Dover Books on (insert subject) Lack of Use

[Cod]

Why don't more colleges/universities utilize Dover Books as course texts? The books I've used for self-study, review, and as a supplemental text are more than suffeccient primary text in my mind. I've come up with a few reasons why the books may not be utilized as primary course text...such as price (big schools want publishers to get big money) and lack of examples (in some cases). Has anyone ever been required to use a Dover Book as a primary text (undergraduate or graduate)? How about as a secondary text?

Question just came to mind this morning when I was going over some integration stuff.

 

[stevenb]

Good question. I've never used a Dover book as a primary text, and only a few times was one recommended for supplimental material. I do own many because I just can't resist a good book at a good price.

Personally, I've never seen a Dover book that would be a better text than the best modern teaching textbooks. However, I have to believe that examples could be found.

One key point is that the Dover books tend to be older classics and many fields/subjects have made significant advancements in applications and methodology.

 

[MathematicalPhysicist]

I have used in QM2 Messiah's textbook, but the course itself is quite eclectic and not given from one textbook. (and if I may add the course was quite a mess, and I hope to get better grade in the summer second chance exam).

 

[n1person]

At Yale, Math 260 (the second semester Mathematical Physics course) uses "Mathematics of Classical and Quantum Physics", a Dover book. by Byron Jr. and R. Fuller.

 

[Dr Transport]

I used Special Functions by Lebedev in an advanced course when I was in school, it was and still is the best and most affordable book out there on the subject.

 

[Shin'ichirō T]

Most of the Dover books are not used due to a lack of modernization in pedagogy. They are good for self-studying though.

 

[Cod]

I was taking a look at some of the advanced undergraduate text on Dover's website and some of them may be too rigorous for today's students.