Joe Fields, a math professor at Southern Connecticut State University, knows how expensive textbooks can be. That’s why he wrote his own book and is offering a free online copy to his students.
College textbook prices have risen an average of 82 percent between 2002 and 2013, virtually triple the rate of inflation, according to the U.S. Government Accountability Office. Open-source textbooks are free, online books that can be ready available for students, faculty and others. Hard copies can be purchased at a relatively low cost.
Fields wrote his book “A Gentle Introduction to the Art of Mathematics,” in an effort to help students reduce costs.