Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with textbooks

Great texts on pop culture?

mediocritease — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:08:00 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good text on pop culture history/studies? I'd love to take a college course on the subject, but I'm not currently enrolled anywhere. I'm also impatient and I want to get right on it. I did a brief search for any similar questions on AskMeFi and didn't find anything. Nor do I check this site daily, so if it's been asked before then I've missed it and I apologize. Your help will be greatly appreciated.

What's the matter with Carruthers

asockpuppet — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:04:45 -0800

I'm trying to locate elementary reading textbooks from the late 70s early 80s. All I have to go on is that the first grade text was a 3 parter and the first two parts were Footprints and Carousel and were in paperback format. Later grades had the heavy textbook type in a monochrome cover and one was called Melody( I think this was the third grade text) and was either teal or violet. The other books in that series also had a one word title and a monchrome color scheme for the covers. Publishers were possibly HBJ or Houghton Mifflin.

Rhetorical Theory texts for Undergrads?

BlooPen — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:36:36 -0800

What textbooks and/or texts would you recommend for an undergraduate Rhetorical Theory class? I’ll be teaching Rhetorical Theory for the first time next semester and have been struggling to find a textbook or some combination of textbooks for the course. Alternatively, I can choose articles and selections from primary texts to post online, so suggestions for articles and key primary texts are also helpful. The students are mostly junior English majors focusing their studies on Lit or Creative Writing, and this will be their first exposure to rhetorical theory.

This question has given me a good head start, but I'm hoping to find things that are compelling for undergraduates without overwhelming them.

What are the most well-written textbooks?

crLLC — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:19:59 -0800

What are the most well-written (i.e., enjoyable to read) textbooks and/or books written for an academic audience? I'm not looking for the "best" textbook on any given subject, but textbooks on any topic that are compelling to read because of the wit and lucidity of the writing style. I generally enjoy reading nonfiction about various topics, but I find the prose of many books that try to make academic or technical concepts accessible to popular audiences a little too simple and tedious. On the other hand, much academic writing is bad writing. But I have come across a few textbooks that really bring their subject to life through great writing. The one that prompted me to write this question was an older edition of Sidney Painter's Western Europe in the Middle Ages. Another example might be Gombrich's A Story of Art. I'd like to find more books along these lines, and they can be on any academic or technical subject, so long as you enjoyed reading them. What I'm not looking for are books that might be described as popular nonfiction, no matter how good they might be (e.g., Brian Greene or Bill Bryson). And I'm not necessarily looking for the book that provides the most comprehensive or most accurate analysis of its subject. My focus is on writing style -- the substance need not be perfect. Thanks!

Is my university going to sue me?

Anonymous — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 08:24:36 -0800

Is my university going to sue me? I go to a major US University. Everyone at my school is fed up with the high prices of textbooks at our bookstore--articles about the high prices in our school newspaper are a common, recurring feature.

I would like to make a comparison shopping website for my school.
Obviously, students use half.com / bn.com / amazon.com to buy used or discounted new textbooks. My website would be different in that students could actually enter their classes to find the required and suggested materials, and then shown the various prices from other online retailers.

I would setup affiliate accounts with the various merchants and make a small percentage on each sale. I figure this income will help cover some of the costs, but I'm not expecting to get rich.

Now onto my question--will my university sue me? The school's online bookstore url is: "{school_name}bookstore.com"

I registered "{short_school_name}bookstore.com". I searched the US Patent and Trademark Office and my school does have {school_short_name} trademarked (as far as I can tell, their is an official listing for it registered to my school). If I compete with the regular bookstore using this url, are they going to sue me?

Secondly, I registered another domain name that is book{school_mascot_abbreviation}.com. Frustratingly enough, it also appears that the mascot abbreviation is also trademarked, but it includes an apostrophe at the beginning and an 's' at the end to make it plural. Since my url is one-off, can they still claim trademark infringement?

I wouldn't put it past my school (notorious for being run as a corporation) to be a little upset that someone is competing with them. What's the likelihood of that they try to stop me? Do I have any recourse? I think this would genuinely help students and could be a good alternative. Any input is appreciated.

Thank you!

Anon for obvious reasons.

Level-up, Economics.

dead_ — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 13:28:09 -0800

I'm looking for a good, intermediate economics textbook. I would like to get a few recommendations on intermediate/advanced economics textbooks that are well suited to self-study. I am particularly interested in macroeconomics and development economics. What are the standard books typically assigned in college courses? Which books have been particularly helpful in moving you from a beginner to intermediate understanding of macroeconomics? Also, books that have associated online content (quizzes, tests) are a plus.

Selling Used Textbooks Online

cashman — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 13:35:47 -0800

What's the best way to sell used psychology textbooks online? Where and/or what's a good method to sell used psychology textbooks online?

If you had a dozen used psychology books and textbooks, how and where would you sell them?

Help me become a better programming instructor.

stungeye — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:05:03 -0800

TeachFilter: Help me become a better programming instructor. I teach the following technologies at a college level:

- XML (basics, DTDs, schemas, XSLT, DOM)
- Mobile Programming (J2ME, Mobile Web)
- Ruby and Ruby on Rails
- Server Side Computing with PHP & MySQL

I am looking for two types of book recommendations for each of these subjects:

- Textbooks that students will enjoy (and will find useful enough to keep after graduation).
- Advanced or "best practice" books to enhance my knowledge of these subjects (making me a better resource for my students).

Your help is much appreciated.

Looking to perform textbook surgery.

Xere — Wed, 09 May 2007 22:12:00 -0800

I'm looking to cut down a 1000+ page textbook into more manageable and portable chunks. Best practices? What should I watch out for? Most importantly - how do I keep the separated pieces from falling apart? My only experience with separated books has been a paperback dictionary which naturally fell apart over the years. So much more convenient! Single pages would fall off every now and then, and though I tried to keep them together with tape, it wasn't much of a solution. Any better ways of binding the unbound?

The pages are gathered together in little sections of their own, so I figure I should cut between sections instead of barrelling through them. These sections are then bound together by glue, which is then backed by what seems to be a strip of cloth. I'm hoping that this strip of cloth will be easy to cut, but it may prove to be a subspecies of elephant hide? Is there anything else I should know before I find myself in an irreversible mess?

If it matters, the book in question is Campbell's Biology, 6th edition. No worries about keeping it in one piece for resell purposes - it's worth about ten bucks these days, as apparently all the cool kids are using the 7th edition.

Poor student wants $ back

rglass — Sat, 28 Apr 2007 17:26:38 -0800

What is the best site/method for selling back textbooks? What has been your best site/method for selling back textbooks? Does timing matter (i.e. is it better to wait until the end of the semester or the beginning of the next one)? Any practical advice on getting the most possible $ back would be appreciated.

i need a good stat textbook for self study.

tehgeekmeister — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 22:52:56 -0800

i've been looking at reviews on amazon for introductory stat textbooks, and i can't seem to find a single one that doesn't have blatantly contradictory reviews. i'd appreciate any recommendations i can get. i don't need an overly simplified book, but i do need one with good, clear explanations. i'd prefer one that covers theory as well as application, or at least delves a bit both directions. it's okay if it uses calculus in explanations and whatnot. i am a decently proficient programmer, and i don't mind higher level math -- so long as it's well explained.

if it's at all relevant, i'll be using this as a stepping stone towards machine learning/ai in general, and financial time series analysis as well.

thanks for your help.

Find a list of available 8th grade Social Studies Textbooks

allthewhile — Tue, 25 Jul 2006 07:45:27 -0800

8th Grade Social Studies Textbooks - I'm trying to compile a list of all available Social Science textbooks from major publishers. Does anyone know of a definitive list, or where to start? Most of the publishers don't seem to delineate between 7th and 8th grade textbooks. I would welcome any help!

Used textbooks in Canada

arcticwoman — Tue, 13 Dec 2005 13:18:36 -0800

Where can I get used textbooks online... in Canada? All the used bookstores that I have been able to find online are located in and ship from USA. The shipping and customs costs could kill a poor student, but so could buying new textbooks from my university bookstore. What are some good, reliable stores in Canada where I could find Sociology, Religious Studies, Psychology and French books for cheap(er)?

How to Learn German from a Native Speaker Who's Never Taught?

lunalaguna — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 13:26:47 -0800

I've decided that I would like to learn German from my best friend, who is Austrian. We have no idea how to go about doing this. We're thinking that I need to learn basic grammar and syntax first, but I'm not terribly concerned with reading or writing German. I'd like to get some textbook and curriculum recommendations and hear from anyone who has taught their native language to a friend.

What to do with old college textbooks?

keswick — Fri, 14 Oct 2005 16:52:11 -0800

I have some older college textbooks from the early to mid 1990s; is there conceivable market for these, or should I just throw 'em in the recycle bin? (They're mainly communication studies/theory, if that matters.

Any good (novice) math books out there?

missed — Fri, 01 Jul 2005 06:21:09 -0800

What's a good math book? My sister is a high school drop out and pretty much knows how to add, subtract and the like. Last night, she called me concerned that when her kids start school in a few years she won't be able to assist them with their math homework, and asked me to find a good easy-to-understand book that will teach her from very basic math (adding, subtracting) on to more complex mathematics. Any suggestions?

Textbook store in Boston?

Firas — Fri, 25 Feb 2005 14:48:55 -0800

I'm looking for a large-ish general (or political) textbook store in, or accessible from, Boston, preferably one open on Saturdays and/or Sundays. Basically, I need to acquire the book "Comparative Politics: Notes and Readings" by Bernard Brown (9th Ed.) ASAP. I'd expected Google (or Google local, or Google answers, or the archives here) to easily answer the query; no such luck. Is there even such a thing as a textbook store? Some college-affiliated ones turned up but I'm not sure whether they'd have this and whether people unaffiliated with the college can randomly walk in. (Mine doesn't have it right now)

I'd like to be holding this thing in my hands by Monday evening, however I manage to procure it.

I'm trying to avoid ordering from Amazon because I've been 'sent' stuff at my current address that I didn't receive (not from Amazon though).

The Boston Public library seems to have a rather outdated edition, but I'll go check tomorrow anyway.