books

My bookbag

As a student, books are essential to the learning process.  Let me show you the difference between then (1981-82) and now (2015)   

THEN:

My memories of college textboks were singular: they were so expensive that no one could afford their ridiculous price.  So ridiculously OVERPRICED, most students (including myself) would buy used ones instead of the costly new one.  Who needs a good cover when all you need is the content that some professor is forcing you to read?  I used to love this concept and it was my first taste of bargain shopping.  When I was forced to buy a new textbook, the first question I’d ask the bookstore is “Will you buy it back?”

NOW:

I have four classes.  My textbooks cost so much money I am ashamed to say how much I spent .  I must now tell all who read this that the REASON I could buy them in the first place is because I am married to a man who finished college and makes a very good living.

American River College has a good campus bookstore, but NOW I am a seasoned bargain shopper and I know it’s not the best place to go if you want the best deals. 

Most of my texts I bought used – I have five books for one of my classes – I am “renting” one of them from amazon.  Don’t believe me?  Here's the difference in rental vs. purchase price of my history text -  Check out this link:

This text is WONDERFUL!  I have never enjoyed a history text so much, but do you see that sticker price?  I once bought an encyclopedic Bible for seventy dollars, and that was my combined birthday and Christmas presents.  I refuse to spend that much money on one book – no matter how good it is. (I should say now that the Bible is not a book – it’s life.  It’s much more than a book to me… and I wouldn’t buy one for the cost of this text.)

Renting is just one of the new options available for students.  An affordable option, like leasing a car.  If the book isn’t going to become one of your close friends (I bought all of my English texts) it’s worth it to consider renting a textbook.

My Political Science class required  a textbook that is brand new – it wasn’t available anywhere USED, so I had to buy it from the Beaver Bookstore.  It is an amazing work – Keeping the Republic by Barbour and Wright.  It is as beautiful as it is well written, and I don’t think I’ll sell it back when the class is over.  The big bonus of this is that it has an e-book I can access on my computer.  In the e-book there are links to historical documents and videos.  There are sample tests and quizzes.  I love the incredible accessibility of information that comes with it.

Here is a link to an article on nationalizingfacebook (a SLATE article – more of a jab to attack the  privacy infringement facebook has). 

Books used to be – well, they still are -  one of the best parts about going to school.