2006-08-29 07:30:34 · 15 answers · asked by ♥Brown Eyed Girl ♥ 5 in Education & Reference ➔ Higher Education (University +)
i'm not saying i bought one that much but i've seen some of them that price.
my criminal justice was over 100 bucks....and it was the last one there
2006-08-29 07:43:59 · update #1
Aaaaabsolutely! It is completely ridiculous. But the problem is, it costs a great deal of money to publish a hardcover book, and in a small run (which a university text is) it becomes an astronomical amount. Plus the author of the book has to be paid --to get anyone half way qualified to write a book, they must be paid a hefty advance payment, which is recouped out of the royalties generated by the book. Since it is unlikely that a text book will ever become a best seller, the way the publishers get around that is to give him or her the advance, then charge it up to the first couple of thousand books, because that's likely all that will ever be printed. So in effect, you are paying a salary for some boffin headed prof somewhere.
Keep it in good condition and if you're lucky, you might be able to re-sell it next year. But don't count on it. The instructors change texts as often as they change their ties, so you may just have to keep it as a reference book.
Hopefully, someday you will be an expert on something and will be able to write a book and get one of those fabulous advances.
2006-08-29 07:40:01 · answer #1 · answered by old lady 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
What's more ridiculous is when you go to sell them back, you will get, at most, 20 bucks for a book that cost you over 100. So don't bother keeping them nice and pristine.
Last semester, my text book costs were almost as much as my university tuition. That should be criminal.
The instructor is required to have class material on reserve in the library. You can photocopy readings and assignments from it if you flat out refuse to pay an arm and a leg for a specific textbook.
Good Luck
2006-08-29 07:46:04 · answer #2 · answered by murkglider 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are so expensive because everyone is making money off them. The authors get a cut, the publisher gets something and then the school bookstore makes a profit and pays its employees. Sometimes you can find your books on Amazon.com for cheaper. It is always worth a try. I bought as many of my textbooks used as I could or checked them out of the library. The only problem with that is many professors insist upon your having the lasted edition of the book. Sometimes it seems like it is a conspiracy - nobody wants to give you a break on the cost of the books.
2006-08-29 07:36:19 · answer #3 · answered by runningviolin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Very simple - the text book business is a racket. Publishers charge obscenely high prices because they know that they have a captive market - students have no choice except to pay whatever the publisher feels like charging. By the way, $160.00 is relatively cheap. I have seen text books for as much as $250.00.
2006-08-29 16:06:52 · answer #4 · answered by denlp96 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
cos you HAVE to buy it
In Economics this is called "inelastic demand", in which consumers' reactions to price changes is relatively small. Under such a condition, selling the books at higher prices mean more revenue.
This coheres with the "wealth maximization" postulate proposed in the study of Economics. Everyone wants to have more wealth than less.
There are many ways to cut costs, though. Good luck!
2006-08-29 07:39:49 · answer #5 · answered by Muscular Homo 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm so sorry. And it's not even a book you'll use again, that sucks. Find someone on campus who already has it. Chances are, the'll sell it you way cheaper than they got it; and they'll get more from you than the bookstore would have given them anyways.
I swear, one day I'm going to make an online community just for that.
Maybe there already is one...
2006-08-29 07:37:34 · answer #6 · answered by Kara 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well 1 book for $160 is really expensive. but i think the book will be worth of its price.
may i know what grade you study and which book you are referring to?
2006-08-29 07:37:11 · answer #7 · answered by flori 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
books are big business. the company will give a professor a kickback if he picks a certain book for his students.
endocrinology books have to be re-written every few months!!!! Very expensive to keep cutting edge and up to date.
As for math, who knows why its that expensive. Are you taking a course on super-string or something?
2006-08-29 07:33:56 · answer #8 · answered by Handsome Devil 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I can relate. Four freshman year books cost me $448.74 this year. My only advice is to keep them in nice condition and try to sell them back to the bookstore. If they won't take them, sell them to an incoming student at the end of the year.
2006-08-29 07:32:36 · answer #9 · answered by nowimrelaxedicantbesure 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stop getting receipts from atms, it's wasteful, unnecessary and destroying the planet. They also take over your wallet and clog it up.
2016-03-27 00:18:33 · answer #10 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋