Customer Reviews

Biology: Concepts and Applications

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(3)

 

 

Most college level introductory Biology textbooks cover the same material so distinguishing among the many options comes down to presentation. This book does provide many diagrams and pictures, however the writing is so horrendous that it appears the editor is as poor a writer as the actual biologist who's providing the information. When you have to re-read a sentence three or four times to understand its meaning, then it was obviously bereft of any sort of formal editing that any college textbook deserves. The systemic lack of appropriate sentence structure, modal verbs, and conciseness limits the reader's ability to absorb the material in a manner conducive to effective apprehension.

The good news is that this is the older 5th edition of the textbook whose present edition is the 7th. I haven't read the newest version, but I am hopeful an actual editor was hired during its production. Since this 5th edition is available at a very low price, it is suitable if you're only looking to brush up on the basic principles of introductory biology. As a supplement to formal course instruction for anyone looking to pursue higher disciplines in the subject, investment in a better-written textbook would be strongly recommended.

This was my text in my undergraduate biology classes. It is filled with a lot of information and can be intense at times. However, I must say is very complete. Topics such as ecology, evolution, animal structure and function were particularly interesting. I also used more than one source to study from. Patrick Leonardi's "The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3) were right on the mark for great test preparation questions. They were just awesome and so helpful for helping me really get a hold on what is important to study for in biology. Cecie Starr's Biology: Concepts and Applications helped me to first learn biology. Patrick Leonardi's study guides showed me what kind of questions to get ready for on my bio I and II exams. These books helped me to pass biology with very good grades. I thank both these authors for writing these books.

When I ordered the book ,I ordered the CD with it but when the book came there wasn't a CD included that I paid for.I would like a CD mailed to me. Thank you.

I used this book for my introduction to Biology class my freshman year of college. Cecie Starr has a good way to explaining to me certain concepts by using current research that is easy to understand, and connects to the chapter. She uses examples and images illustrating the concept that I thought were helpful, and I was surprised by how up-to-date the book really was (the most recent thing I've seen is the SARS virus), and was even more fascinated for it. Also, Starr makes a point in redefining terms, or telling in what section the term is defined, so that the reading is more understandable.

I honestly enjoyed this book over every other boring biology book I've had in the past. She uses great examples and explanations that helped me to learn. I always need something to attach the information to, and this book worked well in doing that for me.

As for the online material, I used it very infrequently, so I guess I can't really comment on it well. The CD with the book uses videos, quizzes, flashcards, and links to helpful websites. It's helped when I've used it, but I haven't found much reason to since I understood the book well. However, if you are someone who needs exercises and flashcards, and to see outlines of the chapters, this online material and the CD should help.

A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Seller and this book shipped REALLY FAST!

I definitely recommend buying from this seller!

Buying text books on Amazon saves you lots of money. Just make sure it is exactl the right one. This book was exactly what the class called for at a fraction of the price.

cecie starr, gets mixed up in her own poorly written (and many times, poorly organized) textbook and produces numerous grammatical errors that make her sentences have two meanings, or mean something else that's completely wrong. the textbook uses too many pronouns, like "it" "them" "they" and you end up wasting time finding out what "that" was 2 to three sentences ago. one ends up spending too much time figuring out what she tried to mean, and the logic of her grammar, rather than learning the new material. so you end up reading a chapter over and over again without much help. her pages are jam packed with new and therefore hard concepts to grasp, without much explanation. starr needs an editor big time, especially when it comes to simplifying her complicated and poor writing of the already not so simple concepts of biology to new students. i do not recommend this book (or most of cecie starr's textbooks) to novices, this book is an easy read for bio experts.