I just figured out that the textbooks I assigned for my class this spring cost a total of $168.79 at the local bookstores. Perhaps pathetically, the same exact books online can be had for around $10 total plus shipping. So, I sent out an email telling my future students about this phenomenon and letting them know that I encourage them to get these books for so cheap online.

$168.79? That's absolutely insane. And if it's like this at the beginning of my teaching career, how much will the textbooks cost when I'm ready to retire? $8,724.35? I mean, it was only like 40 years ago that McDonald's cheeseburgers were five cents; now, they're 99 cents. That's an total inflation rate of 2000%.

So, maybe eight grand is stretching what my textbooks will cost in a few years, but saying three grand wouldn't?

I always wanted to write a book. Maybe I'll take the sellout way and write a textbook...