I am also concerned. For many years I've suggested to physics
editors that
their textbooks be smaller and lighter and contain NO problems, or
just a
few derivation-type problems. (This book would have value for many
years.)
The problems and exercises would be in separate paperback volumes,
easily
revised. Of course, the publishers make less money this way, so
they
haven't accommodated me.
I like this idea, but would go a step further and also move all the worked
examples, specialized applications, chapter summaries, and other "study
aids" to the supplementary volume, leaving just the main body of the text in
the book itself. The authors and publishers could then concentrate on
making the main text so clear, compact, and useful that students would want
to keep it as a reference and publishers could relax a little about the used
book market.
______________________________________
Fred Lemmerhirt
Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, Illinois
flemmerhirt@mail.wcc.cc.il.us <mailto:flemmerhirt@mail.wcc.cc.il.us> http://chat.wcc.cc.il.us/~flemmerh/physics.html
<http://chat.wcc.cc.il.us/~flemmerh/physics.html>