Do Textbooks Cost Money?

When I got up this morning, I found myself staring at my bookshelves. I had a look at what was there. The first five Harry Potters in paperback, a very tattered copy of The Glass Menagerie, some old philosophy "textbooks." (I use quotation marks because textbooks tend to be these large heavy hardcover books with chapters and such. The books I often need for philosophy classes are smaller, paperback, and anthology-style.)
After perusing the shelves, particularly the ones that I had failed to organize, I picked out a few books that I don't think I want anymore. They include a mystery novel written completely in French that I was never competent enough to read, a few books of short stories that I've needed for classes and now want to be rid of, and "Blood Music" by Greg Bear, which I have not read. It appears that I (or someone else who gave it to me) bought this book at a library sale, but it's in unusually good condition. I might hold onto it... it looks like something I would be into, which is probably why I have it.


From the back cover:
Vergil Ulam wasthe genius behind "biologic": the restructuring of cells. Cells that can think. When Genetron canceled the project, Vergil smuggled his life's work out of the lab the only way he knew how: He injected himself with them.
At first, the effects of the "intelligent" lymphocytes were small miracles. His eyesight, his overall health, even his sex life, improved.
But now, something strange is happening. Vergil's concocted cells are capable of forming complex organisms and eventually whole societies in his blood and body. He carries a universe within himself. A universe of cells. Intelligent cells. And they think it's time for a change...

I feel like this is worth a closer look. It's science-fiction and has a bit of a sinister edge to it, since the guy's cells will almost definitely turn against him, causing him a lot of angst since it's his creation. And, really, he doesn't seem to have any way to get rid of the civilization. If he tries to kill himself, even, they could probably just survive in there like maggots.
That was sufficiently creepy. Hopefully I actually read this.


As for the other books, they're going up on PaperbackSwap. New members have to post 10 books they're willing to mail to other people before being able to request books. They have most of the textbooks I need for the spring so maybe I can get them that way instead of spending crazy amounts of money. Damn me for taking statistics and two brain classes at once. Too expensive, thanks.
My philosophy books still haven't been posted online, but hopefully there's only one or two of those. History shows that they should be fairly cheap. With any luck, the professor will realize that it's his fault that no one has the books for the first day.