This edition was very, very cheaply produced. I've never had a book that fell apart so easily and it's not one of the books I carry around all the time.

Yes, I know, I've brought this topic up before in a previous thread and I've only been further assured by seeing another persons 4th Edition that the 5th edition is horrible binded.

Here is a picture of my book falling apart at the binding spine, excuse the quality, was taken on my phone.

http://nov27a.imghost.us/Y36S.jpg

From what I believe the 5th edition was printed in the US while most other editions were printed in Japan.

Sometime soon the binding holding the pages to the spine will stop holding and pages will start falling out, if I need to buy another copy I'll be sure to get the 4th Edition.

Link to previous thread were I assumed my copy was falling apart because I was taking it everywhere, which I now know is not true, i have a Java textbook I have to take to all my classes and it's roughly the same size of RTK and with similar paperback binding and that's fine.

http://forum.koohii.com/showthread.php?tid=885

You can put a proper Japanese binding on your 5th edition RTKs -- it holds together very well and looks nice. See http://www.sff.net/people/brook.west/bind/bindit.html for a how-to.

I took my book to a local printer friend with the idea of getting it bound. He said the overall quality of the book made it a waste of money/time to bind unless I was totally desperate. Basically, he said it offends him to work with such cheap materials, but he'd do if for me if I want.

Laura, your printer friend sounds awesome! I wonder what he would think walking into a Japanese bookstore. I've always been impressed with their paper goods, and how cheap they are. Even those little paperbacks feel quite substantial, and look good on a shelf. Also, one of my Japanese friends makes book covers as a side business, and they're quite beautiful.

Now I want to go to Kinokuniya and blow some cash...

Hey, Billyclyde,
Yeah, my printer friend is awesome. Around these parts, books are expected to outlive their current guardians. I showed him an English language tourist brochure printed in Japan in 1936 called "Hiroshige and Japanese Landscapes" which was given to me recently by a homeless man. (only in Berkeley) My friend was impressed. It's just a simple little brochure, but it has amazing color prints.

i wrote an email to Heisig himself and got a reply

Dear Mr Schuurink,

I just now received a reply from the University of Hawaii Press. It seems they als oreceived a small number of complaints about the same problem. They have decided that all future editions will be stitched so that the books will lie flat without the pages falling out. They typically glue books of this size, but given the demands on a book of this sort, the stiches should work fine.
I thank you again for writing to me about this.

James W. Heisig

in another mail he told me this new stiched version would probaly for sale in march next year.
so you should wait with buying the new edition until then

A stitched binded copy yes!
As soon as these start appearing I'll be buying one for sure.

If anyone gets one be sure to post to the forums to let everyone know the higher quality book is available.

Well done, ivoSF. That's great news.

Just hope that they fix the cover too (the lamination peels away readily and the cheap card buckles back after only a few opens). This book deserves better.

Wow, IvoSF. That is good news! I imagine few publishers would change their publishing method that easily.