The use of a required text is an accepted practice in most college courses, but two-thirds of the students are coming to class without reading the textbook, some of them never buying the textbook at all. A review of the literature about textbook usage and student reading habits provides a comparison between how faculty and students view the pros and cons of the required textbook. The analysis suggests faculty and students share the general benefits of textbook usage (e.g., knowledge, consistent material, accessible) but that those benefits are countered by several personal "costs" from the student perspective. The pros and cons are explained and recommendations offered to help deal with students' concerns. A brief consideration of alternative strategies is presented. (Contains 1 table.)