Four Magazines, Textbooks & Reference Picks from $8.99 to $50: Which One Belongs on Your Desk?

From a 1961 DIY encyclopedia set to a civil-rights teaching magazine, a PE exam prep text, and a like-new microeconomics book, these four items cover very different jobs. Here's how to match your goal to the right buy.

Last updated Aug 17, 2026

Shopping for magazines textbooks reference titles can feel like comparing a toolbox, a lesson plan, an exam room, and a lecture hall. The four items here span very different price levels, from a teaching magazine to a professional engineering exam text, with a vintage DIY encyclopedia and a used microeconomics textbook in between. The real decision is which one solves the problem in front of you.

Quick take

If you need a discussion-ready history resource for a classroom or group, choose the Southern Poverty Law Center magazine. If you are sitting for the EIT or PE exams, the Professional Engineering Examination Series is the study tool. If you want a hands-on 1960s mechanical reference, the Mechanix Illustrated encyclopedia set works. If you need a recent, like-new economics textbook, the Goodwin microeconomics title is the one to open.

Listed price comparison

Prices are as listed, with the bar scaled to the highest price.

Item	Price	What you're paying for
Mechanix Illustrated How-To-Do-It Encyclopedia, Vols. 1-9 & 11-16, 1961	USD 49.95	15-Volume DIY and mechanical reference set
A Place At The Table, Struggles For Equality In America, Magazine, Tolerance	USD 8.99	Teaching magazine on equality movements
Professional Engineering Examination Series	USD 50.00	EIT and PE exam preparation textbook
College textbooks used, fifth edition, 22" 14" weight	USD 40.00	Microeconomics textbook for business and economics

Decision matrix

Use the matrix to match the item to the job.

Goal	Pick	Why
Classroom discussion on equality, tolerance, and American history	A Place At The Table	Designed for middle and high school, with readings on many equality issues
Passing the EIT or PE exam	Professional Engineering Examination Series	Focused on exam preparation with annotation from a previous user
Browsing 1960s mechanical how-to projects	Mechanix Illustrated How-To-Do-It Encyclopedia	Illustrated reference set for adult DIY readers
Studying microeconomics in a textbook	College textbooks used, fifth edition	Goodwin's fifth-edition text for business and economics

Product notes

Mechanix Illustrated How-To-Do-It Encyclopedia, Vols. 1-9 & 11-16, 1961

If you want a large physical reference rather than a screen-based tutorial, this set gives you 15 hardcover volumes from 1961 in very good condition, with illustrations as the centerpiece. It is aimed at adults, and the 20-lb set feels like a complete mini-library. This set covers Volumes 1-9 and 11-16, so Volume 10 is not included. The set is heavy enough to live on a sturdy shelf, not in a backpack. For a mid-century mechanical encyclopedia, it is a useful comparison for vintage DIY collections.

A Place At The Table, Struggles For Equality In America, Magazine, Tolerance

This teaching magazine from the Southern Poverty Law Center is built for classroom use. Published in 2000 and aimed at middle and high school, it includes illustrated articles on religious freedom, anti-slavery activism, civil disobedience, Native American rights, women's suffrage, immigrants' rights, school segregation, disability rights, and gender inequity. There are 18 copies total, with additional copies priced lower than the first. The chief limitation is the magazine format: it's not a full textbook, so a teacher would use it as a unit supplement rather than the main reference. The 2000 date gives it the feel of a historical teaching resource.

Professional Engineering Examination Series

For anyone working toward the Engineer-in-Training or Professional Engineer exams, this textbook speaks directly to that goal. The author, H. Jack Apfelbaum, and the series title make the exam-prep purpose clear, and it is an annotated copy, which can speed up review with someone else's notes on the page. It is in good condition and sits at the top of the price range. The trade-off is that it is a preparation tool, not a general engineering reference; if you are not taking the EIT or PE exams, the content will feel narrow. An annotated copy means the pages contain notes from a previous reader, so keep that in mind if you want a clean margin.

College textbooks used, fifth edition, 22" 14" weight

The textbook with a 2023 publication year is Goodwin's microeconomics title, published by Routledge in a trade paperback format with Like New condition. The book is written for the business and economics domain with a clear, concise style, making it suitable for a course or for reviewing microeconomic principles. At $40.00, it sits in the middle of the price range. The limitation is that the title is generic, so the author, fifth edition, and subject are not obvious from the title alone.

Final recommendation by use case

For a classroom or discussion group, start with A Place At The Table; it's the only teaching-focused magazine in the group and the lowest listed price. For the EIT or PE exam, the Professional Engineering Examination Series is the purpose-built choice. For a vintage illustrated reference, the Mechanix Illustrated set has the most volumes, even without Volume 10. For a like-new economics textbook with a 2023 publication year, the Goodwin title from Routledge is the one to pick.

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