The Organic Chem Lab Survival Manual: A Student's Guide to Techniques (Paperback)

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Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Written for the laboratory that accompanies the sophomore/junior level courses in Organic Chemistry, Zubrick is a paperback student guide to the basic techniques of the Organic Chemistry lab.  The book describes the instruments and techniques used in an Organic Chemistry lab.   Diagrams show students how to make measurements, set up labs and perform meaningful experiments. 

From the Back Cover

“It is easy to use, straightforward, and readable. The examples clearly make the desired points. The strongest endorsement for the text is that the students find it useful and like it.”

“The tongue-in-cheek conversational tone of the manual makes it very favorably received by the students…Students do not have to wade through a lot of text to get the important information.” — DR. LYNNE CANNON, The University of Iowa

“The major strengths of Zubrick’s lab manual are his writing style and his sense of humor.” — DR. HENRY GINGRICH, Princeton University

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 6 edition (July 31, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471215201
• ISBN-13: 978-0471215202
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #361,151 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Organic Lab Primer For Beginning Students, November 26, 2000

By	Matthew M. Yau "Voracious reader" (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This review is from: The Organic Chem Lab Survival Manual: A Student's Guide to Techniques, 4th Edition (Paperback)

This volume provides a plethora of information on equipment and techniques for introductory organic chemistry laboratory. It is best suited for first year organic sequence. A great deal of info includes keeping a lab notebook, experiment glasswares, separation techniques and IR spectroscopy. A particular section that I find helpful and handy is the discussion on jointware. The distinction and usage on different kinds of adaptation jointwares can be confusing. I believe Zubrick's book is one of the few out in the field that actually discusses the use of different jointware. The section "To Grease or not to grease" discusses whether or not to use a lubricant and when to use lubricant. For a novice organic lab student who is both confused and overwhelmed by massive equipment in the lab, this book is the perfect primer. Yet the information might be oversimplified and scarce to advanced student and lab chemist. Coverage on topics like TLC, distillation theory, spectroscopy could be more in-depth and detailed. I recommend this book for beginning students. For more advanced students, they should consult Vogel's "Practical Organic Chemistry".

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Possibly a little too basic, February 26, 2000

By	Christopher McKay (Leeds, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Organic Chem Lab Survival Manual: A Student's Guide to Techniques, 4th Edition (Paperback)

I would recommend this book only for the absolute beginner in organic chemistry. While it does much to inspire confidence in the novice student, some of Prof. Zubrick's explanations of laboratory techniques could be a little more detailed. A better bet is Advanced practical organic chemistry, by Leonard, Procter and Lygo.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A put-you-at-ease manual for a keep-you-on-edge subject, June 19, 2001

By	"ursaspaw" (New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Organic Chem Lab Survival Manual: A Student's Guide to Techniques, 4th Edition (Paperback)

Professor Zubrick cuts to the heart of the intimidating subject of Organic Chemistry. His dry, even warped sense of humor is a welcome break from the usual style found in chemistry texts. This book is worth reading even if you're not taking Organic Chem! As some of the other reviewers say, it is not a daily reference for the practicing organic chemist, but for anyone taking O Chem I or II, it is an absolute must-have! The numerous diagrams help make sense of which part is which, and how they go together. The detail Prof. Zubrick provides is sufficient without being excessive, which makes reading this book actually fun for anyone. His explanations will make you snicker, if not laugh out loud! If you're the only student in the class with this book, keep a close eye on it, it may grow legs. I promise (if you have a sense of humor), you'll enjoy this book more than most others, on this topic or otherwise!