Customer Reviews

Organic Synthesis

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am the author and rated it high for obvious reasons. I was not going to rate it, but could not submit this form without it. I am taking the unusual step of writing because virtually all current reviews refer to the 1st edition - NOT the 2nd. This NEW book has been completely rewritten and while there are probably errors, it is NOT error-riddled like the 1st edition. I simply ask people to take a look with a fresh eye. McGraw-Hill and I have tried very hard to make it a quality book, and I am confident it will be very useful. If you have any questions or comments please contact me and I will do my best to answer them.
Thanks for your indulgence.

This book gives a good overview of modern synthetic methods, but with mistakes on almost every page, it is not worth the trouble to figure out exactly what he is talking about. The book is exhaustively referenced, however, allowing quick access back into the primary literature to get more detailed explanations and clarifications.

It's amazing to me that Smith is able to gather so many resources and consolidate them into one place. Everything is there. Reagents. Cross references to books that deal only in reagents, and so on and so on.

Often, one sees textbooks that give reactions and simply assume that they will work without citing a reference where someone has actually gone through the trouble to see if the reaction really will work. (This, I have found, is the quickest way to waste time in the lab. The easier it is to locate a protocol, the higher your lab productivity is.)

It's also good to see that he's taken the time and trouble to whittle away some of the pretty colors that a lot of books put in in order to try to draw the reader's attention away from the glaring lack of substance.

This book may, in the next few years, supercede the March text because a good number of his references are from within the past 5 years (50%, I believe), and it is such that if you are working in the lab and need to find *that* particular reference, then you can easily go and look it up.

This book has undergone several different additions and the author still has not bothered to correct the mistakes. It is possible to go to his web site to find the mistakes, however, there are still many mistakes that are not listed on his web site. I find it most disturbing when the author draws the structure of a practice problem wrong. A good student tries the problem first before looking for the answer in the primary literature. These mistakes can be very time consuming and annoying.

I don't own this book, but the guy at the desk next to me does, and I plan to steal it when he's not looking.

What I've read so far has been wonderfully presented in a clear, concise manner. As others have pointed out, there are no bells and whistles about this book. The book is organized by reaction type, and where applicable, representative examples from the synthetic literature are given. Smith presents the syntheses, comments insightfully on them, and in the cases where multiple syntheses of the same target have been accomplished, he makes reasonable comparisons.

I don't know that this book will ultimately supplant the March text as a primary reference, but it certainly provides a valuable supplement.

The 2/e is a comprehensive look at modern methods in organic synthesis.

Smith avoids the trend, common in many books, of using too many colors and myriad worthless illustrations. He instead provides a clean, easy to read volume for the advanced undergraduate or graduate organic student.

The references at the end of each chapter are outstanding. There are often in excess of 75 citations per chapter, readily allowing further study.

I would like to respond to the criticism of some reviewers regarding typographical errors. The 2/e does seem to be much better than the 1/e in this regard. Also the author maintains a well documented list of typos on his website.

All in all, this book is easily the rival of Carey & Sundberg's Part B and well worth the investment for any organic/pharm chemists out there.

This is a really helpfull book for the organic chemist, specially new ones who can find here an organized reference of any kind of routes for organic synthesis. Ive been using this book in all my thesis work, with no loose of time researching in the library. Its very easy to use and understand . For me is the best book of organic chemistry, after looking at it you would see the power you have in your hands with it.

I came accross this book back as an undergraduate taking graduate level synthesis classes and I don't even know why the professor would even put it as an additional reading material (I am very glad I did not buy this book but rather borrowed it from my research advisor back then for the duration of that course). A book in the science of chemistry, and specifically in organic synthesis NEEDS to go through a rigorous process of reviews not only by the author who is ultimately responsible but the publisher as well. As an undergrad I found countless mistakes in the book, which are detrimental to the student who is trying to learn organic methods (specially,,,, advanced ones). I decided to buy Carey-Sundberg's Advanced Organic Synthesis books in the end over this one, and of course Jerry March's because they present the material in a very understandable and coherent manner with little (very if any) mistakes along the way.
Now, with a PhD degree, I feel that I should write my perspective on this book, which unfortunately has not changed at all. This edition which supposedly takes care of many of the mistakes of the earlier edition, is STILL PLAGUED by mistakes some of them mistakes not taken care of from the earlier edition. If any organic synthesis student wants to learn about advanced synthetic methods/synthesis, I would STRONGLY suggest buy strong foundation books for synthesis like Carey-Sundberg and March's books, if you want to dwelve into organic synthesis based on total synthesis then move up to Nicolaou/Sorensen's classic's and finally if you're a graduate student or postdoc, your institution should have access to journals which to me are more helpful in teaching you the art of synthesis better than this book.

It is almost like dream comes true when I saw the revised, new second edition out at the bookstore. The imrpoved edition not only has amended the errors or typo in its predecessor, but has graciously added new/updated materials in synthesis. You may see it as an equivalent to Jerry March's Advanced Organic Chemistry but a whole different approach. The sections on oxidations, reductions, and organoboranes are excellent. Since organic synthesis is a broad and infinitely growing field, not a single book covers all the principles and gadgets of organic chemistry. Use it as an encyclopedia or along with popular title like Nicholaou's Classics in Total Synthesis in order to enjoy the wonders of organic chemistry.

If you buy the 1994 edition be sure to download from the author the hundreds of corrections. There are still many more that he does not list. In spite of this I find it is a very useful book, particularly the portions dealing with organoboranes, oxidation and reductions.