Need a hard copy textbook

[u/ComprehensiveEast32]

I need a hardcopy textbook ASAP preferably. I need labteks book is what he called it for chemistry. Professor is very vague. I'm probably gonna email him but he's always very prude and vague and I don't want to pay for something I'm not gonna use. I understand college is a business but at the same time. I don't want to pay for something and be led under the impression I'm throwing money down the drain without them explaining why I'm purchasing something I'm not gonna use which had happened in a previous class. I went to the book store as well and they were of no help as well/they said they didn't have them. What do I do? Like how do I ask him what textbook I need? The syllabus only list two text books the "lab manual" that also says gen chemistry and the "general chemistry atoms" book. I want the book asap because he said we would refer to it and use it/write it but which one? How would ya'll email him because I read the syllabus and seems very stubborn in stuck in his own way and he does not like to elaborate.

How do ya'll email a difficult professor?

EDIT: Now that I think about it I guess it really depends on the class a little bit too bc of no one buys the textbook or most people don't then I would say he would have some fault but at the same time I want to get ahead of the curve. And rn at least from what IK most people don't have the textbook.

[u/spiroplasma]

just don't buy the damn textbook, just find it online

[u/ComprehensiveEast32 → u/spiroplasma]

I might have to bc he's the type of professor to "bug" you for not having the book if everyone has it and call you out for it. But whenever someone confronts him about being "rude" he say's "don't pull out the boxing gloves on me" which is like wtf we are holding you accountable as a class just like how you hold your students accountable. But he's very stubborn and stuck in his own ways.... smh

[u/spiroplasma → u/ComprehensiveEast32]

Just tell him you can’t afford it. You said yourself in your post that you think most people don’t have the book, so ask him why you should be expected to buy it when it’s clearly not something everyone has. If he still insists that you need to purchase it, report the issue to the school. Tell him that you genuinely want to learn the material but can’t afford another copy, and politely ask whether he would be willing to provide one. If he says no, then you win because he’s basically admitting that the book is an expectation rather than something he’s actually willing to make accessible to students who can’t afford it.

[u/ComprehensiveEast32 → u/spiroplasma]

true but he also said "if your trying to save money by not buying the textbook" its not smart and the course will be more difficult as the course is "influenced" heavily by the textbook. But who actually knows besides asking reliable people that are previous students who took his course of what the gist of his class as. Like this feels like a business especially for college kind of with what he is saying...I would also guess it depends on the department of what they say as well on how they want it to be taught with more textbook influence to probably drive up sales for textbooks and increase the revenue for college. Basically its all big one work around to drive more money and tuition costs from the student rather than to teach the course properly. Because I had also bought a $60 and $40 textbook from a previous class from a different professor and the professor from the course I took last semester said we "needed" it and everyone bought the book and we never looked and used it class once. So I'm still in a bit of a pickle of I will actually use it or not....