Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (with BiologyNOW-Personal Tutor with SMARTHINKING, iLrn™, InfoTrac® Printed Access Card) (Hardcover)

by Cecie Starr (Author), Ralph Taggart (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
For the 11th edition of BIOLOGY: UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE, Cecie Starr and Ralph Taggart made it their goal to "solve" some of the toughest Introductory Biology course challenges. We introduce a new issues-oriented approach with engages students in current, motivating biological topics; a built-in cross-referencing system for key topics; and, most importantly, time-saving media resources for instructors. Show students how biology matters – Opening each chapter with engaging essays on hot issues and related online voting, the text highlights the connections between biology and real-life. Online exercises promote critical thinking about issues students will face as consumers, parents and citizens. Link concepts from chapter to chapter - Students often have a difficult time with this, so the authors created a "linking" tool. A list at the start of each chapter reminds students of related topics that were explained earlier. Within chapters, a key icon identifies cross-references to relevant sections in earlier chapters. As students work through the text, they see how topics build upon one another. Monitoring students' progress with ease - BiologyNow™ offers diagnostic quizzes with automatically graded results that flow directly into your instructor gradebook (iLrn, WebCT or BlackBoard). And, to assess students' progress instantly with in-class quizzes and polls, you can use JoinIn™ on TurningPoint® content and software. Easier lecture prep - The new PowerLecture tool integrates all chapter assets - art, photos, animations, videos, links to InfoTrac articles, web links and everything else you need into each chapter's lecture slides. This "buffet" of media resources-arranged by chapter section is at your fingertips. Just cut and paste what you want into your lecture file.

About the Author
For the past two decades, Cecie Starr has been known as one of the best-selling biology textbook authors. Her texts, appreciated for their clarity in both the written word and the visual representation of biological concepts, include multiple editions of BIOLOGY: THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE, BIOLOGY: CONCEPTS AND APPLICATIONS, and BIOLOGY TODAY AND TOMORROW. Her original dream was to become an architect. Instead of building houses, she now builds, with care and attention to detail, incredible texts based on this philosophy: "I invite students into a chapter through an intriguing story. Once inside, they get the great windows that biologists construct on the world of life. Biology is not just another house. It is a conceptual mansion. I hope to do it justice."

Ralph Taggert ¿ Former Chair of Biological Sciences at Michigan State University, Ralph Taggert is now the chair of Geological Sciences. Known for his outstanding research in Paleobotany, he taught the general biology course for over 20 years.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 1056 pages
• Publisher: Brooks Cole; 11 edition (November 23, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0495015997
• ISBN-13: 978-0495015994
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #17,857 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent reference tool for students and instructors!, January 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (Wadsworth Biology Series) (Hardcover)

The 8th edition of Cecie Starr and Ralph Taggart's BIOLOGY: THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE is a significant improvement over the already excellent 7th edition. It is a substantial reference made "user friendly" with its excellent graphic designs, well organized and readable text, and extensive electronic support...

I found the tutorial quizzes and chapter summaries especially useful. The online support and CD-ROM are effective new study tools! I recommend this book to all students taking a course in introductory college biology, as well as biology instructors looking for a well supported book that actively engages their students.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great introductory biology textbook, August 26, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (Wadsworth Biology Series) (Hardcover)

This is a really wonderful textbook to have read before coming to university. The background I gained was of great help during my first year of college bio where we use the textbook LIFE. I would suggest getting the study guide, as it is a great complement to the text. The intros to the chapters were a little overly dramatic, but everything else was fantastic

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Biological Detour, April 19, 2005

By	Dark Blue Something - See all my reviews

This review is from: Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life (with CD-ROM and InfoTrac) (Hardcover)

This is the book I had in my college biology course. I find this book to be quite inconsistent. While it has it's bright spots and explains some things very well, it is one of those books where you end up having to hunt for the information. Result? You spend a great deal of time deciphering the book which has the information strewn everywhere in a fashion that's not entirely organized. Not to mention the fact that it stops dead cold in the middle of explaining a concept in order to go into great detail about another related concept. Then suddenly it jolts the reader back to what it was talking about beforehand. A good and elementary example of this is in chapter 2 where they discuss hydrogen bonding. It veers off and on from what the topic is supposed to be. It would be more helpful to cut to the chase and leave the lengthly prose out of the book. As another reviewer pointed out, the fact that the book has so many different authors is just ASKING for the final product to be inconsistent. This book is not worth the 120 dollars they expect you to pay for it.