NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #1/NN_1993_1.iso/spool/sci/math/17808

Text File | 1993-01-07 | 1.6 KB | 34 lines

Newsgroups: sci.math
Path: sparky!uunet!spool.mu.edu!umn.edu!thompson
From: [e-mail] (T. Scott Thompson)
Subject: Re: High Prices of Math Books. I am pissed.
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Organization: Economics Department, University of Minnesota
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Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 22:19:39 GMT
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In all of this discussion I have not seen any reference to the
following argument that helps explain why textbook prices are high:

Those who buy textbooks (students) do not get to choose.
Those who sell textbooks (publishers) like high prices.
Those who choose textbooks (instructors) get them for free.

So none of the parties involved in determining prices have any
personal incentives to keep prices low.  To the extent that there is
any price competition at all, it comes only through the altruistic
concerns that instructors might have about their students' budgets.

Perhaps some reorganization of the textbook market is called for in
order to get the incentive structures right.  One step in the right
direction would be to eliminate the current system of providing free
desk copies of books to instructors.
--
T. Scott Thompson              email:  [e-mail]
Department of Economics        phone:  [phone]
University of Minnesota        fax:    [phone]