The Cost of College Textbooks

[itsbob]

how do you find "overseas" versions?

Buy New Textbooks at Textbookw.com

You can save a buttload of money going with international versions.. and I think EVERY textbook comes in an international version too..

THis link will give you an idea of what I'm talking about, but if you can find International Versions in other places I think you'll save even more. I never paid $90 for an international text book

 

[Beta84]

Go to Half.com, and amazon. You can find the "overseas versions" of the books DIRT cheap. Only difference is they are paperback and not Hardback. Publishers make books for the US, charge $200 bucks, and take the money they make off of us, and publish the SAME books in paperback and sell them for $20 - 50 for less fortunate overseas students.

some of those international versions were good and some really pissed me off. at least they were cheap because sometimes i needed to get 2.

 

[onebdzee]

I've been in school since last January and think I have bought 3 actual textbooks....the rest were e-books, which are half the price, no shipping, and you have it within an hour or so

They have them so that you can download to your PC, Ipod, or Ipad

I have to agree with Pete, the editions of the books are the school screwing the used book store out of some serious money by adding a word or two or switching a chapter.

If you google e-books, you will come up with several good sites(some free) where you can download the books

 

[Mikeru]

Yup it's a rip off. Why do you think I've already started saving and investing money for the future kid(s)' college funds? On top of the increasing tuition and costs of higher education, the publishing industry is pure greedy. I see them even more greedy than Wall Street.

I was fortunate enough to have my parents foot the bill for tuition due to their smart money-sense, frugality, and modest living. But I had to cover the textbooks. #### made me mad at how much you pay for the textbook, and when you look at how much the author(s) of the content in the textbook make off of each book, it's nothing compared to the huge profits the publishing company makes.

 

[pelers]

I have to agree with Pete, the editions of the books are the school screwing the used book store out of some serious money by adding a word or two or switching a chapter.

It's really not necessarily the schools screwing everyone over with new editions every year or two. It's the publisher. If the school wants to use that text book they have to tell everyone to get the newest edition because the older ones are no longer in print.

I rarely ever purchased the books until I KNEW it was actually going to be used in the class. The rental books are a pretty good deal. Can usually pick them up for a similar price as buying one from Half.com or something and I know several schools are offering them directly through the campus bookstores so you can also get them immediately.