SMU grad creates program to find cheap textbooks
Christian Genco, using computer coding and information already available on the Internet, created a program that automatically searches for the lowest priced textbooks.
By Diane Smith
COLLEYVILLE — Christian Genco paid about $1,200 for college textbooks one semester and decided he’d had enough.
“It was ridiculous,” said Genco, 21.
The next semester, Genco decided to shop online and after a couple of days of searching, he found books for between $800 and $900.
Genco liked the fact that the books were cheaper online, but was dismayed that it took two days to find the best deals.
Genco, then a student at SMU, went to work. Using computer coding and information already available on the Internet, he created a program that automatically searched for the lowest priced textbooks he needed.
“I did that for myself,” he said.
Genco said he introduced the program to his friends at SMU, who loved it. After graduating in May, he continued to fine tune the program, which has evolved into a free service for college students called textbooksplease.com.
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