Even though it isnt the newest version, the book is VERY similar to the 8e. Easy to understand. Have used it in 2 bio classes (one in high school and now in college).

Even though it isnt the newest version, the book is VERY similar to the 8e. Easy to understand. Have used it in 2 bio classes (one in high school and now in college).

The book was in great condition and arrived relatively fast... I would recommend this seller to my friend...

This is the text my son is assigned to use for his Advance Placement Biology class in High School. He finds it very thorough and informative. The study guide that accompanies this text is also good to have.

The book was nicely packaged in bubble wrap to prevent damages. The book itself was presented in a used, but very good condition for such a cheap price. In the end, I highly recommend!

This book is way more informative than my professor. Also, since introductory biology doesn't change within a couple of years, I'm really glad I saved money and purchased the seventh edition rather than the eighth.

The textbook was in very good condition, just as described by the seller. It arrived very quickly and saved me money by not having to purchase new.

Sometimes text books can be so fascinating that you can't wait to read the next paragraph and learn something new. This is not one of those text books. It is filled with lots of junk that only makes the book thicker and heavier but contributes nothing to your understanding. So you must actively read and take notes on the important stuff or you will fall asleep a lot. This book contains some very nice images and helpful diagrams so know them and use them as a guide when you take notes. This is just a general introductory text, so it's a shame that it's so large. Future editions should be released in cheaper smaller volumes that deal only with certain topics, or they could just cut out all of the junk. You might consider buying an earlier edition or a cheaper international paperback edition because they aren't much different from this edition. I haven't seen the latest edition, but I'm sure the only changes were the pointless interviews and some new and more expensive pictures.

Good Condition, no scratches, pages perfect, slightly bent corner of the cover but nothhing big. Fast shipping

Deceiving description, book was torn and highlighted all over, but description said it was in good condition, price did not match description..

I bought this book for my Introduction to Biology class. It's quite affordable and I've no intention of selling it back once my course is done. The book is quite heavy, it's got very heavy and durable covers protecting the mammoth of a book. So hauling it to class with me is not really a delight.

The CD that comes with it is alright but I rarely really look at it. Most of the content is online. You can pretty much read the whole book online, if you have the access code, which comes with this book.

The material itself is excellent. The illustrations, all are very well done. I doubt that many people are haplessly looking for a book on Biology, if you're looking at this it is probably because you need one for your class. Either way, this book is definitely worth the low price it is selling for.

Vitalism is a profoundly science-ejected concept, though many CAM or 'natural health' cabals falsely claim that vitalism survives scientific scrutiny.

I quote:

"[historically] the new discipline of organic chemistry was first built on a foundation of vitalism, the belief in a life force outside the jurisdiction of physical and chemical laws. Chemists began to chip away at the foundation of vitalism when they learned to synthesize organic compounds in their laboratories [...e.g.] Wohler [...] made urea [...] Kolbe [...made] acetic acid [...] the foundation of vitalism finally crumbled after several more decades [...when] Miller [...] helped bring the abiotic (nonliving) synthesis of organic compounds into the context of evolution [...] the[se] pioneers of organic chemistry helped shift the mainstream of biological thought from vitalism to mechanism, the view that natural phenomena, including the processes of life, are governed by physical and chemical laws [...] the same rules of chemistry apply to inorganic and organic molecules alike. The foundation of organic chemistry is not some intangible life force, but the unique chemical versatility of the element carbon [p.059]."

-r.c.

Vitalism is a profoundly science-ejected concept, though many CAM or 'natural health' cabals falsely claim that vitalism survives scientific scrutiny.

I quote:

"[historically] the new discipline of organic chemistry was first built on a foundation of vitalism, the belief in a life force outside the jurisdiction of physical and chemical laws. Chemists began to chip away at the foundation of vitalism when they learned to synthesize organic compounds in their laboratories [...e.g.] Wohler [...] made urea [...] Kolbe [...made] acetic acid [...] the foundation of vitalism finally crumbled after several more decades [...when] Miller [...] helped bring the abiotic (nonliving) synthesis of organic compounds into the context of evolution [...] the[se] pioneers of organic chemistry helped shift the mainstream of biological thought from vitalism to mechanism, the view that natural phenomena, including the processes of life, are governed by physical and chemical laws [...] the same rules of chemistry apply to inorganic and organic molecules alike. The foundation of organic chemistry is not some intangible life force, but the unique chemical versatility of the element carbon [p.059]."

-r.c.

The book I ordered arrived very quickly.... It was packaged very well and therefore arrived in excellent condition.... I paid a few dollars extra for expedited shipping and it was well worth it.... I am 100% satisfied with my purchase and will definitely order from Amazon in the future. Thanks again!!

The book I ordered arrived very quickly.... It was packaged very well and therefore arrived in excellent condition.... I paid a few dollars extra for expedited shipping and it was well worth it.... I am 100% satisfied with my purchase and will definitely order from Amazon in the future. Thanks again!!

Got the book way cheaper than the schools price. To bad turns out i really didn't need it for my class...

So this is the most amazing text book that I own. My others, completely usless. It explains everything in a very clean and easy to understand way. However, I'd have agree with those who say this is a very expensive book, and they are also right in saying that the second edition is almost the exact same book just moved around.

This is a very complete Biology book, haven't gone through all of it, but from the index and having read some of it I'd say is a good one. I have read the Helen Curtis, and this one seems pretty much like it. I like the CD with the videos and the other learning resources. Lots of diagrams and pictures to the better understanding of the subjects. Nice.

so the book itself is fine, but it took forever to get here and i was expecting it to have a CD-ROM with it, but it is fine without it.

I am really disappointed, and don't understand the reason of such good reviews. I bought the book, skipped a lot of marketing pages, found no preface (really, I cannot find it), and what I discovered later on was just a bunch of concepts without any structure, that could fit better a pub-talk than an universtiy textbook. Frankly speaking, I could find much more scientific accuracy in my secondary school and university preparation textbooks, and most likely, much more precise concepts. Incredible.

I received the book in brand new condition and it arrived even faster than the estimated date. I ordered it on a Thursday and got it by Monday..and there was a holiday in there.

This textbook is a bit vague on hard facts but has a lot of details. It is sufficient.

The book was as needed for a class. Amazon is a joke and I will never order a book from them again. I paid for next day and it took a week. Other books from other source's took 2-3 days by mail. Seems amazon just means they send it next day delivery whenever they get around to sending it out. How many people are going to pay $17.99 for next day after waiting anywhere from 5 days to a month to get it ready to ship. NEVER AGAIN !!! Book was availible cheaper but nobody else offered next day. So I got ripped twice,for cost of book and so called next day shipping.

This is the Ur-text for general Biology. Very very detailed but extremely well written. Escpecially detailed at the molecular level (as opposed to say, ecology.)The best parts of the book are the illustrations. I have read many textbooks and none come even close to the usefullness of these illustrations. Most people could get all the Biology they need by simply studying the illustrations and their explanations. They are incredibly informative.
If you have the time this is the book. If you just need a general overvwiew you may find this book overwhelming.

THis is a good textbook. It has a lot of good information in it. It is even better because it is the newest edition.

Even the shipping info on the package said that it was supposed to be hardcover, & for as much as I'd paid, I expected it to be so. But upon tearing open the envelope, I realized that this special "international" version was paperback. The book itself, however, was brand new (as it was described when I purchased it), & delivery was fairly quick so I am marginally satisfied.

On July 6 I purchased this book wanting to be prepared for my son to go off to school. We were told by the school he was to attend that this was the right book to purchase, however, a different book was the actual book we should have purchased. I called and spoke to the "manager" of the bookstore at Murphy Books and was told that I could NOT return this book. It is now September 5 and school has been in session for 3 weeks. This book has NEVER been opened in a classroom and is in excellent condidition. It just amazes me that someone can be so CUSTOMER UNFRIENDLY. He told me that stores don't take returns after this long and I corrected him by telling him you could take a product back to any Target along with the receipt and get a refund at any time. He also told me he would have to see the book. I thought that was strange, seeing how I can't view the book before I purchase it. This person ("manager") decided to show his authority. He told me the selling season was over and I once again corrected him in saying, Come January more kids will be buying this book. I was even willing to take less money than I paid. You better be absolutely sure when you purchase a book from this bookstore it's the right one. Heaven forbid you as a consumer make a mistake and need to return it, because you won't be able to.

This is a required text for a university lab biology class. So far it has been satisfactory and the professor obviously considers it a good source.

I have spent literally thousands of dollars on textbooks, so I feel qualified - as an ex-student and publishing professional - to talk about this.

This is probably the best comprehensive biology textbook on the market. But is it worth well over $110 a copy new? Of course not. Not when the publisher forces students to buy new editions with very minimal additions and edits, devaluing their old copies every few years.

The authors are not to blame, although it would be nice to see them grow a pair and let the publishers know that this kind of price-gouging is not acceptable. With the numbers of copies this book has sold through its various incarnations, it is absolutely ridiculous to think that a $110+ pricetag is anywhere close to fair or appropriate.

This was my textbook for General Biology as a freshman bio major, and I only read parts of it at that time. It helped me do well in my class, and I particularly liked how it explained the cellular and molecular topics, and DNA, which are often so difficult for freshman to learn for the first time. I took the GRE Biology subject test as a senior and purchased a specific GRE Biology test preparation book, which was basically useless. I then read the entirety of the Campbell book (albeit rather hastily) over the period of a few days before my test. While it certainly didn't include all the details that I'd learned in my upper division courses, it served to fill in my deficiencies (plant biology, ecology) and refresh the rusty stuff (evolution, phylogenetics). I realized what an awesome summary it is of all biology. Of course it doesn't go deep into specific topics, but I think it's the best overview of general biology that I've seen, and it covers all the basic topics very effectively. I would heartily recommend it be read from cover to cover as a study guide for undergraduate biology comprehensive exams, AP biology exam, and GRE biology subject test. I scored in 97th percentile on my GRE and I know that wouldn't have happened without this book - it was a great fusion of the knowledge I'd acquired in my studies and made me feel great about my understanding of the subject of biology as a whole (and it helped me get admitted to grad school!)

What can I say, It's a college book! It arrived in perfect shape and I am learning more than I ever knew about Biology.

I am not a student but a middle-aged adult who bought this book solely out of interest in the subject. I was shocked by how well it is produced. It's supplemented by tons of pictures and illustrations, so even difficult subjects are made easy to comprehend. That's important, given that modern biology has so much to do with physics and chemistry. The writing is clear and concise; as are the styles for the headings, text blocks, etc. At first I was put off by the price, but it's well worth it and they've earned it.

I used this textbook in a lower-level undergrad course in biology. It is fantastic. The explanations are very concise, and the illustrations make the material much easier to understand. I have found myself referencing this book over and over in my upper-level courses. Many times this book can sum up a concept better than my more detailed textbooks. Get this book - you won't regret it!

This book is perfect for IB diploma. the information may be distributed but the content is excellent.

I ordered the Campbell and Reece Biology text for my daughter's AP biology course, and I (and she) have been enjoying it immensely. Concise introductory background information places each topic in a greater context, making connections between topics clear. The figures and tables are well constructed, clear, and packed with information. The text is extremely logical, comprehensive, and current. References to actual experiments enliven the text and remind the student that the scientific facts contained in the text are the result of constant scientific questioning and experimentation. The chapter sequence is logical and works. Overall, this is is the best introductory biology text I have ever seen.

I bought this book as an ode to my old biology teacher Miss Electra Demas ... she was 72 years young and gorgeous. The book brought me back to the good old days of a-sexual reproduction, sexual reproduction, and all the fun stuff. God bless.

This biology text is very well written and illustrated. It comes with an interactive cd and online support for one year. The cd and online portion have videos and multiple tests, as well as a virtual vocabulary flash card section. The cd and online portion have helped me acheive an A in my biology class. The price at Amazon.com was well below the college bookstore prices, even with shipping.

This is by far the best that Campbell & Co. have produced. The text reads easily and with great clarity. The difference of this 7th edition over previous editions is significant, and nearly worth the price. However, paying nearly $150 for a text is ridiculous. The publishers obviously think they can command such a premium because this text is so closely linked with the current American public high school's Biology Advanced Placement test. In short, they feel they have taxpayers over a barrel on this and can 'get away with it'. Shameful. Also, Campbell and Reece are radical evolutionists. Do not expect balance or 'both sides of the argument' presented on any of the more controversial aspects of Darwin's theory. There is no debate as far as they are concerned. Though 'spontaneous generation' was disproven by Louis Pasteur and Francisco Redi over 150 years ago, Campbell and Reece cling to this notion with strange, obsessive passion that borders on the bizarre. Their arrogance on this important issue strongly detracts from what is an outstanding, and otherwise balanced resourse. Why not address some contrary points of view to Darwinian evolution and even (gasp!) admit many of the more infamous errors by overly enthusiastic biologists in the past (e.g. the "Nebraska Man" of the Scopes Monkey Trial was actually only two teeth; the "Piltdown Man" was a hoax that was taught as fact in American universities for nearly 40 years, etc...). Such arrogance quickly leads to blindness, and has no place in real science. But, in spite of these confusing departures from real science (science being that which is both observable and testable), the text has some outstanding qualities that make it one of the premier sources in the field.

This certainly is the definitive word for biology students. The 7th edition reads faster, with more clarity and interest, than the previous edition by far. Does this warrant the outrageous price ? Doubtful, but since public schools (i.e taxpayers) are footing the bill for the most part, the publishers do this with relative impunity. This latest edition has stunning photos and graphics, and these add greatly to the text's readability. The chapters are short and concise, and the review questions and self-test items are excellent. The CD Rom that accompanies the text is also excellent and highly recommended. The optional study guide is not however, as it has a thoroughly mediocre quality and superfluous nature. Of even greater offense is the "pay per view" website that is offered for additional resources. After paying $100 for a text, and then be expected to pay more for Web assistance is unabashedly mercenary. However the objective reader will find Campbell & Reece's greatest flaw in its blatant bias concerning the theory of evolution. The 'theory' is not treated as such, but as an obvious fact, with no contrary points of view to any of the controverisal aspects of the theory included whatsoever. This is no small matter. Campbell and Reece simply assume that the spontaneous generation of life indeed occurred at some time in the Earth's past (though this has never been demonstrated experimentally--ever) and that DNA and RNA rose via the random chance of fortuitous collisions of molecules over time, (again, with no experimental evidence to justify these claims), the serious reader must earnestly question why the theory is presented in each chapter with an almost obsessive fervor.

This is a lovely textbook. It is very up-to-date and well organized. It ihas full-color printing throughout the text and great self-assessment questions. The CD-ROM (included) also has many helpful resources.

It is also VERY heavy. Fortunately, there is an electronic version of this book available through the publisher's website.

Unfortunately, access to the e-book is only possible for those who have purchased a NEW copy of the book. Purchasers of a used copy will need to pay $65 for access to the e-book via the publisher's website.

So, if you don't care about the e-book version, go ahead and buy a used copy. But if you want the electronic version, make sure the price you're paying for a used copy takes this into account.

I bought this book as an ode to my old biology teacher Miss Electra Demas ... she was 72 years young and gorgeous. The book brought me back to the good old days of a-sexual reproduction, sexual reproduction, and all the fun stuff. God bless.

I went through the book and really liked the concept that were so elucidated in the book. I really thought if only I had such kind of books during my school days, I wouldn't have been so afraid of biology. :)

Unless your professor requires that you use this edition (which they shouldn't), buy the 6th edition, which is cheaper. The only difference between the two is slight text changes and rearrangements of the chapters. It's not worth your money unless you are drawn to this edition (trust me, you're not). Oh, and the study guides aren't worth it if you actually go to class and read the text.

This book is written in such an interesting and easy to follow manner that you could literally read it for entertainment. Many times I forgot to take notes because the richness, depth and flow of the text made me feel like I was reading a novel instead of a text. This by no means implies that the book is simple. In fact, it probably contains more, if not equal, info than it's competitors. The main difference is in how it presents this information. Go with this book for biology, it'll turn you into that bio nerd that you've always wanted to become!

This is such a great book that it's hard to believe that it is a textbook. Our class used it in our Biology course in college. It's very clearly written. It has a huge amount of info., that's probably much too much for a single year long course, but at the same time it is so well presented and so interesting that I plan on reading all of the chapters we didn't cover in class, during the summer vacation. The book is beautifully illustrated with full color photos, and tons of very usefull diagrams, charts, drawings etc. Each chapter has a short summary that's a great tool for reviewing main concepts. There are questions at the end of each chapter which often are pretty tough. The text comes with a CD that has a lot of really great interactive activities, and killer quizzes, in which I could never do better than a measly 78% (I actually did far better on class exams). I highly recommend getting the study guide for this edition, because not only does it contain more quizzes, questions, and diagrams for you to fill, but also it is a blessing when you don't have the time to read a whole chapter in the text (they can be lengthy). The study guide contains an abridged version of each chapter, which saved me a few times, plus it's a slightly different take on the same subject, which can help if you have trouble understanding something in the text. I love this book so much that I plan on keeping it.

Campbell's Biology has been the standard biology text for majors for many years. Though there are many good competitors, this is the one that consistently seems to rise to the top.

The breadth of coverage is good overall, with particular strengths in cell, molecular, and physiology sections of the text. It's the one we chose to use in our year-long intro to biology majors course.

Not everything is roses, however. For one thing, compared to other sections of the text the section on animal diversity is brief (perhaps unavoidably so)...after all, no book can be all things to all people. The section on ecology is also a bit light compared to other sections of the text. That's not surprising, since many intro courses these days don't touch much on ecology...more's the pitty.

The two biggest challenges associated with this book are it's mass, and massive price tag (not unique among textbooks today). I have a difficult time sitting in a reading chair and getting into a comfortable position with this block of paper on my lap or in my hands. It is, as mentioned in at least one other review, just too heavy. The other challenge is the cost. That's an issue with many textbooks today. They are just so expensive that you almost need to take out a loan just to get your books.

Is there a way to get this book in an e-version, so I could load it onto a notebook computer? At least that way the book would be in a computer that would probably weigh less...

There are pros and cons. The pros seem to outweigh the cons for the moment.

One concern I have for the future of this text is that Campbell, the senior author, passed away recently. We'll have to wait and see if subsequent editions are able to maintain the scope and quality of coverage that this and previous editions were able to manage.

5 stars for quality, minus one for weight and cost. 4 stars.

Alan Holyoak (Biol Prof)

This book is definitely not a "bit of light reading for your spare time", but it is very difficult to find a biological concept that they do not cover in this book. This is the book we use in AP Bio. What makes it difficult is the fact that there is so much chemistry, but that is by nature of the fact that you take chemistry the year after bio, not anything that has to do with the book. This book makes biology fun and interesting. It has detailed explainations of things and gives clear, colorful diagrams that are very useful. You could use this book as a biology encyclopedia or use it to teach yourself any topic pertaining to bio. I would really recommend at LEAST a year of high school chemistry before taking this class if you don't want to stress yourself out trying to learn the chemical topics they present to you. Not that they don't do a good job, it can just be too much though.

Campbell is an unsurpassable genius when it comes to the makings of the Biology. Incorporating detail and in-depth analysis of every aspect of Biology, this textbook led me on a path to fall in love with Biology. Thank you Campbell.

I found this book to help me immensely with college bio I and II. The pictures are of great quality to clearly demonstrate the information. Yes this book is very long. Then again what textbook isn't?

I found the topics of genetics and ecology the most fascinating to learn from. To prepare for my college exams I also studied
*The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations* by Patrick Leonardi
This study guide which comes in 3 volumes (although I borrowed one from one of my classmates) was so helpful with letting me know what to expect on my exams. I got good grades because of it.

For gross form I give this edition 1 star. The book weighs 7.17 pounds. The weight makes this book difficult to carry and difficult to study from. Halliday & Resnick & Walker's physics text is available in a 5 volume paperback set, which is physically a more suitable presentation.

Publishers: these books must be produced to be USED, not just to be printed! Yes, these fancy color pictures and graphics help a lot, but coated paper is HEAVY. You need to break these books into smaller, carryable and readable volumes.

I should complain more about the price, but the expense of preparing such a lavishly illustrated book cannot be dismissed. The illustrations are indeed lavish, and at times breathtaking.

Take Figure 12.6, illustrating mitotic division of a newt lung cell. We have drawn illustrations of the various phases along with explanatory text, together elucidating the process with great clarity. Add to this some magnificent micrographs showing what each phase looks like in the real world when viewed with techniques too expensive for a classroom, and you have a marvel of presentation. I smiled at the high quality of my circa-1968 high school biology course, and wept with awe at the science which has been gained since then.

Then add to this Figure 12.8 (one of a number categorized as Inquiry figures), which asks a question and illustrates an experiment which claims to answer that question. Add to this the willingness to use "still not fully understood" in the text.
Then add to this the interviews (so far I have read only the one with Peter Agre on the discovery of aquaporin, which was fascinating). Here is inspiration toward real science!