Publisher: Benjamin Cummings
Authors: Neil A. Campbell Jane B. Reece
List Price: $142.67
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Reviews:
Summary: Long, dense, and at first look tedious - but absolutely worth it.
This book was used in my AP Bio class, where my teacher's constant reminders to "read the book" usually went unnoticed. This isn't because Campbell's book is necessarily boring or difficult to understand; in fact, the situation is quite the opposite. Campbell delves into the concepts of biology with more than adequate depth and breadth for the subject, offering both the basics and the details necessary to survive AP Bio (and, from the way my AP Exam went, college freshman Bio, too).
The sad fact and only noticeable drawback, however, is this: all of this information is found in an alarmingly large, heavy book, which can be off-putting to even the most avid readers. (Campbell does have a shorter, lighter book that makes for an easier read, but the "baby Campbell" sacrifices the detail necessary for AP Bio in order to make the book less difficult to get through.) Even with the large amount of material found in Campbell's book, it's an interesting read that covers just about everything biology-related.
Conclusion: The detail involved in every chapter makes this book an ideal pick for an AP Bio class, save for the fact that lazier students just won't ever want to pick the thing up.
Summary: THOROUGH, ENCOMPASSING, WELL WRITTEN ...
I found this book very thorough and well written. What made it so enjoyable is wasn't dry and boring; the colloquial style made it very readable, especially for lay people. I work in a related field - as a medical doctor - but, sad as it is, I sometimes like to read about it for fun! This book was the perfect blend: informative and straight forward yet also reasonably entertaining. Most important, it is accurate and truthful with a good sense of the latest cutting edge research.
Summary: Incredible
I was studying for the National Medical Assessment Test in my country and i used this book to review my biology. Note, however that my pre-med was a humanities degree and economics. So, I really needed to bone up on my biology. I was intimidated by the size of this book and was reluctant to purchase it but after reading so many reviews i relented.
And i was very happy i did so. I just couldn't put this book down. It was thick and the letters were so small but it was also accessible and comprehensive while providing in-depth information. Biology really comes to life with this book. Everything is put into context and ideas truly build up on one another. Unlike other biology books I've read, other branches of science (e.g. chemistry & physics) are introduced to show how all of science are indeed connected to facilitate a deeper understanding of science itself and not just biology. It even explained many ideas in organic chemistry more clearly and succintly than the intro to org chem book i used.
Some have commented that this book is too thick and i have to disagree. This is not a reference book (it could be a good one i think) but an introduction. As an introductory text it has to lay a solid foundation in understanding the basics innerworkings of biology and how all of it is connected to other sciences. This it does well. I have found that the book usually only uses one short paragraph to introduce one organ/organelle/cell/a step in a chemical cycle/chemical/etc. to describe it, what affects it, and its functions. I do not think the authors could've done any better. People who want a shorter text i think really want a reference book or a bio book that just lists down facts with little or no connections/explanations.
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