College students specifically

Have you thought about how new editions are made or calculus and statistics textbooks when the subjects themselves haven't really changed? Is there a need to update those?

Another example with languages textbooks. Has Italian (insert any other foreign language) radically changed within a few years so that people need new editions of textbooks?

And what's up with their price sometimes? Especially since most of the content already exists (at least for some courses). 200 dollars for a textbook in a subject like Spanish or Bio 101?

/endrant

tbh i just photocopy the textbook, so much cheaper. like even if you buy a textbook and resell it the resale value < photocopy money

Isn't that illegal though

I agree with you. For example some of my physics textbooks I need an update to a 2014 version when the 2012 version literally had the exact same info, just it was re arranged in the 2014 version and it added like a glossary. But that made the 2014 version cost $120 more and I'm like

Most of the time updates aren't even needed.

The only textbook that pissed me off was my Accounting one from last term. It wasn't included on the textbook list, and you couldn't buy it used as it came with a unique code to use online. And you can't sell it to anyone else for the same reason. And it cost $160. What am I going to do with it now?

i think so ? i dont photocopy the whole text book, just the pages i need for the week. from my understanding the rule is your not supposed to photocopy pages upon pages, just a few pages and its fine - but that rule is so loose no one cares at my uni not even the librarians.

Yep, big-time.

Ugh you reminded me that it is that time of the year again when you have to buy books
I try to find free pdf's online, or buy used books, or rent from amazon
And these editions are a scam. Everything is completely the same. You can buy an old edition. Just the page numbers will be different

Do they really expect students to spend $400 a semester for the books for all classes? BYE

University in general is kind of a scam. 30k+ a year. Like bye.

Find PDF's online. Buy older used versions. Or just photocopy.

In Canada its only like 3500$ a year thank god, otherwise I'd agree with you

But yea, I have so many Political Science textbooks and they're completely useless to me now. I resold some of them but you barely make up for the value.

Professors who publish their own textbooks and force their students to purchase it are not slick and are the absolute pits

YES FFS

esp if they make you buy the course book too, like bitch why not put the textbook material in the bloody course book

Yes. Some books are $100-200, like why? It's disgusting. "2014 edition" probably corrected a typo found in the 2013 edition.

The sellers, the professors,, the universities, the state, everybody

Apparently I needed two books for this one class, like forced to buy it bc grades were threatened... turns out it was the same ****ing book, the last three chapters in the first book were the first three chapters in the second book and we didn't even finish the second book it just collected dust.