I hate buying textbooks
By Macleans.ca | April 28th, 2009 | 3:59 pm
I just finished buying a textbook for one of the courses I’m taking this summer. $103 later, I have a textbook which I will use for twelve weeks and then put on a bookshelf to collect dust.
Really, $103 for a seventh edition that hasn’t actually changed much since the first. Have to love the racket that is getting a degree.
What about re-selling your textbooks? Most university bookstores have an option of “buying back” textbooks. Or you can use Craigslist or other websites to sell the books to other students. Just wondering.
Or not buying the books at all =)
Racket is correct. The cost of text books in Canada is outrageous. The buyback schemes are equally bad – 10%-20% of the original value. For that I’ll keep it, I might always reference it in a later paper.
When I studied in Germany, I was shocked how affordable books were and how there were many publishing houses dedicated to producing books for university students at an affordable price – sometimes under 5 Euros a book.