The other day I was thinking to myself “you know what’s a scam? Math textbooks.” Since when has a math textbook truly changed its concepts? World War One? EVERY math book I have ever seen contains the same concepts as its newer counterparts, just different problems. Algebra is Algebra, Calculus is Calculus, etc etc…..
Now I understand that each company needs a share of the market but do they all really need to release a new edition of every discipline of math annually? This basically means that if the company decides the current edition isn’t bringing in enough profit, they will just sell a “new” edition at a ridiculous price. It is almost monopolistic. It’s like repackaging rotten milk and selling it as cheese. As a business tactic it is brilliant. From a consumer standpoint, IT IS RIDICULOUS!
So now that I’m done ranting, lets get to the lesson. Notice how even one person (myself) can have 2 completely opposite and opposing viewpoints on a subject? This is life. Many times in the business environment people see things VERY differently depending on where they stand and what interests they hold in the matter. Next time a situation arises think of it as a math equation, “What does each side need to be happy, or feel equal?” because when you better understand what the other party needs, you can conduct better business.
Whether it be a customer, partner, employee, coworker, or friend, try putting yourself in their shoes. When you reach mutually beneficial arrangements you can get much further in life, especially in the business world. This will lead to future business through word of mouth and growth of reputation. Therefore, I propose that textbook companies can make money by releasing new copies of other textbook subjects but at least let us students save on the math books! Well I guess we can all dream…
Filed under: Business | Tagged: books, math, math books, ripoff, scams, textbooks
