Custom: Cool For Sneakers, Not For Textbooks
This travesty was recently brought to my attention: vaguely ‘custom’ textbooks being published for specific courses and schools, thereby forcing students to but the books new and severely limiting the re-sale options.
For a while there, textbook publishers had college students over the proverbial barrel. Textbooks are horrendously expensive, even the used ones. And to limit the amount of reuse, which loses the publishing companies money, textbook publishers would publish new editions at astonishingly frequent (and unnecessary) intervals. I was never entirely certain what had been added or improved upon; I would still find typos and incorrect answers in the answer key of my 12th edition chem. and calculus textbooks, which makes it really effing hard to figure out whether you’re doing the problems right.
The publishing companies were making money hand over fist with every bogus ‘new edition.’ Students had two choices for saving money: buy used books (which is not always an option) or rent, as I have previously noted. Now (I’m trying to type while clenching my fists in frustration, which is not easy) those publishing bastards have come up with the perfect way to scr*w over college students. The publishers print up a custom textbook for one particular school, course, and sometimes a specific instructor as well.
All they’re really doing is just bundling a course syllabus or some lecture notes from the instructor or a description of the school’s writing program in with the actual text. But it now has a new and very specific ISBN and can’t easily be resold. Also, the custom books have this cheery note printed on the back: “This book may not be bought or sold used.” Did I mention the part about the kick-backs the schools are getting from the publishers? If there is such a place as hell, I would be willing to bet large amounts of money that one of the hotter circles is for anyone in the textbook publishing business.
Posted by Alexa Harrington
I’m not sure how this post slipped through my reader…this makes me want to vomit. Into a text book. And then return it to the bookstore.
That would be a start, certainly.
I was expecting to buy a fresh brand new copy of Chemistry the Central Science for next term when I found out that my college, Salt Lake Community College, had “customized” its version of the standard text. I want to puke. If the college needs additional money for special guest-speakers, or something special for the chemistry department, I’m an adult student and I’m willing to make a donation. But I want textbooks that I intend to keep over the course of my career to be pristine. Now if I want the pristine version, I’ll have to buy one new off of Amazon and sell the custom one back.
Custom books have been around for 50 years or more. They are nothing new.
@Elliott: the level of shafting is new and exciting.