Choosing between two well-known electrical trades references can be tough, especially when your daily work touches HVAC electrical trades and you need a book that either explains the National Electrical Code visually or guides you through residential wiring. The Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code and Electrical Wiring Residential are both trade paperbacks from the MindTap Course List series, but they come with different listed prices, different conditions, and different strengths.
Quick verdict: If you want a code-focused, illustrated guide with clean pages and a very good condition rating, the Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code at $89.00 is the better fit. If you'd rather have a revised residential wiring textbook at a lower listed price, Electrical Wiring Residential at $60.32 is the one to put in your cart.
| Attribute | Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code | Electrical Wiring Residential |
|---|---|---|
| Listed price | USD 89.00 | USD 60.32 |
| Author | Charles Miller | Ray Mullin, Phil Simmons |
| Condition | Very Good | Good |
| Format | Trade Paperback | Trade Paperback |
| Focus | Illustrated NEC guide | Revised residential wiring |
Where each wins
- Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code: Best for readers who want a very good condition illustrated guide and are comfortable with the $89.00 listed price. The clean pages and Charles Miller's authorship make it a strong code-study companion.
- Electrical Wiring Residential: Best for readers who want a lower listed price and a residential wiring focus from Ray Mullin and Phil Simmons. The good condition means some normal wear, but the price makes it accessible.
Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code
The Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code by Charles Miller is a trade paperback in very good condition. The description notes light wear and creasing on the cover, but pages are clean and like new. As an illustrated guide, it leans on visuals to help you understand code concepts, which can be especially handy when you're working through NEC topics in the HVAC electrical trades. At $89.00, it's the higher listed price in this match, but the condition and the illustrated format are the main reasons to choose it. If you want a reference that looks near-new and focuses on the code, this is the one.
Electrical Wiring Residential (MindTap Course List)
Electrical Wiring Residential (MindTap Course List) by Ray Mullin and Phil Simmons is the lower-priced option in this head-to-head. At $60.32, it carries the lower listed price in this comparison. It's a revised trade paperback in good condition, so expect some normal wear from previous use. The description notes that textbooks may not include supplemental items such as CDs or access codes. For a residential wiring perspective, this book focuses on the kind of wiring scenarios you'd encounter in the field. If the lower listed price matters and you don't require a pristine copy, this is the practical option.
Final choice by use case
- NEC exam prep or code lookup: Go with the Illustrated Guide to the National Electrical Code at $89.00. The very good condition and clean pages make it easy to use as a study reference.
- Residential wiring practice: Go with Electrical Wiring Residential at $60.32. You get the residential wiring focus and a lower listed price, with the understanding that this is a good condition copy.
