This book is an excellent reference for anyone looking to nail down the basic concepts presented in the first part of organic chemistry. In this sense, the book does exactly what it sets out to do, and does it very well. A perfectly clear writing style and plenty of examples ensure that the concepts are stuck in your head come exam time. The only flaw I found with this book is that it does not quite reach the level of detail that was necessary in my organic chemistry course, at least. The author tends to lay out general rules but leave out some important exceptions to those rules; in short, make sure you use this in conjunction with a full textbook, not as a textbook replacement. Used this way, it has the potential to significantly help you through organic chemistry I.

Regular hard cover textbooks break my back. Organic Chemistry I as a Second Language is just right.

As a professor of Organic Chemistry, I have found that this little book is an excellent supplement for students. It is well organized, has many helpful tips, is very readable and presents information in enough detail to be more helpful than typical "review" books.

I am, regretfully, attempting to learn "orgo" on my own with a used Wade text, a Schaum's Outline and this excellent book. Probably worth the money for its discussion of Resonance structures (and this is only the first two chapters). My text starts explaining resonance structures when from as if out of nowhere, BAM!!! The text starts asking you to draw only the SIGNIFICANT resonance structures with absolutely zero explanation as to what constitutes a "significant" resonance structure. Not to belabor the point, but Klein does an excellent job of breaking down not only how to draw resonant structures, but also how to determine which are significant. My accuracy level has increased by at least a factor of three. I still feel as though there are some structures that follow Klein's rules and yet don't appear in his answer key. Unfortunately, without a professor to ask (I am currently deployed in the Indian Ocean) I don't know if I am correct or if I am completely missing the point. In any event, while mine is not the recommended method for learning Organic Chemistry, I am doing much better than I had been doing without this book. Buy this BEFORE you start taking the course and you will not waste your money.

I am so glad I bought this book for my course. I don't I think would have gotten an A in my Organic Chemistry course without it. Do not pass this one up. If you use it with your text and lecture you will understand the course better than most of the other students. The best $40 I spent on a non-required book. Buy this book. You will NOT be sorry.

This book is good for basic concepts but if you get the basics and are looking for harder problems there is nothing there for you. It also skipped over a few subjects we are covering like MNR (the thing with the lines for carbons)and other little things like that. It really helped me with resonance and has a great way of showing how to draw chairs and had plenty of practice problems with both. If you are not good with imagining 3d structures this book will help you a lot with that aspect. If you need harder problems there are usually plenty in the back of the chapters in the book that you use for class or your teacher can point you to some.

Honestly, when I first starting looking at Orgo study aids, i looked at 'orgo for dummies..." upon reading the reviews for it, I saw someone wrote to check this book out...anyways the bottom line is that Organic Chemistry is hard...I started to read this book a few days before class as started...it really helped so far. It gives a basic understanding of things the professor expects you to figure out on your own. Some may say well why not read the text...the text did not help! A simply thing as being able to read or build a structure (first chapter) helps more than the text and the professor.

If you're serious about getting a good grade and understanding Orgo for the MCAT's or DAT or VCAT..anything of that sort this will help.

The book gives great concise information for orgo. Great practice problems - tells you what you need to know to solve and not much extraneous info. Wish I had bought it sooner.

The book gives great concise information for orgo. Great practice problems - tells you what you need to know to solve and not much extraneous info. Wish I had bought it sooner.

This is a great book. We have an organic course for high school juniors and seniors at Columbus High, Columbus, GA, one of two such classes in the state of Georgia.

This is our book along with Organic Chemistry for Dummies. Together, they may an acceptionable pair.

I read this book after taking a year of basic high school chemistry. Klein does a fantastic job in the first 228 or so pages of explaining resonance, geometry, nomenclature, conformations, configurations, and introducing mechanisms. From these pages alone, I learned a lot more than I have ever learned about chemistry. Klein does a terrific job of explaining why, with plenty of analogies that doesn't involve chemistry. Plenty of problems are included for each topic, as well as answer keys. Seemingly, the answer key appears correct for maybe 99% of the problems, with tiny explanations for tougher problems. So, for most of the book, I'm cruising thanks to Klein's detailed explanations. After the chapter on substitution reactions chapter, the book is basically downhill. "There is one big difference between the last chapter and this chapter. In the last chapter, most of the information was given to you, and there was very little to look up in other sources...But now...YOU are going to provide the key information, by filling it in the appropriate places." From that point on, the information is either really skimpy or rushed (as in too much information without giving time for the reader to absorb it efficiently), with the assumption that you have a textbook or notes to rely on. Unfortunately, Klein's decision to let the reader think for themselves in the harder sections (mechanisms) is disappointing. If you're a student taking Organic Chemistry, you might have better luck with mechanisms, such as elimination, addition, and synthesis, than I did. If you're a student looking for clear-cut explanations on mechanisms, then this book may not be for you. Overall, this book helps you build a basic understanding of Organic Chemistry, using simple language. The list price is something the buyer has to consider for a black and white paperback book. Fortunately, I was able to borrow this from my local library.

This book is amazing because it is a textbook-workbook combo.

Most of the time in Orgo, homework is too difficult and tricky (that is, it is too far removed from the basic analysis techniques shown in the readings) to let the student learn while doing the homework.

However, this book is organized such that a workbook-like section follows every chapter- and plentiful problems (that are designed to reinforce technique application) of increasing difficulty in application follow each section...

but the best part about it- there's space in the book to write and draw!
and the paperback is so cheap it's very much worth it to just practice in the book and toss it away later.

This guide is the best... it gets right to the point, my orgo class used solomons text and that book includes a lot of extra info that was unnecessary for the orgo class.
The only disappointment was the elimination rxns section... it kept advising to go back to text book to find the help that was needed for the elimination rxns... which defeats the whole purpose of the book... its suppose to be a secondary source of help, sometimes it could be used as primary if the text book is no help. but other wise it was great!

I'm one of the lucky few who are able to have Dr. Klein as a professor. He requires the OSL books in his course -- and for good reason; they are infinitely easier to understand than standard textbooks, give lots of practice problems, and really help you understand the material. Of course it helps that Dr. Klein teaches the class in the same way that he wrote the book, but I would recommend this to any Orgo student.

However, don't expect to sell this book to someone else -- it's really a workbook, and it's very helpful to be able to write in and do the exercises in the book.

After reading the other positive reviews that almost make this book out to be a "holy grail" of the sorts, I assumed that this book would be of great help as an aid to my Organic Chemistry I textbook. However, as an aid, it really does a poor job of covering the information.

Klein spends ample amounts of time on Resonance, a concept which isn't too hard to grasp. Yes, it might be challenging for some, but when the course really gets tough (ie. Mechanisms), Klein tells you to "consult your textbook" and provides lots of white space in the book for you to copy down mechanisms and memorize them yourself.

It is this aspect of this "aid" which makes it so frustrating - Klein leaves you hanging in the most difficult part of Organic Chemistry. Quite frankly, I wouldn't waste my time with this book - if you really find yourself struggling with Resonance than you are going to have a lot more problems in organic chemistry than this book can solve.

Mechanisms are the hardest part of Orgo, and this book provides NO help for that besides white textboxes for you to copy them down from your textbook. Don't waste your time and money, if you want a supplement, get one that at least teaches you mechanisms.

I spent $40 for this book that is full of white textboxes for me to copy mechanisms down, I would hope that I can at least save some students from making the same mistake I did.

In all honesty, instead if buying this book, you are better off buying a few cases of beer - stress-busting is a good way to deal with organic chemistry!

They are wrong, and this book proves it. I took o'chem 1 and 2, and the MCAT once and did pretty well. This book still cleared up things that i never really saw the first time around.

I could write a long description of the methods Klein uses to walk you through the steps to becoming competent in o'chem, but i'd rather just tell you that you can't spend a better $50 in college. Period.

Got it at Barnes and Nobles for 45 bucks i think.

After purchasing several orgo books to supplement my textbook, I've found this to be the best. It offers clear, cogent explanations to the concepts found in my main text, and provides short problem sets with answers which provide quick checks of understanding. If you buy just one book to help you through orgo, this should be it !

This book was outstanding at what it claims to do: translating the basic concepts. It really puts things such as resonance, acid-base chemistry, stereochemistry, and nomenclature in simple, easy to understand terminology, and it helped me ace my first midterm. However, this stuff only covers the first third of my orgo I class. When the book starts covering mechanisms, it essentially says "We're done giving you information, consult your textbook for the rest of the course and take notes in this book."

Again, this book was tremendously helpful for the basic concepts of the beginning of organic chem I. Whether that's worth $40 is up to you.

This book helped me through the first semester of organic chemistry at college. It was very thorough and helped me with the final. It's a must have for anyone who wants a good useful guide for Orgo!

I am currently taking organic chemistry at Harvard and I was struggling a lot with the class, as a last ditch effort to pull up my grades I decided to get a study guide. I searched through a lot of them but I can tell you that this one is definitely the best. It simplifies even the most complex problems by giving you systematic strategies to approach organic chemistry. I only wish I had bought it earlier on in the semester.

I wrote a review for Orgo II as a Second Language, and I'll say the same thing about this book:
This book should be required in every orgo class. I've used both semesters (Organic Chem I as a Second Language & Organic Chem II as a Second Language). He does an outstanding job of breaking down incredibly important and challenging concepts, making them understandable, and presenting short problems that help you master (and remember) those concepts. By the end of each chapter you have learned something, and learned it well. These books will make orgo much more pleasant for you and deepen you understanding of it. GET THESE BOOKS.

If you have any apprehension about taking the O.C., purchace this before anything else. But most of all, read it. Compare it to class notes and the textbook and ask your professor many well thought out questions both after class and during office hours. With this little books help i made an A in both O.C. I & II!