Congratulations to Eric for doing this and I hope more people follow.
This material should be free.
Look at, say, one of Kindleberger's textbooks from 30 years back. You
get excellent, clearly-written, _text_: sentences, paragraphs, sections,
and chapters meant to be read like a real book, not a magazine to be
browsed through. No colors, no photographs, no special design, nothing
that would justify an exorbitant price. In pedagogical terms books have
improved very little since then, and their useful content could be still
put in a trade paperback. Instead they've been tarted up with color
photos, ostentatious graphics, and enough white space and extras to add
pages and weight.
Todaro's _Economic Development_ costs $93.33. This is grotesque.
As Eric notes, publishers try to sell you elaborate packages including
supplemental readers and workbooks, lecture notes, transparencies, and
exams -- so all you have to do is stand at the podium, turn over the
transparencies, read the notes, and give the multiple choice tests! If
anything pedagogy has retrogressed.
Another deadening feature of the market is that each book is supposed to
resemble all other books, on the assumption that instructors are too
lazy to change their classes, but will switch books on a whim. Look at
how carefully Brad tries to argue that though his book is highly
innovative, the changes "do not require recasting of courses."
We need an evolving collection of freeware books, chapters, exercises,
problem sets, handouts, examples, interactive tutorials, and whatnot --
enough so that you could put on a decent intro course without making
students buy anything. Then let publishers turn their efforts to
innovative and useful things that might actually be worth buying.
Best, Colin
