Editions of books

I would try not to obtain an edition that is too old, maybe one or two editions behind, but that is it.

Usually it shouldn't matter, but that would depend on how frequent the editions run.

One of the books I use to teach my class had the last edition in 2000, the new edition just came out (2008) and there are a LOT of changes. I would say if your editions are 1-2 years apart, you should be OK.

The times where I see it being a problem is if the teacher just gives you page numbers to read from (and doesn't tell you the content that goes along), you could end up reading the wrong material.

Also, if you have a teacher that mainly tests from the books versus lecture, that could be an issue as well. The teacher will go by the most recent edition, and information may be different.

Over all, I would say it is OK, but double up with a co-student and check your edition to the newest to see if there are any major changes.

Usually at college campus libraries, they have a copy of the textbook you will be using in their reference collection. You can not check (or take) it out of the library, but you can compare the editions and decide which one you prefer to go with. If the differences are so minor, you may just want to utilize the reference copy at the library or photocopy the pages when the time comes. I did that for some classes and it worked out great. Just an idea.

ETA: Like others said, I would not go more than one (two at the most) editions older than the textbook required. I saved a bunch by going one edition older. I saved a bunch by buying on the internet - period!

As a nursing instructor, I would recommend buying the right edition. Often, when a new edition comes out, the chapters get reordered, some are deleted and some are added, so my syllabus reading assignments will make no sense if I say "read chapters 10, 15 and 32", you may be reading the wrong content and not even be aware of it.

Also with the rapid explosion of knowledge in nursing, much information will be outdated from edition to edition.

Just my 2 cents worth.

I've had almost no problem with the older editions - mostly it's a matter of chapters being shuffled, so I make an equivalency list at the beginning of the semester.

The older Iggy does not have disaster, environmental emergency or triage - that has been the biggest problem. The ten year old patho book was just the same as the one two editions later.

Nursing textbooks change sloooooowly. The brand new OB edition, which I got because OB is my love, is as out of date on oral hypoglycemics in pg as the old edition is.