BOOKS

NON-FiCTION.

TEXTBOOKS.

A textbook or coursebook (UK English) is a manual of instruction in any branch of study. Textbooks are produced according to the demands of educational institutions. Schoolbooks are textbooks and other books used in schools. Although most textbooks are only published in printed format, many are now available as online electronic books.

 

The ancient Greeks wrote texts intended for education. The modern textbook has its roots in the standardization made possible by the printing press. Johannes Gutenberg himself may have printed editions of Ars Minor, a schoolbook on Latin grammar by Aelius Donatus. Early textbooks were used by tutors and teachers, who used the books as instructional aids (e.g., alphabet books), as well as individuals who taught themselves.

 

The Greek philosopher Plato lamented the loss of knowledge because the media of transmission were changing. Before the invention of the Greek alphabet 2,500 years ago, knowledge and stories were recited aloud, much like Homer's epic poems. The new technology of writing meant stories no longer needed to be memorized, a development Socrates feared would weaken the Greeks' mental capacities for memorizing and retelling. (Ironically, we know about Socrates' concerns only because they were written down by his student Plato in his famous Dialogues.) 

The next revolution for books came with the 15th-century invention of printing with changeable type. The invention is attributed to German metalsmith Johannes Gutenberg, who cast type in molds using a melted metal alloy and constructed a wooden-screw printing press to transfer the image onto paper.

 

The textbook market does not operate in exactly the same manner as most consumer markets. First, the end consumers (students) do not select the product, and the product is not purchased by faculty or professors. Therefore, price is removed from the purchasing decision, giving the producer (publishers) disproportionate market power to set prices high.

 

This fundamental difference in the market is often cited as the primary reason that prices are out of control. The term "broken market" first appeared in the economist James Koch's analysis of the market commissioned by the Advisory Committee on Student Financial Assistance.

 

This situation is exacerbated by the lack of competition in the textbook market. Consolidation in the past few decades has reduced the number of major textbook companies from around 30 to just a handful. Consequently, there is less competition than there used to be, and the high cost of starting up keeps new companies from entering.

 

THE CREATIVE REALM'S RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS

 

1. Jon Duckett - HTML and CSS: Design and Build Websites
2. Nigel C. Benson - The Psychology Book
3. Theodore L. Brown, H. Eugene LeMay Jr., Bruce E. Bursten - Chemistry: The Central Science
4. Barbara Bielan - What's Your Assessment 
5. Martha Char Love - What's Behind Your Belly Button? A Psychological Perspective of the Intelligence of Human Nature and Gut Instinct