Customer Reviews

Biochemistry For Dummies

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I sat down with this book tonight, opened the first page and immediately see an error! Further investigation into the contents show more incorrect information. After using Klein's Organic Chemistry as a Second Language series for organic chemistry, this book is a HUGE let down in terms of writing style and in terms of how error-prone it seems to be. I am very disappointed.

Did anyone review this book before it was published? The lack of arrows in the reactions, the labeling of two valines in the "cheat sheet," the structure of one of the valines is the same as the isoleucine, and leucine is left out. The book also mentions that mRNA for translation is directed to the mitochondria...a little confused on that one.

Overall, the book is a good review for those needing to refresh, but full of typos and stupid errors.

Do not buy this book! It says on the cover "a reference for the rest of us". What a joke, this book is filled with elementary errors. I mean, the authors should look at the book at least once before dedicating it to "my wife", "my mother", "my sons", etc. ;-) I bought the book yesterday. Opened on "ATP: The body's monetary system" (chapter 13). In about 15 minutes of casual reading I found 5 error. Common authors, it will be great that you read it once.
Among errors

- Figure 13-1. Glycolysis. ATP is produced not consumed in 2 and 9 step of the second phase of glycolysis. This is the whole point of glycolysis! It says correctly in the text, but the figure is wrong. And the authors ask people to return frequently to the this figure! ;-0

- page 199 first sentence, it should be not "... transfer of a phosphate group from C-2 to C-3", but the other way around.

- page 201, on the bottom right of the page, chemical formula and structure of Ethanol (!) is given incorrectly. Common authors, get some basic Biochemistry TextBook and learn the formula for ethanol. Or just hire a good undergraduate student for 20 $ an hour to proof-read your error-filled "guide for the rest of us".


3 GROSS errors in 15 minutes, I would never read this book again!

I used Biochemistry for Dummies to study for the ACS Biochemistry final at the University of Mississippi. Before the exam, I border-lined a high "B" and a low "A". Using this book, I was able to study more efficiently in a shorter amount of time. Moore does an excellent job of explaining some of the most complex concepts of biochemistry in layman's terms. I ended up scoring well enough on the exam to score an "A" in my class. This book sums up a biochemistry text book in roughly 300 easy-to-read/skim pages. I didn't even open my text book. It was extremely helpful.

While some of the information in this book is solid and it puts some complicated ideas into plain English, I don't think anyone read this book before it went to print.

On the first page, it gives two different structures for valine and omits leucine from the list of amino acids. How much more basic can you get than learning your amino acids? This is really not good.

I had looked at a library copy of this and saw the missing reaction arrows and held off on buying it. I finally did buy it just to get an introduction.

In the second printing (NOT second edition) the reaction arrows are present - though they are shown as two double-headed arrows rather than the standard two single headed arrows.

But errors remain. For example, the formulas for valine and isoleucine inside the front cover are wrong. They have too many hydrogens on one of the carbon atoms. I don't know how many more of these there are.

It's really not a bad book but the errors drive me nuts.

Just what I was going to say. I have NO background in biochemistry, but the first thing I noticed in the book was that it had errors on the cheat sheet--the very first page. On the other hand, by messing that up I learned the material (it's correct in a chart later in the book) much better than if it had been right, so I guess I should thank the authors for that. The absence of arrows was beyond the pale. It makes it very difficult for me to trust the rest of the book when it has such obvious errors in it. I gave it two stars because it shows promise as an introductory book...once the egregious bugs are worked out in any subsequent edition.

too many errors in book, there's literally an error every other page,
for a struggling biochem student, nobody wants to learn from a book w/ errors on almost every other page.
The author did not use equilibrium arrows either

I found this book to be very helpful while taking my college level biochemistry course. Although it seems basic, it is a great review of the material involved in biochemistry.
I found it to be a great supplemental study guide in addtion to the course textbook.