Please Vote: Exercises in TDPL?

[Christopher Wright]

Nick Sabalausky wrote:
> "Sean Kelly" <sean at invisibleduck.org> wrote in message 
>> I also don't understand why professors seem to always choose academic 
>> textbooks on the subject when I know there are infinitely better trade 
>> books available (which I generally already own).
> 
> Hear hear!!
> 
> There's also another phenomenon I've noticed: Classes that never use the 
> book, *except* for heavy use of it during the first two weeks. Call me 
> paranoid, but I can't imagine any realistic explanation for that other than 
> trying to trick students who have learned not to buy books until they see 
> the class *really does* require it (as opposed to the classes that merely 
> claim to require it.)

It could also be that the professor is new to teaching and wanted to try 
out the book, but did not end up liking it.

> Heck, one of the schools I went to, I know for a fact that the instructors 
> were *required* to choose a "required" book for their course and have the 
> bookstore order it. A handful of instructors would say on the first day of 
> class "Did you get the required book for this course? No? Good. Don't. And 
> if you have, go take it back. They just required me to pick one. We won't 
> use it, so don't get it." 

My university's bookstore refused to accept returns without proof that 
you dropped the course.