It is worth noting that the situation described -- trouble with publishers, needing to take out a second mortgage to publish the book, etc. -- need not happen i

It is worth noting that the situation described -- trouble with publishers, needing to take out a second mortgage to publish the book, etc. -- need not happen in today's world. We have the software to format books on even the cheapest computers, and the infrastructure to distribute books to the entire world at no cost to the author (one can find a free Wifi connection even in small towns). All that is needed is time, and in the case of academic publishing (textbooks, research articles, course notes, etc.) that time is already paid for by other means.