Are Textbooks the Hidden Cost of Education?

 We've always found textbook pricing to be a favourite complaint of PSE students in focus groups, particularly as prices exceed $140 for books that seldom get used. Some US students report a total cost of $4,500 in books throughout their programs. Now, government bodies in Minnesota , California , Connecticut and elsewhere are considering legislation that would place controls on textbook publishing and costs, as well as criteria for requiring students to buy a particular book.  Publishers say such legislation would interfere with their contitutional rights, and the academic freedom of faculty to assign required reading.  The Contra Costa Times/Associated Press | CNN