It was an ok book. Everything was outlined well enough, although some points could have used a bit more explanation & the definitions seemed a little clunky to memorize. Still, it was an invaluable learning tool in my biology class.

This biology book has great practical concepts and provides detailed descriptions of biological processes. This book is ideal for a college level introductory course for Biology. Easy to read, the format of the concepts are easy to follow.

This was my into to bio, and it is the best. I actually understood it ^.-!

Good illustrations, a very good book.

My teacher was great, which made all the difference.

This was my into to bio, and it is the best. I actually understood it ^.-!

Good illustrations, a very good book.

My teacher was great, which made all the difference.

Well, you either need it for your class or not.

I do like this book though b/c the pictures in this one are alot more descriptive of what you're reading then most of my other text books. Plus, the reviews in the back of each chapter actually make you think as opposed to just copying definitions for regurgitation of facts later.

This is a great text for anyone taking an introductory college-level biology course. The writing style is simple and easy to understand, unlike many other science textbooks. Despite being very easy to read, it contains a good amount of information.

Excellent service and perfect condition, bought brand new. Will buy again and again...

Excellent service and perfect condition, bought brand new. Will buy again and again...

This is a fabulous textbook. The descriptions are clear and there is always a picture following in case you are a visual learner. The greatest thing about this book is that it provides so many ways to study. The book has a website and a CD rom, where you can read the book, do very helpful activities, hear MP3 tutor sessions with the author and more. If you don't understand something, there are so many ways to study it, that it won't take long before you will.

When I first purchased this book from my school bookstore, I gulped after looking at their price tag over $130. After returning it and purchansing a used copy from Amazon, I couldn't believe the condition that it was in. It was "like new" just the way my seller claimed it to be.

This is a great book!! I'm an English Lit. major and wanted to focus a bit on science and got myself this book. It's so wonderfully written! It explains very clearly and it has a CD-rom with excercises. Even if you're not taking an intro-biology course this book is useful and easy to use for self study. The book is devided into theme chapters and covers about everything you can think of in the natural world. It's no doubt a very good introduction to further study in biology. I feel educated every time I use this book!
I'd give more than 5 stars if that was possible.

This book will definitely get the job done. I just needed a book for my class and this works out great. It was in good condition and didn't have any highlighting marks in it.

This new Fifth Edition of an old standby. The book retains it's aim of engaging students from a wide variety of majors in the wonders of the living world. It relates the basic concepts of biology to concepts in every day life, to evolution, and to the process of science.

The basic upgrades in this edition include:

Greater emphasis on cells as the structural and functional units of life.
Incorporates recent advances in the field of cellular reproduction, genetics and cloning.
the concepts of evolution have been extensively reorganized and updated. This includes a major upgrading in the area of the evolution of biological diversity.
the sections on animals and plants has been redone with a greater emphasis on those forms that the student sees in their everyday life.
the ecology area has been updted with current ecological data and fresh photos.

The text has been extensively reviewed to ensure that the new edition retains the reputation for accuracy that has become a hallmark of this book.

As a freshman taking 10th grade biology i do not like this book at all. It trys to cram way to much imformation into way too small a space, and the way it covers the topics is very hard to understand. It uses way to many words i don't understand and does not put them in the glossary. I have to use a dictionary to even understand the glossary. For example-

"Mutation- A change in the nucleotide sequence of DNA; the ultimate source of genetic diversity."

I get, "a change in..." and then it loses me. I do not just hate science, or reading. Our school has a different book for class work and i understand that book perfectly. I like science and have enjoyed other books in the past, but this book is just plain dull and confusing. I would not recommend this book to people at my age.

I own the International Edition of this book, ISBN 0-321-10679-2.

I would NOT recommend this book to secondary school students, unless they were of exceptional ability, and nor would I suggest it for students seeking very detailed explanations of any particular topic.

Rather, I found this book (apart from being the set text for one of my papers) to be very good at presenting a good overview of the many areas encompassed by the term 'Biology.' The "Concepts and Connections" theme is really very good, providing insights into real life scenarios. Excellent graphics and superb photographs help to give life and depth to the subject matter.

Initial preparatory sections on chemistry for biologists proved very helpful, with indispensible glossary and thorough index at the back.

If you're studying Diploma level Biology, or a more general undergraduate Biology paper, then this book could be for you.

I love this Biology book. I first studied biology nearly twenty-five years ago with a huge and lovely biology book written by an author whose name unfortunately escapes me. I loved that book, and have always judged future biology texts against that one; this one measures up well against my memory of that text.

The fourth edition of `Biology: Concepts & Connections' is an excellent, thorough introduction to the science of biology. It is used at the community college where I tutor (biology and other sciences) for general education and nursing students. The book is divided into seven major sections: The Life of a Cell; Cellular Reproduction and Genetics; Concepts of Evolution; Biological Diversity; Animals; Plants; and finally, general Ecology.

After an interesting introduction, which talks about discovery-based science in addition to theoretical/hypothesis science with interesting examples (the Australian Flying Fox, flies that mimic spiders), the first unit on the Life of the Cell looks at basic structure and chemistry of cells. Even though this text deals with chemistry, a chemistry background is not required. Care is taken from the outset to relate the biology tasks to `everyday life', things that people know and care about - there is a look at athletic performance with slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscles, light in the lives of plants, and even look at the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

The unit on Cellular Reproduction and Genetics introduces a hot topic in general conversation today, including discussions of medicine and law in addition to the basic theory, with some of the latest information included. The units on Concepts of Evolution and Biological Diversity include new features such as discussion on mitochondrial DNA comparison and the use of molecular clocks to date divergence in evolutionary paths. Topics such as increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics are discussed, and the interesting evolutionary situation of Australia, separated from the major landmasses of the rest of the world, shows an interesting side-show on biological diversity.

The unit on Animals will be the most interesting for many, and the diversity here includes discussions from geckos to bears to human traits shared with and different from other animals. Particularly for our nursing students, the sections on respiration (anaerobic and aerobic), broken bones, immune systems, blood-cell diseases and the like really drive home the need for a basic understanding of biology.

The units on Plants and Ecology draw in the larger mass of living things sharing our planet, work to show how the environment operates from the standpoint of individual plants to entire ecosystems. Interesting current topics such as organic farming, population ecology, endangered species and global warming drive home the importance of biology.

The book is very colourful, both in text copy and in pictures. Headers reinforce the broader topics while modules give key concepts within each broad topic. Diagrams are arranged with numbered steps to help understanding, and there are frequent references to website and CD-ROM additions. Key questions are asked at each conceptual point. The `behind the scenes' information helps reinforce the concepts both with the hot topics involved in biological issues today, as well as the personalities driving the science in key areas. Each chapter has a summary of key points, concept questions and multiple-choice questions for test preparation. There are well over 100 `Connection' Modules and `Talking about Science' Modules. Each of the 38 chapters has an interesting, inviting essay as introduction. There are probably 200 CD-ROM and website activities to engage the students, everything from the cloning of genes in bacteria to steroid hormone action to the Honeybee waggle dance.

This is a very good book, with lots of information - it is also a flexible book, and certain portions can be omitted in a syllabus without diminishing the overall text. I find myself constantly glancing through the chapters and reading the interesting essays and connection modules between my tutoring appointments. That's the mark of a good textbook.