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mythbuster
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« on: February 09, 2010, 11:15:52 AM » |
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The Journal Nature is running a several week series on scientists writing things other than journal articles. They start with an interview with the author of everyone's favorite textbook Physical Chemistry :-P http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v463/n7281/full/463612a.htmlIn my opinion, this guy does himself no favors, he's clearly big on the $$$ he gets, but what do we all think of his comment that going to all e-books would extend the lifespan of an edition and reduce cost? |
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locutus
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« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2010, 11:24:28 AM » |
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I thought everyone's favorite textbook was Principles of Neural Science.
So this guy wants to eliminate the buying and selling of used textbooks? Am I reading that right?
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Render unto Geedorah what is Geedorah's.
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cogprof
Junior member
Posts: 82
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« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2010, 11:56:09 AM » |
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For an additional editorial about how the used book market affects textbook writing and pricing, see: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm?id=1712I've neither written a textbook nor have I worked in publishing, so I can't evaluate all of the arguments presented here. At the same time, it seems to make some sense to me. |
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frogfactory
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« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2010, 01:40:32 PM » |
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That dude really does come over as unpleasant in that interview.
My Nature subscription has lapsed, and I have too many medical bills right now to renew it - will they be looking at other kinds of scientific book writing than textbooks? I've just been involved in getting a chapter for a technical book pushed out, and it was quite an interesting process.
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At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to masturbate in the bathroom.
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mythbuster
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« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2010, 02:31:35 PM » |
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Frogfactory- I get my Nature online through my institution. They send out weekly TOC with links to each article. Convenient and free. Yes they are doing other pieces but all are for non-technical science writing. Textbooks are as technical as they get.
And yes, this guy wants to eliminate the used textbook business. How this would A) ever happen and b) curb costs is beyond me.
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kiana
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« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2010, 02:33:35 PM » |
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Because, of course ... no-one ever keeps a textbook as a reference, or if they were going to, they'd just re-buy the ebook every year! Of course, this is not at all motivated by extreme amounts of self-interest.
*rolls eyes*
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If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
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mythbuster
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« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2010, 02:39:38 PM » |
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Yes he directly mentions using textbooks as references for later in life, then wants e-books that expire and disappear at the end of the semester. Can't have both.
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ptarmigan
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« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2010, 02:39:59 PM » |
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I am a huge fan of my Kindle and I read everything I possibly can in that format...except textbooks. Textbooks suck electronically, because it's not at all convenient to flip back a few pages over and over again, or flip to a different section, or to the index or table of contents, etc. I would hate having an electronic textbook.
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kiana
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« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2010, 02:50:38 PM » |
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I am a huge fan of my Kindle and I read everything I possibly can in that format...except textbooks. Textbooks suck electronically, because it's not at all convenient to flip back a few pages over and over again, or flip to a different section, or to the index or table of contents, etc. I would hate having an electronic textbook.
This, too. Also, my ebook reader (not a kindle) really doesn't like loads of mathematical equations either. |
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If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.
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frogfactory
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« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2010, 03:16:01 PM » |
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Frogfactory- I get my Nature online through my institution. They send out weekly TOC with links to each article. Convenient and free.
Technically I do too, but access through my institution is horribly cumbersome (you have to go via the library website and re-sign in every time you click something), especially to the magazine portions of Nature and Science.
Because, of course ... no-one ever keeps a textbook as a reference, or if they were going to, they'd just re-buy the ebook every year! Of course, this is not at all motivated by extreme amounts of self-interest.
*rolls eyes*
Well, in the US this is more true, since gen ed requirements by their nature mean buying textbooks you'll never look at again after a semester, really, so I can see the point of 'hiring' an e-text for a year in that context, if it's cheaper. |
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At the end of the day, sometimes you just have to masturbate in the bathroom.
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kedves
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« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2010, 04:43:39 PM » |
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I think the author is accurate in his description of problems in the textbook market; I disagree with his analysis. He thinks is the second-hand book market is the problem and e-books are the solution. I think the problem is publishers' inability to profit reasonably from the second-hand market and a reform of copyright law is the solution. I can't see any other widescale long-term solution. The resale market has been transformed from a situation of almost complete control by campus bookstores, in which they acted collectively as monopolies and monopsonies, into an open and efficient market. Publishers currently have only one point in the life of a book to profit from it, so they act on that constraint.
I am concerned about the way that people are jumping on the e-book bandwagon. Some instructors are already mandating the e-book as the only course book--not ordering books. I am worried about the value of e-books including likelihood of students' reading them and ease of use; price; and environmental issues. It seems as if e-books would be green, but anywhere students can print free, they do. I can see them printing out entire chapters. The price is not always a savings. Here is the comparison for my current most expensive textbook. (In this case, students are guaranteed to be able to sell back because it is widely used and recent, copyright Nov. 2009.)
Bookstore price new $101
Lowest online price new $98
Used online $88
Highest sell-back price if purchased new $56
Net cost new (purchase price - resale price) $42
vs. lowest online rental $44
vs. e-book 180 days $66
Even if a student did not get the best possible resale price, buying new and reselling is still probably the best deal.
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