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Comment by professoretc | Hacker News Reader

Yeah, I'm not even sure how that would work? Like, if my department goes with a particular textbook, or a certain number of classes all use textbooks from the same publisher, then sometimes we get discounts on things like solutions manuals or custom editions, but I don't know how a publisher would pay a particular professor for picking their textbook.

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Well they all send you free books, in the hope you'll pick their one.

I'm still missing the part where I get rich! Please tell me!

Truth be told, in my field the intro level textbooks are essentially indistinguishable, down to graphics and specific examples, and every publisher has one. Even if I got free samples for all of them (I don't), there is zero difference for the student. You look at the classics, maybe check out a new book, but in the end pick the one you're already familiar with because you don't have any time to waste.

It does depend on the field, in mine (psychology) the textbooks can be very, very different due to the size and bifurcation of the field.

But yeah, you won't get rich, but you will get a full bookshelf, so you'll be rich in knowledge ;)

Haha, I wish! Most of the books for the intro classes I teach are essentially redundant. It's a lucky occasion when you teach something where you learn something completely new that you find interesting, and these classes are typically small, so there's even less incentive for a publisher.

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