The tax issue is just a drop in the bucket given the rapidly increasing cost of textbooks. We really need to look at the bigger economic competitive structure of how the market works. I've written some extensive thoughts here: "To Purchase, Rent, or Pirate? The Broken Economics of Textbooks in the Digital Age" http:/
Sometimes, more important, is thinking about the longer term economic decisions of how textbooks are purchased: "To Purchase, Rent, or Pirate? The Broken Economics of Textbooks in the Digital Age" http:/
Some good specific examples here, but there is some more depth and nuance to the bigger problem with textbooks.
I recently wrote some of my thoughts about the economics of textbooks and pricing as well as their long term effects here: "To Purchase, Rent, or Pirate? The Broken Economics of Textbooks in the Digital Age" http:/
I'm presuming they won't let him bring the book home? I'll bet that if you can wait a few weeks into the school year you'll find a handful of used copies begin to hit the market, but I HIGHLY doubt that the 6th edition is substantively different from the 4th or 5th edition which you can probably get for pennies on the dollar. (Outside of David Christian's Big History concept (https:/
For an AP class, you may be better off buying some supplementary popular non-fiction books (eg. Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World; Cleopatra: A Life; Guns, Germs & Steel; The Landmark Thucydides, anything written by Simon Winchester) which are likely to be more interesting, entertaining, and informative than the "assigned" textbook. They'll help reinforce not only material, but reading skills, and critical thinking. You could also check to see if international editions exist yet and buy one of those at a steep discount (see the link in the article).
Digging around in free online MOOC's can also reveal some excellent non-textbooks and references (like Jeremy Edelman's History of the World Since 1300 https:/
You can also find some additional ideas via: http:/
Essay calls for a new approach to college textbooks | InsideHigherEd https:/
My @Quora answer to Where do you prefer to order textbooks from? http:/
First I make sure that it's a good textbook and compare it to others: On Choosing Your Own Textbooks [http:/
However, when making the final purchase, I'll often redirect/reset the affiliate code so that the purchase supports one of several specific charities.
David Spivak's Category Theory for the Sciences [http:/
This argument certainly applies to reading advanced mathematics texts. (Cross reference: http:/
In Pinker's framework, advanced mathematics texts do have the requisite coherence relations, it's just that the distance between the relations are less coherent to some than others (who have more background.)
I'll turn this question around to suggest that instead of taking notes from your math/physics textbooks, that you're FAR better off PUTTING notes INTO them! Those margins are meant for writing down the parts of problems and examples that the author implicitly leaves out.
One typically wouldn't take notes from a Spanish, French, or Latin textbook would they? Like most languages, mathematics should be read and written to practice it (and maybe even spoken).
Knowing math or physics is best demonstrated by actually doing problems - and the majority of the time, this is what is going to be on the test too, so just pick up a pencil or pen and start working out the answers.
These subjects aren't like history, philosophy, or psychology with multiple choice or essay type questions that might benefit from note-taking, so just jump right in. Give the book a short read and start plugging away at problems.
If you have problems getting started, take a look at some of the examples provided by the author (or in other books), cover up the answer, and try to recreate the solution.
Drafting off of the Quora question "Why aren't math textbooks more straightforward?" (https:/
The Math Major Who Never Reads Math http:/
Certainly an interesting perspective on a very pervasive problem. I saw the provocative question "Why Aren’t Math Textbooks More Straightforward?" on Quora just the other day. I take much the same view as you (though I religiously read not only my assigned math texts for classes, but also read their competitors in search of increased clarity and beauty.) I spent a few minutes writing up a few thoughts on what is going on in math textbooks taking a broader view of the forest instead of complaining about the trees.
Perhaps some of the tentative will gain a better appreciation for mathematics: http:/
The repetition that a good mathematician (or really any good thinker) reads books with a pencil in hand needs to be drilled down to younger learners.
A parting math textbook joke:
Q. Why did Nicolas Bourbaki quit writing mathematics textbooks?
A. "He" realized that Serge Lang was just one person.