--- title: "Great, They’re Turning Expensive College Textbooks into NFTs Now" description: "The Pearson education company is looking to recoup some of the money it loses when people resell its expensive books...by turning those textbooks into NFTs." date: "2022-08-03" modified: "2022-08-03" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/pearson-textbook-nfts-resale" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Future Society" - "NFTs" tags: - "blockchain" - "education" - "nfts" - "the digest" --- # Great, They’re Turning Expensive College Textbooks into NFTs Now ![The Pearson education company is looking to recoup some of the money it loses when people resell its expensive books...by turning those textbooks into NFTs.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Textbook NFTs Education publishing company Pearson is looking to make money every time people resell its expensive college textbooks — by turning those textbooks into digital non-fungible tokens (NFTs). In other words, it wants to squeeze every last dollar out of its customers by trying to profit off of the used textbook market. "In the analogue world, a Pearson textbook was resold up to seven times, and we would only participate in the first sale," CEO Andy Bird told reporters at a press conference on Monday, as [quoted by *Bloomberg*](), "The move to digital helps diminish the secondary market," Bird added, "and technology like blockchain and NFTs allows us to participate in every sale of that particular item as it goes through its life." The CEO and former Disney exec pointed specifically at how NFT technologies allow initial sellers to track an item — be it a textbook or [a Tiffany necklace]() — on a public ledger, as it changes hands from "owner A to owner B to owner C." ## Lit Bag Unsurprisingly, Pearson's controversial decision to maximize profits by injecting itself into the used textbook market was met with widespread derision on Twitter. "I hate every word in this sentence," [one user tweeted](), referring to a [*Techmeme* headline]() about the story, while TikTok star [Gregor Reynolds encouraged]() others to "pirate your textbooks, kids." [Literary NFTs]() are nothing new — there are [entire platforms]() dedicated to [helping independent writers]() and presses [sell their works as NFTs](). But given the fact that Pearson is one of the largest textbook publishers in the world, the decision could lead to other major publishers following suit. Thus far, Pearson hasn't released any more details about its proposed NFT plans, or when it plans to roll out such a feature. Nevertheless, it's certainly a sign of the times when the people who already [charge an arm and a leg for necessary textbooks]() want to make a buck off of used book sales as well. **READ MORE:** [Pearson Says Blockchain Could Make It Money Every Time E-Books Change Hands]() \[*Bloomberg News*\] **More on NFTomfoolery:** *[There's an Interesting Theory About Why Anthony Hopkins is Suddenly Shilling NFTs]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()