i have to write a textbook. and make sure somehow that my textbook is able to be used in many different universities and colleges. that's a money maker. oh, no, i don't want to do it for the 'advancement of knowledge'. but money.
two examples:
first: i teach a logic course, and at all the places of higher learning that i have taught at all use the same logic book. now every, say, five or so years, a new edition comes out. now this is an 'entry' level book. so what has changed? nothing. the author changes some logic problems. maybe a few words. and bam. cash flow.
second: i'm teaching a comparative world religion class this semester. now i haven't taught it in about a year and a half. i was informed that there is a new edition out. i begin to go through it to check the new edition versus the old, and consequently my notes; and what do i notice? in the previous edition chapter two is labeled 'oral religions', and in the new one 'indigenous religions'. so the author goes through chapter two, and changes the word 'oral' to 'indigenous', and bam. new edition. cash flow. now there maybe other changes, but that is a far as i have gotten; but still...
however; i even tell students that if you are able to get your hands on the last edition...go for it.
[shalom...]
13.1.08
that's it...
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The textbook market has always been the biggest scam about college. And the excuse I was always told for the high cost was that the market was not big enough for the books to get the economies of scale. But we can see people self publish books for less...
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