Anyone who has ever endeavored to engage in a high-level of study, whether formally or informally, knows of the expense of textbooks. Textbook publication is a very profitable business. Now, with the emergence of e-books, a whole new market has opened up for textbook publishers.

Textbook publisher, Pearson, which is the largest higher educational publisher in the world, is reportedly set to purchase a 5% stake in Barnes & Noble’s e-reader, NOOK. The United Kingdom based company, which reported earnings of $3 billion from sales of textbooks in the first 6 months of 2012, will allegedly pay $89.5 million cash for its 5% ownership. The purchase is a move by the company to offer its customers an alternative to printed materials.

The question is whether this new textbook format will make textbooks less expensive for students, and if so will this be a permanent discount.

Questions also arise regarding the effects the popularization of digital books can have on the future conveyance of information. Personally, I will always favor the printed word over the digital format when it comes to reading books. What are your thoughts?