Question about buying used A&P textbooks

Pixiesmom, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2006

Kelly I would check with your A&P instructor to see what their opinion is. I'll see what I can find out on the book you mentioned. I can't promise anything but I'll check.

OK I checked and didn't see anything with the digital tool. Do you happen to have the ISBN number that is if one came with your booklist?

MIKelly · Jul 28, 2006

this is the reply i got from my professor when i asked her if we really needed the textbooks, because a friend of mine had her for a&p and never bought the texts (which i admit is not usual!)'

"that is not normal. you will definitely need the lab manual and cd as well as the course objectives. if you do not want to purchase the textbook any a&p book would be sufficient but i would definitely recommend you obtain an a&p book as a reference."

i don't have the isbn number, our online school bookstore doesn't list the numbers, just the title and author. it sounds like she doesn't care what anatomy book i use for the class (i can get the 5th edition for only $25 or so instead of the $129 for the new one at the school bookstore). it seems the lab text is important, though. what is in that wonderous book, i'd like to know! lol

Lovely_RN, MSN · Jul 28, 2006

google the textbook, get the isbn and then go on amazon to see if you can get it for a lower price. i got my books for a&p1 for less than half the price i would have had to pay if i bought them through the school's bookstore. just make sure you give yourself enough time for shipping. i didn't get my book until the first week of class. i have another a&p textbook and i find that the chapters are organized the same way as my class textbook. the books are not identical though and if your professor likes to assign work from the end of the chapters it may create a problem for you.

this is the reply i got from my professor when i asked her if we really needed the textbooks, because a friend of mine had her for a&p and never bought the texts (which i admit is not usual!)'
"that is not normal. you will definitely need the lab manual and cd as well as the course objectives. if you do not want to purchase the textbook any a&p book would be sufficient but i would definitely recommend you obtain an a&p book as a reference."
i don't have the isbn number, our online school bookstore doesn't list the numbers, just the title and author. it sounds like she doesn't care what anatomy book i use for the class (i can get the 5th edition for only $25 or so instead of the $129 for the new one at the school bookstore). it seems the lab text is important, though. what is in that wonderous book, i'd like to know! lol

Pixiesmom, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2006

Kelly can you call your school's bookstore and get the ISBN from them?

It sounds like a royal pita but maybe even call the publisher and see what exactly the digital tool is and if it's included only in certain addition's.

I know for both of my A&P's I'll be able to rent two of the text books but there are three that I will need to buy. One is a coloring book. I pray that my instructor doesn't want me to color anything. I have issues with staying in the lines.

Here's the customer service number for McGraw Hill :roll

Pixiesmom, BSN, RN · Jul 28, 2006

McGraw-Hill customer service 1 800 262 4729 (student line)

casi, ASN, RN · Jul 28, 2006

Lab manual is something you'll probably need.

Textbook wise I think my A&P1 teacher said it best. Doesn't matter if its new or 30years old, not too much has changed.

MIKelly · Jul 29, 2006

So do you guys think if I find the same book, but edition 5 or 6, I should be okay? I just hate spending $129 on a book that I can only resell for less than half that amount, no matter how careful I am with it! My professor didn't say I needed the exact text or lab manual for actual assignments, so I'm guessing they are just for reference?? Can someone tell me what is in the lab manual? I have no clue

S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN · Jul 29, 2006

Only problem with buying older additions is when the prof says "turn to page XX, for the explanation/diagram/questions/etc." you'll likely have to go somewhere else. It's actually quite the pain in the butt. Used books for soc/psych/ethics maybe, but for A&P....no. Its already a hard class, and you dont want to make things even harder on yourself, by constantly having to search for the same area of your text that everyone else just flipped to in their newer addition. Try finding used copies of the same edition.

Reno1978, BSN, RN · Jul 29, 2006

I'd talk to the instructor or the bookstore and get the ISBNs. You can save lots of $$ buying the recommended edition at places like half.com or eBay...or even from students that took the class the previous semester. One semester, I saved over $200 doing that.

casi, ASN, RN · Jul 29, 2006

Only problem with buying older additions is when the prof says "turn to page XX, for the explanation/diagram/questions/etc." you'll likely have to go somewhere else. It's actually quite the pain in the butt. Used books for soc/psych/ethics maybe, but for A&P....no. Its already a hard class, and you dont want to make things even harder on yourself, by constantly having to search for the same area of your text that everyone else just flipped to in their newer addition. Try finding used copies of the same edition.

Have you had an A&P teacher do that? I took A&P1 and A&P2 with different instructors. A&P1 he didn't teach anything from the book. He basically said "this is what I recomend, but anything will do" He used diagrams he drew or snatched from other places. They were all in a booklet that we had to buy from the bookstore that was basically all his notes printed out.

A&P2 she required the book, but you could definately get away without it. All her lectures were on powerpoint so the diagrams that she wantted us to see and learn were presented on the screen. She also had us print her powerpoint presentations before lectures so we could take notes onthem, so we had the diagrams in our notes. Also, I've noticed that A&P books basically all have the same diagrams, just drawn a little differently.

Since the OP's instructor did state that some people do slide by without texts, I think he'd do good with something that isn't CURRENT. Honesly, how much can change in an A&P book in 5 years?

I honestly barely cracked open my A&P textbooks. There is a wealth of A&P information that doesn't come from texts.

S.T.A.C.E.Y, LPN · Jul 29, 2006

Fair enough, if the teacher doesn't teach from the book, but mine did. There definitely were people who had older editions, and of course those who didn't buy the book, but they were at a disadvantage. Even when it came to study groups, we'd all be one place....and they were still searching for there spot.

I totally agree, if the prof doesn't teach from book, anyone will probably do. Diagrams & material are gonna be the nearly same in any text.......we haven't evolved that much have we??

Good luck on your search