My school uses the Cambridge textbook, and I personally love it! I find that it is extremely easy to understand and gets straight to the point, which allows me to grasp concepts quite quickly without having to read over the paragraph 12 times in order to get the gist of what is being said. The key knowledge is thoroughly gone through and there is no unnecessary information flung your way, which makes it much easier when it comes to studying for sacs/exams as there is no need to sift through irrelevant information.
I for one definitely pay attention to detail, so small things that really stood out to me were the definitions of key words being on the same pages that they were used, rather than me needing to flip to the glossary at the back, or the chapter opener at the front, to find out what they meant. The pages aren't flooded with words which would make you dread reading - but there is also an array of flow charts, mind maps, and, my favourite - tables! This definitely comes in handy for certain topics. For instance, types of businesses. Rather than you having to scan through information and make your own notes/tables on the advantages and disadvantages of sole traders, there is a pretty little table already done for you in the textbook. This truly made my life much easier and saved me A LOT of time, especially when it came to going over information right before a sac. One thing that also I really like about the Cambridge textbook is that it is quite visually appealing
The Cambridge textbook is also PACKED with case studies, as well as questions about the case studies, in every chapter. In terms of length, the case studies themselves range from a paragraph or two, to a whole page. The questions varied from relatively easy (i.e. finding the answers in the case study itself) to quite challenging where instead of copying answers word-for-word from the case study, they require you to apply concepts that you have learned in that spread/chapter itself. This might sound a little draining, however it acts as great practice for your sacs and prepares you to answer the kind of questions that will be swung your way. Besides case studies, there are activity questions in each spread which also require you to really think and apply the knowledge that you have learned.
Another thing that I found really handy in the Cambridge textbook is the chapter summary at the end. Although I do recommend making your own notes for BM, the chapter summary can be quite useful if you haven't had time to make notes, and just want to go over the content nice and quick one last time before your sac. The textbook also includes chapter summary questions (the unit 1/2 book also had extension questions following these, however the units 3/4 book has examination preparation questions instead). I used to complete these questions a few days prior to my sacs last year (1/2) and they definitely tested my knowledge and gave me an insight into what to expect on the sac itself.
I don't have any cons on the Cambridge textbook - it is a great one! I haven't used the Jacaranda one, however I have heard that the Cambridge one is much better. This opinion obviously cannot be generalised though, as I'm sure that there are many people who enjoy the Jacaranda one
Hope I helped!
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