5 comments about Study Guide/Solutions Manual to accompany Organic Chemistry.

1. I love that the author basically gives you her own notes. She breaks everything down very well.



2. Several sample problems are worked out in every chapter to illustrate the material covered. They are all very clearly explained.
   
   In addition, there are also more than enough problems at the end of each chapter to help students better understand the topics covered, however the answers are not provided in the back of the textbook.
   
   This is precisely why the solutions manual is a must buy. I have worked all the problems presented from chapter 1 to chapter 21 (to include the end of chapter problems), and I have encountered only two or three "bad problems" for which the answers were not explained clearly. Almost every answer to every problem is clearly illustrated - some concepts are even better explained in the solutions manual than in the textbook!
   
   It's expensive, but it's worth the money if you use it properly. I'd wish the buyer good luck in this class, but I doubt any disciplined, devoted student would need it after using this text.



3. This study guide/solutions manual matches the first edition of Organic Chemistry. Questions have been changed, rearranged, and added in the second edition, and the guide isn't nearly as useful or easy to use with it.



4. It's common nowadays to come across solution manuals which give "hints" to the even problems, and sloppily "solve" every 5th problem while skipping steps and making a big confusing mess out of the material. However, this solution manual contains a clear and concise step-by-step solution to EVERY practice problem in the chapter (~25 per chapter) as well as a step-by-step solution to EVERY problem at the end of each chapter (~60 more per chapter).
   
   In fact, this manual is as complete as a teacher's solution guide, which can't be legally distributed to students. In a way, this product is more important than the textbook itself for the casual organic chemistry student.



5. This student solutions manual is a MUST HAVE to accompany the Organic Chemistry textbook. The manual goes chapter-by-chapter - first, there is a quick review/summary of the concepts discussed in that chapter, and then, there are detailed solutions to every single problem in the textbook. Other solutions manuals only contain solutions for half of the problems, but this one shows you how to do everything! I keep it by my side as I do the problems in the textbook, so I can check my answers while I go. The solutions have a text description of the concepts you need to understand to do the problem, and then a systematic overview of the steps to do the particular problem. I wouldn't be surviving Organic Chemistry without this!

5 comments about Soapmaker's Companion: A Comprehensive Guide with Recipes, Techniques & Know-How (Natural Body Series - The Natural Way to Enhance Your Life).

1. I've been making soap for some time and have enjoyed this book immensely. It has lots of good suggestions and tons of excellent recipes.



2. The Soapmakers Companion has been in print for more than ten years now. My copy of this book is worn and stained from many soapmaking sessions. Despite the drift of time and my accumulated knowledge, this is one book that I return to frequently for review of all that pertains to Soapmaking. One of the strong points of this book is that it gets you up and running making soap. The recipes work their way from the relatively simple Soap Essentials Bar comprised of a basic coconut/olive/palm oil mixture to more elaborate recipes such as transparent soap and soap in the round. While Susan Miller Cavitch notes that this book is not that much of a basic book, yet I believe that even if one has never made soap before, this is an excellent book to start with.



3. I found her information very helpful and clear. My mother also uses this book and is the one who suggested it to me. She has been making soap at home for years and finds this book the best one she's seen.



4. I really enjoy this book for ideas and inspiration. She has some truly wonderful soaping ideas in here, and I love just browsing through it.
   
   That being said, I really don't use it that much. The recipes call for too many ingredients, are WAY to heavily superfatted to last, and her mixing method (in a stand mixer) takes forever. I can stick blend my soap to trace in just a couple of minutes.
   
   We've also found out a few things about grapefruit seed extract since this book was published. Basically, it does little to nothing to preserve the shelf life of your soaps....a lot of reputable suppliers are pulling it from the retail inventory and substituting other antioxidants.
   
   If you're looking for some interesting ideas, by all means invest, but don't make this your first book.



5. I absolutely LOVE this book! It really is a soapmaker's "Bible". It is very easy to read and is organized in a way that you really can get started right away.
   
   I originally checked this book out from the library, but after reading a few sections I ordered two copies: one to use and one to keep in my reference library.
   
   It is so easy to use and the language is so easy to understand that it takes the mystery out of soapmaking and replaces it with fun.
   
   We have enjoyed using the recipes in this book as well as creating our own. If you ever dreamed of making your own soap, this is the perfect book to start with.

5 comments about Petroleum Refining in Nontechnical Language Third Edition (Pennwell Nontechnical Series).

1. As an experienced chemical engineer new to downstream oil work, i.e., refineries, this book has been highly useful. I expect to use it as a quick reference years after mastering the field. William Leffler has written a simple, easy to read training program for engineers and non-engineers alike. If you are new to refineries or would like to know more about the subject, say from the perspective of ethanol refining, this is book for you. I suggest starting here and going on to harder material later.
   
   If this review was helpful, please add your vote.



2. Book is not bad, not much technical information in it. I would have liked to see more information written about the various process's. Just gives a very broad look at the refining units.



3. This is an excellent book to get insight about Oil Industry without going through the hassel of understanding the technical/chemical info.



4. Not going to be able to do process design of a petroleum refinery unit with this, but for other disciplines or general orientation, this book can't be beat. Even I find it useful for quick simple reference, and I am a Chemical Engineer with 15 years experience doing process design of petroleum refinery units.



5. IF YOU WANT TO LEARN ABOUT PETROLEUM REFINING, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU !!

5 comments about Cracking the GRE Chemistry Test, 3rd Edition (Graduate Test Prep).

1. I used this book to study for the Chemistry GRE. It definitely helped me but it needs alot of work. There are too many errors and the organic section seemed like just a big list of reactions, rather than any system for understanding it. PR needs to add way more practice problems and practice tests, also. This would make it far more useful. I wish they kept refining it and I wish there were some competitors to this book!



2. You would like to think that Princeton Review would do a good job with something like this, but it's pretty miserable. It's obvious that they just hired some first year grad student to write it.
   
   The organic section consists of a list of reactions with little to no explanation. No mechanisms are involved and it's just expected that you memorize all 50 some pages of mechanisms.
   
   The physical section is absolutely miserable and they don't seem to want to stick to a sign convention when they talk about thermodynamics.
   
   The analytical section is not comprehensive.



3. While I have been impressed with the Princeton Review materials before, their chemistry review book is a bit lacking. This would be a good book to go through maybe a month or two before the exam, but for GRE studying, the most helpful resources are always practice exams, and the one with this book is definitely much easier than the real thing.



4. If you plan on taking the chemistry GRE, you should probably get this book. It is fairly inexpensive. However, it isn't as good as it should be and isn't worth much more. The book explain the test and goes over almost all the key material on the exam. It includes one full length practice exam that is unavailable online. It also has a few other practice problems. These are the key reasons to get the book.
   
   The downsides are numerous. They basically mean that you need additional preparation. If you have your old text books and notes, they'd help a lot, but I didn't save mine. The book has maybe a dozen errors in it, which can be quite confusing. It really should have been through another printing by now to fix those. It contains only one practice test which i find inadequate. I'd like 5 in total and only two are available online, the offical ETS practice book, and one of the old ETS practice books. This book should have maybe 2 more practice exams in it.
   
   Basically, get the book, be careful of the errors, but don't be foolish and think you can rely on this book alone.



5. To preface: DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK
   
   The book covers all the material necessary, but there are barely any practice questions with each section leaving you wondering what is important to take away from the material and what is extraneous? Should it be understood from cover to back? There isn't even an introduction portion explaining how to best make use of the book. Doesn't really qualify as proper test prep.
   
   To make things worse, there are crucial errors. Not grammar errors, they clearly hired enough people to hammer those out, but science errors in terrible places that will screw you up on the exam. I find a significant error, the wrong variable used or name given, every 10-20 pages. For something as crucial as test prep, where the student is filling gaps in knowledge, such errors are inexcusable. For shame Princeton Review, your company clearly has no motivation to actually aid people and is concerned only with getting money out of them for this exam before the user realizes how bad the text is. On an exam that is not particularly well attended, I can see you lack impetus to make a good prep book, but it doesn't speak well of your corporate policies if you're just trying to deceive the consumer instead of being grounded in a quality product. Eventually this will catch up with you.

5 comments about The Unofficial LEGO Builder's Guide.

1. My kids are young enough that the basic building schemes illustrated here are interesting to them. Some are beyond them (ages 5,6,11). They were somewhat disappointed there weren't more "models" or building plans to follow. I like it, though, because it just shows the basics then makes them use their imaginations where anything is possible. So, it's useful, but not an item I'd rave about.



2. An Ok book, but I was hoping that the author would go into greater details.



3. Bedford's book offers everything and anything that one could consider useful to know about building with LEGO. I love the way he describes how to design things using grids and how to organize large collections of LEGO bricks. He's even designed a game in LEGO that others can play! I highly recommend this book to all ages of LEGO builders.



4. THE UNOFFICIAL LEGO BUILDER'S GUIDE is the best "Overview" of the LEGO building system available hands down. The book has been written for beginners as well as more advanced builders. It's a great reference guide with tips, techniques and definitions for users of all ages. Anyone can buy and build a LEGO "set", but this book will give you the tools needed to build your own creations. Once those "sets" are in a hundred pieces and you want to try your hand at your own creation, this is the guide you will reach for to help you do it right.
   
   The chapters are written is a simple easy to understand way and the flow of the material is easy to follow. There seems to be just enough information on each page that the reader does not feel like he/she is always getting lost when following the examples or descriptions. The illustrations are in black and white and are very clear and easy to see. Some might complain that the illustrations are not in color but I personally prefer the black and white. When building your own creation the lack of color is actually less of a distraction than it would be if you were building something blue and white and the illustration was red and yellow.
   
   One of the best features of the book is the Bricktopia, a categorized list of the most commonly used LEGO pieces. It includes an illustration of the piece, a description, size and part number. I personally find it helpful to browse thru this area to get "ideas" for building projects. I have noticed pieces I forgot about that has triggered a "thats the one I could use" thought to help with a project I am working on or have been thinking of building.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone interested in learning the foundations needed to build projects from simple to the more elaborate. LEGO builders of all ages will benefit from buying this book. Buy this book and leave it out on a coffee table and see how long it takes someone to pick it it up!



5. A true labor of love, this is the most comprehensive guide around! A must-have for LEGO devotees.

1 comments about Organic Chemistry, Student Study Guide and Solutions Manual.

1. This is the study guide companion to the text (which I am finding quite good). It is essential to work the book to develop the foundation of concepts necessary for this course. However, many chemistry texts offer solutions for at least even or odd numbered problems in the back of the textbook, then offer a reasonably priced study guide that works the problems more fully. The Solomons et al text gives absolutely no answers so you are forced to buy this study guide - which is extremely pricey - in order to really get any value out of the text. I actually need to learn this subject and even on Amazon the duo cost me $200. At this price, I would have liked more thoroughness on some of the worked solutions. Some you get, some you don't.

5 comments about The Everything Soapmaking Book: Recipes and Techniques for Creating Colorful and Fragrant Soaps (Everything: Sports and Hobbies).

1. Having read many books on soapmaking and having made some soap, I find my returning to this book to check methods, and ideas. The book is well written easy to read, understand and full of good information for all types of soap making. A must have for the begining soapmaker.



2. 
   
   This is a great book for soapers. If you are new to this hobby a great beginner book. Good recipes a must have for this hobby.



3. Alicia's book is up-to-date, modern, and stresses safe soapmaking methods that WORK. Everything from basic melt and pour, basic cold process, laundry soap, geode soaps, pretty much anything you can think of are covered in this thoughtful, easy to follow volume. Whenever someone asks me to recommend a book to get started soaping, THIS is the one I suggest.



4. I love this book. In our house it is considered the Soap Bible. Everything you need to know and more is between these two covers. Recipes, step by step instructions on the actual soapmaking process, a list of common essential oils to use along with medicinal and other propeties (including approx. price ranges for each), tips on packing, wrappers, and making gift sets.
   
   This is the only book you'll need.



5. I am new to soap from scratch and I found this book to be a great resource for me. My first batch of cold process was from the basic recipe in this book and I had great success. It filled in missing information from other books I had purchased, as well.

5 comments about General Chemistry.

1. I'm a junior chemistry major, and we used this book in our General Chemistry I and II course. I must say, this book is awful. The problems in the back of the book are extremely easy and only cover the basics of each section. For instance, in Chapter 17, on acid-base equilibrium, the book only covers how to do a handful of types of acid-base equilibria problems, when there are tons of different types. For me, it was absolutely useless to even look at the book because the problems were so simplified and all exactly the same.
   
   If your class suggests this book, I'd recommend purchasing another book because unless your professor is really easy, you'll be pretty screwed over trying to learn anything from this piece of trash.



2. I am currently using this book as a first-year biology major, taking the average bio major's chem class. I have found this book to be poorly written and often unclear. I have found several mathematical and theoretical mistakes among the problems of the book, and as other reviewers have mentioned, it is very simplified and does not encompass more than the basic attributes and applications to whatever laws and theories it covers. The worst thing about this book is the fact that it is just an absolute pain to read. Chemistry is not as boring as this book makes it out to be. This text is not engaging at all. With all of the Chem texts I've seen in my professor's office, I wonder what made her choose this awful one to require for the class (thankfully, after thumbing through another one of her texts and commenting on how interesting it made everything, she said I could have it).



3. This book is very simply written, and thus very useful if you have limited chemistry experiance. It does not waste time on painful examples, the examples given are very well explained, nor does it overcomplicate the simple basics of Chemistry. Although i grant that the problems of the book are simple, they are perfect if these concepts introduced are actually new to you, and hopefully your instructor will give you some harder ones to supliment.
   
   I am largely comparing it to Koltz and Triechal's Chemistry and Chemical reactivity, which is the most painful book to slog through. This book is a refreshing restbit and should be used before going into any of the more complex facets of Chemistry.



4. Ebbing Chemistry presents chemistry as "physics at the atomic level." It seems this text is geared towards those majoring in chemistry, physics, or engineering and not necessarily biology majors. Some texts are vague, while Ebbying's clearly explains core concepts like atomic structure, the gas laws, and stoichiometry. Clear, logical problem-solving is stressed and demostrated with examples in each section.
   At the risk of sounding too elementary or juvenile, there is plenty of "color" in this text. What I mean is that important charts, high-quality experiment pictures, and molecular diagrams all serve to make reading through 20-page chapters more enjoyable. Another key feature in of this text is that there is a wealth of information on the uses of chemicals and different manufacturing and industrial techniques in the end-of-chapter problems. Just reading through the problems enlightens you about the many chemical processes used today.



5. This seller is excellent, the description of the product was accurate. My only complain was that the item requested took long to arrive. Other than that I would recommnend this seller to anyone.

5 comments about The Organic Chem Lab Survival Manual, A Student's Guide to Techniques.

1. very helpful for organic chemistry lab, very clear directions and the author writes in a way geared towards students so it is funny



2. Zubrick's manual gives a comprehensive overview of fundamental lab methods. I've found it to be very useful on many ocassions. However, some of the explanations could be improved with discussion of the theory, especially the sections on chromatography. Even so, it's cheaper than other books and explains many techniques very well.



3. This is a phenomenal book in which Mr. Zubrick brings down the complexities involved in Organic Chemistry Lab into terms that undergraduates can understand. Also, in something I've never seen done before, he adds humor to his writing. I actually enjoy reading this book, and get more out of it then any other lab text I've ever read. If you take Organic Chemistry Lab without it, you're doing yourself a pretty big diservice.



4. This small book was a requirement in my organic chemistry lab last year. Unfortunately, I think I'm the only one who actually read it. Had others cracked the binding a few times I imagine there would have been fewer exploding flasks and spilled beakers. This awesome little text explains (with humor) the best ways to set up apparatus for experiments, to avoid explosions, and to get in and out of the lab quickly with as few mistakes as possible. I'm happy to report that I never lost any glassware to an explosion, though I did lose a couple pieces to carelessness. Zubrick also covers basic distillation, separation, washing, and extraction techniques, as well as briefly covering spectroscopy. A very simple and helpful book for ochem undergrads.



5. This book is the definitive guide to organic chemistry, whether you're a student or graduate, everything is in here! I bought is as a required book for Organic Lab I, but I recommend it as a reference for any chemist.

5 comments about Solutions Manual to accompany Organic Chemistry.

1. It is the best solution manual I've ever used. It has all the answers and test samples. It's best.



2. Wow. I have never seen a solutions manual as amazing as this one! There are answers and explinations to every question in the book.. This means not just odds, not just evens, but both! On top of that, it also has answers and explinations on all example problems throughout the chapters! As if that weren't enough, they also have tests at the end of each chapter and a "final exam" at the end of the book to test your knowledge of the information. It is the MOST in depth solutions manual I have ever seen. Definitely spend your money on this. It's more than worth it!



3. This is a definite must! It provides the solutions to practice problems throughout the book. It helps to assess your understanding of the material!



4. This text has been very helpful to me and goes wonderfully with the Organic Chemistry book!



5. The condition of the book was perfect...it was exactly as it appeared on the website. No complaints at all. It also arrived when it was supposed to.