Price controls on college textbooks

[Arrian]

But the university and the profs just aren't sensitive to the expense because it's the students who pay for them. That's the problem. I've got a lot of experience as a student. I've got about 300 semester units. Gradually I've seen that the updates in new additions more and more don't justify making students buy new additions. On top of that they add on costs for these digital things that students really don't need or even want.

That's a problem, yeah.

There is also a clear Arts non-Arts discrimination here.

An Arts major can usually find his books cheaper elsewhere, or even just borrow in class, saving hundreds of dollars over university rapage.

But the sciences major is in a less enviable position. Often, for something like Biology, you actually do need the latest edition.

The counterpoint is that often a science class requires a single textbook. Sure, it might cost $75. Meanwhile, my History class requires more than 10 books. They're smaller, they're available used, and the cost... $8-$12 each. Do the math.

-Arrian

[Dinner]

The sad thing is most of those text books have basically been out for 20-30 years with just minor edits. Every 2-3 years they come out with a new edition which amounts to randomizing a few numbers on problems (now done electronically so it requires no work or effort by the publisher) and they exchange chapter 4 with chapter 3.

The purpose of this is simple. They're trying to stay ahead of the used book market where people can buy the same book at 1/4 the price.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Text books, of course, cost so much because there is only a limited selling pool. They are only selling to students (non-students are not really going to even THINK about buying a textbook on something). Since the quantity of potential buyers is so low, they jack up the price so they can make some money.

The onus has to be on the professors, IMO.

[Japher]

i'm not a student, and I would actually buy text books if they weren't so damn expensive

[Imran Siddiqui]

You have issues.

[Japher]

yup

[Apocalypse]

I had an english class where the teacher kept taking off points on my quiz just because I didn't have a book with me. We were supposed to have a Norton, but I just read everything in there online.

[Asher]

It costs a lot of money to get experts in the field to sit down and write textbooks that have limited circulation. That's why they're expensive.

Putting price controls on them will likely just reduce the number of quality experts taking the time to write the books, which would detriment education across the country.

I say, go for it.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Asher
It costs a lot of money to get experts in the field to sit down and write textbooks that have limited circulation. That's why they're expensive.

Putting price controls on them will likely just reduce the number of quality experts taking the time to write the books, which would detriment education across the country.

I say, go for it.

Why do we need multiple experts all writing their own textbooks? We really only need one in each field. Whether or not we can manage it is a different question.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
The onus has to be on the professors, IMO.

That's the current problem. Not the solution. The profs want total quality, and aren't sensitive to price. We need some controls.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Kidicious
Why do we need multiple experts all writing their own textbooks? We really only need one in each field.

Yeah! Because there is only one answer and one theory and one opinion in advanced study of the field!

One True Answer^TM.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by Kidicious
Why do we need multiple experts all writing their own textbooks? We really only need one in each field. Whether or not we can manage it is a different question.

Everyone doesn't agree with the same experts, though.

[:) Smiley]

Around my school, lots of people use editions of textbooks intended for the Asian market.

Professors definitely have a role; the professors I've had who really knew what they were doing didn't assign any textbooks for the class.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Imran Siddiqui
Everyone doesn't agree with the same experts, though.

Does that really matter though? If they don't agree let them say that in their lectures.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Asher

Yeah! Because there is only one answer and one theory and one opinion in advanced study of the field!

One True Answer^TM.

No one said anything about not teaching all the theories. Generally, all of the textbooks are inclusive of all the theories.