<p>What are the options for purchasing/renting textbooks? Any good advice for the incoming class of 2017? </p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Only the math department has the textbook list up atm. I think the full list for most departments goes up 1-2 weeks before. I recommend torrenting at home if you can find the book (don’t torrent in Cornell, use dc++ there). Some books I do buy, if I feel it’s a good book and I’d like to own a personal copy, but a pdf on the laptop is much more convenient. There is a store in collegetown called Kraftees which sells the books a little cheaper than the Cornell store.</p>
<p>Typically buying rent / new is a rip-off. If you were to buy something from the Cornell Store buy it used. You can try ordering on Amazon yourself and having it delivered to your CU address. There is also Cornell dc++ which has a lot of books/ resources.</p>
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<p>This is good advice, but some people (me, for example) have a difficult time getting by with only a PDF copy of the textbook. You have to be at a computer to read it, which can introduce the easy possibility of distraction…It’s easier to take a hard copy of the book to a library or somewhere where you know there’s not the temptation of the Internet lurking behind every bend. Not that having a PDF copy of the book is bad, I love it when I can find books in PDF format, it’s just I’d like to have a hard copy as well.</p>
<p>I’m not sure if linking to another site is against the rules (is it?), but I felt the need to refer you to this discussion :</p>
<p>[Ezra</a> Hub | #1913 - Buying books](<a href=“http://ezrahub.com/thread/1913/buying-books]Ezra”>http://ezrahub.com/thread/1913/buying-books)</p>
<p>It covers this topic pretty completely and probably has some of the information you’re looking for. Good luck!</p>
<p>^You can use it on a tablet, trust it its much more convenient than carrying 1500+ textbooks around. My question though is, if you can get your textbooks in PDF format, do you have to pay for textbooks, as part of the school fees? And do we get textbooks for this year only or for our whole stay at Cornell?</p>
<p>@Lelyke</p>
<p>I think I misinterpreted you so I edited my response. Cornell doesn’t care how/where/what form you get your books. As long as you have them, so yes a pdf version alone is just fine. Textbooks is included in the general vague expenses, it’s for everyone, it’s up to you how you obtain the books. </p>
<p>It’s up to you to buy the books new/used from Cornell store or rent them for a semester. If you buy them, they are yours to keep.</p>
<p>johnny05 - could you tell me what dc++ is? Thanks.</p>
<p>CHEM and MATH are already up, don’t know about the others</p>
<p><a href=“http://chemistry.cornell.edu/courses/upload/Chem-Textbooks-Fa13.pdf[/url]”>http://chemistry.cornell.edu/courses/upload/Chem-Textbooks-Fa13.pdf</a></p>
<p>[Textbook</a> List for Fall 2013 | <a href=“http://www.math.cornell.edu%5B/url%5D”>www.math.cornell.edu](<a href=“http://www.math.cornell.edu/m/Courses/Textbooks/fa13]Textbook”>http://www.math.cornell.edu/m/Courses/Textbooks/fa13)</a></p>
<p>This is word-for-word from the dc++ website. “DC++ is a Direct Connect peer-to-peer file sharing program used among many members of the Cornell community. It allows students to share files across Cornell’s local area network without using up their monthly bandwidth allowance or being susceptible to outside threats. It is a student-run network and is in no way supported by the Cornell Information Technologies (CIT) department. It is perfectly legal as long as none of the files transferred violate copyright laws.”</p>
<p>[Cornell</a> DC++ Windows Setup Guide](<a href=“http://www.cornelldc.com/windows/index.php]Cornell”>Cornell DC++ Windows Setup Guide)</p>
<p>You can definitely find books much cheaper than at the Cornell Store or on Amazon usually. Sometimes you can find upperclassmen selling them. Also try Craigslist.</p>
<p>Cornell overcharges for textbooks, so I’d definitely recommend Amazon instead.</p>
<p>Also, DC++ occasionally has “Teacher’s Solution Manuals”, so that’s also helpful!</p>
<p>Any “Teacher’s Solution Manuals” found on DC++ (or anywhere else on the Internet, for that matter), unless made available by the instructor, with the consent of the copyright holder, would almost certainly violate copyright law and therefore would be illegal to either upload or download.</p>
<p>I mean, yeah, it’s illegal, but it’s still there.
Porn/pirated materials are on DC++ too.
There is next to no monitoring on the server.</p>
<p>Be extremely careful with copyright issues. There is a person whose Ph.D. degree was revoked 10 years after his graduation.</p>
<p>The DC++ things I heard here seems to be possible to get you into acedemic integrity trouble now or in the future. Don’t do it.</p>
<p>@2Daswell
He lost his Ph.D. because he stole some work from other people. It’s a given he loses his doctorate. His situation doesn’t have much in relation to the P2P sharing we are discussing.</p>
<p>The biggest risk about DC++ is getting sued by record companies for pirating music. Cornell’s server still has users uploading music illegally, even after being temporarily shut down in 2011. Just don’t download music/movies of any sort and you’ll be fine.</p>
<p>News article of DC++ server being shut down (2011):
[DC++</a> Shuts Down, Citing Legal Liability Concerns | The Cornell Daily Sun](<a href=“http://cornellsun.com/section/news/content/2011/11/29/dc-shuts-down-citing-legal-liability-concerns]DC++”>DC++ Shuts Down, Citing Legal Liability Concerns | The Cornell Daily Sun)</p>
<p>Have 2 classes where the online book store doesn’t show any information for, is this normal? Is there somewhere else where the book would be posted (haven’t received any e-mails from prof.) Just don’t wanna be the only bookless person on day 1.</p>
<p>@tblanc
Don’t worry. They’ll tell you what books to get once you get a syllabus on Day 1.
Most classes don’t even use the textbooks until a week or two later.</p>
<p>Most people never order my textbooks early. They go to class on the first day, get the syllabus, and order a used copy off Amazon. Cornell severely overcharges for everything.</p>
<p>The “PH.D. Degree was revoked after 10 years of graduation” is just a warning that copyright issues which relate to academic integrity are possible to be traced back for unlimited years.</p>
<p>If the “Teacher’s Solution Manuals” included old tests which were not approved by the instructor to post on this file sharing system, students who downloaded or even just viewed the contents can be at risk.</p>
<p>I’d like to make people aware that any log in ID’s, IP’s, dates, and paths visited can be recorded in daily backups of the servers. If someone sues, all the users and activities can be traced.</p>
<p>I know many don’t care about these just because they don’t know much about the consequences. I believe if they know they will be very careful. Good luck to everyone on finding the right books.</p>
<p>“If the “Teacher’s Solution Manuals” included old tests which were not approved by the instructor…”</p>
<p>A teacher’s solution manual is a book with the answers to odd numbered problems in the book. It does not literally mean the “professor’s manual with all old tests”. The bigger risk is being sued by the publishing companies for posting the material, which I assume was first acquired through TA’s.</p>
<p>Please, educate yourself before you post.</p>
<p>I said “If…” to give you opportunity to use your own judgement! I really don’t need to know what is exactly in there. Those who are using it are at their own risk.</p>