Electronic Textbooks Case Study

Title: Organic Chemistry
Edition: 6th
ISBN: 0-07-282837-4
Copyright: 2006
Publisher: McGraw-Hill


The student purchases the e-book for $116.59. At the end of the term, the student is unable to sell back the e-book and to recoup any of his or her money.

  • The true cost of the Organic Chemistry e-book remains $116.59.
  • However, a new textbook would have cost $169.58. Assuming it was adopted again for use again the following term, the student would have received $84.79 for the textbook at buy-back, making the true cost of the textbook $84.79.
  • The cost of the used textbook is $127.19.
  • Buy-back would have paid the same rate as the new textbook, $84.79
  • The true cost of the used textbook is $42.40.