Comments on: How textbook companies are tricking your college http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/textbook-companies-tricking-your/ An online information news site with constantly updating articles and professional commentaries. Tue, 22 Dec 2009 07:40:46 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: Jonathan@Friends&Money http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/textbook-companies-tricking-your/#comment-5942 Jonathan@Friends&Money Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:33:55 +0000 http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/?p=1542#comment-5942 It always strikes me as crazy that the education system seeks to exploit it's students by promoting expensive books or worse still encouraging students to buy books by professors that are at their establishment, thereby lining their own pockets. The education system is about teaching and learning not about making money at the expense of their students. My opinion is that they should offer choice in the process rather than insisting on a more expensive book over a cheaper one. It always strikes me as crazy that the education system seeks to exploit it’s students by promoting expensive books or worse still encouraging students to buy books by professors that are at their establishment, thereby lining their own pockets. The education system is about teaching and learning not about making money at the expense of their students. My opinion is that they should offer choice in the process rather than insisting on a more expensive book over a cheaper one.

]]> By: Lis@Ace Cash Express http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/textbook-companies-tricking-your/#comment-5813 Lis@Ace Cash Express Tue, 08 Sep 2009 20:35:39 +0000 http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/?p=1542#comment-5813 Yeah, very true. My younger brother who is now taking up accountancy used to complain about this trick from their university professors. Most of them require to buy the new books, even if the some of the students happen to possess a not-that-pretty-old one. Yeah, very true. My younger brother who is now taking up accountancy used to complain about this trick from their university professors. Most of them require to buy the new books, even if the some of the students happen to possess a not-that-pretty-old one.

]]> By: Chris McClelland http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/textbook-companies-tricking-your/#comment-5395 Chris McClelland Fri, 28 Aug 2009 16:58:55 +0000 http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/?p=1542#comment-5395 My and my wife Jen always joke about starting a publishing company aimed at college kids because of all the money involved. What makes us mad is the resell market. A new book might cost $100, then used for $90, but when you bring in the book to try to sell back to the store they offer maybe $25-$30. So Jen started selling her books back on Half.com and in some cases sells the books back for a small profit. In anything case she almost comes out getting her books for free, because of the sell back money. My and my wife Jen always joke about starting a publishing company aimed at college kids because of all the money involved. What makes us mad is the resell market. A new book might cost $100, then used for $90, but when you bring in the book to try to sell back to the store they offer maybe $25-$30.

So Jen started selling her books back on Half.com and in some cases sells the books back for a small profit. In anything case she almost comes out getting her books for free, because of the sell back money.

]]> By: Tony http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/textbook-companies-tricking-your/#comment-5361 Tony Thu, 27 Aug 2009 21:14:26 +0000 http://www.thelucrativeinvestor.com/?p=1542#comment-5361 I wrote about the topic of expensive textbooks myself, but I wrote as someone who taught a college-level course. Here are the links to my articles from a pseudo-insider's perspective: http://blog.thisyoungeconomist.com/2009/08/expensive-textbooks-part-i.html http://blog.thisyoungeconomist.com/2009/08/expensive-textbooks-part-ii.html In short, textbooks are expensive in large part due to marketing expenditures that are designed to get professors to read (i.e., review) the book. Professors aren't paid to adopt a particular textbook, but they are courted by textbook companies. After all, it is the professor who makes the decision to adopt a textbook. I wrote about the topic of expensive textbooks myself, but I wrote as someone who taught a college-level course. Here are the links to my articles from a pseudo-insider’s perspective:

http://blog.thisyoungeconomist.com/2009/08/expensive-textbooks-part-i.html
http://blog.thisyoungeconomist.com/2009/08/expensive-textbooks-part-ii.html

In short, textbooks are expensive in large part due to marketing expenditures that are designed to get professors to read (i.e., review) the book. Professors aren’t paid to adopt a particular textbook, but they are courted by textbook companies. After all, it is the professor who makes the decision to adopt a textbook.

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