Xref: utzoo sci.math:4963 sci.physics:4986 comp.edu:1473 Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ukma!gatech!emory!vicki From: vicki@emory.uucp (Vicki Powers) Newsgroups: sci.math,sci.physics,comp.edu Subject: Re: How to beat the high cost of text books! Message-ID: <3466@emory.uucp> Date: 2 Dec 88 14:52:18 GMT References: <684@stech.UUCP> <605@poseidon.ATT.COM> <580@oravax.UUCP> Organization: Emory U. Math/CS Dept. Lines: 20 Yesterday I received a complimentary copy of a linear algebra book in the mail (which I never asked for). This is a big book, list price $40. (The publisher is North-Holland.) The company wants my input on the book, and is trying to convince me to adopt it for a course. However, I am not teaching linear algebra, and most likely won't be in the near future. This got me thinking - is this habit of sending textbooks to academics contributing to the high cost? As I look at my shelves, I see about 5 books that I got this way, and I've only been teaching 3 1/2 years! I know of someone who was on a commitee to pick a calculus book and who received many, many free (unsolicited) copies of calculus textbooks. While I like receiving free textbooks, I wonder if this practice is a good idea. Vicki -- Vicki Powers | vicki@mathcs.emory.edu PREFERRED Emory University | {sun!sunatl,gatech}!emory!vicki UUCP Dept of Math and CS | vicki@emory NON-DOMAIN BITNET Atlanta, GA 30322 |