Artie, I hate watching videos online period, whether it's for a class or not. I don't really understand your objection to not having to pay for an expensive textbook, though. I have one class where the textbook is one that is free this semester, and I love that. I love when professors are mindful of textbook expenses when they make decisions about their course texts. Sometimes even if you are able to rent some or most of your books, you still have to spend a couple hundred dollars on course materials per semester if you're going full time. I think minimizing textbook expenses is probably one of the easiest ways to have an immediate impact on lowering the astronomical cost of higher education in this country - and I don't personally feel that a free online textbook means it is of lower quality. Have you had a chance to look at it yet? Sometimes earlier editions of textbooks are available for free, and I wonder if that's what this is. Doesn't seem like there'd be much point in using the most recent geology textbook anyway.