If you only need the buying answer

If you want the cheapest route, the sampled 180-day eTextbook at $56.99 is the better choice. If you want new print, note that a sampled comparator at $74.95 is lower than the current print listing at $82.30. That means the current listing is not the strongest route for every buyer, even though it still compares better than some other sampled alternatives.

Store	Format	Condition	Price	Link
Merybook	Print	New	$82.30	Check listing
VitalSource	eTextbook	180-day access	$56.99	Check price
Macomb Bookstore	Print	New	$74.95	Check price
Bookstores.com	Print	Brand new	$121.25	Check price

This is a brief personal-health text, so the buying decision should stay practical. A shorter edition can still be useful across the term, but it does not automatically justify paying more for new print when digital is substantially cheaper and another new-print comparator is lower.

What this book actually teaches

An Invitation to Health, Brief Edition covers core personal-health topics such as nutrition, physical activity, stress, sexuality, substance use, and prevention in a shorter format than the full edition. Its value is in giving students a repeated, topic-by-topic health framework over the semester rather than deep specialization in one area.

That makes it useful, but not necessarily something every reader needs to own in print. For many students, the cheaper temporary route is sufficient, especially when the goal is simply to complete one general-health requirement.

When print is worth buying and when it is not

If you want the lowest price, digital wins. If you specifically want new print, it is worth checking the lower sampled comparator before paying the current listing. The current print route is not unreasonable, but it is not the market leader here.

Sources checked

• Cengage product page for An Invitation to Health, Brief Edition, 13th edition: cengage.com
• Current market pricing reviewed on April 15, 2026.