How should professors handle their own books on a course reading list?
Short answerList instructors' work separately rather than treating it as a required purchase, and use a core text only when students can readily obtain it through the library.
NotesMany specialist subjects have no single textbook, so building a course around one author's book can distort the field. A broad reading list can label work by course instructors as publications that may be relevant without treating them as required or recommended purchases. A book becomes a core text only after enough library copies or an accessible electronic version are available. Very narrow specialties may leave only a few comprehensive authors, sometimes including the instructor. The answer distinguishes necessary expertise from using a course to promote one's own publications.