Book prices too high

E-books provide students alternatives

With the cost of tuition rising, college professors should eliminate the use of textbooks and instead begin using e-books.

While I still believe that a printed reference is necessary for classes at the college level, technology has made it possible to not only take the same information and make it lighter, it has all so made it possible to make it interactive.

Carole Walters of Flat World Knowledge, a publisher of free and open textbooks was quoted in a Fox Business article recently talking about the cost of books.

“The College Board reports that in 2010-2011, students could expect to spend an average of $1,137 on textbooks and supplies,” Walters said.

It is pretty excessive for a book that you might use again, or a book that the professor will quote once or twice in the middle of a lecture, even though it was required to get.

In the past I have found that buying my books at the college bookstore may not be the most economical decision, and that there are other locations that may have more thrifty prices.

One year I turned to buying my books online, it was by far the best choice.

Finding the book was as easy as typing the title into Google and comparing prices.

With a few clicks my job was done and in 7 to 10 business days the book was at my door.

As awesome as this was, there are still other options.

Electronic Books or E-Books have made life for the college students so much easier.

I understand that most students do not have $399 to drop on an iPad, but other electric readers are more reasonable.

On Amazon.com the Kindle eReader starts at $79 and the Nook from Barnes & Noble starts at $99.99 according to BestBuy.com

Some students already own a deceive like this or can download books on their smart phones.

Sharing books with friends can also be done.

The Kindle allows up to six devices to share the same book so now the cost of one book can be divided without having to take turns sharing the same book between multiple people, or having to meet up and study together.

While one can not sell back E-Books like a normal textbook, the student still comes up ahead because buybacks usually do not even give you half of the original price, if they are willing to buy it back.

So, while I can still be found walking around campus with my nose in a good old fashion paperback novel, I wouldn’t mind if my math book was not 5lbs. or $115.