Do you buy used and new books on amazon?

[rootX]

They've rearranged just enough that all the page numbers are different, even if the parts we're teaching from are unchanged (the book goes into more depth than the course requires, so the changes are in the sections we don't really care about for this course).

Why they do that? I am assuming that they charge more for newer editions (like when the book first came out it might be 80$ and now second edition costs 110$ ?).

We're trying out allowing two editions of a text for one of the courses I'm teaching this Fall.

My most of professors do that. They never give us reading pages though (maybe because I am in engineering.) They only tell us the sections that they cover (or we just have to figure it ourselves. Mostly, They only tell us the chapters).

Book's more like a supplementary thing for me and I only use them for practice questions. I don't see what are the homework assignments I mostly keep on going at my own pace and try to do as many questions are possible.

 

[Cyrus]

Ta-Da its here!

http://img153.imageshack.us/img153/7969/pict0317lm5.jpg

First inspecting the book, the cover is in great shape. The first problem I noticed when I picked it up is that it 'creeks' as you move the cover side to side without opening it. This happens when the glue between the binding and the cardboard cover comes loose. No big deal, EVERY book I have ever had becomes loose like this after about a week. So, being used this is normal.

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/6672/pict0318im9.jpg

Ok, so I found TWO pages that have this red pen on it. BUT, its not really a big deal. Its only two pages I could find. Considering that 99% of the pages are absolutely clean, I can see him missing these pages when he looked through it and saw it was clean.

http://img75.imageshack.us/img75/8725/pict0319ne4.jpg

99% of the book is like this, super clean, crisp, no bends or tears.

For $23.00, GREAT VALUE.

My other controls book I bought used from the campus book store was 100% clean, cost me $150-ish bucks, and after reading it cover to cover the binding broke and pages fell out.

 

[Moonbear]

Why they do that? I am assuming that they charge more for newer editions (like when the book first came out it might be 80$ and now second edition costs 110$ ?).

In biology, a lot of things are changing and being updated all the time. The new editions usually do contain new material. But, for this particular course, the changes are in the sections we don't teach. It's an anatomy and physiology text, and we're only teaching the anatomy.

My most of professors do that. They never give us reading pages though (maybe because I am in engineering.) They only tell us the sections that they cover (or we just have to figure it ourselves. Mostly, They only tell us the chapters).

In most courses, I'd be inclined to just assign chapters, but right now, the courses I'm teaching really don't have good texts suitable for the level and material we're covering, so we use what's available and just assign the relevant sections of chapters. I'm actually surprised the one course doesn't have a good textbook...it's a nursing course. You'd think there would be a really good text on anatomy for nursing students by now, but I've been looking around and really haven't found one that's not either baby anatomy (too simple for them) or too advanced for them (i.e., for med students). I'm less surprised that there isn't a good book for the dental students. I think a lot of schools just torture them with the same topics the med students cover. We skip a lot of that since they really don't need it, or only need a really glossed over version.

 

[rootX]

I got my brand new book (in 2 days!) for 65$ (including all shipping costs etc.) from Asia.
It has good paper.

My university book store sells it for "173.60$" excluding taxes
Amazon from used/new from 70$ excluding taxes/shipping.
Only problem is it says "International Edition" :(. There isn't any other difference.

 

[Cyrus]

I got my brand new book (in 2 days!) for 65$ (including all shipping costs etc.) from Asia.
It has good paper.

My university book store sells it for "173.60$" excluding taxes
Amazon from used/new from 70$ excluding taxes/shipping.



Only problem is it says "International Edition" :(. There isn't any other difference.

Is it paperback? Also, what's the quality of the paper it's printed on?

Here's the thing, when you buy the US edition, it really is made in USA. So, you support US paper industry. Also, looking in the cover of my book it says they only buy paper from companies that grow as many trees as they cut down and use acid free paper.

I'm curious what kind of standards the international version has. I don't to save $20 bucks if they are deforesting the amazon.

 

[rootX]

Is it paperback? Also, what's the quality of the paper it's printed on?

Here's the thing, when you buy the US edition, it really is made in USA. So, you support US paper industry. Also, looking in the cover of my book it says they only buy paper from companies that grow as many trees as they cut down and use acid free paper.

I'm curious what kind of standards the international version has. I don't to save $20 bucks if they are deforesting the amazon.

Paper back.
It's really good (bright white, smooth, and thick) comparative to all NA books I have.

I am going try Abe next (for economics book because I couldn't find it on the Asian site)

Only problem is that there are some laws/thing :(.

 

[Cyrus]

Paper back.
It's really good (bright white, smooth, and thick) comparative to all NA books I have.

I am going try Abe next (for economics book because I couldn't find it on the Asian site)

Only problem is that there are some laws/thing :(.

That seems very expensive for a paperback. Is the USA edition also a paperback?

I've seen international paperbacks selling typically for 10-20 bucks, not 70.

 

[proton]

i've bought about 20 books from amazon and every time i have gotten the item as described. amazon is a very reliable site

 

[rewebster]

In biology, a lot of things are changing and being updated all the time. The new editions usually do contain new material. But, for this particular course, the changes are in the sections we don't teach. It's an anatomy and physiology text, and we're only teaching the anatomy.



In most courses, I'd be inclined to just assign chapters, but right now, the courses I'm teaching really don't have good texts suitable for the level and material we're covering, so we use what's available and just assign the relevant sections of chapters. I'm actually surprised the one course doesn't have a good textbook...it's a nursing course. You'd think there would be a really good text on anatomy for nursing students by now, but I've been looking around and really haven't found one that's not either baby anatomy (too simple for them) or too advanced for them (i.e., for med students). I'm less surprised that there isn't a good book for the dental students. I think a lot of schools just torture them with the same topics the med students cover. We skip a lot of that since they really don't need it, or only need a really glossed over version.

Comparative anatomy was one of the more interesting courses I took. The teacher must not have thought too much of the books that were on the market, as he wrote his own. The edition we used was his/the 'first', and it was in a spiral binding. Another course that I thought was interesting was histology.

 

[rootX]

That seems very expensive for a paperback. Is the USA edition also a paperback?

I've seen international paperbacks selling typically for 10-20 bucks, not 70.

I think that's hardcover.

But, just happy with 70 :)

 

[Cyrus]

I think that's hardcover.

But, just happy with 70 :)

What? .....you're going to have to retype this so I undestand what you're saying.

 

[rootX]

oops

That seems very expensive for a paperback. Is the USA edition also a paperback?

It's hardcover.

I've seen international paperbacks selling typically for 10-20 bucks, not 70.

I know those 1$ (@abe). But, I just decided to buy it for 50-60.

Here's mine
https://apexbook.tw/ <-- more reliable even though you need to translate it all (which took me 1 week)
Here's Abe
http://www.abebooks.com/