Essential Biology, 3rd Edition (Campbell Biology Websites) [Paperback]

Neil A. Campbell (Author), Jane B. Reece (Author), Eric J. Simon (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0805368426 | ISBN-13: 978-0805368420 | Publication Date: September 29, 2006 | Edition: 3

Hailed for its clear writing, scientific accuracy, and real-world examples, Essential Biology is a brief non-majors biology text that focuses on the core concepts readers need to make scientifically informed decisions throughout their lives. The book covers four major topics–cells, genetics, evolution/diversity, and ecology–and uses evolution as an overarching theme to tie all 20 chapters together. Human applications and the most up-to-date information on important issues show readers how biology relates to their own lives. New Process of Science sections within the text draw readers into the material and provide real-world examples of how the scientific method is applied. Biology Today. CELLS: Essential Chemistry for Biology, The Molecules of Life, A Tour of the Cell, The Working Cell, Cellular Respiration: Obtaining Energy from Food, Photosynthesis: Using Light to Make Food. GENETICS: Cellular Reproduction: Cells from Cells, Patterns of Inheritance, The Structure and Function of DNA, How Genes are Controlled, DNA Technology. EVOLUTION AND DIVERSITY: How Populations Evolve, How Biological Diversity Evolves, The Evolution of Microbial Life, Plants, Fungi, and the Move onto Land, The Evolution of Animals. ECOLOGY: The Ecology of Organisms and Populations, Communities and Ecosystems, Human Impact on the Environment. For all readers interested in a biology text that focuses on the core concepts readers need to make scientifically informed decisions throughout their lives.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

The authors use evolution as the thematic thread to tie all twenty chapters into a cohesive exploration of life. In Essential Biology, the clarity of writing complements an exciting new art program. The art works hand-in-hand with text discussions to help students visualize difficult concepts. Essential Biology is a brief biology book that brings the authors' extraordinary reputation for biological accuracy and teaching innovation to bear upon four core biological topics: cells, genetics, evolution, and ecology. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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.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. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Benjamin Cummings; 3 edition (September 29, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805368426
• ISBN-13: 978-0805368420
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 9.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #19,276 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

52 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Depth and Accuracy, February 28, 2003

By 

"kdwhit7" (Effingham, SC United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Essential Biology (Paperback)

Campbell and Reece are best known as the authors of the hefty and excellent "Biology", now in it's 6th edition used by undegraduate biology majors and AP Biology students.

"Essential Biology" uses a different approach. The authors have packed a great deal into this amazingly small textbook. I recently reviewed a huge number of introductory biology texts for adoption in our school district. We use Campbell and Reece's Biology, 6th edition for our AP biology course but were looking for a textbook to use with our 9th grade honors biology students.

After a lengthy comparison of textbooks we picked "Essential Biology" based on several things. First we found the book to be accurate, readable, and concise. We felt that it would give the students a depth of understanding in the core biological principles so that they would be ready when they moved on to AP biology later in their high school career.

Instead of trying to "cover" everything under the biological sun, "Essential Biology" focuses on four core biological topics: cells, genetics, evolution, and ecology. It's 20 chapters are broken up into these 4 units and does a wonderful job of pulling it all together.

Other textbooks certainly cover more material but with less depth. What is the use of having a huge textbook that the students either never finish or rush through with no real understanding? This is a textbook that the students can dig into and throughly understand during one course.

It is supported by CD-ROM's and on-line material. The website provides activities, on-line labs, quizes, and other practice. Students can print out results or e-mail them to their teachers.

I would recommend this text as one for use in a non-majors biology course or as an advanced high school biology introductory course.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Happy purchase..., February 10, 2009

By 

P. Correa - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Essential Biology, 3rd Edition (Campbell Biology Websites) (Paperback)

The book is in great condition. I received the book in time for my class. I will purchase from here again!!!

3.0 out of 5 stars good and bad, October 14, 2011

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Number1seller - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Essential Biology (Paperback)

It was good cuz it came cheap and bad because there was a lot of highlighting in the book. The condition wasn't that bad but the highlighting was excessive. Other than that it was a good deal!!