Thursday, December 21, 2006

College Books are DAMN Expensive

College textbooks are expensive for the same reason that college itself is expensive.

People are willing to pay huge sums of money for a good education, and 700 bucks for a few textbooks is hardly noticeable next to the 35,000 dollar a year price of tuition.

That said, textbooks are different from other books for two main reasons:

First, because the purchase price goes toward paying many different authors, all of whom are experts in their field.

And second, because textbooks become outdated so quickly that the publishers have to make up for the loss in revenue by charging exorbitant prices. Basically, a college textbook might sell at 100 dollars for three years, whereas an ordinary book (which won't become obsolete every three years) would sell at 25 dollars for ten years.

The best solution is to identify the books you need by their ISBN and buy online. The online book sellers have the best prices you're gonna find, and they're sure to offer your textbook for way less than any college bookstore.

Just be sure to factor in shipping time so you're not stuck sitting in class without a book!

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