Textbook edition dilemma (1 Viewer)

[fizzbylightning]

I am coming to you, my friends of BoS. I bought a second-hand chemistry textbook today and did not realise it was 1st edition until I came home (I am fully aware that this is my own problem ). I need 2nd edition and the person on textbookexchange advertised this book as 2nd edition.... but it turned out to be 1st edition. I wanted to ask whether you think from your experience (or no experience at all) whether I would be able to settle for this edition or if I really should buy the 2nd one. I know it depends on the actual textbook and whether there are any drastic changes but I wanted to hear your thoughts on this. What I feel right now is: UGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

 

[SpiralFlex]

Chemistry 2nd edition by Blackman and aylward?

I'm not sure about the book but generally the second editions are a correction of the first editions errors and added exercises so I wouldn't worry too much. Perhaps you can go to UNSW and look at the book in the library then compare. Make sure you do research on what the book looks like before buying.

Edit: Some authors post an errata sheet on their website.

 

[fizzbylightning]

Thanks for replying. I found a website detailing the changes from 1st to 2nd edition and it will be a pain if the lecturer/tutor says to read so and so pages as they've been shifted. I new chapter has been added which was previously in the additional material on the CD I believe. I'm planning on borrowing the 2nd edition at the school library and maybe photocopying the parts changed. There are only a couple. I don't know why but I am incredibly annoyed at myself.

 

[SpiralFlex]

These things are quite small in life, doubt there will be major changes in the book unless stated otherwise on the website. There are plenty of other texts and sources you can learn from besides your textbook. So don't sweat it too much.

 

[fizzbylightning]

Aww thank you for the great advice

 

[D94]

For some subjects, it does matter you have the most updated edition. You may be asked to do a certain question set for the tutorials, and if questions have been added/updated in a newer edition, you may find yourself in an awkward situation where the tutor will ask you to answer the question and you ramble on about something irrelevant.

However, it's not a big issue. If you are given questions to do and they don't align with the two editions, photocopy the questions from the correct edition, and you can use your own textbook to look up the content etc.