Where to download text books?

Originally Posted by NorCal

Click to expand...

I have to disagree here and it is one of the reason that I HATE the textbook industry.
The books aren't generally revised to keep them current in any meaningful way, rather the table of contents is mixed up, a few new digital photos are added and hey presto! a "new" edition that costs 150 and every poor sap of a college student thinks he has to buy.

There are exceptions and I don't feel the same about revisions that are meaningful.

Well, in law there is something of an emphasis on recent developments, so I think there is some justification for periodic revisions -- although as noted, it's often taken care of through paperback supplements. And most of my law books didn't have pictures -- maybe I chose the wrong classes . . .

But I take your point. Especially aggravating are profs who make their own overpriced book a mandatory text for their big lecture class --- ka-ching! I had a lot of respect for one undergrad prof who explained that he'd assigned a survey text he'd edited because nothing else had the selection of materials he wanted, but that he recognized the conflict of interest and thus would donate all royalties he got for that year's sales to charity. (Of course, that could have been a bald-faced lie . . .)

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

Click to expand...

I'm no expert, but at least in law, a lot of the leading casebooks are authored by profs and published by university presses. In those circumstances, there may be sentiment for making the materials more cheaply and easily available to students, even at the cost of lost profits to the authors/publishers, that would not be present in the movie industry or the music industry, or the Harry Potter publishing world for that matter.

Why would any student buy a textbook that they need just for a certain class if they can just download it for free? Nowadays almost all students share digital copies with each other of almost anything. It's harder to steal a physical copy then a digital copy.

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

Click to expand...

Well, in law there is something of an emphasis on recent developments, so I think there is some justification for periodic revisions -- although as noted, it's often taken care of through paperback supplements. And most of my law books didn't have pictures -- maybe I chose the wrong classes . . .

But I take your point. Especially aggravating are profs who make their own overpriced book a mandatory text for their big lecture class --- ka-ching! I had a lot of respect for one undergrad prof who explained that he'd assigned a survey text he'd edited because nothing else had the selection of materials he wanted, but that he recognized the conflict of interest and thus would donate all royalties he got for that year's sales to charity. (Of course, that could have been a bald-faced lie . . .)

One of my professors perpetually donated all profits from his textbook sales to a charity he had created in the same of his son after his son died from a terrible accident.

Originally Posted by NorCal

Click to expand...

Whatever. Maybe if the markup on textbooks was not ******* immoral people would not have to. The textbook industry is one of the biggest scams in this country.
It's also motivation for the market to adapt. If I could say pay for a two or three day license to access an Ecopy of this title I gladly would. That would actually make the copyright holder a few bucks more than the other options which are me downloading it, borrowing it from another student, or going in to school and checking it out of the library and reading there or making copies.


I assume you're an expert on the textbook industry? You know how much time goes into writing and editing a textbook? How many are sold, considering the extremely narrow market?

mm hmm. It's much easier to just assume they're a bunch of crooks so you can feel alright about ripping them off.

watches and computers are immorally marked up as well, so why not steal them?
let not touch the huge mark up on most of the clothes people like here.

LOL that supplement is not going to help you get an A in Con Law, sorry. Just read the damn cases! It's Con Law. Or get Chemerinsky or Tribe

Originally Posted by bluemagic

Click to expand...

LOL that supplement is not going to help you get an A in Con Law, sorry. Just read the damn cases! It's Con Law. Or get Chemerinsky or Tribe

Who says they're mutually exclusive? I did just fine in Con Law, so no apology necessary. It's certainly possible in some classes to just go read the cases, but there's some utility to actually having the text the prof works from and refers to in class. But everyone can settle on whatever approach works for them, obviously.

Originally Posted by Hombre Secreto

Click to expand...

Why would any student buy a textbook that they need just for a certain class if they can just download it for free? Nowadays almost all students share digital copies with each other of almost anything. It's harder to steal a physical copy then a digital copy.

Believe it or not, some students -- even law students -- don't base their decisions about whether to steal intellectual property entirely on how easy or difficult it is.

Originally Posted by unjung

Click to expand...

textbookrevolution.org

Seems like a great idea. I would think some professors would embrace it, while other more money-grubbing ones would hate it.

Believe or not, most textbooks take a lot of time and effort to write. Whilst most authors do not write textbooks for the money (what money?), I think most would prefer it if reader show their appreciation by getting a copy through the normal channels, however prices are set by publishers not authors and the costs of textbooks can be unrealistically high at times.

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

Click to expand...

Believe it or not, some students -- even law students -- don't base their decisions about whether to steal intellectual property entirely on how easy or difficult it is.

Yeah, some students... The majority would just download them for free.

Originally Posted by lawyerdad

Click to expand...

Who says they're mutually exclusive? I did just fine in Con Law, so no apology necessary. It's certainly possible in some classes to just go read the cases, but there's some utility to actually having the text the prof works from and refers to in class. But everyone can settle on whatever approach works for them, obviously.

Oh definitely! But he's asking for "Siegel's Constitutional Law: Essay and Multiple-Choice Questions and Answers," which I doubt is the *text* the professor is using. Anyways, I'd say skimping on stuff like textbooks is really a penny-wise, pound-foolish kind of approach.

Originally Posted by Hombre Secreto

Click to expand...

Yeah, some students... The majority would just download them for free.
Do you even know any law students? No one downloads textbooks and supplements, at least not where I am at.

Originally Posted by ComboOrgan

Click to expand...

I assume you're an expert on the textbook industry? You know how much time goes into writing and editing a textbook? How many are sold, considering the extremely narrow market?
I don't have time to refute this in length but there have been articles written about the problem of over priced textbooks and releasing new editions that are simply the old edition in a new order.