Biochemistry [Hardcover]

Reginald H. Garrett (Author), Charles M. Grisham (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 11, 2004 | ISBN-10: 0534490336 | ISBN-13: 978-0534490331 | Edition: 3

In Biochemistry, the questions can be more revealing than the answers. This Third Edition offers a unique conceptual and organizing framework, "Essential Questions." Guiding students through the density of the material by the use of section head questions, supporting concept statements, and summaries, this focused approach is supported by unparalleled text/media integration through BiochemistryNow, providing students with a seamless learning system. Beautifully and consistently illustrated, the Third Edition gives science majors the most current presentation of biochemistry available. Written by a chemist and a biologist, the book presents biochemistry from balanced perspectives.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The authors have done an excellent job of explaining the structural features of the molecules from simplest to most complex, and then have referred to these structural features in explaining functional details." "I like the illustrations in this book very much and the standard format in which they are constructed (certain symbols mean the same thing in every figure.) Because they are substantially more sophisticated than the illustrations in the new edition of Stryer, they are one more reason I have chose to change the Garrett and Grisham for my general biochemistry course in the fall."

"Adding new (end-of-chapter) questions is a great idea. Having more questions that integrate material from previous chapters is fantastic. In general, I have liked many of the questions in Garrett and Grisham and assigns me for my students to complete and turn into me for credit."

"The strength of Garrett and Grisham is that it serves a real introductory role and is very accessible. The graphics are usually very clear and useful."

"I see that in the new edition the chapter on enzyme mechanisms has been moved to precede enzyme regulation. This will be a welcome change."

"In terms of the pedagogical features, I like the use of the Essential Question(s) and Outline Questions at the beginning of each chapter as they focus the students and provides a study guide of learning objectives."

About the Author

Reginald H. Garrett was educated in the Baltimore city public schools and at the John Hopkins University, where he received his Ph.D. in biology in 1968. Since that time, he has been at the University of Virginia, where he is currently Professor of Biology. He is the author of numerous papers and review articles on biochemical, genetic, and molecular biological aspects of inorganic nitrogen metabolism. Since 1964, his research interests have centered on the pathway of nitrate assimilation in filamentous fungi. His investigations have contributed substantially to our understanding of the enzymology, genetics, and regulation of this major pathway of biological nitrogen acquisition. His research has been supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, and private industry. He is a former Fulbright Scholar and has been a Visiting Scholar at the University of Cambridge on two sabbatical occasions. He has taught biochemistry at the University of Virginia for 30 years. He is a member of the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1085 pages
• Publisher: Brooks Cole; 3 edition (March 11, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0534490336
• ISBN-13: 978-0534490331
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 9.3 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #483,299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well-written, not-so-hot layout, November 16, 2005

By 

Daisy Turner (Charlottesville, VA, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biochemistry (Hardcover)

My university uses this book for the two-semester biochem sequence for BSc Chemistry/Biochemistry students. It's a well-written book, overall -- lots of information but not a very dense "scientific" read. The best part is the way the authors keep tying things back to reality ... sidebars explain how the dynamics of protein folding affect Alzheimer's disease, or what protease inhibition means for the development of HIV drugs.

The figures are aesthetically pleasing and really help to clarify descriptions in the text. The only problem is that the figures are usually a couple pages away from the text they refer to. For example, when describing the mechanism of chymotrypsin cleavage, it would make a lot more sense to put all the text on the left page and the mechanism/structures on the right page. Instead, the text is about three pages before the mechanism, meaning the reader has to keep flipping back and forth trying to understand what is going on. It's like that in most if not all cases. Not a big deal, but it's the sort of thing the layout editor should have realized when putting the book together. Maybe they'll fix it in the fourth edition.

Regardless, this is a very good biochem book. I'd recommend it for an undergraduate student of chemistry or biochemistry.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Biochemistry Book Ever, October 27, 2009

By 

Katrinka (Delaware) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biochemistry (Hardcover)

I used this book for all four years of biochemistry classes while getting my B. S. in biochemistry. This book was my main reference in classes which suggested other texts. It saved me thousands of dollars because I never had to buy another book on the subject. I still use it two years later as a reference in my lab. In addition, it has been incredibly helpful while making my way through my Master's. I can't think of a subject that it leaves untouched. It is a relatively easy read and it's very logically laid out.

8 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Frightful!, March 19, 2005

By 

R. Saw "WT 0311" (The West) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Biochemistry (Hardcover)

I struggled through my first two semesters of biochemistry with this book. It is absolutely terrible. The language is contorted and overly confusing. Relatively unimportant concepts are explained in excruciating detail while important things (like the PDH compex) are given short shrift.

Fortunately I discovered Lehninger before the end of my second semester, and after reading it everything became much more clear. My advice if this book is required for your course: buy Lehninger and photocopy the G&G problem sets from a friend if you have to. It is a superior text and it's cheaper.