Gripe of The Day: College Books are so expensive .

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

I was recently at the college bookstore and have spent 600 $ on my books this semester .
Really ticks me off cuz all the books are new editions and last years editions I was planning to borrow from my friends are now ''obsolete .''
I understand updating history books but updating a Calculus book ??
Bah .

[cthomer5000]

I really think it is the best scam going.

Major suggestion... buy and sell your books through half.com.

Go to the bookstore, look at the exact book you need and write down ISBN# of each of them. That way there is absolutely no confusion about which version you are buying when you do it online. You can search by ISBN number and will only get exact matches (same versions).

You'll make WAY more when selling back books, and you can get them for significantly cheaper than the bookstore. Remember, even if your college isn't using that book anymore, 50 others in the country might be.

[MikeVic]

I agree completely.. they cost EXTREMELY too much. New editions will add a new diagram or two, and maybe add a paragraph to each chapter, so that page numbers don't match up anymore. :mad:

[CamEdwards]

There's a news story today about this very thing. (http://www.komotv.com/stories/29552.htm)

SEATTLE - You won't find this class in any college, but a new study claims textbook publishers are behind "Rip-off 101".

Many students and parents fork over more than a thousand dollars a year just for books.

Any college student will tell you they dread buying textbooks.

"Per quarter it's usually about $250 to $300," said UW student Ryan Larsen.

Suzie Love says, "I'm a law student and I spent about $400 this quarter,"

The Washington Student Public Interest Research Group calls it's study "Rip-off 101".

Researchers here and in Oregon and California interviewed hundreds of students, professors and college book store managers.

WASHPIRG accuses publishers of cranking out new editions just to make the old ones obsolete.

In a $120 calculus book, students say they found only minor changes from the old edition.

"So essentially we are just paying $40 more dollars for different numbers on the math problems and exercises," said UW student Jay Holcomb.

Many students try to rely on cheaper used textbooks.

"There's never really enough used ones, It seems like 75 percent of the books I have to buy are new," said Larsen.

The reports also slams the practice of bundling textbooks... forcing students to by the whole pack, when they only need one.

And, the study charges the price of the same book varies widely.

"American students must pay $125," said Holcomb, holding up a calculus book. "In Canada, students pay $95 U.S. dollars for this. In Great Britain, students pay $65 U.S. dollars for this."

We made calls to several to of the biggest textbook publishing companies to get their reaction to this reports, but none have called us back.

"Seems like the teacher could step up and demand that the old text books be used they don't have to use the new ones," said Larsen.

One UW math professor said she'd love to, but once the old edition is out of print, used book suppliers stop carrying them, meaning students must fork over the cash for a new one.

"I just kind of cringe and do it, it's not fun," said Love.

WashPIRG hopes public pressure will force textbook companies to change their tactics.

Senator Charles Schumer and Congressman David Wu have already introduced national legislation to bring prices down.

[BishopMVP]

WashPIRG hopes public pressure will force textbook companies to change their tactics.
I have a unique perspective on this, being a college student and the fact my dad writes an astronomy textbook for most of our income.

Overall, the books prices are ridiculously expensive. Luckily, I'm a freshman and taking mostly big classes, so finding other people I know to trade books with wasn't hard. I don't think I'm even going to buy some of the books unless it turns out I need them - last term I had 2 almost completely unused textbooks.

It's not all the textbook companies fault. The group that really makes loads of money here is the bookstores. My dad only gets about $6 per book sold, and then at most colleges, the university will buy back the these books for a pittance ($10 or so) and re-sell them as used copies that are like $20 cheaper than the new books. The average student, like me, will look at this and say "Oh, that's the same book for cheaper, of course I'll buy it." None of the money from these re-sales goes back to the publishing company, meaning bookstores make like $60-$100 profit off re-selling these books.

Basically, as much as the publishing companies may be ripping people off, they aren't the only ones doing it, and any legislation should take that into account.

[Ksyrup]

"American students must pay $125," said Holcomb, holding up a calculus book. "In Canada, students pay $95 U.S. dollars for this. In Great Britain, students pay $65 U.S. dollars for this."
Hey! Just like prescription drugs. I wonder... if a mass movement to buy textbooks across the border ever materialized, would the government try to prevent it by arguing that the books aren't safe, since they contain references to the metric system?

[Ksyrup]

I have a unique perspective on this, being a college student and the fact my dad writes an astronomy textbook for most of our income.

Overall, the books prices are ridiculously expensive. Luckily, I'm a freshman and taking mostly big classes, so finding other people I know to trade books with wasn't hard. I don't think I'm even going to buy some of the books unless it turns out I need them - last term I had 2 almost completely unused textbooks.

It's not all the textbook companies fault. The group that really makes loads of money here is the bookstores. My dad only gets about $6 per book sold, and then at most colleges, the university will buy back the these books for a pittance ($10 or so) and re-sell them as used copies that are like $20 cheaper than the new books. The average student, like me, will look at this and say "Oh, that's the same book for cheaper, of course I'll buy it." None of the money from these re-sales goes back to the publishing company, meaning bookstores make like $60-$100 profit off re-selling these books.

Basically, as much as the publishing companies may be ripping people off, they aren't the only ones doing it, and any legislation should take that into account.
Although I paid my fair share for college and law school books for 7 years, I never really stopped to think about this issue...what prevents the textbook companies from selling direct to students? Do the schools make deals with textbook companies? Honestly, I'm oblivious to how this whole process works. While I'm aware that each school has a bookstore, there are also independently owned bookstores who make money off this as well. I wonder what prevents textbook companies from getting a piece of the resale action.

[Easy Mac]

I work at the bookstore at my school, and basically the professors say what books they need, and the manager orders them from the publisher. The Publishers get 85% of the book sales from the books that are sold. Then an independant company comes and buys books back, the bookstore itself doesn't handle it and gets no money from book buy backs. The bookstores are actually running at a loss in most places, especially since many students are using the net... And unfortuantely, they can't cut deals with publishers, since books come on a need basis only.

I've seen the leaflets and stuff that publishers send that advertise stock... Books there are literally $85 each, and then the store sells them for $100. Maybe where I work is an anomoly, though I doubt it.

They actually cut our employee discount from 20% (I got 40% last year cause I had been there the longest) to 10% because they lost about $500 a term because of the 15 people who worked there. Now there are 10 people getting 10% each term. Instead of spending 270 this term, I spent 240.

Thats how it works.

[Easy Mac]

dola, and unfortunately, each book changes editions almost yearly, so the teachers feel they need the newest edition each time. And don't even get me started on the teachers who felt I couldn't use another edition of PLato that I had from a previous class.

[Vegas Vic]

I remember how expensive the books were when I was in school, so I can sympathize with you.

There is justice, however. Now, I get to buy poker books and write them off on my tax return.

America, we love you!

[sjshaw]

www.addall.com

I second the half.com comment.

[Logan]

Interesting. I guess it's national "bitch about books day." The lead story from my school paper, The Daily Targum (Rutgers University):

Group works for cheaper books

With tuition costs rising, the last thing students need is to spend more money on textbooks. That is why NJPIRG is working - as part of its Affordable Textbooks Campaign - to make publishers aware of students and faculty who are tired of paying for publishing practices that raise textbook prices.

"With rising tuition costs, it really hits home - especially for college kids," said Lauren Michaels, coordinator of the New Jersey Public Interest Research Group Student Chapters' campaign.

NJPIRG released a report yesterday in Trenton detailing the practices of textbook publishers that substantially raise the cost of those books for students.

NJPIRG coordinator Matt Elliott said the root of the problem is textbook publishers.

"Students are paying too much for textbooks, and textbook publishers use gimmicks to inflate the price of textbooks," Michaels, a Rutgers College junior, said.

Some of these practices include shrink-wrapping books with additional CD-ROMs and frequently releasing updated editions with little new content. NJPIRG found half of the books surveyed come bundled with these additional materials - which nearly doubled the cost of the package in some instances.

"Our research found that [most] faculty sees no advantage to a new edition of a textbook," Elliott said.

NJPIRG members also disputed publishers' claims that the new editions are necessary to provide updated exercises for students.

"Is it really necessary for students to pay an additional $40 or more simply to have new exercises?" Michaels said.

However, once a publisher makes a new edition of a textbook, professors have to assign the new book because page numbers and exercises change and the older versions are no longer available to purchase in bookstores.

"If there are new editions, those will be the ones in the bookstore," Elliott said.

Michaels and Jessica Thomson, a fourth-year Rutgers College student, were at the press press conference in Trenton yesterday to gain more recognition for the report.

The group could not find University faculty members to speak at the event because they had to teach, Michaels said.

NJPIRG plans to get the support of University faculty to put pressure on publishers to cease practices that raise textbook prices. The plan is to join faculty members and sign an endorsement letter to send to textbook publishers.

Meanwhile, NJPIRG is finding support from the Rutgers College Governing Association. "The RCGA is enthusiastic about partnering up with NJPIRG Student Chapters in its campaign for affordable textbooks, which will directly benefit Rutgers students," RCGA President Adam Cooper, a junior, said.

[Samdari]

Two suggestions:

1) Buy the old edition. It will work fine in 99% of the cases. The text never changes. Copy any problems (for you math science types) out of the library's copy. That is what they change most often.

2) Tip from grad school. Make friends with an asian (Taiwan was best place for doing this when I was in school) student. They order the books from university bookstores back home. When I was in grad school, my books were typically $150, and they were paying ~$10 per (and getting softcover versions) for the same book by doing this.

[Chubby]

solution...

don't buy the books :) that's one of the things that cute girl next to you in class is for ;)

[Easy Mac]

solution...

don't buy the books :) that's one of the things that cute girl next to you in class is for ;)
i did that when i had to take theater, and I've been dating the girl for 2 years now.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

Dah! I dropped my Calc class and decided to get a refund for the book and now I will be headed to the mall to get Prince of Persia and possibly Combat Mission II too .

[Flame Eater]

I remember barrowing an Inorganic Chemistry text my academic advisor. That's real cool. It was a masters level text (for my undergrad class - screw), that my advisor had used and highlighted. Sweet!

When I had to pay for the Physical Chem text I nearly pissed myself. I can't remember how much is was, but that one book cost more than all the others for the semester.

[CHEMICAL SOLDIER]

A couple semesters ago My Anatomy & Phys. book cost about $160 and my Chemicstry cost 140 .

[Vinatieri for Prez]

Is there anything worse than having to buy the textbook written by the very professor you are taking the class from. It was more than most of the other texts. This really bothered me. He did tell us that he would donate so much per student in his class to take the "sting" away from us. You know what? It still bothered me.

What made it worse was that it was probably the cheapest bound book I ever bought and it fell apart within about one month. SHEESH.

The best deals I found were the used book sales at the Student Union. Could save some real dough there. Everybody won. Students selling got more than they would from the bookstore and students buying paid less than at the bookstore.

I used to think owning a bar was a "license" to print money, on second thought I think its textbook publishers. I used to blame the profs, but stopping printing of a text to force the profs to assign the newer edition puts them in a tough spot.

[finkenst]

wah wah wah.

same thing said by students for the last 20+ years, the same thing to be said for the next 20 years.

at least students today can order their books online.

stupid math/physics texts are far too expensive.

[damnMikeBrown]

My Finance book, $140, Stats(softcover) was $120. I nearly shat on the counter in protest.

Kicker is, almost all the books I've been buying lately are written/co-written by our University Professors. It's like a department sanctioned kick-back to the profs. Hey, yeah, we can only pay you $xxx per year, BUT, write a textbook, and you can milk the students for all their worth.

I didn't try to buy over the net, but I will from now on. I can't believe this is only your gripe of the day. I go into fits & seizures when I even think about this.

[Daimyo]

If you don't use addall.com you're likely paying way too much. I bet I save 60% off retail buying my wife's books through there.

[Abe Sargent]

As a professor, I blame the publishing company myself. I had a textbook representative swing by my office, I was using one of their tests and a book from another company. She asked if I had chosen my texts for next semester, and I mentioned that I didn;t even know if I was teaching the same course the following semester, but if I was, I had already chosen my new text.

She asks me about a few tetxs from their company, and I say that I'm not interested in them. Three weeks later I start getting free texts from the company. For a month I get FIVE freakin' Public Admin texts, despite the fact that A) I wasn't sure if I was teaching the class the next semester, and B) I had already chosen the books if I were teaching the class.

So they gave me five free texts that I didn't even want. I witnessed several professors request texts from publisher agents. They didn't even specify what books they wanted. I think some professors just want the biggest library possible as a status symbol.

The publishing companies try to build a cozy relationship with professors, and that costs a lot. Similar to drug companies and doctors, I would presume.


-Anxiety

[Abe Sargent]

Is there anything worse than having to buy the textbook written by the very professor you are taking the class from. It was more than most of the other texts. This really bothered me. He did tell us that he would donate so much per student in his class to take the "sting" away from us. You know what? It still bothered me.

What made it worse was that it was probably the cheapest bound book I ever bought and it fell apart within about one month. SHEESH.

The best deals I found were the used book sales at the Student Union. Could save some real dough there. Everybody won. Students selling got more than they would from the bookstore and students buying paid less than at the bookstore.

I used to think owning a bar was a "license" to print money, on second thought I think its textbook publishers. I used to blame the profs, but stopping printing of a text to force the profs to assign the newer edition puts them in a tough spot.



By the way, professors are forbidden from receiving any royalties for using their own texts by most major credible universities and most contracts.

-Anxiety

[Raiders Army]

We should have thumbdrives with books on them. Much cheaper.

[Aardvark]

dola, and unfortunately, each book changes editions almost yearly, so the teachers feel they need the newest edition each time. And don't even get me started on the teachers who felt I couldn't use another edition of PLato that I had from a previous class.

Well, different editions of Plato may have dramatically different translations.

[Aardvark]

Having been a professor, I'd like to put in my two cents.

First -- I don't know of any books that have new editions every year. Edwards and Penny (standard calculus book) is now in its 6th (2001) edition. The previous edition was 1998, I used the 2nd edition 20 years ago. Other recent calculus books have added CD-ROMS, computer-based practice exams etc. The venerable physics text book by Halliday and Resnick is now its 6th edition, and includes much more material than the 3rd edition I used in 1980.

Second -- in many fields new editions are worthwhile. I used to teach computer science, and I have copies of all five editions of Silberschatz and Galvin "Operating Systems", spanning 20+ years. Even ten years ago, OS books could ignore the internet, embedded systems, open source etc. I've also taught from texts that were in sore need of a new edition. Complexity theory, for example, hasn't changed that much recently, but most text books from fifteen years or so ago used Pascal-like syntax for their examples. I used to have to translate all the examples into C-like syntax so my class could understand them.

Third -- it is virtually impossible for a professor to teach using multiple editions of a text book (unless the editions are very similar.) The chapters don't match up, the newer edition has additional material that you want to cover, and the questions don't match up. (This is very important. Even if you assign your own HW problems, it's useful to assign the better problems from the book as additional material and exam prep.) Only once was I able to use both editions -- the only difference was in the HW questions, and I suggested that people with the older edition copy use questions in their friends copies. (I checked with the publisher and was told that I couldn't distribute copies of those questions.)

Fourth -- as a Professor, it is virtually impossible to teach from a previous edition. The book stores won't carry it used, the students will buy the new edition even if you tell them not to, if its a large class you can't find enough copies of the old edition etc. Also, by requiring the previous edition, you essentially ensure that the students have to eat the cost of the text -- it will be virtually impossible for them to sell it back at the end of the year, which they could do with the new edition. It's a little easier to teach a small class using an out-of-print book, but you have to have students that are willing to go ahead and buy the books from used booksellers.

[Aardvark]

Buy the old edition. It will work fine in 99% of the cases. The text never changes. Copy any problems (for you math science types) out of the library's copy. That is what they change most often.

Not for computer science it won't. The field changes too quickly, and most books increase in size by about 20% each edition to keep up.

[GoldenEagle]

Bump -

Today I took my textbooks to sell back. I bought one for a Basic Computer Programming Class and one for a Social Science class. I paid a total of like $120 for these books. I expect to get $60 back. Do I? No.

"These books are going out of print - we can not buy them back." Now I am screwed.

[Franklinnoble]

Bump -

Today I took my textbooks to sell back. I bought one for a Basic Computer Programming Class and one for a Social Science class. I paid a total of like $120 for these books. I expect to get $60 back. Do I? No.

"These books are going out of print - we can not buy them back." Now I am screwed.
You'll be much happier once you accept the fact that textbooks are just part of the overall expense of higher education.

[sovereignstar]

I'm gonna try and sell back some of my books tomorrow.

When contemplating the decision as to what I should do with the books I can't get rid of (while in the presence of the "Books for Africa" rep) I just have to remember that there are cold people in the states that could use the kindling.

[Crapshoot]

I learnt long ago about this, and dealt with- since Im graduating in 3 days, let me impart some advice.. :D

First: Buy books from Amazon.co.uk or look for paperbacks- they are cheaper, are slightly subisdized, and are based on the belief that the market can take more here than there- break it. Its price-discrimination in textbook economic theory, but it can be broken easily. Also, looked for used/paperbacks in the amazon.com US one- other students at other schools use similar books.

2nd: Look for other students- there's always that kid that never opened his book and is willing to sell it for cash at a 1/4 of the price- and you know that's the best deal you'll get. We have a message board at CMU to sell stuff, and it works well

3rd: Never buy at the campus bookstore. Its crap, its overpriced, and it exists with enough overhead that even the non-profit mantra is irrelevant.

4th: Sell the books you don't use/care for- but not back too the school. Find the students like yourself in no 2 who will may than the what the buyback rate is, but a lot less than what it costs them to buy it "used" from the bookstore. Seriously- like you, they're willing to pay 30 bucks for a 100 book- and to you, the 100 is a sunk cost, so treat it as such.

5: This may come across as arrogant, but I didn't buy books for courses until a couple of weeks into the semester and often never, because I didn't need them- I thought they were a waste of dough. Sometimes, the book is crap, and aint gonna help you- if you're smart enough and the material is easy to acquire, don't bother. That being said- don't do this in marginal cases.


I can say that I've made a profit on my book dealings ever semester than my first one- and I think anyone's who dealt with me can see that.

[samifan24]

Bump -

Today I took my textbooks to sell back. I bought one for a Basic Computer Programming Class and one for a Social Science class. I paid a total of like $120 for these books. I expect to get $60 back. Do I? No.

"These books are going out of print - we can not buy them back." Now I am screwed.

Try to sell them online, dude. You can look up how much ecampus.com will give you for each book by typing in the ISBN. At least you could get something for those books.

[bhlloy]

What I really, really love is when a Professor makes HIS book the required reading for a course, whether it's any good or not. Especially when makes sure that you will lose marks for not bringing your own copy to class.

I guess it does make sense in a lot of ways, it just seems like an unfair way to make sure you pay the bills. Hell it's your book, couldn't you just provide us with relevant sections instead?

[ISiddiqui]

It's not all the textbook companies fault. The group that really makes loads of money here is the bookstores. My dad only gets about $6 per book sold, and then at most colleges, the university will buy back the these books for a pittance ($10 or so) and re-sell them as used copies that are like $20 cheaper than the new books. The average student, like me, will look at this and say "Oh, that's the same book for cheaper, of course I'll buy it." None of the money from these re-sales goes back to the publishing company, meaning bookstores make like $60-$100 profit off re-selling these books.

Interesting post. I never thought of it that way. It makes sense really. The companies release new versions because they'll never make a dime on the reselling.

[pennywisesb]

online at places like half.com or amazon are great ways to not only get more money back when you sell the book, but also to get the books for cheaper in the first place. another way, since most internet buying can take a few weeks into your semester/quarter before you get the book, which can suck, is to find out where that particular class will meet the next quarter. once you figure that out, take a sheet of paper and write the book's title, class title, and your phone number or email address on the sheet as well as on a bunch of tabs at the bottom of the sheet so that any potential buyers can rip a tab off if they are interested in buying your book. to make this worthwhile, you would sell the book for more than you would get back from selling it to the bookstore, but the buyer can buy it for less than the bookstore is selling it for. unfortunately, i only really utilized this ploy my senior year at UCSB or else i could have saved alot of money!

[Abe Sargent]

What I really, really love is when a Professor makes HIS book the required reading for a course, whether it's any good or not. Especially when makes sure that you will lose marks for not bringing your own copy to class.

I guess it does make sense in a lot of ways, it just seems like an unfair way to make sure you pay the bills. Hell it's your book, couldn't you just provide us with relevant sections instead?


Check my post earlier in the thread about professors that use their own book. They get no royalties, make no money off its use - that;s a generall accepted professional practice in the states.

-Anxiety

[bhlloy]

Check my post earlier in the thread about professors that use their own book. They get no royalties, make no money off its use - that;s a generall accepted professional practice in the states.

-Anxiety

My bad, must have missed that one. What if you are buying the book from somewhere other than the student bookstore? How does that prevent the author from getting any royalties if for example I buy the book from Amazon.

I'm the UK and I'm pretty sure that principle isn't in place here, but my girlfriend is at uni in the States and she's had a situation where a professor owns a company and publishes the book himself, and he's said that the students won't pass the course unless they buy his companies (and his) book. How does that one work? That was the situation I was referring to in my original post. (This is a teaching Phys. Ed class by the way)

[Abe Sargent]

My bad, must have missed that one. What if you are buying the book from somewhere other than the student bookstore? How does that prevent the author from getting any royalties if for example I buy the book from Amazon.

I'm the UK and I'm pretty sure that principle isn't in place here, but my girlfriend is at uni in the States and she's had a situation where a professor owns a company and publishes the book himself, and he's said that the students won't pass the course unless they buy his companies (and his) book. How does that one work? That was the situation I was referring to in my original post. (This is a teaching Phys. Ed class by the way)


I don't know how its own publishing company would work. I do know that many contract signed with publishinbg companies exclude royalties from sales to students of that professor, so if he did not claim all texts from his classes, then he would technically be in breach of contract. I've read a few contracts with book companies, and that language is fairly boilerplate.

-Anxiety

[bhlloy]

I'm confused. So a professor can't make royalties off ANY texts that he uses in his own classes, or just off sales of those texts to HIS students? If it's the first, wow that's a strict rule. If it's the second, I just don't see how it's enforcable.

[Super Ugly]

A lecturer at my UK university tried persudaing the class that it would benefit us greatly if we all bought a copy of his £90 book. I thought that stank, but worse was to come when I spent my academic year in the US - $120 for a Norton anthology (that same book costs maybe the equivalent of $50 over here). I took it back at the end of the semester and they offered to give me $5 for the thing. I think the cashier probably still has the teeth marks where I tried to bite him. I sympathise with all of you ...

[Abe Sargent]

I'm confused. So a professor can't make royalties off ANY texts that he uses in his own classes, or just off sales of those texts to HIS students? If it's the first, wow that's a strict rule. If it's the second, I just don't see how it's enforcable.


I don't see how those two statements are different. A professor cannot make royalties off of any text that he would normally get royalties for (by writing it, or, say, editing a compilation, etc) that he uses in his own classes - conflict of interest if he did. This is contractual, at least in the handful (three) of contracts that I've looked at. If another professor uses his text, then yes, he gets royalties. And other professoirs would still get royalties for the text that another professor used.

So, if, heh, Professor X uses Professor X's texts, then he gets no money from those specific texts used in his own classes and purchased by his own students. If Professor X uses Professor Y's texts, then Professor Y gets royalties. If Professor Z uses Professor X's texts, then Professor X gets royalties.

Hope that clears things up.

-Anxiety

[Jon]

I've also seen instances where professors don't get any royalties for a textbook, they simply get a check for writing the book.

I worked for a bookstore in college that was owned by one of the largest campus booksellers, and they hosed students left and right. We would sell new texts, buy these same texts back at 10% of what the student paid, and then turn around and sell it as a used text for only about a 10-15% discount. Under these circumstances, the bookstore company pocketed the money.

[Drake]

As an English major in the early to mid-90's, in most classes within the English department, the professors almost always chose the cheapest editions of works available - usually mass market paperbacks. If there were special scholarly editions for which we needed essays or fascinating endnotes, the profs would photocopy the good bits and distribute the material as handouts. In many cases, especially when we were reading classics, the profs specifically told us to use copies from our own libraries if we had them rather than specifying a particular edition.

When you're buying 12-14 texts per course, per semester - even at $5 - $7 bucks per copy - this sort of consideration was greatly appreciated. Maybe English profs & grad instructors were more sympathetic to the cost of texts since English majors as a group are poor. :)

Of course, I bought my share of $150 texts for other courses, but I still have those and use them as reference texts surprisingly often, so it wasn't a complete waste.

[SteelerFan448]

I spent about $600 this year on text books. I ended up getting about $250 back on those that I sold back and I kept two biology books, so I ended getting about $250/$400 and some. That really isn't too bad. They're still overpriced and not worth it as I didn't even have to open them in half of the classes, what a ripoff.

[Franklinnoble]

Just do what all those poor college girls do to pay their way...

[sovereignstar]

Just do what all those poor college girls do to pay their way...
Buy Keystone and Miller High Life? Huh??

http://dynamic2.gamespy.com/%7Efof/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif

[Alf]

Not for computer science it won't. The field changes too quickly, and most books increase in size by about 20% each edition to keep up.Who needs books for computer science ? You can find it all on the net !:D

[damnMikeBrown]

It's that time of year again...thought I'd bring it back for those that might want to save a few bucks