Biology: Concepts and Connections (4th Edition) [Hardcover]

Neil A. Campbell (Author), Jane B. Reece (Author), Lawrence G. Mitchell (Author), Martha R. Taylor (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 080536627X | ISBN-13: 978-0805366273 | Publication Date: July 22, 2002 | Edition: 4

Created to spark readers' sense of wonder about life in its many forms, Biology: Concepts and Connections invites readers into the world of biology. While encouraging readers to explore interactive media activities, the book facilitates mastery of concepts and core biological material through unique modules that combine exceptional art, text that "walks" readers through the illustrations, and compelling real-world connections. These modules help readers break down the reading into manageable sections. Special modules cover interesting topics like health, economics, and the environment to show readers how biology is relevant to them. For anyone interested in introductory biology.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Created to spark readers' sense of wonder about life in its many forms, Biology: Concepts and Connections invites readers into the world of biology. While encouraging readers to explore interactive media activities, the book facilitates mastery of concepts and core biological material through unique modules that combine exceptional art, text that "walks" readers through the illustrations, and compelling real-world connections. These modules help readers break down the reading into manageable sections. Special modules cover interesting topics like health, economics, and the environment to show readers how biology is relevant to them. For anyone interested in introductory biology.

About the Author

Neil A. Campbell has taught general biology for 30 years, and with Dr. Reece, has coauthored Biology, Sixth Edition, the most widely used text for biology majors. His enthusiasm for sharing the fun of science with students stems from his own undergraduate experience. He began at Long Beach State College as a history major, but switched to zoology after general education requirements "forced" him to take a science course. Following a B.S. from Long Beach, he earned an M.A. in Zoology from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the University of California, Riverside.

He has published numerous articles on how certain desert plants thrive in salty soil and how sensitive plant (Mimosa) and other legumes move their leaves. His diverse teaching experiences include courses for non-biology majors at Cornell University, Pomona College, and San Bernardino Valley College, where he received the first Outstanding Professor Award in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at UC Riverside, which recognized him as the university's Distinguished Alumnus for 2001. In addition to Biology, Sixth Edition, he is coauthor of Essential Biology.

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Jane B. Reece has worked in biology publishing since 1978, when she joined the editorial staff of Benjamin Cummings. Her education includes an A.B. in Biology from Harvard University, an M.S. in Microbiology from Rutgers University, and a Ph.D. in Bacteriology from the University of California, Berkeley. At UC Berkeley and later as a post-doctoral fellow in genetics at Stanford University, her research focused on genetic recombination in bacteria. Dr. Reece taught biology at Middlesex County College (New Jersey) and Queensborough Community College (New York). During her 12 years as an editor at Benjamin Cummings, she played major roles in a number of successful textbooks. Subsequently, she was a coauthor of The World of the Cell, Third Edition, with W. M. Becker and M. F. Poenie. With Dr. Campbell, she coauthors Biology, Sixth Edition, and Essential Biology.

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Lawrence G. Mitchell has 21 years of experience teaching a broad range of life science courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. He holds a B.S. degree in Zoology from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Zoology and Microbiology from the University of Montana. Following postdoctoral research with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Mitchell joined the biology faculty at Iowa State University in 1971. He received the Outstanding Teacher Award at Iowa State in 1982. In addition to numerous research publications in aquatic parasitology, Dr. Mitchell has coauthored the textbook Zoology, two laboratory manuals, and a study guide for introductory biology. He has also developed television courses in general biology and has written, produced, and narrated programs on wildlife biology for public television. Dr. Mitchell is a full-time writer.

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Martha R. Taylor has been teaching biology for more than 20 years. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Gettysburg College and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Science Education from Cornell University. She was Assistant Director of the Office of Instructional Support at Cornell for seven years. She has taught introductory biology for both majors and non-majors at Cornell University for many years and is currently a visiting lecturer in Cornell's introductory biology laboratory course. Based on her experiences working with students from high school and community college through university, in both classrooms and tutorials, Dr. Taylor is committed to helping students create their own knowledge of and appreciation for biology. She has been the author of the Student Study Guide for all six editions of Biology by Drs. Campbell and Reece.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 781 pages
• Publisher: Benjamin Cummings; 4 edition (July 22, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 080536627X
• ISBN-13: 978-0805366273
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9.2 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (36 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #312,044 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's alive!, June 2, 2004

By 

FrKurt Messick "FrKurt Messick" (Bloomington, IN USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Biology: Concepts and Connections (4th Edition) (Hardcover)

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.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars New Fifth Edition Brings Everything Up To Date, August 10, 2005

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Biology: Concepts & Connections with Student CD-ROM (Hardcover)

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.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent text for advanced H.S. or intro college-level Bio., February 7, 2000

By 

fdpetty (University High School (Laboratory School for College of Education at Illinois State Univ., Normal)) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biology: Concepts & Connections (Hardcover)

This is a college biology textbook intended for use by introductory-level non-majors and mixed-majors college biology students. It was not intended for use by high school freshman introductory biology classes, and should not be used for that purpose. I am using it for my H.S. junior/senior level Biology II classes. I and my students love this book! Each well-illustrated and well-organized section begins with a clear and succinctly-worded concept statement that drives home the most important idea in the section. There is an outstanding amount of superb ancillary material available for use by both instructors and students -- including a CD-ROM interactive study guide, a printed study guide that complements the CD (but is not redundant with it,) two differently-focused course-companion web sites, an instructor's guide to web-based research activities, really great lab activities, and all sorts of other good stuff. The student reviewer from Troy, NY is right about the test questions, though. Most of them would be a challenge even for very sharp college biology students. But even so, I enthusiastically recommend this book for any advanced-level high school or introductory college-level biology program!