Organic Chemistry: Structure and Function

Rating:
Summary: An adequate organic text...but that's all
Review: This is not a very good organic text. My department selected this text, and I am teaching out of it now, but I don't like it very much. It follows the standard functional-group based organization that the majority of organic texts on the market currently use, which I have certain problems with (see the text by Whitesell & Fox for a contemporary alternative organizational format). I don't think that this text does a sufficient job in the beginning of equipping the student with the fundamental chemical principles that are needed later in the course, especially with the sparse treatment of bonding and MO theory given in the first chapter. The same goes for the treatment of basic principles of thermodynamics, kinetics, and acid-base theory. These are such important principles; I wish the text did a more thorough job in discussing them. The biggest gripe that I have about the text is that it is a slave to the new IUPAC system of organic nomenclature. For example, while, granted it is technically correct, according to the IUPAC system, to use 1,1-dimethylethyl to refer to a tert-butyl group, practically speaking, this is not the case. Just call it a tert-butyl group for Heaven's sake!! 99.999% of organic chemists are going to know what you are talking about. The homework problems also leave a lot to be desired. If you are considering adopting this text, I'd recommend taking a good look at one of the other texts on the market (e.g. Whitesell & Fox, Jones, or Bruice) before adopting this one. You might come to regret your decision.

Rating:
Summary: An adequate organic text...but that's all
Review: This is not a very good organic text. My department selected this text, and I am teaching out of it now, but I don't like it very much. It follows the standard functional-group based organization that the majority of organic texts on the market currently use, which I have certain problems with (see the text by Whitesell & Fox for a contemporary alternative organizational format). I don't think that this text does a sufficient job in the beginning of equipping the student with the fundamental chemical principles that are needed later in the course, especially with the sparse treatment of bonding and MO theory given in the first chapter. The same goes for the treatment of basic principles of thermodynamics, kinetics, and acid-base theory. These are such important principles; I wish the text did a more thorough job in discussing them. The biggest gripe that I have about the text is that it is a slave to the new IUPAC system of organic nomenclature. For example, while, granted it is technically correct, according to the IUPAC system, to use 1,1-dimethylethyl to refer to a tert-butyl group, practically speaking, this is not the case. Just call it a tert-butyl group for Heaven's sake!! 99.999% of organic chemists are going to know what you are talking about. The homework problems also leave a lot to be desired. If you are considering adopting this text, I'd recommend taking a good look at one of the other texts on the market (e.g. Whitesell & Fox, Jones, or Bruice) before adopting this one. You might come to regret your decision.