Re: Costs of textbooks

[Rick Tarara <rtarara@SAINTMARYS.EDU>]

Other factors to look at in comparing text book prices to the past (some of
which have probably been mentioned).

1)  The overall rise in book prices.  The latest (pulp) fiction books are
running $25-$30 and those are single color prints on cheap paper.

2)  The rise in the cost of paper--beyond inflation--due to a number of
factors, not the least being environmental protection concerns (we all pay
for these things).

3)  Full color illustrations and photos versus 1, 2, and 4 color versions of
earlier books.  These usually had no photos and few
illustrations/figures--especially in the problem sections.

4)  Increased coverage (bloat) that has pushed most intro texts to near or
more than 1000 pages.

5)  Plus all the 'extras' already mentioned.

I'm not arguing the merits of any of this.

Rick

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Richard W. Tarara
Professor of Physics
Saint Mary's College
Notre Dame, IN 46556
rtarara@saintmarys.edu

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----- Original Message -----
From: "Spagna Jr., George" <gspagna@RMC.EDU>
To: <PHYS-L@lists.nau.edu>
Sent: Friday, December 14, 2001 10:21 AM
Subject: Re: Costs of textbooks


> Larry Smith wrote:
>
> > I think I may be in a minority on the list, but I like, use, and consider
> > pedagogically helpful many of the "instructors' resources."  I especially
> > like really good (i.e. instructive) transparencies.
>
> I believe they can be useful.  My point was that they are factored into
the
> price of the text, something that wasn't there when my copy of Resnick &
> Halliday cost $12.50.
>
> *********************************************
>
> "Thanks to the invention of the telescope,
> planets that are 100 billion miles away look
> to be only 50 billion miles away."
>                            --John Wagner
>
> *********************************************
> George Spagna
> Department of Physics
> Randolph-Macon College
> P.O. Box 5005
> Ashland, VA 23005-5505
> phone: (804) 752-7344
> FAX (804) 752-4724
> e-mail: gspagna@rmc.edu
> http://www.rmc.edu/~gspagna/