The $100,000 book rip-off

[megalomania]

There is a gigantic shelf of books at the library that I have always ignored because they are in German, Methoden der Organischen Chemie. I know these books contain good information, but I can’t read it. The later volumes are in English at least.

Now the publisher is releasing a 5th edition, newly titled Science of Synthesis. They plan on releasing 48 volumes from 2000-2008. They are not releasing them in order, and I believe 20 volumes are available now.

Then I saw the price. They want from $2100 to $2400 per volume! Even for chemistry reference books that is a rather high price, let alone for a 48 volume set. That means when all 48 volumes are released they will cost over $100,000.

Here is a set of books that is just begging to be raped and disseminated onto the Internet. As a cheaper alternative they have an online subscription service. I assume it is cheaper anyway as they don’t publish the price. I already checked the local libraries, and nobody is lending these. They are considered reference books, so nobody will be giving them out for some time. At these prices I don’t expect that many libraries will get them either.

[megalomania]

There is a gigantic shelf of books at the library that I have always ignored because they are in German, Methoden der Organischen Chemie. I know these books contain good information, but I can’t read it. The later volumes are in English at least.

Now the publisher is releasing a 5th edition, newly titled Science of Synthesis. They plan on releasing 48 volumes from 2000-2008. They are not releasing them in order, and I believe 20 volumes are available now.

Then I saw the price. They want from $2100 to $2400 per volume! Even for chemistry reference books that is a rather high price, let alone for a 48 volume set. That means when all 48 volumes are released they will cost over $100,000.

Here is a set of books that is just begging to be raped and disseminated onto the Internet. As a cheaper alternative they have an online subscription service. I assume it is cheaper anyway as they don’t publish the price. I already checked the local libraries, and nobody is lending these. They are considered reference books, so nobody will be giving them out for some time. At these prices I don’t expect that many libraries will get them either.

[megalomania]

There is a gigantic shelf of books at the library that I have always ignored because they are in German, Methoden der Organischen Chemie. I know these books contain good information, but I can’t read it. The later volumes are in English at least.

Now the publisher is releasing a 5th edition, newly titled Science of Synthesis. They plan on releasing 48 volumes from 2000-2008. They are not releasing them in order, and I believe 20 volumes are available now.

Then I saw the price. They want from $2100 to $2400 per volume! Even for chemistry reference books that is a rather high price, let alone for a 48 volume set. That means when all 48 volumes are released they will cost over $100,000.

Here is a set of books that is just begging to be raped and disseminated onto the Internet. As a cheaper alternative they have an online subscription service. I assume it is cheaper anyway as they don’t publish the price. I already checked the local libraries, and nobody is lending these. They are considered reference books, so nobody will be giving them out for some time. At these prices I don’t expect that many libraries will get them either.

[FUTI]

Did you mean the Houben-Weyl? Damn good one and our library has German edition so I guess we wont by english one :(. If scaning of German book means to you anything I can give it a try...

I'm looking for a specific books from S.Patai it is edition of books organised by fuctional gruops, there are some good books in that edition and some mediocre ones by what I have heard, but if you find the one I'm looking for (about quinones) - rub a lamp and I'm going to fullfill your 3 wishes (noting nasty of course). Price for that kind of book is approx. same as the one you mentioned.

[FUTI]

Did you mean the Houben-Weyl? Damn good one and our library has German edition so I guess we wont by english one :(. If scaning of German book means to you anything I can give it a try...

I'm looking for a specific books from S.Patai it is edition of books organised by fuctional gruops, there are some good books in that edition and some mediocre ones by what I have heard, but if you find the one I'm looking for (about quinones) - rub a lamp and I'm going to fullfill your 3 wishes (noting nasty of course). Price for that kind of book is approx. same as the one you mentioned.

[FUTI]

Did you mean the Houben-Weyl? Damn good one and our library has German edition so I guess we wont by english one :(. If scaning of German book means to you anything I can give it a try...

I'm looking for a specific books from S.Patai it is edition of books organised by fuctional gruops, there are some good books in that edition and some mediocre ones by what I have heard, but if you find the one I'm looking for (about quinones) - rub a lamp and I'm going to fullfill your 3 wishes (noting nasty of course). Price for that kind of book is approx. same as the one you mentioned.

[nbk2000]

They charge so much because there's such little demand, and compiling such huge reference works is expensive. Besides, it's not like a single individual would be paying for it, rather all the taxpayers and students, so what object is price? :rolleyes:

But, indeed, these would be well worth photo-raping, if only on the general principle of gouging greedy bastards. :)

[nbk2000]

They charge so much because there's such little demand, and compiling such huge reference works is expensive. Besides, it's not like a single individual would be paying for it, rather all the taxpayers and students, so what object is price? :rolleyes:

But, indeed, these would be well worth photo-raping, if only on the general principle of gouging greedy bastards. :)

[nbk2000]

They charge so much because there's such little demand, and compiling such huge reference works is expensive. Besides, it's not like a single individual would be paying for it, rather all the taxpayers and students, so what object is price? :rolleyes:

But, indeed, these would be well worth photo-raping, if only on the general principle of gouging greedy bastards. :)

[megalomania]

Do you mean "The Chemistry of the quinonoid compounds" edited by Saul Patai? It is actually a two volume set with each volume having two parts, so 4 books in all. The book about nitroso and nitro groups is being scanned...

The Houben-Weyl is indeed the set I am talking about. Most of the hard work should be done since they have the previous editions to go off of. The 4th edition is about 15 years old, so all they have to do is add the new stuff since then. Actually the 4th edition was started in 1952 and ended in 1987. In 1982 a supplemental series was started to add new material that ended in 1999. In 2000 the 5th edition was begun.

Now what perplexes me is the original 4th edition is 16 volumes in 70 parts, plus another 80 or so parts from the supplement. That is 150 books all together, but the 5th edition only has 49 parts. Now the 4th edition books are quite massive, it is not like they are little pamphlets. I wonder how they can fit everything in the new edition unless they are using very small font.

[megalomania]

Do you mean "The Chemistry of the quinonoid compounds" edited by Saul Patai? It is actually a two volume set with each volume having two parts, so 4 books in all. The book about nitroso and nitro groups is being scanned...

The Houben-Weyl is indeed the set I am talking about. Most of the hard work should be done since they have the previous editions to go off of. The 4th edition is about 15 years old, so all they have to do is add the new stuff since then. Actually the 4th edition was started in 1952 and ended in 1987. In 1982 a supplemental series was started to add new material that ended in 1999. In 2000 the 5th edition was begun.

Now what perplexes me is the original 4th edition is 16 volumes in 70 parts, plus another 80 or so parts from the supplement. That is 150 books all together, but the 5th edition only has 49 parts. Now the 4th edition books are quite massive, it is not like they are little pamphlets. I wonder how they can fit everything in the new edition unless they are using very small font.

[megalomania]

Do you mean "The Chemistry of the quinonoid compounds" edited by Saul Patai? It is actually a two volume set with each volume having two parts, so 4 books in all. The book about nitroso and nitro groups is being scanned...

The Houben-Weyl is indeed the set I am talking about. Most of the hard work should be done since they have the previous editions to go off of. The 4th edition is about 15 years old, so all they have to do is add the new stuff since then. Actually the 4th edition was started in 1952 and ended in 1987. In 1982 a supplemental series was started to add new material that ended in 1999. In 2000 the 5th edition was begun.

Now what perplexes me is the original 4th edition is 16 volumes in 70 parts, plus another 80 or so parts from the supplement. That is 150 books all together, but the 5th edition only has 49 parts. Now the 4th edition books are quite massive, it is not like they are little pamphlets. I wonder how they can fit everything in the new edition unless they are using very small font.

[FUTI]

Yes Mega your guess is right. I downloaded some Houben-Weyl somewhere on the Russian net space and I can send it to you (I will e-mail to forum admin account) just need to find it and check if it isn't Russian translation of the original (it is accually amazing how many books they translate to Russian, good tactics though since very small number of people can use foreign language as good as maternal). I will send those H-W if they are of appropriate use for you though I think those are earlier editions. If anyone can scan the Patai's books I'm interested in a little trade, I will torture our librarian until it give me some of H-W to rip it of. Infact I have two books about phenols right now in the lab borrowed (4-th edition). Arangement can be done in any way you like it (book for book, or page for page :D). When I buy a new scanner I will start. That means at least two weeks from now.

[FUTI]

Yes Mega your guess is right. I downloaded some Houben-Weyl somewhere on the Russian net space and I can send it to you (I will e-mail to forum admin account) just need to find it and check if it isn't Russian translation of the original (it is accually amazing how many books they translate to Russian, good tactics though since very small number of people can use foreign language as good as maternal). I will send those H-W if they are of appropriate use for you though I think those are earlier editions. If anyone can scan the Patai's books I'm interested in a little trade, I will torture our librarian until it give me some of H-W to rip it of. Infact I have two books about phenols right now in the lab borrowed (4-th edition). Arangement can be done in any way you like it (book for book, or page for page :D). When I buy a new scanner I will start. That means at least two weeks from now.

[FUTI]

Yes Mega your guess is right. I downloaded some Houben-Weyl somewhere on the Russian net space and I can send it to you (I will e-mail to forum admin account) just need to find it and check if it isn't Russian translation of the original (it is accually amazing how many books they translate to Russian, good tactics though since very small number of people can use foreign language as good as maternal). I will send those H-W if they are of appropriate use for you though I think those are earlier editions. If anyone can scan the Patai's books I'm interested in a little trade, I will torture our librarian until it give me some of H-W to rip it of. Infact I have two books about phenols right now in the lab borrowed (4-th edition). Arangement can be done in any way you like it (book for book, or page for page :D). When I buy a new scanner I will start. That means at least two weeks from now.

[FUTI]

I might have a good news for you Mega. I found on SM forum something that you might be interested

http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=2569&page=2

Houben-Weyl - Methoden der organischen Chemie

I've found an already scanned version of one volume of the famous and excellent reference work »HOUBEN-WEYL« and made a nice PDF of it. Now it's downloadable from rapidshare or axehandle's ftp (folder: /Mephisto/).

Full Title: Houben-Weyl - Methoden der organischen Chemie
Volume: E11 - Organische Schwefel-Verbindungen.
Language: German
Pages: 956; OCR-under-the-text
Resolution: 300 dpi; b/w
Filesize: 12 MB; Silx-compressed
Year: 1985; 4th edition
Publisher: Georg Thieme; Stuttgart, New York

Please read&spread it, if you like it.

~Mephisto

I tried link on that page but didn't have any luck with rapidshare so far. I hope it works for you.

I'm still desperate for finding that "Chemistry of quinonoid compounds" by Saul Patai. :( Hell if someone borrow book to me for a couple days I will scan it and made an OCR pdf out of it. Is there some friendly clandestine rogue scientist that have this book?

[FUTI]

I might have a good news for you Mega. I found on SM forum something that you might be interested

http://www.sciencemadness.org/talk/viewthread.php?tid=2569&page=2

Houben-Weyl - Methoden der organischen Chemie

I've found an already scanned version of one volume of the famous and excellent reference work »HOUBEN-WEYL« and made a nice PDF of it. Now it's downloadable from rapidshare or axehandle's ftp (folder: /Mephisto/).

Full Title: Houben-Weyl - Methoden der organischen Chemie
Volume: E11 - Organische Schwefel-Verbindungen.
Language: German
Pages: 956; OCR-under-the-text
Resolution: 300 dpi; b/w
Filesize: 12 MB; Silx-compressed
Year: 1985; 4th edition
Publisher: Georg Thieme; Stuttgart, New York

Please read&spread it, if you like it.

~Mephisto

I tried link on that page but didn't have any luck with rapidshare so far. I hope it works for you.

I'm still desperate for finding that "Chemistry of quinonoid compounds" by Saul Patai. :( Hell if someone borrow book to me for a couple days I will scan it and made an OCR pdf out of it. Is there some friendly clandestine rogue scientist that have this book?

[megalomania]

One volume of Methoden der organischen Chemie down, 139 more to go :)

[megalomania]

One volume of Methoden der organischen Chemie down, 139 more to go :)

[aikon]

The first volume on rapidshare has been deleted due to inactivity.

Anyway I got the copy and upped it to the ftp.

The file name is "Houben-Weyl - Methoden der organischen Chemie, Organische

Schwefel-Verbindungen, 4 Aufl., Band E11 (956 Seiten).pdf"

[aikon]

The first volume on rapidshare has been deleted due to inactivity.

Anyway I got the copy and upped it to the ftp.

The file name is "Houben-Weyl - Methoden der organischen Chemie, Organische

Schwefel-Verbindungen, 4 Aufl., Band E11 (956 Seiten).pdf"

[FUTI]

Mega I think they started to use a paper of the kind the Bibles and encyclopedias were printed long time ago...the light and thin one to reduce the thickness of the book and enable for much larger number of pages to be bonded within one book. So that should be the actual reason for reduction of number of books from almost 150 to 49. Remember I have 2 books on phenols from 4th edition here and I'm almost certain that they now have only one book on phenols in this edition (which is much more practical). Development of technology of paper should enable to use thiner paper as nowdays we often impregnate those with plastic fibres and that should make them more resistant to many bad things that could happend.

[FUTI]

Mega I think they started to use a paper of the kind the Bibles and encyclopedias were printed long time ago...the light and thin one to reduce the thickness of the book and enable for much larger number of pages to be bonded within one book. So that should be the actual reason for reduction of number of books from almost 150 to 49. Remember I have 2 books on phenols from 4th edition here and I'm almost certain that they now have only one book on phenols in this edition (which is much more practical). Development of technology of paper should enable to use thiner paper as nowdays we often impregnate those with plastic fibres and that should make them more resistant to many bad things that could happend.

[megalomania]

I'm not so sure FUTI. The number of pages is included on the publishers website, and it most cases they are below 1000 pages. The number of pages per volume on the previous editions are about the same.

[megalomania]

I'm not so sure FUTI. The number of pages is included on the publishers website, and it most cases they are below 1000 pages. The number of pages per volume on the previous editions are about the same.