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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.