It's hard to justify dropping $100 on anything when you're a broke college student scraping by on other people's meal plans - never mind a book detailing the social ramifications of the use of the red-legged grasshopper as a symbol of communism in post-modern Russia.
And while that textbook may not exist, just peruse the shelves of the UF bookstore - it gets worse (we're talking to you, engineering majors).
But all is not fair in the textbook-shopping hunt (and we're not just talking about prices). We'd hate to judge a book by its cover, but these textbooks caught our attention - and we (kind of) wish we snagged a spot in the actual class.
"The Elements of Typographic Style," Robert Bringhurst
CLASS: Letterpress (ART 3807C), Professor Ellen Knudson
If you were one of those kids who fashioned a male organ of copulation out of numbers and characters on AIM - and sent it out to your entire buddy list - this may be the right class for you. The class teaches students how to properly (and maturely) use typographic style - that is, the setting and arranging of types.
This nifty paperback discusses the families of type and how to design type with finesse and harmony.
"Florists' Review Design School," David Coake, Shelley Urban, Teresa P. Lanker
CLASS: Principles of Floral Art (ORH 3053C), Professor Lisa Hall
This textbook features enough floral illustrations to swoon any bride-to-be or 50's-esque housewife searching for the ultimate table decoration. But these aren't your grocery store-bought arrangements: The book teaches students the art of floral styling and the creative techniques used in the design process.
We'll take a bouquet of anything from anyone enrolled in this course.
"American Popular Music: The Rock Years," Larry Starr, Christopher Waterman
CLASS: Rock 'n' Roll and American Society (MMC 1702), Professor Glenn Rickard
This textbook might not teach you how to be a rock star, but it may be the closest you'll ever get to learning about Bruce Springsteen in class. We're just wondering if it's appropriate to crowd surf through a lecture hall.
"The Golden Ass," Apuleius
CLASS: The Course of Love (LIT 4930), Professor John Cech
Here's one topic everyone could use a little schooling in: love. And armed with this Latin classic, we think this course would have Cupid's stamp (arrow?) of approval.
