The assigned text is the 4th edition of the book, which is available for purchase new from the University of Saskatchewan bookstore. However there are used copies of the 3rd edition of the book on sale around campus.
Given that much of text in the two books is the same, it should be possible to use the 3rd edition instead of the 4th edition. If you do buy the 3rd edition then you must understand the following risks:
The 4th edition contains more up-to-date examples to illustrate the text. It has more discussion of sustainability and entrepreneurship.
The ordering of the chapters in the two editions has changed somewhat. To see how the sequence of chapters in the 4th edition compares to the sequence of chapters in the 3rd edition please read the next page to compare the contents of the two editions. There are some differences. Read the comparison sheet carefully.
In the 4th edition, a NEW chapter (Chapter 7) is added that offers advice on “Analyzing the Business”.
Some exam questions may come from text material that is in the 4th edition and not in the 3rd edition. You may be able to partially correct this problem by attending more classes than you otherwise intended to.
While the 3rd edition is cheaper to buy because there are second-hand copies around, you may not be able to resell that edition after the class has finished. The University Bookstore will not buy back used copies of the 3rd edition at the end of term. Those who buy the new 4th edition will be able to sell their copies after the class has finished.
The student resource web site for the 3rd edition is still available on the Internet but may disappear soon. See http://www.futureofbusiness3e.nelson.com/student/
4th edition of The Future of Business