WHY DO BOOKS COST SO DAMN MUCH?
-and other questions from the Amish Paradise

by G. Gollinger

Chapter 1 - WHY DO BOOKS COST SO DAMN MUCH?

	1/29/97: Bought three books.
	Physics 16: approx. 1200 pages, 60 bucks.
	Poli-sci 15: 400 page paperback, 46 bucks.
	Math 19: 560 page USED BOOK not in the greatest condition, 55 bucks.

	$161 for three books.  99% of students think that's just plain 
highway robbery.  (The other one percent are interning and don't care.)  
So why do the books cost so much?  After some careful analysis (and a few 
beers,) I found a few probable causes.

	1.  Professor requests book.  (as an example, we'll say the 
retail value of the book is $25.)
	2.  Department head approves book.  (pay for labor, book now $30)
	3.  Registrar counts number of people in class.  (ditto, now $34)
	4.  Registrar orders book from distributor.  (Pay for phone bill, now $37)
	5.  Distributor orders bunches of books from publisher in bulk.  (now $48 
for their labor)
	6.  Publisher marks up price to make a profit.  (Now $55)
	7.  Publisher ships books to distributor using very efficient and 
EXPENSIVE company.  (Now $63)
	8.  Distributor marks up price to make a profit.  (Now $70)
	9.  Distributor ships them using very efficient and EXPENSIVE 
company.  (Now $80)
	10.  School marks up book to make a profit. (Now $85)
	11.  Student buys book for $85.
	12.  Student sells book back to school for $10.
	13.  School resells book for $50.

	So, as you can see, the people who make out great by this are...
	A.  The publisher.
	B.  The distributor.
	C.  The very efficient and EXPENSIVE shipping company.
	D.  The phone company, since the school will probably go to ten 
different distributors.
	E.  The school (although they'll never admit it.)
	
	And the people who get f*cked in the ass...
	A.  The student.
	B.  The parents who pay for the books when the student puts them 
on his Visa.
	C.  The alumni, who are asked for a bigger yearly contribution.

	You'll also notice that the school loves the idea of book 
resale.  That's because they know the students, by the end of the term, 
are strapped for cash.  They'll gladly take ten bucks for food.  They 
don't care that they spent eighty bucks on the book at the beginning of 
the term.  They then sell them back at fifty bucks a pop.  This is called 
"screwing the student royally while we sit back and make a sh*tload."

Chapter 2 - WHY DO FRESHMAN GET SCREWED DURING SCHEDULING?

	11/96: First-time registration day for January term and Spring term.  
Seniors, Juniors, Sophomores, Freshmen.  In that order.

	---stopped..