Using earlier editions of textbooks? Forum

[vissidarte27]

So I got my book list for the upcoming year and they're asking that we buy four (out of seven total) textbooks that just came out in 2012 (so there aren't any used ones circulating, really). I am poor and really don't want to drop $600 on brand new books if they're not significantly different from the edition before them.

My question is twofold.

1. How critical is it to have the most recent editions of things?
2. Are any of you familiar with the differences between editions in the following books:

- Freer Civ Pro, 6th edition 2012
- Intro to Civ Pro, Freer, 3rd edition 2012
- Torts: Cases and Problems, Vandall et all, 3rd edition 2012
- Contracts: Cases and Doctrine, Barnett, 5th edition 2012

Any ideas or suggestions would be welcome. I'd love to find a way to not pay out the ass for books (though I understand that that may be a necessary evil).

[bhan87]

CivPro: There are a few recent Supreme Court cases that have affected important doctrines (notably Erie and Personal Jurisdiction). You might be able to get away with photocopies or downloading the cases off Westlaw.

Contracts: Very little has changed.

Torts: Ditto.

[Bildungsroman]

I would shell out for the new civ pro. Not familiar with the text or edition exactly, but the last few years have seen important changes to a lot of statutes, as well as a number of important new cases.

[09042014]

I tried to read Twomlby from westlaw and it gaped my asshole. But all the other courses I've done old editions worked perfectly.

[I.P. Daly]

I always found life to be easier with the most recent editions of the required text. Sometimes, a prof will only list page numbers in the syllabus, and it can be a giant pain to figure out assignments based on the syllabus. Also, sometimes during class discussions the prof will cite a page number and it can be annoying to have to flip through the text trying to figure out where the prof and class is at. Further, while you can print cases from West/Lexis, usually the casebooks are heavily edited and the reading is substantially shorter.

That said, if that kind of stuff does not bother you, the older editions are probably fine.