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From: c60a-2di@e260-2d.berkeley.edu (The Cybermat Rider)
Newsgroups: sci.math,sci.physics,comp.edu
Subject: Re: How to beat the high cost of text books!
Message-ID: <17563@agate.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: 30 Nov 88 11:57:49 GMT
References: <2219@cbnews.ATT.COM> <684@stech.UUCP> <547@aoa.UUCP>
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In article <547@aoa.UUCP> carl@aoa.UUCP (Carl Witthoft) writes:
>With respect to the effort of the writers:
>Yes it's true that the authors work pretty hard to produce the book.
>And they oughta get paid for it.
>Unfortunately, they often come out with 2nd 3rd, Nth editions to
>ensure that all the poor kids can't buy a used text. (generally, at
>least in math, the only thing that changes is the problem sets)
>This is a major problem in the more competitive areas such as
>introductory Calc, Chem, etc. 
>So what.  A really well-written text can serve as a reference for
>the user (you know, what we become after we graduate) for years to come.

I think the main reason the Nth edition is published is simply because
developments in the field concerned demand a new edition.  As such, a
"really well-written text" might serve as a reference for years, but it
wouldn't be UP-TO-DATE......

Of course, that's not gonna stop me from keeping EVERY text I'm using now....

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Adrian Ho a.k.a. The Cybermat Rider	  University of California, Berkeley
c60a-2di@web.berkeley.edu
Disclaimer:  Nobody takes me seriously, so is it really necessary?