Kara Swisher of Recode has a remarkably credulous interview with textbook publisher CEO John Fallon, and swallows his line of crap without any challenge.
Fallon is claiming that somehow or other, the digital textbook will fix Pearson’s flagging textbook business (it probably will) and will make things better for students. (It certainly will not.)
The text books have gotten expensive enough that the resale market, and the 3rd party rental market, have been eating the publisher’s lunch.
Pearson’s solution is digital, not because it is more convenient, nor because it is better for students, but because it allows to lock down the market, preventing students selling their old books, and extend their monopoly rents.
This is just another way to f%$# their customers.