Affordable textbooks? What about South Africa? Write your own?

An interesting report from the U.S. this week:

BLOOMINGTON — U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin says textbook publishers, college administrators and professors aren’t getting the message about the need to hold down costs — including textbook costs.

That’s why the Springfield Democrat has introduced the Affordable Textbook Act................ said it takes $500,000 to $3 million to develop a textbook, requiring the work of authors, reviewers and editors, among others..........

Durbin thinks part of the answer will come from the universities themselves recognizing that holding down costs is part of their mission and that they have to “find a new way to present course materials.”
 
Durbin’s advice to students is to challenge their professors and ask if they realize the prices of the books they require, and whether instructors attempt to find the most affordable options.............    

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