Looking at the other typical undergraduate physics class (usually first semester of junior year), classical dynamics, I see that UWMadison requires this book: amazon.com

Only $103.

Which is a steal, I guess, for a textbook… but it’s an updated version of one I used, originally published in 1971 I think. The Marion book was frustrating, for most of us students anyway. He’s gone now, but Thorton updated it. The version I had was another Wiley publication, I think, and if they printed this one it would be more expensive. Now it is published by Cengage, a company that is newer and buying up smaller publishers. It apparently marks up “list price” (see Amazon “list” for the above book is $199) but sells discounted through retailers.

Anyway, this is all more examples of how old stuff gets a new cover and sold at ever higher prices. This is a type of inflation that is particularly annoying. Sort of like real estate.