Anthony Pace wrote: > If you want them really cheap, get a library card.
Excellent suggestion. Of course, you don't have it around indefinitely as a reference, but there are only a handful of books that I regularly reference. > The only books I don't feel guilty about people > ripping, are the ones that I have seen cost $180 - $390 or more per > book. (e.g. advanced computer engineering, physics topics, biomed, > journals, or graduate level anything). Interesting rationalization for theft. It's ok to steal a BMW, but not a Ford? You do realize you're stealing from real people, not faceless corporations, don't you? My wife and I both work for a large publisher. I'm in a division that's totally Web, the Family Education Network (<www.fen.com>), but my wife is closer to the textbook side--she produces Web sites for college math courses. She started as a copy editor in the 1980s, though, so I've learned a lot about book publishing by osmosis over the years. Publishers aren't generally highly profitable, at least not like oil or pharmaceutical companies. Our company's stock hasn't performed anything like Apple's, but of course Apple is that cool guy you see on the TV ads, not a big corporation. And of course, our CEO is an evil, money-grubbing tyrant, not a cool guy who wears jeans. Behind every book, not matter how small, is a team. The author, usually a college prof; the acquisitions editor who screens authors and signs the most promising; the editor who supervises the production process; designers; artists; copy editors; reviewers; printers; marketing and sales; and the whole infrastructure to support an enterprise, from IT to accountants to janitors. There's a reason those grad level books cost more--smaller market, high production costs. There just aren't as many people studying string theory as there are taking algebra 101. On the other hand, the grad students who shell out $200 will go out in 2 years earning $15,000/year more than the people who "just" got a bachelor's degree. So, just who do you propose to steal from? The author? Chances are he's a college prof making less than you. The editors who find the good authors? Ok, let's put them out of a job, and we'll let the grad students settle for lower quality content. The designers? Ok, but the books won't be presented as well, and will be harder to read. The copy editors? Ok, if you're willing to settle for lots of typos and inconsistencies. I could go on and on, but you get my point. If you rip a book, whether it's an $8 paperback novel or a $300 quantum physics text, you're a thief. It's that simple. You're stealing something, and you expect to personally benefit from your theft. One more point--some of these authors, like Rich Shupe, are on this list and others, giving help for free. Ask him, or most any other author, if they have gotten rich off their books. (I can answer--no, they haven't. In a lot of cases they would have made more flipping burgers.) And you don't feel guilty? I would. (And before you ask, yes, I bought all my books in grad school--still do, in fact--and no, I don't have a single pirated book, program, music, or video). _______________________________________________ Flashcoders mailing list Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders
