Textbook Downloads Online

whoatherechunk · #1 06-08-2009, 11:47 PM

Yeah....i'm not promoting being a hacker or doing such activities but does anybody download their textbooks from a particular website? If so .......let me know whats up hahaha because jesus mio.....books prices are skyrocketing and for what....a change in an edition....that has a few more cuter pictures?!?!?! BS!!!!!! Yea so if theres a place I can perhaps buy a subscription or ummm yeah downlaod em somehow it'd be appreciated. Thanks!

McHaven · #2 06-09-2009, 12:28 AM

Normally I contact my professors and see if that current edition is truly necessary. Most of the time it isn't, or the changes are so small that it isn't necessary. Then, get one alibris.com or a similar site and find your book, maybe a few editions back. I just picked up all my textbooks for summer classes for 50 bucks. Would have spent at least 200 at the campus bookstore.

whoatherechunk · #3 06-09-2009, 01:38 AM

yeah i always ask about previous editions. do you know of any good places to sell all my books at besides college classifieds, craigslist, ebay, amazon, etc? thanks mick

i_got_a_mohawk · #4 06-09-2009, 03:47 AM

Buy them used. If it is a brand new version of a text that is just out, check with your tutors to see what version they are using. Often there isn't much added in new versions. And even if there are new chapters added, most tutors won't be jumping to add it to the course material straight away.

And downloading wouldn't be much cheaper than (if at all) buying the book new. If you are suggesting getting it for free, then I would suggest removing that part of your post, doubt TB wants to be promoting such activities

.

Another thing you could do is use the university library. But it does depend on the size of your course, how good the library is etc. I've got 11-12 large textbooks (bought over the last 6 years or so), and most of them haven't been used that much. Well, they weren't used that much during my earlier studies, when we were told we needed them. What is it you are studying? Because some fields won't linger on textbooks for long before moving on to focusing specifically on journal articles.

BurningSkies · #5 06-09-2009, 06:05 AM

Illegal.

L-A · #6 06-09-2009, 08:07 AM

projectgutenberg.org will have most of the books that are legal to share online.

Legal to share = the author deceased more than 50 years ago, in most countries. So, no recent textbooks

Buy used.

whoatherechunk · #7 06-09-2009, 11:31 AM

I'm not promiting taking part in illegal activities....I know it is....and if I do it...it's a risk I take. Sorry.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BurningSkies

Illegal.

Thanks L-A.

m0nst3r · #8 06-09-2009, 01:02 PM

There are places where you can download only the individual chapters that you need like iChapters. IME, the chapters cost anywhere from $1.99 - $5.99. Although buying eBooks seems like a good idea in the short run, keep in mind that you won't be able to sell your books and make back some of the coin you spent when you're done with them.

Here's the link: http://www.ichapters.com/market/index.html

BurningSkies · #9 06-09-2009, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by m0nst3r

There are places where you can download only the individual chapters that you need like iChapters. IME, the chapters cost anywhere from $1.99 - $5.99. Although buying eBooks seems like a good idea in the short run, keep in mind that you won't be able to sell your books and make back some of the coin you spent when you're done with them.

Here's the link: http://www.ichapters.com/market/index.html

This is a good point. It can be pretty cheap to buy used and re-sell. Fer instance, If you buy a used book for 100.00 (instead of 150ish) and use it for a semester or two, then sell it back for $75 (standard in the text industry is 2/3 of list for used retail price, and 50% of list for buyback at the end of semester if adopted in the future)...you've paid only 25 dollars for that book. I work in academic rights and permissions at a large university, and most students don't realize how easy it is 'not to get taken' if they actually were a bit more heads up.

Also, the current 'basic' law is 70 year after the death of the author...not 50. Although if the book is before 1923, you're clear...or if the copyright has lapsed during the era of mandatory renewals.