Rating: 
Summary: A PLUS for content; F MINUS for physical layout
Review: This book gets top marks of writing and organization. This is a superb book to use if you want a general introduction to biology. One improvement in the 6th is the use of dictionary symbols in the glossary, so pronunciation is now unambiguous. However, one wonders why such talented writers and teachers would allow such a poor physical package to carry their name. No bows here! The book is approximately 1250 pages long. While the previous, 5th edition used small type - making it hard enough to read - the 6th edition now uses a lighter even harder to read type. The book is also quite heavy and awkward, and is best read at a table or desk. Its physical size is more suitable for an encyclopedia than a text. Three other minor issues: To find the pronunciation of new unfamiliar technical terms one must turn to the glossary in the back of the book, an awkward process with a book this size. Perhaps, in the next edition, the authors will consider providing pronunciation information where new terms are first presented as well as in the glosary. The enclosed CD is a nice touch with enough variety to keep it interesting. However, some more care needs to be given to matching it appropriately to the book. For example, the activity for Heritable Information for Chapter One presents numerous chemical concepts not yet covered, and is clearly inappropriate at this point in the book. While the form of the glossary is improved, some pronunciations (plantae, deoxyribonucleic, etc.) still do not appear to match those of standard dictionaries or rules for scientific pronunciation. In summary, this is a superb book to learn from whether in or outside a class. Its major problems relate to its seriously flawed physical layout. It cries out to be split into two volumes, and for many of the gratuitous pictures to be pruned so room for more readable type is available. The books content easily deserve five stars - the rating here. The layout, sadly, much much less.
Rating:
Summary: Book is so good that even a drunk can learn biology !
Review: The title I give to my critique of this book is not a joke. I'm really serious about the phenominial ability of this fine textbook to be able to explain the concepts of biology so clearly. This wonderful textbook from Neil A. Campbell is a great biology textbook that explains the concepts of basic biology clearly and throughly. I love the way it touches on various subjects such as DNA,transcription, translation etc... in preparation for the student when he gets to higher level biology classes. If a student uses this textbook he\she will be very prepared for other classes such as biochemistry, ecology and even some organic chemistry because this book is SO good in expressing the fundementals of basic biology and relating those fundementals to other sciences and disciplines. Additionally this awesome textbook has clear, colorful and beautiful art and photographic illustrations with EXCELLENT explanations underneath them that can help the student understand biological processes and mechnisims. I'm in pharmacy school right now and I still use this book as a reference guide for some basic concepts in biology that I may have forgotten. It is big, fat and chock-full of great information on the basic concepts of biology. Don't let the large size of this book intimidate you. It is big for a reason. It is big because Neil Campbell and his collegues care about the making sure the student is exposed to what he needs to know in order to advance into higher levels of biology, chemistry, medical and pharmacy school. An EXCELLENT BOOK!!! This book explains the hardest concepts of fundemental biology so well that even a drunk in a bar can understand it throughly. A great book. It's a 5th edition book. From the looks of it, I don't think these guys need to make a 6th edition book unless they need to update it with new biological discoveries.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent service
Review: Got the book on time as promised! Thanks!
Rating:
Summary: Just the best.
Review: After living with this book for 2 semesters, it really grew on me. It is very detailed, very well written, and just the right amount of pictures and graphs to explain more difficult concepts. This book will serve me well for the years to come, well beyond graduate school, as a source of information. Also, my teacher told me, most of the questions on the subject GRE in biology are from this book!
Rating:
Summary: Biology Fifth Edition
Review: An Excellent book for students wishing to learn about all aspects of Biology.
Rating:
Summary: Finally, a biology book that presents the facts...
Review: Rather than harping on about the many Icons of Evolution errouneously included in many Biology textbooks, this book cuts to the core by carefully presenting the Biological facts - and nothing more. Hopefully, this text will become more widely used in universities replacing much of the misinformation now disseminated. I would also recommend this as a good home reference book, to help educate your children on what really is, and answer some of their more difficult questions. 5 solid stars!
Rating:
Summary: One of the best overviews of General Biology ever!
Review: Campbell and coauthors do a wonderful job with this book! They've added several new chapters that weren't included in previous additions. You can't beat the diagrams and photos included with the text. The interactive study guide is also helpful in learning the material. I strongly recommend that any biology student or lover of science own this book for reference.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent!
Review: I'm an undergraduate biology student from Brazil with special interest in genetics and I bought this book intending to enrich my backgorund in general biology. The book is very well illustrated as it is written and I'm sure anyone who enjoys science will be very pleased to read it. It is definitely NOT a specialized book and it was obviously NOT written with that intention, so if you are interested in learning or reviewing those issues we see in our biology course focusing on evolution and in a conected way Campbell's BIOLOGY is the book.
Rating: 
Summary: a to z and everything else u didn't want to know
Review: This biology book is so entirely huge, that it can be interpreted in two ways. If you're a biology fanatic or someone who has always had a deep interest in the sciences, this book will definitely make your day. It will give you every infinite detail possible about anything you've ever dreamed of. HOWEVER, if you are an average student or person out there, who chose to read this book, or had to because you might take an intro biology course...then BEWARE this book is not for you. I had to slap myself silly to stay awake reading merely a page. No exaggeration. It's diagrams are sometimes helpful, but it is no replacement to reading the text. The text reads like a dictionary, giving you all the important definitions and information, and then a surplus of useless things that you didn't wish to know.
Rating:
Summary: A Complete Book
Review: This was my first Biology book, but the 3rd ed. Always used it for reference for all other clases, Genetics, Cell & Molecular Bilogy, Microbiology etc. All concepts are very detailed. Recommended for Pre-Med Students, Biologists etc..
| 
