NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #16/NN_1992_16.iso/spool/comp/software/2929

Internet Message Format | 1992-07-23 | 2.1 KB

Path: sparky!uunet!mcsun!uknet!yorkohm!rwt
From: [e-mail] (Richard Taylor)
Newsgroups: comp.software-eng
Subject: Re: Expensive books (was Re: The Elements of Programming Style)
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 23 Jul 92 12:08:09 GMT
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Organization: Electronics Department, University of York, UK
Lines: 36

In <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Waseem Siddiqi) writes:

>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Ken Shrum) writes:
>>> Now, I don't *know* that it is a gouging job -- but I'd sure like to see
>>> some kind of explanation for the costs.  Where does the money *go*?
>>
>>Small-run books are expensive because they reflect the fixed costs of
>>the publisher being spread over a small number of physical books and
>>because there's substantial risk in small-run books: most small-run
>>books lose money for the publisher, so the one's that make money have
>>to carry the others.  In a way, it's a lot like venture capitalism.
>>
>>    Ken Shrum


>how come textbooks in UK are way cheaper when compared to the US ?
>This is even though most courses do not require a particular book i.e
>notes are enough and the market in UK is much smaller than the US.
>When I was studying there the most expensive book ever recommended was
>'The Art of Electronics' which cost about 19 pound. This is in 1989 and we
>felt outraged. Usually the recommended books were between 8 to 14 pounds.
>Studying here in Canada, I found required books costing $60-90 were
>almost routine. It makes me think there is someone trying to make a quick
>buck.

Not at all - I can not comment on Candada, but certainly for the
US-UK point of view, books are *very* much cheeper in the US. I
alsways stock up on my textbooks when I am over there.

Richard


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