Choosing a business office course book usually comes down to three things: which Microsoft Office version you need, what condition the pages are in, and how much you want to pay. The four titles here span Word 2019, Excel 2019, and Word 2007, with listed prices from USD 14.07 to USD 56.14. The key is matching the book to the Office software you are actually using, not just picking the cheapest option.
Quick take
For Word 2019 learners on a tight budget, the lower-priced Word 2019 copy in this group is the least expensive option. If your focus is Excel 2019 and you want a book no one has written in, the New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive is a fresh copy for that job. If your course uses Word 2007, the Illustrated Course Guide: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Intermediate is the only guide here for that version, and it also carries the highest listed price. The higher-priced Word 2019 copy is the same textbook, yet it costs more and shows more wear, so it works well as a spare copy.
Listed-price comparison
The bars below show how the four listed prices compare.
| Option | Listed price | Price bar | Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Illustrated Word 2019 (Good) | USD 14.07 | Good | |
| Illustrated Word 2019 (Acceptable) | USD 14.85 | Acceptable | |
| New Perspectives Excel 2019 (Brand New) | USD 19.57 | Brand New | |
| Illustrated Word 2007 Intermediate (Spiral) | USD 56.14 | Very Good |
Decision matrix
| If your priority is... | Start with... | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The lowest listed price for a Word 2019 textbook | Illustrated Microsoft Office 365 & Word 2019 Comprehensive (low-priced copy) | Priced below the other Word 2019 copy and with less wear. |
| A fresh book focused on Excel 2019 | New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive | The only Excel 2019 title here and an unused copy. |
| A specific guide for Word 2007 | Illustrated Course Guide: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Intermediate | Spiral format and built for intermediate Word 2007 skills. |
| A second Word 2019 copy where annotations are acceptable | Illustrated Microsoft Office 365 & Word 2019 Comprehensive (higher-priced copy) | Same title as the other Word 2019 copy, but more visible wear and a higher listed price. |
Product notes
Illustrated Microsoft Office 365 & Word 2019 Comprehensive (Good-condition copy)
Carol Cram's Word 2019 text is a Trade Paperback in Good condition, and it is priced below the other Word 2019 copy in this group. It is a New Edition, which fits a class that uses Word 2019. The condition notes mention that the book may include underlining, highlighting, minimal wear, or labels from a previous library, so it is not a pristine copy. If you want the most affordable way into Word 2019, this is the one to choose. Just be ready for notes in the margins. The Acceptable-condition copy of the same title is priced higher, so this Good copy offers a better condition at a lower listed price.
Illustrated Microsoft Office 365 & Word 2019 Comprehensive (Acceptable-condition copy)
This is the same Carol Cram Word 2019 textbook and the same ISBN as the Good copy, but it is marked Acceptable and priced above that copy. The condition notes describe possible cracked spine, folded corners, stains, heavy highlighting, handwriting, annotation, and yellowed pages. That is a clear trade-off: you pay more and get more wear. Its practical advantage is that it gives you a second copy of the same title if you need one for home and work, or if you prefer not to carry the better copy around. For most buyers, the Good copy is the stronger price pick. If heavy marginalia and worn pages do not bother you, this Acceptable copy still delivers the complete Word 2019 lesson set.
Illustrated Course Guide: Microsoft Office Word 2007 Intermediate
Written by Carol Cram and Jennifer Duffy, this spiral-bound guide is the only book in this group built for Word 2007. It is in Very Good condition, with a tight binding and clean covers, and it is the most expensive of the four. It is also an Intermediate guide, so it assumes you already understand the basics of Word 2007. If your class or office training still runs on Word 2007, this specific guide matches that version, while the Word 2019 and Excel 2019 books will not. If you no longer use Word 2007, you can safely leave this one aside because its price is much higher than the alternatives.
New Perspectives Microsoft Office 365 & Excel 2019 Comprehensive
Patrick Carey's Excel 2019 text is the only brand-new book in this lineup, and its listed price falls between the Word 2019 copies and the Word 2007 guide. It is a Trade Paperback New Edition, so you will not have to deal with previous owners' highlighting. The limitation is that it covers Excel, not Word, so it is the right pick only when your business office course focuses on spreadsheets. If you need a Word book too, you will have to pair it with one of the Illustrated Word 2019 copies. For someone who wants an unmarked Excel 2019 reference without paying the Word 2007 guide's price, this is the only brand-new option here.
Final recommendation
Go with the lower-priced Word 2019 copy if you want to keep your cost down and can accept some wear. Choose the higher-priced Word 2019 copy only when you want a second copy and don't mind annotations. Pick the Excel 2019 book when spreadsheets are your main focus and you want a fresh copy. And if your course is on Word 2007, the Illustrated Course Guide is the version-specific choice, even though it is the most expensive of the four.
