Reply #14: Of course professors will assign their own textbooks. [View All]

[laconicsax]

Why would any college professor not assign their own textbooks?

There are two real college textbook scams perpetrated by the publishers. The first is price gouging, the second is perpetually releasing new editions. The first one is self-explanatory. The second goes like this. Publishers saw that they could make more money if the used textbook market didn't exist, and the best way to shut it down is to release an (overpriced) new edition every year.

-Publisher releases a new edition virtually identical to the old edition and stops printing/selling the old edition. New edition is the only game in town.
-Professors are forced to assign the new edition, since the old edition is technically no longer available.
-Bookstores have to buy the new edition because it's what's being assigned and they won't buy back any copies of the old edition.
-Students are then forced to shell out lots of money for new books since there are no used copies available.

Related reading:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A30151-2004Sep17.html
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050202/news_1m2textbooks.html
http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C0DE3DC1E3EF932A15753C1A9659C8B63

Edit: 2nd Edition same as the first
Edit: 3rd Edition (can you spot the difference)