Tag Archives: #cheaptextbooks

How to buy cheap textbooks for uni

It’s Back to School and Back to Uni for many students around the world and with that comes a new list of specified books for course reading. A reading list can be pretty expensive, so we thought we’d focus this week’s blog on how Booko can help find the cheapest version of your textbooks. 

Booko is great for searching for specialist or academic texts. All you need to do is type a book’s ISBN into the main search box (this ensures you are searching for the correct edition) and away you go. Booko can find most books, whether they are e-Books, Reference books, Fiction or Non-Fiction. And since Booko can locate used copies, you may be able to save even more by buying second-hand!

Booko’s standard search finds you the best prices for right now in both new and used condition. We recommend this for anyone who needs their book sooner rather than later. But if you happen to know ahead of time what books you need then we’d definitely point you in the direction of our handy alert function. 

Set Price Alerts

Booko’s price alert feature (which is a super handy set-and-forget tool) emails you as soon as the price of a book falls below the current price, or a price specified by you. Oh yes, you read that right, the alert function not only lets you know when a book you want is on sale, but you can also set the price you want to pay for a book. 

To set an alert, you need to be logged into your account (because we need to know which email to send the notifications to). Just click the ‘Add an Alert’ button directly below the book’s cover image on the left side of the page. Nominate a price you are happy to pay, type in your email and the Alert is set. Now all you need to do is wait for the Good News email!

Great thing to note is that you can have multiple alerts on books too. 

With our latest round of updates, you can also now specify a separate price alert for new and used books. This function is loved by many of the students that use Booko… because let’s be honest, not all courses ask for a brand new textbook… nor do they need one. Academic textbooks can be breathtakingly expensive – a single title can be over a hundred dollars, so imagine how much your entire reading list will cost! 

If you fancy a little more detail have a look at this blog post.

Here are a few of the most clicked on University textbooks here in Melbourne. 

Financial Accounting: Accounting, Reporting, Analysis and Decision Making, 6th Edition by Shirley Carlon et al.

Financial Accounting, 6th Edition presents accounting in a cutting-edge interactive digital format designed to motivate students by taking the road blocks out of self-study and to facilitate mastery though drill-and-skill practice. Available as a full-colour printed textbook with an interactive eBook code, this text enables every student to master concepts and succeed in assessment, and supports lecturers with an extensive and easy-to-use teaching and learning package.

First Principles of Business Law 10th Edition by Michael Lambiris and Laura Griffin

The First Principles of Business Law 10th edition textbook and eStudy modules offer a blend of technologies and resources to help students learn business law. This new edition has been fully updated to reflect relevant changes to the law, including coverage of the Australian Consumer Law provisions in relation to small businesses, and also includes a new section on the importance of ethics in business law. The textbook contains clear, authoritative and concise statements of the law, amplified and illustrated by over 200 summaries of decided cases and selected extracts from legislation. The law is arranged in logical sequence under descriptive headings. The updated eStudy modules provide an additional opportunity for students to enhance their learning. The modules are designed to help students gain a proper understanding of how the law applies in everyday situations, and to develop their ability to apply the law realistically and appropriately.

Biology: An Australian Focus, 5th Edition by Bruce Knox et al.

Biology: An Australian focus reflects on worldwide biological research and knowledge to provide a global outlook with Australian examples and cases woven throughout. Students are able to connect with what they’re learning and better understand Australian flora/fauna and most importantly ecology and ecosystems, using this accessible and engaging learning resource. 

Integrated Marketing Communication: A balanced approach by Maxwell Winchester et al.

Integrated Marketing Communication: A Balanced Approach is your students’ guide to integrated marketing communication (IMC), introducing them to the principles that underpin its practice. This text considers the different theories of how IMC works, taking the empirical evidence available into account, and illustrating its real-world application with relevant industry examples.With expert commentary supported by contemporary case studies, this text explores communication theory, strategy and planning, and develops your students’ understanding of consumer behaviour. Equipped with this knowledge, your students will learn how they can balance IMC strategies with marketing needs in order to change attitudes and reinforce behaviour

Management, 6th Edition (with Student Resource Access 12 Months) by Danny Samson et al.

Management is a robust foundation text providing a balance of broad, theoretical content with an engaging, easy-to-understand writing style. It covers the four key management functions – planning, organising, leading and controlling – conveying to students the elements of a manager’s working day. Along with current management theory and practice, the authors integrate coverage of innovation, entrepreneurship, agile workplaces, social media and new technology throughout. This sixth edition features a new author on the team and contains updates to content based on recent research. Real-life local and international examples showcase the ongoing changes in the management world. Focusing on a ‘skills approach’, they bring concepts to life for students, supporting motivation, confidence and mastery. Each part concludes with a contemporary continuing case study, focusing on car company Toyota as it faces managerial challenges and opportunities in the region.

Project Management: The Managerial Process by Erik W. Larson et al.

As the market-leading textbook on the subject, Project Management: The Managerial Process is distinguished by its balanced treatment of both the technical and behavioural issues in project management as well as by its coverage of a broad range of industries to which project management principles can be applied. It focuses on how project management is integral to the organisation as a whole. The text not only delivers the tools and processes is essential to successful project management but also an understanding that the effectiveness of these tools and methods are shaped and determined by the prevailing culture of the organisation and interpersonal dynamics of the people involved.

Statistics for Behavioural Sciences, 10th Edition by Frederick J. Gravetter and Larry B. Wallnau

This field-leading introduction to statistics text for students in the behavioural and social sciences continues to offer straightforward instruction, accuracy, built-in learning aids, and real-world examples. The goals are to teach the methods of statistics and convey the basic principles of objectivity and logic that are essential for science and valuable in everyday life. Authors Frederick Gravetter and Larry Wallnau help students understand statistical procedures through a conceptual context that explains why the procedures were developed and when they should be used. Students have numerous opportunities to practice statistical techniques through learning checks, examples, step-by-step demonstrations, and problems.

Happy reading!

#tuesdaychat

Looking for a textbook? Booko scans the world for both new and used books and let’s you know which store has it the cheapest.

Let us know if you’re looking for a specific book and we’ll try to find the cheapest for you. Just pop the title and edition in the comments below.

Monday Inspo

Students all over the world are heading back to school and university for either the start of their school year or returning from a semester break. This week on the blog we’ll be sharing our top tips for getting the cheapest text books online because we know you’re clever and like to shop smarter.

But for today, we have this little gem to start your week.


Need Textbooks?

Everyone needs a little life hack…especially if it can save you money. This article is an oldie but a goodie and still super relevant to uni students. Did you know you can buy both new and second hand books through booko? Click here for details.

https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2014/03/how-to-buy-university-textbooks-in-australia-for-less/

Booko Tutorial: how to Find the Best Prices for Uni Textbooks

At Booko HQ, we love to help you find the best deals for the books you want… that way you can buy even more books, right?  And not only can we help with the books you want to buy – the book-treats for yourself and your loved ones – but Booko can also help find discounts on the books you need – including textbooks for school and university, as well as specialist texts for professionals.

With just a few clicks or taps on your device, Booko can help you save up to hundreds of dollars.  Here are some examples:

Macroeconomics Australasian Edition (4th edition) by Olivier J. Blanchard and Jeffrey R. Sheen

Savings for new copy up to $50   Savings for used copy up to $100

Gray’s Anatomy for Students by Drake, Vogl and Mitchell

Savings for new copy  up to $150
Savings for used copy up to $150

Integrated Chinese Level 1 Part 1 Workbook (3rd edition) by Yuehua Liu et al

Savings for new copy up to $50
Savings for used copy up to $60

Now read on for some step-by-step instructions:

Booko’s standard search finds you the best prices for right now.  For even better deals, Booko offers a set-and-forget Alerts and a Lists feature. Booko Alerts regularly checks the prices for your chosen items and will email you as soon as the price falls below the current (or a specified) level. It’s a great way to monitor for sales.  To set an Alert, first search for the book you want – if possible, use the ISBN to confirm the correct edition.


This shows the search for a Psychology textbook.  The top listing on the Right is the current best price. To create an Alert, click the Add an Alert button below the Cover Image on the left side of the page.  Set your preferred price – and you can set separate prices for new and used books. Then enter your email and click Add.  Now all you need to do is wait for the Good News email! 

If you are logged into your Booko account, you can set an Alert faster, because you won’t need to enter your email each time.  A Booko account allows you to modify your alerts (delete or change target prices) more easily, as a list. 

A Booko account also allows you to set up Lists.  These help you sort and group the books you are watching for.  To add a book to a list, click the Add to List button below the Cover Image (next to the Add an Alert button). This adds the book to your Wishlist (the default list for each Booko account).  To create more lists, click on the My Lists tab on the Top Right of the page, then click the Manage Lists button.

The Manage Lists option has several nifty features – here you create new personalised lists (A), View/Edit or Delete existing lists, or Export list data in a spreadsheet-friendly format (B).  Booko will also tell you whether you can buy all your list items from a single store (C) – and do a price comparison as well.

Booko Alerts and Booko Lists can help you minimise the time and money you need for your back-to-uni essentials – so that you’ll have more time to relax before Semester starts!