Customer Reviews

Schaum's Outline of Biology

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're using this to review for a test (mine was the DAT), Schaum's is a good choice. A previous reviewer complained that the book is poorly organized and has too much historical detail; this is partially true, but this book is also much more compact than a standard intro Bio text and covers just about everything you will need. After you understand how things work, biology is really just a collection of facts that you need to memorize (e.g., glucose is first turned to glucose 6-phosphate in glycolysis or the excretory organs of insects are Malphigian tubules).

The way I would go about preparing is to make a list of biology topics that you need help with the most (topics you need the most review with first, topics you need the least review with last) and study them in that order. Consult your school text to clarify if you still have trouble understanding a concept. Then get a spiral notebook and jot down everything you think is important to remember - keep this notebook handy and find a time to go over it regularly (like before you go to bed at night). You will find that after a few reads, it is possible to know just about everything important covered in the book. It is quite easy to cover 1 - 3 chapters a day using this method, depending on how well you already understand the topic and there are a total of 33 chapters, making a one month review of Biology very doable.

Good luck.

This is a fantastic reference for everyone interested in biology from laymen to graduate students.

Despite being mercifully thin and portable (as compared to those massive textbooks), this book manages to cover all of the key topics in biology ranging from biochemistry and molecular biology to ecology. Moreover, the treatment is sometimes surprisingly sophisticated; this is indeed a real science book, not pop science.

At the same time, the writing style is very simple and clear, and therefore easy to understand, yet also concise, so you don't have to waste your time reading a lot of fluff. The format of the book is also pedagogically very effective because it mixes standard narrative text with solved example problems, questions which are posed and then answered in essay format, and problems for the reader to solve.

Finally, the price of the book is so ridiculously low that you might even feel a little guilty that you are getting so much while paying so little!

IN SHORT, DON'T HESITATE TO BUY THIS BOOK IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST IN BIOLOGY AT ALL.

I am a chemistry/pre-medical student at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University; therefore, biology is a very integral part of my curriculum. I didn't have a strong biology foundation before my matriculation to college. However, at the suggestion of my academic advisor, I purchased this book. Thus far, it has been on target with my biology textbook. It's almost as if the authors of my text collaborated with the authors of this installment of the Schaum's Outline Series. Without this book, I would be lost. It is a must-buy for any and all college students aspiring to pass biology with a healthy understanding of the course.

A great concise yet thorough review of biology. Everything is explained very clearly and logically (although like any complex subject you may have to re-read portions). But the authors don't talk down to you -- they assume an intelligent reader. What I really liked is the authors' commitment to helping you UNDERSTAND the subject, rather than just giving you facts to memorize. The historical and conceptual background they provide for different topics really helps you grasp the material. If you really want to understand biology rather than just have facts rehashed, this is the outline for you. (Note: I would suggest having a biology dictionary handy -- the Oxford Dictionary of Biology worked for me.)

My favorite chapters included Kingdom Fungi, Photosynthesis,excretory system and structure and function of chloroplasta. Like a previous reviewer, I used this book to prepare for the biology section of the DAT (Dental Admission Test). This is a good reference, it explains with examples that get the facts to stick to your brain. Yes, it requires studying, but then again what subject doesn't?

Another great book I totally recommend is "The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations". Volumes 1,2 and 3. It is written by Patrick Leonardi. It is an excellent review for the biology portion of the DAT exam..

Although it's not marketed this way, Schaum's outline is a concise yet complete study guide for the Biology GRE subject test. Topics like the endocrine system, plant evolution and development, and nutrition, which are given short shrift in the Princeton Review and Kaplan study guides, are fully covered in this book. More diagrams are provided (although there are no color figures - ditto for PR and Kaplan), as well as handy review tables. The explanations are at an appropriate level for GRE examinees: there is not too much extraneous information. Occasionally, the authors will throw in a humorous aside or phrasing (see def. of sexual selection, parts of Ch.17, etc.), which makes you pay closer attention, but overall the tone is serious (no BS analogies or condescension here).

At the end of every chapter are worked problems in essay and multiple choice formats. These questions cover GRE material but aren't presented in the same style. If you're using this book for GRE preparation, you should also consider buying a book with one or more practice tests in order to familiarize yourself with the exam format.

I bought this book to review for the DAT (Dental Admissions Test) as I needed a brush up on biology. [I'd already bought a Kaplan study book, but read multiple reviews saying the bio section was sub-par] I'd already taken the courses and didn't need to learn so much as it was just to refresh myself and get the details straight. This book is neatly organized and provides all the key information you'd get from a multitude of bio courses without all the extra fluff, and its still not too dense. Practice questions (with answers) at the end of each chapter were also helpful. Overall a great buy =]

Schaum's Outline of Biology

The title of this review says it all about my opinion on this book.
Ironically enough, even the two reviewers who rated this book at 2 actually praised it too, indirectly and inadvertently. They had to rather give these low marks to themselves for failure to select a proper book they needed.

Well organized, full text book with essential topics on biology. Excellent tool for GRE exams and anyone with basic knowledge on biology, who needs a quick reviewing.

I am a biology student that is going to take my master's entrance exam in biology. I am using this book to help me review some of the important topics. This book is great. Not only does it offer good information, but also it has sample problems and answers to help quiz yourself. If you want to know everything about biology, get this book. It is also great as a handy reference guide.