ChemE books

cronxeh

Why are all Chemical Engineering books at least a $100 or more, while Applied Physics books go for around 20-30 bucks a piece?

Dr Transport

Because Chemical Engineers know how to make money and Applied Physicists are in it for their own gratification.

selfAdjoint

I was told by a chem-e friend that chem-e's make more money than other engineers, and have shorter life spans (from inhaling all those chemicals).

cronxeh

yes well i switched from ChemE to MechE and the difference between the two is merely +5k for ChemE in salary a year.

The point about the books is that in both instances the material is practically the same - fluid dynamics, mass/energy transfer, etc. Yet applied physics books are cheap and have more in-depth theorital material, while ChemE books usually have examples with some theory, which isnt always even explained in terms of how it was achieved.

Bystander

http://www.walmart.com/catalog/produ...est=9999999997

http://www.alibris.com/search/detail...ches=2&qsort=r

Couple classics in physical chemistry --- "kwitcher belly-aching." Book prices are set by what the market will bear, position on the best seller lists, and by publication "set-up" costs --- anything less than some minimum number printed really runs up the price --- chem Es never pay for books out of pocket (this is the assumption in pricing), employers buy the books, or the taxpayers cover the costs as "professional expenses" deductions. Best-sellers? Technical books are bestsellers?

H, C, & B (the green monster) is a classic --- the price reflects it --- $600? Yikes! I gotta buy a "book vault." Harned & Owen? 'Nother classic. Out of print --- used to be an ACS "cash cow" --- got nicked sumpin' 'tween 50 - 100 bucks 30 years ago --- it hasn't appreciated quite as much.

cronxeh

I was talking to a guy who was doing graduate study in ChemE and he told me that ChemE is overresearched. Is there any truth to this?

Bystander

This is more a question for academic and career guidance --- "overresearched?" That's what everyone says when the project vanishes around the corner in the toilet --- another 2-3 years work staring you in the face, digging out the literature, reading, getting back up to speed, equipment, apparatus construction/set-up, wrangling with the thesis committee, TAing for money, dumpster diving for food, furniture, and clothes ------ eevvveeerrrryyyyything is "overresearched."