<p>I know it's sort of early, but I was looking at the list of required textbooks that the myUCF website provides for whichever classes you're enrolled in, and noticed that some call for "UCF" edition textbooks. Looking at amazon though, I could get the same books in standard editions for nearly 1/2 to 1/5 of the price. Does anyone know whether or not the "UCF edition" books are any different from the normal ones?</p>
<p>I'm guessing it's just a way for the university to try and make a quick buck lol.</p>
<p>Check the ISBN numbers. If they are the same then the book is the exact same. However when it says UCF text there is usually something else bundled with it like a CD, Study Guide, etc… So just make sure that the supplemental item is also included if you purchase it at amazon.com</p>
<p>Also becareful purchasing to far in advance of the semester as the books could change.</p>
<p>Oh, the books are for Calculus I and Chemistry by the way.</p>
<p>I checked the ISBN’s, but apparently they don’t exist in any database outside of UCF’s. It lists the names of the two books, “Chemistry: The Central Science” and “James Stewart’s Calculus”, which are both easily found on Amazon for quite a bit cheaper than UCF’s website. I’m assuming both editions are the same, but it doesn’t actually say. </p>
<p>And I definitely don’t plan on buying books until I’m about to move in lol, but I’m just trying to get an idea of just how much I’ll be spending.</p>
<p>Well, I had an anthropology book like that. ISBN’s don’t match up but the names are the same, ect. What I ended up doing was buying the UCF edition (AKA wasting my money) and then went to class on the first day and found out that it didn’t matter. All the UCF edition meant was that they had removed 3 chapters from the original text. YES that’s all they did. lol And now the only place that I can sell it back to is the UCF bookstore, which doesn’t payback much.</p>
<p>My advice: what till the first day and see what they professor REALLY wants you to have.</p>
<p>Isbn have to be issued for each book that is printed. Let me help you understand them. A book is assigned an ISBN a year or even longer prior to its publication. This book if after publication is modified for any reason then a new iban has to be issued. </p>
<p>So with the above simple explanation let’s apply it to the academic industry. Books are advertised to various Universities such as UCF, Yale, and FSU. Each university can have ‘standards’ on what photos are in their books and in some subjects what can/can’t be in their printed books. Some states also have regulations that dictate a certain section of a book.</p>
<p>So while you may see the exact title with a different ISBN number, the books have had some changes in the context that has demanded a new number. This means you could have pages missing, photos changed, state specific information, and even university specific data.</p>
<p>And to further compliant when a book has a new isbn, if the book is bundled with a supplemental guide or DVD then a isbn will be a new number.</p>
<p>Does a change in edition i.e. going from 5th to 6th edition always result in a new ISBN? I searched amazon.com for a calculus book and got hits for a 5th edition while the current ucf bookstore calls for the 8th edition.</p>