The Marks' Essentials of Medical Biochemistry [Paperback]

Michael Lieberman (Author), Allan Marks MD (Author), Colleen Smith (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 23, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0781793408 | ISBN-13: 978-0781793407 | Edition: 1

Based on the Second Edition of Marks' Basic Medical Biochemistry: A Clinical Approach, Marks' Essentials of Medical Biochemistry has been streamlined to focus on only the most essential biochemical concepts important to medical students. The authors present facts and pathways to emphasize how the underlying biochemistry is related to the body's overall physiological functions. This text presents patients to the students as the biochemistry is being discussed, which strengthens the link between biochemistry and medicine and allows the student to learn about this interaction as the biochemistry is presented. Each chapter includes clinical and biochemical notes and comments, questions and answers to encourage further thinking, and suggested references for those who would like to pursue a particular topic in more depth.

Product Details

• Paperback: 584 pages
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 1 edition (March 23, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0781793408
• ISBN-13: 978-0781793407
• Product Dimensions: 0.8 x 8.2 x 10.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #939,996 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars essentials, October 29, 2008

By 

J. Parsons (Ozark Mountains) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Marks' Essentials of Medical Biochemistry (Paperback)

If you are taking a med./pharm. class I would suggest using a different text if offered. The basics are there, but you have to wade through a lot of B.S. to get there.
If this text is required then make sure you take good notes in class.

8 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars AVOID This book. It is NOT What it Purports to Be., August 11, 2007

By 

James R. Pannozzi "DOM" (Sarasota, Florida) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Marks' Essentials of Medical Biochemistry (Paperback)

Well, this book LOOKS useful, does it not?
It purports to be a book that "has been streamlined to focus on only the most essential biochemical concepts important to medical students, while maintaining the key pedagological features that have made the larger text (on which this book is supposed to be based) successful.

Well, that would be fine if it were true but what we have here is a failed biochemistry text that has been "dressed up" with these clever side dialogs of make believe people with names like Mr. "Di abetes".
Cute huh? BUT, what is not cute is that the textual explanations of those key biochemistry concepts that the book was supposed to be covering in a "streamlined" way, instead become so wrapped up in the convoluted minutiae of the cellular and chemical processes involved that the key concepts, their hierarchical interrelationships, and their global biochemical, pharmacological and medical praxis become lost in a blaze of details and obscure diagrams. I have not seen the parent book on which this misbegotten offspring is based (nor do I want to) but what it looks like to me is that the publisher realized it had a losing text and then had little "patient stories" added to "dress up" the failed text book and this is the result. Usually there is one or two sentences in the lead paragraph explaining some concept and then they immediately launch into all sorts of details and minutiae which confuse and obscure the key concepts which will NOT be retained for future applicability, as they should have been.

If the student wanted the level of details that this book falls into, they might as well have bought the original book or a full fledged and better written and better illustrated textbook. If the student wanted a good overview which INTELLIGENTLY and carefully subsumes the details beneath well organized and thought out chapters then it is obvious that SOME OTHER book, not this one is needed.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Biochemistry, May 8, 2009

By 

Derek - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Marks' Essentials of Medical Biochemistry (Paperback)

This book is very good for explaining the complex biochemistry for aspiring health care professionals. The vignettes that are presented use names that are sometimes something you must overlook, but the content and context of the book was really useful and gives a solid foundation without being overly lengthy or complex.