A Handbook of Organic Chemistry Mechanisms [Paperback]

Peter Wepplo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2009

A Handbook to Organic Chemistry Mechanisms is designed to accompany a standard organic chemistry textbook. The book presents complete mechanisms, start to finish, without any steps skipped or left out. The mechanisms have been carefully written to show each step in a logical and easy to follow format. Students have enthusiastically attested to the ease with which they could understand the mechanisms. Reaction mechanisms are one of the most challenging aspects of organic chemistry. This book is derived from Part D of A Guide to Organic Chemistry Mechanisms. That book is a guided inquiry workbook that shows students how to study and enables them to learn reaction mechanisms. Student knowledge is increased step by step by completing mechanisms at easy, moderate, and textbook levels of difficulty. A Handbook to Organic Chemistry Mechanisms also relies on example-based teaching. Chemical reactions can be learned in context, the way infants learn. Learning reactions from rules is difficult when there are many exceptions. Substitution and elimination reactions are noteworthy due to the number of conditions that must be accounted for. With example-based teaching, you can deduce the importance that stereochemistry, structure, solvent, leaving group, charge, basicity, or nucleophilicity may have on a reaction. A Handbook to Organic Chemistry Mechanisms has been designed with the principle that our brains are pattern-matching machines. Therefore, an emphasis has been placed upon the patterns of reactions. Each chapter represents a basic mechanistic theme. That theme is repeated with the examples. Insightful explanations have been included with the mechanisms. This book will be a valuable resource for reviewing for an exam, solving problems, or studying for the MCAT.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Curved Arrow Press (February 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0977931331
• ISBN-13: 978-0977931330
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #727,751 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > Professional & Technical > Professional Science > Chemistry > Organic > Organometallic Compounds

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Look at A Handbook of Organic Chemistry Mechanisms, March 15, 2009

By 

Dr OChem "PW" (Princeton, NJ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Handbook of Organic Chemistry Mechanisms (Paperback)

A Handbook of Organic Chemistry Mechanisms

This is a compact and concise organic chemistry reference. This book is built to work with how we think. In order for organic chemistry to "make sense" it must be consistent. Chapters 1 and 2 are especially valuable as they create a model which is consistent with the principles of the rest of the book. By being consistent, your comprehension of organic chemistry will improve.

I have been answering many student questions. Some students are reluctant to attempt to understand reaction mechanisms. (Some professors are reluctant to teach them also.) Anyone who does not wish to see a reaction mechanism is like not wanting to know how to multiply in trying to figure out a math problem. Students have advised me that they have found the mechanisms I have written to be easy to understand. If you go to Curved Arrow Press, you can find examples of reactions mechanisms as well as other information about organic chemistry. I suggest you examine material I have written to ensure that you will be pleased with the book.

This book has just been introduced and I have tried to keep the cost as low as possible. I expect Amazon to increase its discount at some point as well. If you purchase the book, I have been giving book owners priority for student questions on my organic chemistry forum.

PW

Note, I am the author. Amazon's blog does not let me write for a particular title (unless someone can explain how to do it. My blog post for this book when to A Guide to Organic Chemistry Mechanisms, not here. I had to edit that post because I could not delete it.)