For someone in HVAC electrical trades, the wiring textbook question usually comes down to where the work happens: on the industrial floor or inside a residential panel. Two Cengage Learning MindTap Course List texts sit on opposite sides of that choice. The Electrical Wiring Industrial text by Stephen Herman and the Electrical Wiring Residential text by Phil Simmons are both brand-new, but they point to different halves of the trade and carry different listed prices.
Quick verdict: Choose the Industrial volume if you want the lower listed price and an industrial focus. Choose the Residential volume if you want the newer edition and a residential focus.
| Electrical Wiring Industrial | Electrical Wiring Residential 21st Ed | |
|---|---|---|
| Listed price | USD 78.98 | USD 85.00 |
| Price indicator | ||
| Focus | Industrial wiring | Residential wiring |
| Author | Stephen Herman | Phil Simmons |
| Edition / year | 2020 | 21st Edition, 2023 |
| Format | Trade Paperback | Trade Paperback |
| Condition | Brand New | Brand New |
| Features | Revised | Revised |
Where Electrical Wiring Industrial wins: It is the lower of the two listed prices, and its title ties the content directly to industrial installations. Stephen Herman is named as the author, and the ISBN 9780357142189 identifies the exact edition.
Where Electrical Wiring Residential wins: The newer edition and publication year put it on the more recent side of the pair, with Phil Simmons listed as the author. Its educational level is marked as adult and further education, which suits vocational and trade-school use.
Electrical Wiring Industrial (MindTap Course List) by Herman, Stephen L
This volume is the less expensive of the two, and the title could not be clearer about the focus: industrial wiring. Stephen Herman is listed as the author, and the book is a revised trade paperback from Cengage Learning with a 2020 publication date. If your work or coursework centers on industrial equipment, motor circuits, and plant electrical systems, this textbook is aimed at that setting. It carries ISBN 9780357142189, so the exact edition is easy to pin down. The trade-off is the earlier publication year: this 2020 edition precedes the Residential text's 2023 date. For an industrial-focused learner who wants the lower listed price, this is the stronger match.
Electrical Wiring Residential (MindTap Course List), 21st Edition SPIRAL
At the higher listed price, this Residential text brings a newer edition and a 2023 publication year. Phil Simmons is named as the author, and the educational level is marked as adult and further education, which suits classroom and apprenticeship settings. If your day-to-day wiring work centers on homes and apartments, the title names the target directly. The newer edition is the main draw here, and it comes with a strictly residential focus. The trade-off is that this is not the title for industrial or commercial wiring work, and you will pay more than the Industrial volume. If residential is your setting, the newer edition makes this the better fit.
Final choice by use case. If you work primarily with industrial electrical systems and want the lower listed price, the Electrical Wiring Industrial text by Herman at USD 78.98 is the one to pick. If you need a residential wiring resource with the newer edition, the Electrical Wiring Residential text by Simmons at USD 85.00 is the better fit. In HVAC electrical trades, the setting you work in determines which of these two Cengage texts belongs on your bench.
