tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464708.post6577596613586360210..comments2024-03-22T06:05:36.544-04:00Comments on Kids Prefer Cheese: It has a strange allureMungowitzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02340064320347875601noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464708.post-72204851150970769002013-12-07T10:48:24.617-05:002013-12-07T10:48:24.617-05:00funny that this very post is an illustration of ho...funny that this very post is an illustration of how, despite all that's screwed up in higher ed, as listed in the article itself, the focus falls on...the price of textbooks. people focus on whatever issue is most easily hyped, especially if that distracts attention from the bigger picture.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464708.post-5338775798441931312013-12-04T13:33:25.247-05:002013-12-04T13:33:25.247-05:00As course instructor I never assign a new edition ...As course instructor I never assign a new edition of a textbook unless it is the first and only available edition, and no good alternative exists. <br /><br />To be fair, most major publishers now offer e-book alternatives at a small fraction of the price, so instead of $200, the student pays $80-100.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464708.post-22080255348755057132013-12-03T15:10:56.499-05:002013-12-03T15:10:56.499-05:00Market for texts is interesting. I wonder if anyo...Market for texts is interesting. I wonder if anyone has examined it closely. For example, like cars and houses, one would think that one factor determining how much a student would be willing to pay for a text is the expected resale value at the end of the term. Wouldn't this effect have to be traded off against whatever advantage comes with reducing resale value through more frequent issuing of new editions?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464708.post-75155517022581068822013-12-03T13:34:07.762-05:002013-12-03T13:34:07.762-05:00I got a B.S. ten years ago when I was 45. College...I got a B.S. ten years ago when I was 45. College textbooks are a racket. For core classes I had to get the latest version of the textbook. Even if I could locate a used one online the price was north of $50, while the previous edition was going for $5. What fundamental changes in algebra or statistics or business communications require a new textbook every year or two? Why do instructors specify the latest, most expensive edition? Do they get a kickback?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7464708.post-52614400097484173882013-12-03T09:45:05.532-05:002013-12-03T09:45:05.532-05:00A mostly good history but mostly the wrong solutio...A mostly good history but mostly the wrong solutions.<br /><br />A main driver of high college costs is increased government loans and grants. Basically 100% of the increase in this is captured not by the student but by the university.<br /><br />Agree that the increased administration and fancy buildings are the "why", but the loans/grants are the "how".<br /><br />And of course the bankruptcy idea is ridiculous.<br /><br />ConnGatornoreply@blogger.com