Taking the Sting Out of Sticker Shock
Textbook sales: one big rip-off
The College Textbook Ripoff is Worse Than Ever
Ripoff 101: Publishing Industry's Practices Drive Up Textbook Costs
CalPIRG reports textbook ripoff
Ripoff 101: How Textbook Industry Manipulates Prices
Hold a “Textbook Ripoff Carnival”
Oregon Latest State to Introduce Legislation to Stop College Textbook Rip-Off Industry
THE GREAT TEXTBOOK RIPOFF ... FACT OR FICTION?
The Same Books Minus The RipOff
STUDENT is standing in middle of stage. Sound of gunshots and a siren comes from offstage on the right. CEO--with a ski mask covering face and a paper sack in his hand--rushes in from stage right and stops by STUDENT.
STUDENT: What the ... ? Who are you?
CEO: I'm the CEO of OO Publishing, a leading publisher of college textbooks.
STUDENT: What's the OO stand for.
CEO: Well we tell people that it stands for our founders--Outland and Overstreet--but inside the company we all know that it means outrageously overpriced.
STUDENT: By the way, why are you wearing a ski mask?
CEO: I started out as a bank robber. Then I found out that I could make a lot more money by ripoffs on students instead of banks. But the publishing business can get kind of boring, so every once in a while I go out and knock off a bank.
STUDENT: How come textbooks are so expensive?
CEO: I'm glad you asked. I'm going to explain to you why textbooks are really a great bargain. Could I look at your wallet?
STUDENT: Why?
CEO: It will help me explain how the textbook business works. Let me look at it.
STUDENT hands wallet to CEO. Then CEO removes a $10 bill, drops it into the paper sack, and hands the wallet back to STUDENT.
STUDENT: Hey! Give me my money back!
CEO: Don't worry, I'll take care of it later. Right now I need it to help you understand how the textbook publishing industry works.
STUDENT: Well ... OK. More...