used) books. I find it outrageous.</p>
<p>Way, way over the line on the teacher’s part. Probably some sort of kickback deal from the publisher. </p>
<p>Who publishes new editions of textbooks weeks AFTER the start of a semester? In law school, I worked on a supplement and new edition for a popular textbook. You had better believe that the author and his minions knew when we had to have stuff finished to get the book on the shelves before the first major law school started classes. There were big bucks at issue (as there are here) – and there WERE substantial developments year to year in that area.</p>
<p>Did the professor write the “revised” text? I agree this is not good form. Most students purchase their books prior to the start of classes…in fact, most teachers expect that to happen. Perhaps the teacher will be accommodating for those who have already purchased the book. It’s worth asking.</p>
<p>Heh. I switched books midstream so that my students could all use a text that was available for free on our library’s Web site. The only ones who complained were the ones who didn’t listen to me at the beginning of the semester and bought the $90 book when I’d told them to hold off until we got to that part of the class.</p>
<p>Back on topic: I agree that it’s unreasonable to switch text editions midstream as this prof has done. Also agree that the students who’ve purchased the old edition but not the new can probably get by with the old one; significant changes from one edition to the next are pretty rare in my experience.</p>
<p>I doubt there is much difference between the 7th and 8th edition. I would suggest spending a little time comparing them before buying the new one.</p>
<p>This textbook thing will soon be radically different. Devices such as the new Apple iPad will replace textbooks. This will allow students to rent the text for the duration of the course (with an option to purchase if they want to keep it) rather than buy and resell books. Publishers will actually make more money because they will no longer need to contend with used-book sales, there will be none. Two semesters of rentals will more than pay for the device (which will likely replace notebook computers as well for most).</p>
<p>I really hope not idad. I personally much prefer an actual book in my hands. I had a class where I had the book and also had the e version of the book (assignments were submitted through an online site that cost $$s and had the ebook). I ended up giving up o the ebook - I hated it. ot jus generational - my daughter feels the same. </p>
<p>The scenario you are talking about sounds like it would end up costing the student more.</p>
<p>My Spanish class is absurd because of ALL the Spanish textbooks out there, they couldn’t find a single one they liked so they make their own book-- so I have no choice but to buy a brand new $140 book that I can’t sell back. If they would just PICK A REAL BOOK, ANY BOOK I could probably get it for less than $100, and if I am savvy sell it back for a profit. But no, when the semester ends I am stuck with a $140 door stop. And frankly, the book sucks. There is nothing in it but activities and like two page at the end of each chapter with a few very brief lessons in it. I don’t even use the stupid thing for anything.</p>
<p>How about this…when DS was a freshman, he went to orientation and signed up for all of his classes. He wanted to get a jumpstart on the reading for his literature/writing course, so he bought all of the books AND read them. A week before the start of classes, he got an email that the course was NOT going to happen and instead of an “American Literature/writing” course, he and his classmates had been assigned to a “Russian Literature/writing” course. Not only were we out the money for all the books (about $75) but DS’s thought of getting the reading done in advance just didn’t work.</p>
<p>Could your son approach the dean and ask if he/she could speak to the professor about it? Requesting that the dean not give your son’s name, of course. If the dean backs her decision, then at least you will know there is nothing that can be done about it.</p>
From what I understand the attractiveness of the iPad is that it has a user interface that allows one to interact with a book quite differently than one would on a computer. One actually holds in it one’s hands (much like a book) and with a finger swipe turn the page at the speed of the swipe, and the page appears to turn just as it would on a book. Those who I know who have actually used the thing say it is a completely different experience than found on a netbook or notebook computer. I will have to wait until I try it myself to pass final judgment, but I am hopeful this will end the super-heavy backpack and over-priced texts.</p>
<p>As to the first, yes. As to the second, dream on! (a) The price of paper, ink, transportation, and storage is certainly a factor in the price of textbooks. How much of a factor? Not a whole lot. (b) One of the strategies Apple is pursuing is not trying to force publishers to sell ibooks cheaply. There is a lot of resistance to Kindle because Amazon tries to impose a $9.99 price cap. Apple has said it won’t do that. Publishers aren’t going to put textbooks – which are bread and butter to them – on screens if it means they are going to make less money.</p>
<p>Last summer, one of my kids had a text that had an electronic option. It was really unattractive – not meaningfully cheaper than the physical book, and it vanished after 9 months I think.</p>
<p>I think the professor is out of line, and I can’t believe that the professor is unaware of the price of books and the bind this will put students in. However, I think your son should first politely explain that he has already purchased the texts originally listed for the course and verify that he will be okay with those, explaining that he can’t afford really afford to purchase a whole new set of books. If the professor pushes back I might consider having him then taking his concern to a higher authority.</p>
<p>This is pure marketing! New editions usually include a new cover and maybe a revised preface. Sometimes it has a different order of the pages. Not much else. It’s just “new” to make the older editions obsolete, but at $140 a pop, ask the professor if you can use the older version. Or, check with the others in the room. It’s mostly just renumbered pages.</p>
I agree this is not good form. Most students purchase their books prior to the start of classes…in fact, most teachers expect that to happen. Perhaps the teacher will be accommodating for those who have already purchased the book. It’s worth asking.</p>