Hi Beth- Let me clarify my post. I have nothing but admiration for David Meyers. I think that his gift to APS was a noble example and I wish I could follow suit. My only point was to take issue with the notion that textbook writing isn't lucrative. While I think that it's true that most authors make relatively little money from their work there are a few who (deservedly) seem to do quite well.
-Don. Don Allen Dept. of Psychology Langara College 100 W. 49th Ave. Vancouver, B.C. Canada V5Y 2Z6 Phone: 604-323-5871 ----- Original Message ----- From: Beth Benoit <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Monday, February 25, 2008 9:20 am Subject: Re: [tips] Obama thinks textbook writers are scammers To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]> > I think Dave Myers is probably too much of a gentleman to attempt > to defend himself, so I'm taking up the gauntlet. > > Dave works like a dog on his many textbooks. If he does well > financially, it's because he does such a great job and they're > very popular. Why can't we think that it's a wonderful thing if > he made a generous contribution? > > I couldn't get the link that Don sent to open up with any info > about Dave's purported gift, but I have heard the same comment > regarding the wonderful generosity of Melinda and Bill Gates. > ("Gee, they make so much money that a gift like that won't hurt > them.") Well, that certainly negates the positive aspect of the > gift-giving. Hugh Hefner and The Donald make quite a bit of > money, but I haven't read lately about them going to Africa to > find a cure for malaria, etc. > > Beth Benoit > Granite State College > Plymouth State University > New Hampshire > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Don Allen > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 12:06 PM > Subject: Re: [tips] Obama thinks textbook writers are scammers > > > Chris- > > Didn't David Meyers give APS a gift of 1 million dollars? > > see: http://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/getArticle.cfm? > id=1546 > > Did he win it in the lottery or was some of that money from > textbook > sales? > > -Don. > > Don Allen > Dept. of Psychology > Langara College > 100 W. 49th Ave. > Vancouver, B.C. > Canada V5Y 2Z6 > Phone: 604-323-5871 > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Christopher D. Green" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: Monday, February 25, 2008 8:13 am > Subject: [tips] Obama thinks textbook writers are scammers > To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" > <[email protected]> > > > Check out the following item from today's Inside Higher Ed: > > > > If Barack Obama is elected president, students upset about > > textbook > > prices may have an ally. While he hasn't proposed any > legislation > > on the > > topic, he used an appearance Friday at the University of Texas- > Pan > > American to criticize the way professors benefit from writing > > expensive > > texts. The /Chicago Tribune/ > > > > <http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2008/02/obama_on_a_col lege_textbook_ra.html> > > quoted him as saying: "Books are a big scam. I taught law at > the > > University of Chicago for 10 years, and one of the biggest > scams > > is law > > professors write their own textbooks and then assign it to > their > > students. They make a mint. It's a huge racket. /The Wall > Street > > Journal/ > > <http://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2008/02/22/obama-to-students-be- > > careful-with-those-credit-cards/?mod=googlenews_wsj> > > reported that in a discussion in which Obama reiterated his > > criticism of > > private student loans, he also urged students to be careful > about > > their > > own spending. "Just be careful about those credit cards, all > > right? > > Don't eat out as much," the /Journal/ quoted him saying. > > > > I can't speak for law schools, but I don't know that anyone > makes > > "a > > mint" on textbooks. If it doesn't sell well beyond one's own > > classes, it > > isn't going to be around for very long, I would guess. And > doesn't > > it > > seem reasonable that if you spend a great deal of time an > effort > > laying > > out a particular topic in the way you think it should be > taught, > > that > > you would want to also use that book in order to teach it that > way? > > > Regards, > > Chris > > -- > > > > Christopher D. Green > > Department of Psychology > > York University > > Toronto, ON M3J 1P3 > > Canada > > > > > > > > 416-736-2100 ex. 66164 > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > http://www.yorku.ca/christo/ > > > > > > > > "Part of respecting another person is taking the time to > criticise > > his > > or her views." > > > > - Melissa Lane, in a /Guardian/ obituary for philosopher > Peter > > Lipton > > ================================= > > > > > > --- > > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > > > Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) > > --- > To make changes to your subscription contact: > > Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) --- To make changes to your subscription contact: Bill Southerly ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
