The main difference between the U.S. version and the international version of a textbook is the cover. Many U.S. textbooks have a hard cover, known as casebound, while the international version has a soft cover. In some cases, the images on the cover may differ slightly while others will have the same cover image and design on a paperback book.
Most international textbooks will have a black and white scheme only, meaning the images in the textbook are printed in black and white rather than color. The U.S. textbook versions will usually have colored images inside.
Depending on the country where the international book is printed, one potential difference is spelling. International textbooks may use the British spelling of words rather than the American spelling. Some international books will not have any spelling differences and will print from the same page design as the U.S. texts.
The content of the international version and the U.S. version is usually exactly the same. Zeno Books, which sells international versions of U.S. textbooks, points out that in most books there are no differences, but there are some exceptions when a few problems, such as review questions, may differ. While a few problems may differ, the reading content is identical.