Student Help and FAQs
Institutional Access - Using Content
How do I get to textbook content on the HE website if my library says I have access?
If your institution has provided you access to our digital textbooks via your library, you can access them in two ways. You may decide to read books online using our read-only eReader. This will give you the ability to read the book, but not access features such as annotations, bookmarking or offline reading via a mobile or desktop computer.
If you wish to use the advanced eReader which includes additional functionality such as annotations, bookmarking and offline reading you will need to login in two stages:
Your institution will still need to have access to our textbook content in order for you to read them. You should contact your library or library services for more information.
If you are unable to access specific content, make sure that your institution is subscribed to the title and then contact our technical support team via our Technical Support Diagnostic Form .
You can learn all about the two different versions of the eReader by viewing our Cambridge Spiral experience comparison .
Do I need to re-authenticate my details on the HE website every time I want to read?
For the Stage 1 access, explained above, your institutional affiliation should be detected automatically, if facilitated by IP range authentication. If you have logged in previously via Shibboleth via the Seamless Access service then you won;'t need to reauthenticate every time. For the Stage 2 access, also explained above, your individual username/password can be stored for up to 30 days if you select the ‘Remember me’ option.
Purchasing eTextbooks
Can I buy print books from your Higher Education website?
Yes. We currently only offer print purchase via the Higher Education website in the UK and Europe (excluding Russia and the Ukraine). We expect to have print purchase options available for the rest of the world in due course. Until then, you will see the 'Add to Cart' button if print purchase is available. If you are based outside of the UK and Europe and wish to purchase the print format, you can still select 'Buy the print book' on the textbook page, and you will be redirected to our Academic catalogue.
Can I buy online access to a textbook for myself without going through an institution?
Yes. Online access to our textbooks is available via our Cambridge Spiral eReader. From the title's page select 'Add to cart' underneath the digital price on the left-hand side. If your institution has access, you can access digital prices via the 'Purchase digital edition' button.
In order to purchase an eTextbook you will need to have a Higher Education from Cambridge University Press account. You can register for an account here.
What format is my eTextbook delivered in?
Your eTextbook will be delivered to your account. To read the book return to the book page on the Higher Education from Cambridge University Press website and select ‘Read online’ button to open in our web reader. You can also download our Cambridge Spiral reader for IOS, Android, Mac Desktop and Windows Desktop. More information is available from our Cambridge Spiral page .
How long will I have access to the book for?
If you purchase a digital textbook individually, your access is perpetual. Further information can be found in our purchase terms and conditions .
Can I download a PDF of the textbook?
No, textbooks are supplied via Cambridge Spiral, which includes functionality such as bookmarking, annotations as well as being able to be read on different devices. You will also be able to download the book to read offline through one of our Cambridge Spiral applications. Please refer to the Cambridge Spiral information page for more detail.
Do I need to buy the textbook if my institution already has access to the textbook?
No, but you may wish to purchase your own copy for access after you leave your institution. This will also enable you to preserve your bookmarks, annotations, and other customisations you have made during your access via your institution.
What if I have any questions about my order, billing or payment?
Contact information for our customer services can be found via our Cambridge.org website .
What do I do if I am unsure how to access my textbook or am encountering a problem?
You can consult our User Guide and Videos . You can also consult the Contact & Help area which has FAQs and contact information for our technical support team who can assist you further.
Cambridge Spiral
How do I access content offline or on a mobile device?
You can find out about our desktop, mobile, and offline options via our application and offline information page.
How do I use the Cambridge Spiral eReader and what functionality does it have?
You can learn how to use the Cambridge Spiral eReader by consulting our online guide . There is an FAQ dedicated to the reader as well to help answer common questions.
Can I read my eTextbook without registering for a Higher Education account?
If your institution has provided you access to our eTextbooks, we do have a read-only experience which does not require a personal user account. As a result you will not be able to take advantage of features such as bookmarking, annotating and printing.
The full experience contains the ability to use these enhanced study tools, but because of the personalisation offered by these features, you will need to be logged in to a personal user account in order to use them. Please log in or register for a user account to access these features.
You can see a full comparison of the features in this table.
I have received an email about my eTextbook being updated and some annotations may be affected.
Sometimes it is necessary for us to update our books to correct information or improve functionality and performance. When this happens occasionally it will affect user annotations. If this is going to occur you will receive an email notifying you.
How do I export my annotations?
Annotations can be exported from the annotations sidebar inside the web version of Cambridge Spiral eReader to give you a backup of your annotations. Click on the export annotations button to export your annotations to PDF.
Student Resources
How do I access resources?
Go to the book landing page and then click the resources tab to see the supplementary materials available.
While most resources are free to download, certain files such as solutions manuals are locked to prevent general download and distribution. Access to locked resources is granted exclusively to instructors who have adopted the book as a core text and whose faculty status has been verified.
Please note that all supplementary resources are subject to copyright. You can view, print or download these resources for personal use, but you may not change them or use them for commercial gain.
If you are having trouble accessing resources, please email us with details.