4 comments about Organic Chemistry (with Organic ChemistryNOW).

1. A mechanistic approach to learning organic chemistry seems to make a whole lot more sense than memorizing/regurgitating the slew of reactivities available for each functional group along the way. Why then do we not have a text which allows us to do this? A few authors in the past have attempted to construct a text which views organic chemistry from a mechanistic (rather than funtional-group)standpoint, but none have been able to offer something an UNDERGRADUATE could embrace. Hornback has clearly and logically presented this often intimidating subject here, and should be praised for hurdling the barrier to offer the first readable mechanism-oriented text.



2. This is by far one of the best texts for undergraduate organic chemistry! The explanations are clear and concise, and ideas and concepts are well-organized. The book is easy to follow and the problems, both within and at the ends of the chapters, make the concepts crystal clear.
   
   I used an earlier edition of this textbook and solutions manual when I took organic chemistry (2000-2001), and it (and some great professors) made the class easier and enjoyable. Having encountered other textbooks at other schools, I am grateful that the chemistry department at my alma mater uses this text. I am an organic chemistry TA now, and wish my students were using this book!
   
   Bottom line, I sing the book's praises every chance I get! It's a bit expensive brand-new, but worth every penny!



3. I used Hornback's 2nd edition for my introductory organic chemistry courses and found the text to be excellent, and often surpassing the in-class instruction I recieved from my professor. If you are an undergraduate student taking organic chemistry I would recommend this text above all others. I often refer to it as a reference now that I am taking advanced organic chemistry. If you read the this text, you will do well in your course regardless of the calibre of instruction you are recieving.



4. Hornback's organic chemistry text is by far the most concise and clear textbook I have ever used for any chemistry course in college. After introducing new concepts, ample practice problems are provided throughout the discussion to help the student stay on track and test her knowledge. The illustrations are also excellent and Hornback encourages the student to use models, which is extremely helpful in the beginning of organic chemistry.
   
   Unlike many science textbooks that drown the reader in confusing detail, Hornback offers the perfect amount of detail in his discussions. The problems at the end of the chapters, ranging from easy-difficult are also extremely helpful to master the material.
   
   Hornback makes an allegedly difficult subject easy to master, presenting the information in a logical manner.

5 comments about Chemical, Biochemical, and Engineering Thermodynamics.

1. For a consolidated science as thermodynamics is, a concise textbook is a must. I consider Sandler's one as a top quality study material carefully conceived to give the reader a serious chance of really understanding the power, beauty and applicability of thermodynamics. However, to study from this book is a long-haul task and may not be wholly appropriate to undertake it as a part of an undergraduate course in chemical engineering thermodynamics, not unless you specially like the subject.
   On the other hand, for the graduate student set to perform research on the area, it is definitely a good starting point. Indeed, that is my current situation, having studied only the first starting chapters so far.
   In any case you better borrow it from the library and have a look on the book beforehand, otherwise chances are it will stand on your shelf unread until the entropy attains a maximum.



2. As already indicated, it has mistakes throughout, from the differential equation derivations to the data in the steam tables.
   
   The book is not very redeeming, the author(s?) seem to have a very difficult way of conveying even the simplest point. The book goes much more in depth than any engineering student would need.
   
   Don't even try to read through it either, this simply has proven itself to not be one of those kinds of books. To me, its a nice introduction to concepts, then you have to read the practice problems to actually understand whats going on.



3. The book level is indeed a little bit high for an undergraduate student, in the other hand, it's very practical in representing how to perform REAL and USEFUL calculations. I have two degrees in chemical and Process Engineer, and if you are a person who must work very often with process programming and simulation, this book is essential. If you're looking for more common information, basic concepts and definitions (enthalpy, cycles, steam tables, etc...), maybe you should try other books first, like Smith and Van Ness', or Van Wylen's book. It's mostly a book for chemical and process engineers, I wouldn't recommend it for mechanical, electric or other engineering fields.



4. I cannot believe that some people have given this book a bad review because they think that this book goes to in depth, covering areas that any engineer would not need. This book is extremely important for chemical engineers, dealing with 1st and 2nd law, cycles, chemical equilibrium, and reactors, areas of extreme importance for chemical engineers.
   
   What I like about this book is how the author starts from the big picture, and from there specific examples are derived. Let's put it this way, if you are a chemical engineer, this book will definetely help you understand one of the hardest classes in our curriculum; ChE thermodynamics.
   
   I should also emphasize that the understanding of this class is also going to depend on who teaches it.



5. This is a good book on chemical thermodynamics. However, it has relatively little to say that most biochemists, bioengineers or biochemical engineers will find interesting or useful. The title of the new edition is therefore a curiosity. It may be an echo of the recent change of name of many a university chemical engineering department. A book that integrated chemical thermodynamics, chemical engineering and biochemistry would be nice to have, but this book is not it.

5 comments about Chemistry: The Study of Matter and Its Changes.

1. When I used this textbook, I was looking for a mathemtical/engineering approach to chemistry. This textbook, however, explains concepts with examples but little or no scientific proofs. I found myself filling in proofs from other courses like thermodynamics and science of materials. Overall, a very thorough book, but heavy on the memorization, and light on math and graphs.



2. I have read older editon of this textbook. Older 3rd edition (1988). But it still stands tall among couple of other chemistry books on my shelf. No other book can match the style and elegance of Brady's book IMHO.
   
   There are a lot of books out there maybe more detailed. But Brady's is the one that explain why certain concept is important, how they were discovered and by whom they were developed. Instead of starting explaining each key concenpts in Chemistry, Brady's always start with how previous researchers reached the theory at that time period. And how we can relate them in terms of our current understanding of this wonderful of chemistry.
   
   If Brady didn't lose any his touch, I am 100 % sure and can gaurantee this newer edition will follow its earlier edition's tradition. Even if your course doesn't require this book as a text, go grap one. If you can't afford newer one, go buy old edition. They are still a classic and in fact I am still using 1988 edition.



3. THIS BOOK IS A GREAT GUIDE FOR ANY STUDENT WHO WANTS TO LEARN CHEMISTRY AND ALSO A GREAT GUIDE FOR THOSE WHO WANT TO PREPARE3 THEM SELVES FOR WHAT'S AHEAD AT UNIVERSITY.



4. ...in a number of ways. The chapter on stoichiometry is the first one I flip to when I'm evaluating a new text. This book does a better job of providing a conceptual foundation for the mole concept than any other book I've seen. It shows the rationale behind the concept by working a few simple problems with and without moles. The problem setups emphasize strategic thinking by asking students to identify the 'critical link' that connects given information with the problem's goal. The "Is the answer reasonable" checks given with each problem are more detailed and more helpful than in other texts; they help students develop a sense for what is and isn't reasonable in the answer, using alternative back-of-the-envelope solutions that often provide additional insight into the nature of the problem.

   The chapter on atomic structure is the only one I've seen that uses the central idea of quantum mechanics (wave-particle duality) as its central theme. It elegantly uses the de Broglie relation to tie wave and particle behaviors together, in the process naturally explaining where quantum numbers come from and why changes in electron confinement in a reaction can lead to color changes.

   The thermodynamics chapter is also quite innovative, discarding the idea of entropy as a measure of disorder and instead stressing its connection with the number of ways a state can be realized. A simple model of heat flow from a hot object to a cold object makes the connection between probability and process spontaneity clear.

   The approach for explaining and predicting molecular shapes is much better than that used in other texts, where students end up memorizing a large table of molecular shapes. This text starts by showing how electron domains arrange themselves the central atom, and then visualizes how the molecular geometry changes as bonding domains are replaced with nonbonding domains, one at a time. Students see the underlying idea without getting lost in a mass of detail and special cases.

   I also like the "Thinking it through" problems at the end of each chapter, that emphasize critical and strategic thinking rather than simply getting a numerical answer. Ebbing and Chang don't have this feature. The "Test of facts and concepts" are cumulative tests that students can use to synthesize material from several chapters; I haven't seen another text with this feature, either.




5. This textbook is an excellent way to learn chemistry. It provides very nice graphics to explain the text. This text makes learning chemistry very enjoyable and interesting. Senese and Brady did a wonderful job with this book. I highly recommend it.

5 comments about Organic Chemistry II as a Second Language: Second Semester Topics.

1. This book should be used by ALL students struggling in organic chemistry. The subect is not easy. But this author's insight into the subject knows how to guide a student into actually learning the material. I wish I had bought the book earlier.
   Excellent book recommended for those who need to master organic.



2. I ordered the book a week ago. I was desperate about orgo at that time. Read the first page and you'll find that it teaches you the skills to deal with orgo mechanism, synthesis, and predicting product. They all started to make sense now. I am still in the third chapter but I really feel the differences it makes. If I have read this book earlier, I won't have such a hard time in orgo.



3. I struggle typically because I'm not spending enough time with the textbook assigned.
   All in all, my only complaint is I don't have enough time to take full advantage of this wonderful supplement.



4. I have both the Organic Chemistry as a Second Language, and the Second Semester topics addition. I find both very useful tools for understanding OCHEM. The first semester book has useful nomenclature section, which is not covered at all in the second addition. I think a nomenclature section for the benzene section, and to show how Carboxylic Acid and other carbonyls are named and numbered would be helpful practice, although some of it may be review. However, the explanations for benzene ring mechanisms and modificaton is indispensable. This series of books are only supplements, and cannot replace the text, or lecture because there are topics not covered in the "language" books, and some reactions that are included in the Second Semester book may not be required in a specific course. You can not go wrong by investing in these books and working the practice problems.



5. I have read only the first 3 chapters or so but so far the material has been very helpful. The author does a great job of describing concepts clearly and in a manner which does not confuse the reader further. I would recommend it to anyone struggling in OChem 2. It would be helpful, I think, if you began reading it before the semester starts as the book does not go along the same schedule as the material taught in class usually. Besides it really helps to solidify the majors points in your head beforehand.

No comments about Student Solutions Manual for Oxtoby/Gillis/Campion's Principles of Modern Chemistry, 6th.

5 comments about Atkins' Physical Chemistry.

1. As with other editions of Atkins' P-Chem (I own 4th, 5th, & 7th), the topics are covered rigorously and at a level that I think is appropriate for a solid junior undergrad course in P-chem.
   
   For a text that keeps up quite admirably with advancements in science, the diagrams and ancillaries (e.g., living graphs) continue to be weak and well behind the pedagogical innovations that make p-chem more accessible to students.
   
   The quality of the binding is unacceptably poor. Like others on this page, I too have a copy of the text with the cover that has come apart. Freeman ought to republish the text with improved binding. This text should serve as a reference for students to use for many years to come. It absolutely cannot serve that function with the quality of the binding in this version.



2. For all the money you're paying for this book, you'd think that de Paula and Atkins could hire someone to actually READ the thing before it was published. There's at least one typo on nearly every page (and more on others). Some of these errors are innocuous, but others completely obfuscate what the authors are trying to say. To make things more of a mess, the examples and mathematical derivations often gloss over several key points that make it difficult for students to follow. And don't even get me started on the problems, which make use of magical values that are nowhere to be found in the book. The solutions are even worse - it's as if the authors mixed up the numbers of the problems in the 7th edition without bothering to update the corresponding solutions.
   
   The representation of units is questionable at best. Who uses dm^3 instead of L as their de facto unit of volume? The authors take their cockamamie unit scheme one step further by representing all numerical values as unitless entities. For example, instead of R = 8.31 (J / mol * K), they'll divide both sides by the units and depict it as R / (J / mol * K) = 298. This baffling treatment of units is unnecessary, inconsistent, and, worst of all, distracting from the material at hand.
   
   In a word, terrible. Since this is my first physical chemistry course I have no frame of reference for judging the content (which is decent, as far as I can tell), but the presentation is awful. If you MUST get this book for a class, look for the International edition - the only difference is that the images in the International edition aren't in color. Take the money you save and purchase a separate book that actually presents the material clearly.



3. This book was a required text for the physical chemistry college course. To start there are many misprints or typo on several rate constants for the given equation: PV=nRT. The form in which the units are represented can be misleading and at times confusing. Compared to the 7th Edition it is more difficult to answer the exercises and problems at the end of each chapter. Most of the time one must assume ideal gas behavior to answer the questions, however, the instructions do not advise or inform the student they must assume ideal behavior in order to correctly solve the problems or exercises. The only saving grace is obtaining the students solution mannual!



4. and that's about it. It was one of the worst science textbooks I have encountered and if I never have to see it again, that's too soon. About 1 question out of every 5 was wrong, and there were huge errors throughout the text. Things were explained poorly and I actually did better when I didn't have the book confusing me. I don't know about this book, but other books by Peter Atkins only get worse with each new addition. I was very happy when I was able to get rid of it.



5. Murray Rothland wrote, "Every once in a while the human race pauses in the job of botching its affairs and redeems itself by a noble work of the intellect". Atkins book is just such a noble work. Rare is it to find a technical text that reads more like a novel, but Atkins does. Not only is the topic fascinating on its own (mostly the physics of molecules), but Atkins raises it to the level of riveting. In those far off years of the university experience for this reader, it was said only a genius could grasp physical chemistry - not true, at least not with Atkins leading the way. Atkins uses varied tools with so many well-chosen angles on description that the reader sees things in nature never realized before. Most often through analogies to what we know well, e.g. the familiar constructive & destructive interference (wave mechanics) applied to wave functions (Schrödinger's sometimes confounding quantum probability description) yielding electron orbitals with shapes that suddenly make sense. That "ah_ha" experience is so frequently felt while reading this book it's simply hard to put it down, for anything. There are apparently several versions of this 2006 8th edition. The two in paperback come in color or black-&-white. There's also 4 years of access to the book's website, including the text, all its figures, spread sheets and MathCad models. A salute to Oxford University Press and Atkins for this remarkable resource.

No comments about Introduction to General, Organic, and Biochemistry.

2 comments about Principles of General Chemistry.

1. Received book in a very timely manner and very satisfied with the condition!



2. I've used 3 different General Chemistry books, and this one is the worst I've come across so far. It lacks a detailed, systematic explanation of topics - and then gives practice problems that do not reinforce topics from the text. It is impossible to work the practice problems without consulting another book that explains how to approach that type of problem. Chang has a much better text than this.

2 comments about Introduction to Organic Chemistry.

1. There are a lots pictures in the book, and explain theories very well. However, solutions for problems are not in this book, have to buy seperately.



2. This text is a valuable and well-written tool for any person that may have little familiarity with organic chemistry but is interested in learning. Text is accompanied by diagrams and pictures that provide visual aid to help in understanding. Throughout the chapters, sample questions are included along with descriptive answers that help understand the solution's process. Each chapter has questions pertaining to the material covered that are objective as well as questions that may be meaningful in a real-life context. Solutions to problems only exist in the text for odd-numbered questions. Even-numbered questions will require the solution manual.

5 comments about Exploring Chemical Analysis.

1. This is an analytical chemistry textbook, not exactly the most thrilling of chemical disciplines. (unless you are an analytical chemist). It explains things fairly well, and the problems are at the end of the chapters are pretty similar to what you would find on the ACS test for analytical chemistry. The author has a sense of humor and randomly inserts jokes in some of the material. I believe this is the most popular of textbooks for analytical/quantitative chemistry courses.



2. This book was a required text for my analytical chemistry class. I was at first a bit worried about it, I tend to be picky about chemistry textbooks, but I quickly fell in love with this one. The chapters are short and to the point (most between 20 and 30 pages). Harris tells you what you need to know and gives some good examples in those 20 pages. Other books I have had to use took in excess of 50 pages to describe what Harris does (much better at that) in under 30. This is a nice feature for the time pressured college student.
   
   The formating is also really nice. At the end of each chapter, all of the equations discussed are printed with text telling what each variable is. This is nice for when working on problem sets as you don't have to flip throughout the chapter trying to find one relationship and then search for an hour finding out what each variable means (We all forget at least once). It also makes studying for the exams easier and proofing notes to make sure you have the right equations has never been easier.
   
   The book is directed at either a chem or non-chemistry student. At most schools analytical is low enough to get non-chemistry or even science majors in it. This book walks this line rather well. It doesn't bore the students that are "really excited" about chemistry and it doesn't confuse the "normal" kids. It is easy to read and also, like mentioned before, has little jokes in it.
   
   A few other minor things I liked were the sections on statstical analysis and the paper on which it was printed. I took a stats 100 level class while in highschool and I knew most of the stuff still. However, some parts I forgot and had to relearn. I had to do it for bio and for chem, the bio book and prof made it so boring and drawn out. Harris, on the other hand, jumps into it and makes math and stat analysis, almost, fun. The most minor of my comments is about the paper the book is printed on. A lot of textbooks are printed on overly gloss paper and filled with "look at this picture" images. Harris has color plates, but the majority of the book is composed of greens and blacks. The paper isn't glossy and light doesn't glare on it. This just makes the sitting down and reading part much easier on the eyes.
   
   I would recommand this text for someone wanting to brush up on analytical chemistry, or even just general chemistry. I, as well as most of my peers, intend to keep it as a reference book because it is so well formated and written. In that way, it is almost hard to outgrow.



3. For the topics this book covers, it does so well. This includes MS, IR, titrations, etc... However, as one being trained as an analytical chemist (specifically mass spectrometrist), I feel compelled to note the complete absence of NMR material in the text. I consider NMR one of the most powerful analytical tools at a chemist's disposal. Hence, this text is good for those being introduced to analytical chem, but not for those looking for further study.



4. Analytical chemistry isn't really exciting...at all, but I surprisingly found this to be one of the most accessible textbooks I've ever had. The language is simple yet scientific and the author illustrates most concepts with practical, memorable examples. I compare this text to my math or physical chemistry textbooks and it's a world of difference. It's clear to me that an actual human being wrote this book and wants me to understand the material.
   
   Great book.



5. This is a great product for the class that I am taking. It correlates very well with the class and is an excellent learning tool.