The college textbook screw-o-rama has aggravated students and parents forever. You buy an expensive textbook at the campus bookstore. At the end of the term you sell it back practically unused (in my case, anyway) for pennies on the dollar. The next day it’s on the USED shelf for 75% of the original price!
Well, put down the gun, mom and dad – and pick up the Kindle! According to a recent USA Today article, book giant Amazon has announced:
…students can rent tens of thousands of textbooks from its online Kindle Store, which Kindle users can access on the e-reader. Amazon said its rental prices are as much as 80 percent lower than the list prices for the books.
Now, cheaper is one thing, and I am all for it. But if you remember standing in line at the bookstore to buy and resell your books, every term, four years straight…that’s hours of precious human capital that went to waste! Time that could have been spent drinking beer and not studying!
What do you think? It’s back to college time!Does it make sense? Is your (or your kids’) school participating?
we tried to find textbooks for the Nook but the prices were about the same price as the books.
It would be great for students to be able to have their books on an e-reader – no carrying tons of heavy books! they can sync the books to their phone & computer also.
down side is they can’t be used for doorstops like the textbooks and remember to plug it in!!!
yes, I am suspicious of the HUGE savings. this is college, and they will find a way to soak you!
I think I will consider buying Kindles for my two college students for Christmas this year!!
if nothing else, it’s MUCH lighter!