Heck, that was common knowledge some fifteen years ago during my freshman year. I personally never bought those American coursebooks. For the price of one brick, I could pretty much buy all the required self-study material printed form. After my sophomore year, they did away with the university press anyway and told the professors to just make their materials available in electronic form.
Besides, when you're in uni, you're learning to study, not learning to be hand-held.
Besides, when you're in uni, you're learning to study, not learning to be hand-held.