The Quick Take
When you're enrolled in a business office course, the right textbook is hard to ignore. You have four options that all belong to the same MindTap Course List series, but they split into two distinct titles: the New Perspectives book for Microsoft Excel and the Illustrated book for Microsoft Word. Each title comes in two conditions, so the decision is about both the application you need and how much wear you're willing to accept. All four are trade paperbacks, are New Editions, and are comprehensive in scope. If you already know whether your class is Excel-heavy or Word-heavy, that narrows the field to two. Then the condition and price decide which copy makes sense. Keep in mind that a heavily used book can still be readable, but it may not be something you want to keep on your shelf for years.
Price and Condition at a Glance
Here's how the four copies stack up:
| Product | Listed Price | Condition | Focus | Price Bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Perspectives Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive | $6.74 | Very Good | Excel | |
| New Perspectives Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive | $19.57 | Brand New | Excel | |
| Illustrated Office 365 & Word 2019 Comprehensive | $14.07 | Good | Word | |
| Illustrated Office 365 & Word 2019 Comprehensive | $14.85 | Acceptable | Word |
Decision Matrix
| If your course needs… | The copy to choose |
|---|---|
| Excel content, lowest cost | New Perspectives Excel 2019 Comprehensive (Very Good) |
| Excel content, cleanest book | New Perspectives Excel 2019 Comprehensive (Brand New) |
| Word content, balanced condition | Illustrated Word 2019 Comprehensive (Good) |
| Word content, acceptable wear tolerance | Illustrated Word 2019 Comprehensive (Acceptable) |
The decision matrix above simplifies the trade-offs. Price and condition move together for the Excel book: the very good copy is the cheapest and the brand-new copy is the most expensive. For the Word book, the relationship is reversed-the acceptable copy costs more than the good copy, which makes the good copy the stronger choice for most people.
Product Notes
#### New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive (Very Good) - $6.74
Patrick Carey's New Perspectives approach is a common companion for Excel-heavy business courses. This very good copy is the cheapest entry point in the lineup, giving you the same New Edition text as the brand-new copy at a much lower price. Expect the condition notes to hold: you may find minimal underlining or highlighting, and the book could come from a library, but the pages are intact. If your budget is the deciding factor and you're comfortable with a used book, this is the one to start with. The flip side is that you're accepting pre-existing marks, and the listing notes it may not include miscellaneous items like toys or DVDs.
#### New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive (Brand New) - $19.57
If you want your Excel textbook to arrive in pristine shape, this brand-new copy is the cleanest option among the four. It uses the same Patrick Carey New Perspectives content and New Edition features as the very good copy, but with no highlighting, no underlining, and no library stickers. That makes it a strong pick for students who plan to keep the book as a reference or who find secondhand marks distracting. The cost is the trade-off: it's the highest listed price in this comparison, so you're paying extra for that condition. If your budget can stretch and the physical state of the book matters, this is a straightforward choice.
#### Illustrated Microsoft Office 365 & Word 2019 Comprehensive (Good) - $14.07
Carol Cram's Illustrated book is the Word-focused alternative, and this good copy sits in the middle of the price range. It's cheaper than the brand-new Excel option but pricier than the very good Excel copy, and it's the lower-priced of the two Word books. The good condition means it may include underlining, highlighting, and minimal wear, but the pages should still be intact for reading and assignments. If Word is your application and you want a balanced option, this is the natural pick. The limitation is that the interior may not be completely clean, so you may encounter marks while reading.
#### Illustrated Microsoft Office 365 & Word 2019 Comprehensive (Acceptable) - $14.85
This is the second copy of Carol Cram's Word book, and it's priced higher than the Good copy despite being rated Acceptable. The condition notes are vivid: curled corners, possible stains, heavy highlighting, handwritten notes, and a possibly cracked spine, with pages that remain intact and readable. If you're set on the Illustrated Word title, this one still gets you the same New Edition content. But the limitation is hard to overlook-you're paying more for a more worn book, so it only makes sense if you're willing to accept the wear for the sake of getting this specific title.
The Bottom Line
For Excel-centric business office courses, the very good New Perspectives copy gives you the same comprehensive material at the lowest listed price, provided you don't mind the possibility of highlighting. If you prefer a spotless book that you can hold onto after the term, the brand-new New Perspectives copy is the clean route, but it costs the most in this set. On the Word side, the good Illustrated copy is the better buy of the two because it offers the same content for less money and in better shape than the acceptable copy. The acceptable copy is a fallback if you need the Illustrated Word title and are willing to tolerate significant wear, including possible stains and handwritten notes. In short, match the title to your class's application, then pick the condition that fits your budget and your tolerance for marks.
