I think the cost of books is very little related to the cost of production and distribution. They cost what the market will bear, and as long as students are coerced into buying them from university bookstores, the costs will continue to rise. A hot dog at a ball park costs $8 not because of production and distribution, or the salaries paid to the ball players. They cost $8 because that's what people are willing to pay for them because there's no place else to get a hot dog when you're at the ballpark.
Reselling books, to my mind, offers students a source of books at considerably lowered costs than those charged by the publishers. If students can start to buy books at other venues that offer lower costs than the bookstores are asking, that should put downward pressure on the cost of books. And that I would truly welcome. But as several have said, I don't sell books I asked to review. Unsolicited books, on the other hand, are fair game... m -- Marc Carter, PhD Associate Professor of Psychology Chair, Department of Behavioral and Health Sciences College of Arts & Sciences Baker University -- > -----Original Message----- > From: Ken Steele [mailto:[email protected]] > Sent: Wednesday, February 15, 2012 11:38 AM > To: Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) > Subject: Re: [tips] Book buyers > > > I think the situation is more complex than usually presented by the > book > publishers. I don't have data but I do have an anecdote :-) > > A couple of years ago I received unsolicited a box containing several > textbooks from a publisher. Many of the books were in areas in which I > do not teach classes. > > A week or so later a book buyer came to my office and I was telling him > the story of the unsolicited books. They were still sitting in the > shipping box on my floor and the book buyer asked to take a look at > them. > > He looked, sighed, and said that every book had just been superceded by > a newer edition. I asked why I was sent the books. He said that the > cost of the books could be used as expenses for tax credits. > > The publisher's practice of bringing out new editions containing > trivial > changes on a regular basis convinces me that they are not business > innocents. > > I would like to see data on the problem from a neutral and informed > source. > > Ken > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > - > Kenneth M. Steele, Ph. D. [email protected] > Professor and Assistant Chairperson > Department of Psychology http://www.psych.appstate.edu > Appalachian State University > Boone, NC 28608 > USA > ----------------------------------------------------------------------- > - > > > On 2/15/2012 10:35 AM, Jeffrey Nagelbush wrote: > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > --- > > Date: Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:27:30 -0600 > > Subject: Re: [tips] Book buyers > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > We don't have a policy and book selling is common here. We get > multiple > > book sellers around, each week, it seems. > > > > I used to have ethical problems with the practice but now my concern > is > > how much the practice, given it is widespread, actually increases the > > cost of books to the students. It seems to me these books that the > > publisher gets no money for would be one more pressure to raise the > > costs of the books. But I could be wrong. Anyone know of any data on > > this issue? > > > > Jeffrey Nagelbush > > Professor of Psychology > > Ferris State University > > [email protected] > > > > > > > > > > > > On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 2:07 PM, Rick Froman <[email protected] > > <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > We are looking at our current policy toward faculty selling desk > and > > review copies of books to buyers. Can you share with me (off-list > if > > you don't want to burn one of your three posts to the lists for > the > > day) your school's policy (if any) and what you think about it. > > Thanks,____ > > > > __ __ > > > > Rick____ > > > > __ __ > > > > Dr. Rick Froman, Chair____ > > > > Division of Humanities and Social Sciences ____ > > > > Professor of Psychology ____ > > > > Box 3055____ > > > > John Brown University ____ > > > > 2000 W. University Siloam Springs, AR 72761 ____ > > > > [email protected] <mailto:[email protected]> ____ > > > > (479)524-7295____ > > > > http://bit.ly/DrFroman ____ > > > > __ __ > > > > > > > > -- > > Carol DeVolder, Ph.D. > > Professor of Psychology > > St. Ambrose University > > 518 West Locust Street > > Davenport, Iowa 52803 > > 563-333-6482 > > > > > > > > > > > > --- > > > --- > You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. > To unsubscribe click here: > http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13029.76c7c563b32ad9d8d09c72a2d17c90e > 1&n=T&l=tips&o=16070 > or send a blank email to leave-16070- > [email protected] The information contained in this e-mail and any attachments thereto ("e-mail") is sent by Baker University ("BU") and is intended to be confidential and for the use of only the individual or entity named above. The information may be protected by federal and state privacy and disclosures acts or other legal rules. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are notified that retention, dissemination, distribution or copying of this e-mail is strictly prohibited. If you have received this e-mail in error please immediately notify Baker University by email reply and immediately and permanently delete this e-mail message and any attachments thereto. Thank you. --- You are currently subscribed to tips as: [email protected]. To unsubscribe click here: http://fsulist.frostburg.edu/u?id=13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df5d5&n=T&l=tips&o=16071 or send a blank email to leave-16071-13090.68da6e6e5325aa33287ff385b70df...@fsulist.frostburg.edu
