Free digital texts begin to challenge costly college textbooks in California. The value of textbooks is egregiously inflated. Publishers churn out unnecessary new editions, add useless CD and media content, and refuse to produce paperbacks to keep students spending. In the long run, a comprehension of supply and demand would keep costs down and profits up, rather than artificially raising prices and encouraging the used book market and free, open-source alternatives. Well, maybe publishers couldn’t afford a book on economics 101.