Biology with MasteringBiology (a la Carte) [Loose Leaf]

Neil A. Campbell (Author), Jane B. Reece (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2009

This is the unbound, loose leaf or "a la carte" edition of the 8th edition of the standard Campbell & Reece Biology textbook (0-321-54325-4), including MasteringBiology. The best-selling biology textbook in the world just got better! Neil Campbell and Jane Reece's BIOLOGY is the unsurpassed leader in introductory biology. The book's hallmark values-accuracy, currency, and passion for teaching and learning-have made Campbell/Reece the most successful book for readers for seven consecutive editions. More than 6 million readers have benefited from BIOLOGY's clear explanations, carefully crafted artwork, and student-friendly narrative style.

Product Details

• Loose Leaf: 1393 pages
• Publisher: Pearson Education; 8th edition (2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0558497403
• ISBN-13: 978-0558497408
• Product Dimensions: 11.4 x 11.3 x 2.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (77 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #742,959 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

68 of 73 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars MasteringBio = amazing, September 28, 2008

By 

Sarah M. (Austin, TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biology with MasteringBiology™ (8th Edition) (Hardcover)

This book is a good biology text book -- it's pretty easy to read and has interesting examples and real-world applications of some of the concepts. The MasteringBio website, though, is AWESOME. It comes with an ebook version of the text book, so you don't have to carry it around with you (good because it is huge and really heavy). It also has quizzes and mini tests that you can take online to see if you understand the material. The best part in my opinion though is that there are all kinds of animations and interactive learning tools that make the material super easy to understand. I absolutely recommend it!

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fundamental Text, August 20, 2009

By 

T. Ramos "T. R." (Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biology with MasteringBiology™ (8th Edition) (Hardcover)

Some Pros about this book:

1. Change is good and the help of co-authors has made this book much better than previous editions.

2. This book will provide students well rounded knowledge of most biological concepts.

3. Up to date (considering date of publication).

4. Genetics section is superior compared even to Genetics textbooks.

5. Embryology is well discussed or at least mentioned in almost every chapter.

6. Systems biology made simple to understand (almost like reading a Histology or Anatomy and Physiology text)

7. Plant biology well discussed.

8. Research Method boxes made very easy to understand.

9. Diagrams are succinct and easy to read; most have labeled processes.

10. The order of chapters is for the most part good... go from 1 to 56. (Reader should consider joining discussions on plants rather than reading straight through the book though...)

Some Cons about this book:

1. This book constantly refers to a certain "enzyme" or "protein" without giving its name.

a. you could find these in any well-rounded Genetics text.

2. Biotechnology and Genomic Evolution chapters are kind of dull, simply because of the amount of information presented.

a. Probably a con of any book discussing those two topics.

3. Text makes the reader refer to other chapters quite often. This makes the book shorter but sometimes confusing.

I would recommend this book for anyone to read, especially to students studying Biology in pre-professional programs who do not use this book at their university.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent biology text, January 31, 2010

By 

Rick Pierson (Dothan, AL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Biology with MasteringBiology™ (8th Edition) (Hardcover)

In preparation for giving a week's lectures (on evolution) to a high-school class, I purchased this text because it is the one the teacher used. Even though I already owned numerous biology texts, I do not regret the purchase: this is a superior general biology text. It is appropriate for either high school or undergraduate courses.

All of the basic stuff is covered, of course. I was glad to see a chapter devoted to cell-signalling (even though the coverage is not all that in-depth: well, at least not when compared to the undergraduate molecular cell biology texts I have, which is not a fair comparison).

An entire unit (in all, chapters 22 - 26) deals with evolution, but discussion of this -- THE unifying theme of all biology, tying together otherwise widely scattered and disparate facts -- is not restriced to just those chapters. The recurring ties to evolution, made throughout the text, were much appreciated.

The diagrams are excellent and numerous, making it easier for students to understand the material.

PS: Note that this book's average rating has been reduced artificially because many people have rated it low DUE TO PROBLEMS THEY HAD WITH SELLERS. Unfortunately, there is no way to nullify such ratings; they remain despite "0 of 25" people finding the reviews helpful.