4 ms·

I really hate the bindings on most textbooks and technical books that I possess. You pretty much have to break the spines to get them to actually lay flat, and

I really hate the bindings on most textbooks and technical books that I possess. You pretty much have to break the spines to get them to actually lay flat, and not have the pages turn on you, but if you do that and actually handle the book at all, sheafs of pages start falling out. Spiral binding would be so much better. If it was just a little bit cheaper to get on-demand printing done, I'd love to get some of my books converted into something like a rugged three-ring binder.

ballenf 8y ago
I took a couple textbooks to my local copy shop – Kinkos back then – and had them cut off the spine and hole punch the pages. Placed them into a 3-ring binder. Only for books you're keeping I suppose. Or maybe you could re-sell directly.
- Jtsummers 8y ago
  We have a binding machine in my office. I use that for our technical and procedural documents. It's more compact than a binder, and you can still slip plastic covers around it to protect the contents when put away. Updates require a bit more effort to insert but I've found that it's not too annoying.
abecedarius 8y ago
Warning: rant. These terrible bindings you have to fight are a relatively new development. Back in the 80s even mass-market paperbacks, while they didn't open flat, at least were not "perfect bound" (the orwellian term for this cancer on book UX -- OK, I have feelings about books). When I ordered a new Knuth volume 4A and found it couldn't be comfortably read -- you had to hold this heavy book open firmly at just the right angle or else the text on the inner margin would start to edge into hiding -- it was the last straw. Reading it in bed was an exercise in weightlifting. Even Knuth can't stop this? People can warez e-books instead, you know.
- jacobolus 8y ago
  The cloth version of Knuth 4A (Additon Wesley) has real binding which lies flat and has visible inside margins. Are you talking about a paperback? Some of the worst books I have seen are the print-on-demand ones by Springer. It’s tragic that pretty much all of their math books from the past 10–15 years are only available in this format. Springer used to produce very nice books up through the 1990s.
  - hypersoar 8y ago
    God, those Springer books are horrid. All the algebraic geometry students in my grad school department had copies of Hartshorne fallen into multiple pieces. One originally got a copy whose pages were printed at about half-size with huge margins around the edges. But my favorite was the person who ordered a Complex Analysis textbook, got a book that said "Complex Analysis" in big letters on the cover, only to open it and find a completely different book.
    - jacobolus 8y ago
      If you want a readable Springer math book, either buy an old edition from >15 years ago, or pirate an ebook. Urge your colleagues/teachers to stop publishing their books with Springer. https://www.math.upenn.edu/~chai/story/story18.pdf https://www.math.upenn.edu/~chai/story/story18.pdf """We reported this to Rachel, Heinze and Kölsch. Rachel responded promptly. As regards the material used for the cover, she informed us that “The word cloth is a semantic term that incorporates many different types of covers, including this one.” It was illuminating to learn that Springer can no longer tell the difference between cloth and paper. Imagine how much money the new owners of Springer could save if, instead of wearing suits made of cloth, Springer management switched to paper suits; no one at Springer would be able to tell the difference. On rainy days this could pose a problem, but we know that Springer has suppliers with plentiful stores of glue. If Springer repairs its paper suits with the liberal quantities of glue it uses in its books, then board meetings could turn into stiff, uncomfortable affairs. """
  - abecedarius 8y ago
bitwize 8y ago
I remember when many technical books were spiral bound. Ah, Tandy computer documentation, how I miss you.
- hathawsh 8y ago
  Also the C-64 reference manual. What a gem that was. https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Commodore_64_Programmer%27s_Reference_Guide https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Commodore_64_Programmer%27s_Re...
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
zrobotics 8y ago
You have to dig, but I know for a fact that all the Pearson published textbooks I have needed are avaliable in a 3 ring binder form. The search term you are looking for is "loose-leaf edition". I hate Pearson with every atom of my being, but that is at least one nice thing I can say for the company.

ballenf 8y ago

I took a couple textbooks to my local copy shop – Kinkos back then – and had them cut off the spine and hole punch the pages. Placed them into a 3-ring binder. Only for books you're keeping I suppose. Or maybe you could re-sell directly.

Jtsummers 8y ago
We have a binding machine in my office. I use that for our technical and procedural documents. It's more compact than a binder, and you can still slip plastic covers around it to protect the contents when put away. Updates require a bit more effort to insert but I've found that it's not too annoying.

abecedarius 8y ago

Warning: rant. These terrible bindings you have to fight are a relatively new development. Back in the 80s even mass-market paperbacks, while they didn't open flat, at least were not "perfect bound" (the orwellian term for this cancer on book UX -- OK, I have feelings about books). When I ordered a new Knuth volume 4A and found it couldn't be comfortably read -- you had to hold this heavy book open firmly at just the right angle or else the text on the inner margin would start to edge into hiding -- it was the last straw. Reading it in bed was an exercise in weightlifting. Even Knuth can't stop this? People can warez e-books instead, you know.

jacobolus 8y ago
The cloth version of Knuth 4A (Additon Wesley) has real binding which lies flat and has visible inside margins. Are you talking about a paperback? Some of the worst books I have seen are the print-on-demand ones by Springer. It’s tragic that pretty much all of their math books from the past 10–15 years are only available in this format. Springer used to produce very nice books up through the 1990s.
- hypersoar 8y ago
  God, those Springer books are horrid. All the algebraic geometry students in my grad school department had copies of Hartshorne fallen into multiple pieces. One originally got a copy whose pages were printed at about half-size with huge margins around the edges. But my favorite was the person who ordered a Complex Analysis textbook, got a book that said "Complex Analysis" in big letters on the cover, only to open it and find a completely different book.
  - jacobolus 8y ago
    If you want a readable Springer math book, either buy an old edition from >15 years ago, or pirate an ebook. Urge your colleagues/teachers to stop publishing their books with Springer. https://www.math.upenn.edu/~chai/story/story18.pdf https://www.math.upenn.edu/~chai/story/story18.pdf """We reported this to Rachel, Heinze and Kölsch. Rachel responded promptly. As regards the material used for the cover, she informed us that “The word cloth is a semantic term that incorporates many different types of covers, including this one.” It was illuminating to learn that Springer can no longer tell the difference between cloth and paper. Imagine how much money the new owners of Springer could save if, instead of wearing suits made of cloth, Springer management switched to paper suits; no one at Springer would be able to tell the difference. On rainy days this could pose a problem, but we know that Springer has suppliers with plentiful stores of glue. If Springer repairs its paper suits with the liberal quantities of glue it uses in its books, then board meetings could turn into stiff, uncomfortable affairs. """
- abecedarius 8y ago

bitwize 8y ago

I remember when many technical books were spiral bound. Ah, Tandy computer documentation, how I miss you.

hathawsh 8y ago
Also the C-64 reference manual. What a gem that was. https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Commodore_64_Programmer%27s_Reference_Guide https://www.c64-wiki.com/wiki/Commodore_64_Programmer%27s_Re...
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

zrobotics 8y ago

You have to dig, but I know for a fact that all the Pearson published textbooks I have needed are avaliable in a 3 ring binder form. The search term you are looking for is "loose-leaf edition". I hate Pearson with every atom of my being, but that is at least one nice thing I can say for the company.