tod lammle's sybex book is great but the pages smell....

Not to be funny, but I do believe your post is the most unique one I've seen in a study group! :-)

It's a terrible problem. I just visited the bookstore to see if all copies have the problem. It seems that some do and some don't. I contacted customer services to report the problem and they're going to look into it. I strongly suggest that other people buy the book , but buy it from a bookstore where you can TEST it, rather than buying it online. It could be that the books that are sealed in plastic are even worse, because they keep the book trapped, living in its own odour. Many online stores sell them wrapped in plastic.

I think a whole range of sybex books currently suffer from this problem. They're great books, but I suggest to those with a sensitivity to this sort of thing that they proceed with caution and go to a bookstore to be on the safe side. you will find that some copies smell and some don't. If yuou flick through the pages of a smelly book, you'll notice the smell immediately spreading, it's an extremely overpowering unusual smell, I find it very sickening.

It really is a fantastic book though. I'm delighted to have found a smell-less copy. As horrible as it was testing the books at the bookstore, it was worth it for this.