Xref: utzoo comp.edu:1479 sci.math:4983 sci.physics:5009 Newsgroups: comp.edu,sci.math,sci.physics Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!csri.toronto.edu!hofbauer From: hofbauer@csri.toronto.edu (John Hofbauer) Subject: Re: How to beat the high cost of text books! Message-ID: <8812040342.AA17349@king.csri.toronto.edu> Organization: University of Toronto, CSRI References: <684@stech.UUCP> <605@poseidon.ATT.COM> <580@oravax.UUCP> <3466@emory.uucp> Date: Sat, 3 Dec 88 22:42:19 EST >Yesterday I received a complimentary copy of a linear algebra book in the mail >(which I never asked for). ... >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. > Free books are one of the perks of teaching at the university level. Unfortunately you often don't want them. When I taught a section of a 10-section, 1200 student 'computer literacy' service course I was constantly visited by publisher sales reps who were trying to convince us to switch to their book. By the time I left I had a self full of useless (to me) books. I managed to trade some in for books I wanted. In one case I traded in three such books for two I wanted. The sales rep was happy because it made his quota look better (one fewer given away) and I was happy too. As for it being a good idea... well, it is their way of advertising. Without getting the book in your hands how will you discover their great book. :-) Undeniably it adds to the cost of books, so I try to give a useless book back whenever I can. I just wish publishers would take more care in not publishing yet another useless calculus book. But what do they know about mathematics or anything else; they are just publishers! It will be up to us to write those wonderful new books and get them in their hands.