Clark's daughter is a freshman and he's floored by the outrageous prices he has to pay for her textbooks -- even if they try to get the books used. The average student spends $575 to use his or her books for about 12-15 weeks -- then they become yesterday's news. One college has a brilliant solution to this annoying problem. Northwest Missouri State University is now renting textbook to students; the average bill for a semester or term is $75.

Several years ago, Clark went on the air talking about how it's a racket when professors get paid to revise their textbooks annually and push the updated editions in course syllabi. He heard from an angry science professor saying educators would be shortchanging their students if they didn't update -- because the field of science evolves so rapidly. That may be true at the graduate level, but not at the undergraduate level. Most undergrads are just trying to decide what they want to do for a career. To make underclassmen buy an updated textbook every year is ridiculous. Clark hopes Northwest Missouri State's model gains traction across the country.