Choosing materials for business office courses usually starts with a practical question: which software version is your class using, and how much of the book do you need? The four titles here cover three different generations: advanced Excel 2003, intermediate Word 2007, and comprehensive Office 365 with Excel 2019. Listed prices vary widely, so your choice also affects your course budget.
Quick take
If your syllabus uses Office 365 and Excel 2019, the New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive title is the most relevant match. It appears twice: a Brand New trade paperback and a Very Good copy. For an Excel 2003 class, the Excel 2003 Advanced guide is the focused choice. For Word 2007 intermediate, the Illustrated Course Guide Word 2007 title is the dedicated option.
Listed price comparison
| Product | Listed price | Price bar | Condition | Format |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Office Excel 2003: Advanced (Illustrated Course Guides) - Wermers | USD 28.05 | Acceptable | Spiral | |
| Illustrated Course Guide: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Intermediate | USD 56.14 | Very Good | Spiral | |
| New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive (MindTap Course List) - Brand New | USD 19.57 | Brand New | Trade paperback | |
| New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive (MindTap Course List) - Very Good | USD 6.74 | Very Good | Trade paperback |
Decision matrix
- New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive (Brand New): choose when you want current comprehensive coverage in a clean copy.
- New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive (Very Good): choose when you want the same curriculum at the lowest price.
- Microsoft Office Excel 2003: Advanced (Illustrated Course Guides) - Wermers: choose when your course is specifically advanced Excel 2003.
- Illustrated Course Guide: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Intermediate: choose when your course targets Word 2007 intermediate skills.
Product notes
Microsoft Office Excel 2003: Advanced (Illustrated Course Guides) - Wermers
Microsoft Office Excel 2003: Advanced (Illustrated Course Guides) - Wermers, by Lynn Wermers and Elizabeth Eiser Reding. This guide is built for a course that covers Excel 2003 at an advanced level rather than a general Microsoft Office survey. If you already know the basics and need exercises that push further into Excel 2003, its focus is a practical reason to pick it. The main limitation is condition: Acceptable, with worn covers, folded page corners, possible foxing, and a note that it may not include discs, access codes, or supplemental materials. That makes it a sensible choice only if your class accepts used books and you don't need bundled extras. A clean copy of a newer Office title is a better route for most current courses.
Illustrated Course Guide: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Intermediate
Illustrated Course Guide: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Intermediate, by Carol Cram and Jennifer Duffy. This manual is the most targeted option for anyone whose business office course explicitly covers Word 2007 at an intermediate level. It is in Very Good condition, with tight binding and clean covers, so it should be a more comfortable study copy than an Acceptable book. The downside is price and scope: this guide is the highest-priced item in the comparison and tied to Word 2007 rather than a current Office release. It may also carry a previous owner's name or an ex-library mark. If your syllabus is built around Word 2007, this is a strong match; for modern Office instruction, the New Perspectives title offers broader coverage.
New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive (MindTap Course List) - Brand New
New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive (MindTap Course List) - Brand New, by Patrick Carey. This is the version to choose when you want the full Office 365 and Excel 2019 curriculum in a clean, unmarked copy. It is Brand New and is a New Edition, so you will not be dealing with creased pages or prior owner writing. The limitation is the price point: this copy is priced above the used version of the same title, so if your main requirement is getting the same content for less money, the Very Good copy is the lower-cost route. Because the book is comprehensive, it best suits a full course covering many Excel 2019 topics.
New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive (MindTap Course List) - Very Good
New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive (MindTap Course List) - Very Good, by Patrick Carey. This copy uses the same title and ISBN as the brand-new version but sits at the lowest price in the group. If you are enrolling in an Office 365 and Excel 2019 course and want to keep costs down, this is the copy that makes the most financial sense. The limitation is the used condition: Very Good can mean minimal underlining or highlighting, a previous owner's name, a 'From the library of' label, or no extra items such as dvds or toys. Those notes are easier to accept if you plan to write in the book. If you want a clean copy, the Brand New version is the safer call.
Final recommendation by use case
For a current business office course built around Office 365 and Excel 2019, the New Perspectives comprehensive title is the natural starting point. If budget matters most, the Very Good copy at $6.74 is the lowest-priced option in this set. If you want the same content without condition compromises, the Brand New copy at $19.57 is the better match. For a course still assigning Excel 2003, the Excel 2003 Advanced spiral at $28.05 addresses that older version directly. For a Word 2007 intermediate class, the Illustrated Course Guide at $56.14 is the costliest title here, but it is the one guide aimed specifically at that skill level and arrives in Very Good condition.
