Quote:
Originally Posted by bhartman36
First of all, let me say that $140 is ridiculous for a textbook -- especially one that "expires". That's just nonsense.
However, I know someone who's written a textbook, and let me tell you, it's disheartening to see that textbook online in pirated form (as a pdf, in this case). When you invest significant time and effort into getting your book written and published, it's very disheartening to see some punks distributing it for free (and one site was adding insult to injury by even charging for users to register so they could download books).
Part of the problem is pricing. When you're dealing with college students, who don't have a lot of money to begin with, charging $100 for a textbook just makes the incentive to get a pirated copy too great. It should be remembered, though, that this isn't necessarily the author's greed. It's publishers that set the prices. Maybe if self-publishing for textbooks takes off, that'll change, but I think that's some way off.
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So then what would be your solution?
I'm not a fan of book pirating, but DT for dam that
if you think I'm willing to flunk a $3000 plus class over a $140 ebook rental. I'd pirate all day long first. When I was in college, if a student didn't have money for books, they could go to the library and use a copy, print the necessary pages and share.
When I was in college everyone was excited at the end of the year - now I can sell back these textbooks and get some money to last me through the summer or buy textbooks for the next semester. RENTAL?? Seriously?? I'd be in the department chair's office ASAP. If that didn't work I'd try the Dean and then the chancellor (I'm a big fan of escalations).
And at the end of the day, if I couldn't do anything else, I'd pirate that book and pass my class.