I originally purchased this book used. There is no strong odor and no detectable writing or highlighting on the pages. I chose a different career path so I no longer have a use for it. The cover has residue from a sticker that was once on it and there is also a food stain on page 5. Other than these two more obvious defects, the book is in great condition. Pages are all black and white (including the diagrams). There are no color images.