ooh, good question -- thanks for asking it. I am planning on getting only the book because 1) I don't have $250 to spare and 2) I'm under 18, so i'd need parental permission to get it...I really hope this system works for me, because I'm terrible at history, and I think this could help...also the biology book is really long, and I have a bunch of books i'd love to read, but just don't have the time to! It's really encouraging to hear all these people on the message board saying how it worked for them so that I know that these people aren't just trying to sell some product -- but that it really does work. I can't wait to get to a bookstore to see if they have the book or something.