College Sepcific Textbook Editions?

Vhdblood

I was trying to help out a friend and find a used college textbook, but when I called the campus bookstore she gave me this ISBN. (9870073314020) However, this isn't showing up in any bookstores. She told me that it was a "specific edition for the college" and that I probably couldn't find it. I can find a ton of used copies of the book with the same name, edition and publisher, just not with that ISBN.

So, I need to know, is this bullshit, and the book is just the same, or is this probably an actual different book? I wouldn't be so worried, but it's like $150 for a used copy at the campus store, but $75 online for everywhere else.

trogdor9

University specific editions, are not so specific. Generally the only thing specific about it is that the front cover says the name of the school. So the Arizona state and the Ohio State editions are identical, just a different cover.

Without knowing the specific book, we can't really help you, but I don't see why a university would change their textbooks, aside from ripping off their students.

Lusankya

I was trying to help out a friend and find a used college textbook, but when I called the campus bookstore she gave me this ISBN. (9870073314020) However, this isn't showing up in any bookstores. She told me that it was a "specific edition for the college" and that I probably couldn't find it. I can find a ton of used copies of the book with the same name, edition and publisher, just not with that ISBN.

So, I need to know, is this bullshit, and the book is just the same, or is this probably an actual different book? I wouldn't be so worried, but it's like $150 for a used copy at the campus store, but $75 online for everywhere else.

A lot of universities write their own textbooks, too. A good example is my uni; the chemistry department has their own publications specifically for use in their undergraduate program.

fuzzyj

Lots of schools get custom printings that only have the covered chapters in them. They claim it is so the students save money. The books are $10 or $15 less then normal but have no resale value.

Vhdblood

A lot of universities write their own textbooks, too. A good example is my uni; the chemistry department has their own publications specifically for use in their undergraduate program.

This textbook has the same author, name, and publisher of the other non-campus copies, just a different ISBN, so I doubt it's a publication written by them. Also, I didn't think to mention it, but this is a junior college, so I think that also lowers the possibility.

Lots of schools get custom printings that only have the covered chapters in them. They claim it is so the students save money. The books are $10 or $15 less then normal but have no resale value.

This book is almost twice the price in the campus stores, as opposed to online, so I highly doubt that this is the case.