Most of the textbooks I used during my undergraduate studies (outside north America) are International editions, so what is the difference between a national and an international edition of a book?
For example, I have a book that says
XYZ published this special edition for the benefit of students outside the United States and Canada.
and they don't mention why this international edition is special or what is the benefit!
Answer
International editions are cheaper
They are sold cheaper, in English speaking countries (or countries with education in English) outside North America: India, China, etc. The content is equal to that of US/North American versions.
There are two reasons why they are cheaper:
because they are printed in cheaper version: paperback instead of hardcover, sometimes black and white
because the publisher knows he cannot sell them at their US price anyway, so they are willing to sell them at the price people will buy them (better to sell them cheaply than not at all)
Sources:
There was also a case about import of international edition textbooks in the US supreme court last year (http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/03/thai-student-protected-by-first-sale-supreme-court-rules/).
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