International Textbooks

International textbooks can represent one of two things--a textbook that originated in a foreign country, or a textbook printed in a foreign country and offered for sale domestically. Those that have originated in foreign countries will most likely have been translated, and done so with great care. Scholars and experts in the field are generally in charge of these matters. Those that are simply printed in a foreign country can often be had at substantial savings.

In fields like sciences and mathematics, for example, discoveries and breakthroughs can come from any corner of the globe, and often an international textbook will become the leading authority on a particular subject. In such a case, an international textbook will be used in American schools and universities to ensure the most up-to-date information is being taught. These may be quite expensive, however.

In the second category, because of publishing laws and different pricing structures, it is possible to find that a textbook being offered by an American publisher is available, verbatim, as an international textbook for a fraction of the price. Students, rarely flush with large bank accounts, can take advantage of these savings, and do so regularly. It is unlikely that a student will have to purchase his or her books through any one particular outlet.

International textbooks are printed differently than American ones, but are not any lower in quality. Differences may include size, print size, paper and cover artwork. If purchasing an international textbook, it is always best to check beforehand that there are no textual differences.