I like to read textbooks (a bit strange, I know...)
I purchased this one about a week ago. I have read it almost every night since then. It's an incredibly detailed tour through the workings of the cell, with good illustrations and lucid explanations. Some background in chemistry and biology is assumed, but not as much as you might think - if you can pick things up quickly, you will have no problems even without a detailed knowledge of those areas. It has an overview of lab methods too, which is interesting.

My only gripe is that the CD is stuck in the middle of the book, instead of in the back, which is a rather awkward arrangement. I took it out and put it in a case of its own. For the price, though, you'd think they could have put it in a plastic envelope in the back.

Anyway, put it on your reading list, you won't regret it.

I will not purchase again from Amazon.com. The book was promised on a specific date before purchase to reel me in, but after the credit card transaction they extended the date for a month after what was promised.
After that additional period that amazon gave itself at my expense, the book still wasn't shipped. Two weeks later I recieved an e-mail & this review survey, but still no book. BUYER BE WARE!

This book is so clear and full of good information. I use it as a reference book for classes. It goes into great detail but not overly so. I recommend this book to any cellular/molecular biology student or faculty.

The book is in extreme good condition with the attached disc intact. Shipping was as described with smooth transaction. Contact was quickly responded. The book is the latest edition and the content is exactly what I need for my study.

Received the book in very good condition within the delay announced. First time buying a used book from USA, for use here in Belgium. Very satisfied by the prompt service offered by Amazon.com. Thanks.

This continues to be the best reference on Molecular Biology by far. Probably the only book you will ever need.

The product was is GREAT condition and I received it at a more than reasonable price. Along with the speedy delivery, you could not ask for anything more! I would definitely order again from this seller again!

It was the textbook I was assigned. It was cheap, it came quickly and has a lot of information.

The product was in great condition when received and everything was as stated in the description. Shipping was a little slow, but otherwise Great service.

i don't normally write reviews, but after spending considerable time with Lodish, and now reading Alberts, I feel compelled to write one. Alberts is by far, the best book in molecular biology. I am an MD, who wants to enter the basic research area, and this books leads you into that field very smoothly. I am at the 400th page so far, and every concept blends seamlessly into the other. Lodish is good for classic experiments and things like that, but Alberts is a great mol bio basic textbook. I don't know how the next 800 pages are, but I have a very good feeling that they will be as good as the first 400. I strongly recommend this book for anybody who wants an introduction into mol bio and who wants to understand the basic concepts of mol bio. good luck!

This book is cheaper than the one at my expensive bookstore, so I found it here and purchased the book and also it is heavy and I take everywhere and its a great way to stay in shape.

I bought the book b/c it was required for a cell biology class I needed to take Fall 2008. The book is fine. Just wish that the new edition hadn't come out this year. It would've been a lot cheaper. The DVD is nice. The prof has actually used a few of the animations during class and has encouraged us to use it more.

This book has just about all the details you want in a Biochemistry book. If you need to supplement it (which you most likely won't) try the Lehninger's Principles of Biochemistry. This book has so much information in it, as well as several chapters on the DVD that comes with the book. Definitely the best Biochemistry book I've ever used.

This book was delivered in a timely manner and was in absolutely wonderful condition. I also saved a bundle with Amazon when compared to my campus store.

This is a big book dealing with molecular biology in considerable detail. It is organised in 24 chapters subdivided in small paragraphs each one dealing with a particular problem in molecular biology. The book covers the basics first and then deals with more specific matters like immunology, cancer, development, etc all seen from the molecular biologist point of view. Although the approach is purely mechanistic it uses a clear evolutionary orientation, well explained at the beginning of the book, that helps to give a dynamic framework to the whole subject. This is not a book to be read in only a few weeks but roughly a year's time, given the detail and amount of material exposed.

I have bought all previous editions and I have to recognize that each edition is better than the old one. This is a fascinating textbook that is clearly written and the authors do an excellent job explaining things, including superb illustrations. The DVD media is not so good. Highly recommended, especially for undergraduate students. However, at later stages of your career, these textbooks are largely irrelevant, as you will search for up-to-date articles and reviews.

The book is great, the media DVD not so much. appartently quicktime does not support flash anymore so some of the videos can't be seen. Garland science offers a web page where these videos can be found. nevertheless such things should be forseen when one is selling a $140 item.

In my opinion, this book is the "bible" of molecular and cell biology. The two main advantages I found were the easy way of reading and a good design and pictures.

The publishers have made the 5th edition more "portable" by not printing the final 5 chapters of the book, but including them as electronic files on the DVD.

The unprinted chapters are:
21-Sexual Reproduction: Meiosis, Germ Cells, and Fertilization
22-Development of Multicellular Organisms
23-Specialized Tissues, Stem Cells, and Tissue Renewal
24-Pathogens, Infection, and Innate Immunity
25-The Adaptive Immune System

With the 4th edition there were 25 printed chapters and 1616 pages: $5.68/printed chapter, or ~8.8 cents/page based on my calculations using list price info. With the regular 5th edition, 20 printed chapters, 1268 pages: $7.10/printed chapter, or ~11.2 cents/page. So the cost per page for this edition has increased by over 1/4 as compared to the last edition. Admittedly, I am a geek for actually doing these calculations.

The chapters listed above are printed in the 5th reference edition (just not in this regular 5th edition), but as you might expect, the reference edition is a good bit pricier. I am giving the book 2 stars for content, because it really is a solid resource for learning molecular biology. However, with so many students carrying a heavy burden of debt by the time they graduate, it's a shame to see the continuing trend of rising prices for the best texts, making them just another contributor to the problems with education today. In this case the list price did not change between 4th and regular 5th editions, however I would argue that the "addition of portability" has decreased the value of this text.

The book was exactely what I was supposed to be, including original CD-ROM.
It arrived in perfect conditions and perfectly on time.
Perfect purchase!

this has everything the 4th edition had plus the latest discoveries within the past 5 years.

this has everything the 4th edition had plus the latest discoveries within the past 5 years.

GREAT book, but the only problem is that the last 5 chapters are in PDF format on an attached CD rather than in print (they did this to make the book more portable). If you want the full print version, buy the Reference edition.

GREAT book, but the only problem is that the last 5 chapters are in PDF format on an attached CD rather than in print (they did this to make the book more portable). If you want the full print version, buy the Reference edition.

This book is little more than a glossary accompanied with pages to write in.

Not particularly impressed.

I'm sure this book was great in the 90s, but this is the 21st century, when you can buy the fourth edition. There has been a ton of advancement between 1994 and 2002.