Rating: 
Summary: Organic Synthesis, 2nd edition
Review: I am the author and rated it high for obvious reasons. I was not going to rate it, but could not submit this form without it. I am taking the unusual step of writing because virtually all current reviews refer to the 1st edition - NOT the 2nd. This NEW book has been completely rewritten and while there are probably errors, it is NOT error-riddled like the 1st edition. I simply ask people to take a look with a fresh eye. McGraw-Hill and I have tried very hard to make it a quality book, and I am confident it will be very useful. If you have any questions or comments please contact me and I will do my best to answer them.
Thanks for your indulgence.
Rating:
Summary: Organic Synthesis, 2nd edition
Review: I am the author and rated it high for obvious reasons. I was not going to rate it, but could not submit this form without it. I am taking the unusual step of writing because virtually all current reviews refer to the 1st edition - NOT the 2nd. This NEW book has been completely rewritten and while there are probably errors, it is NOT error-riddled like the 1st edition. I simply ask people to take a look with a fresh eye. McGraw-Hill and I have tried very hard to make it a quality book, and I am confident it will be very useful. If you have any questions or comments please contact me and I will do my best to answer them.
Thanks for your indulgence.
Rating:
Summary: Great Text
Review: I don't own this book, but the guy at the desk next to me does, and I plan to steal it when he's not looking.
What I've read so far has been wonderfully presented in a clear, concise manner. As others have pointed out, there are no bells and whistles about this book. The book is organized by reaction type, and where applicable, representative examples from the synthetic literature are given. Smith presents the syntheses, comments insightfully on them, and in the cases where multiple syntheses of the same target have been accomplished, he makes reasonable comparisons.
I don't know that this book will ultimately supplant the March text as a primary reference, but it certainly provides a valuable supplement.
Rating: 
Summary: Be Careful
Review: I used this book as an undergrad in a graduate course and our assignments consisted of discovering all of the errors and attempting to correct them. It is a good reference book for name reactions, but as far as stereochemistry is concerned be VERY CAREFUL!!
Rating:
Summary: Be Careful
Review: I used this book as an undergrad in a graduate course and our assignments consisted of discovering all of the errors and attempting to correct them. It is a good reference book for name reactions, but as far as stereochemistry is concerned be VERY CAREFUL!!
Rating: 
Summary: new ed in 2001
Review: If you buy the 1994 edition be sure to download from the author the hundreds of corrections. There are still many more that he does not list. In spite of this I find it is a very useful book, particularly the portions dealing with organoboranes, oxidation and reductions.
Rating:
Summary: I'm Excited about the 2nd Edition
Review: It is almost like dream comes true when I saw the revised, new second edition out at the bookstore. The imrpoved edition not only has amended the errors or typo in its predecessor, but has graciously added new/updated materials in synthesis. You may see it as an equivalent to Jerry March's Advanced Organic Chemistry but a whole different approach. The sections on oxidations, reductions, and organoboranes are excellent. Since organic synthesis is a broad and infinitely growing field, not a single book covers all the principles and gadgets of organic chemistry. Use it as an encyclopedia or along with popular title like Nicholaou's Classics in Total Synthesis in order to enjoy the wonders of organic chemistry.
Rating:
Summary: I'm Excited about the 2nd Edition
Review: It is almost like dream comes true when I saw the revised, new second edition out at the bookstore. The imrpoved edition not only has amended the errors or typo in its predecessor, but has graciously added new/updated materials in synthesis. You may see it as an equivalent to Jerry March's Advanced Organic Chemistry but a whole different approach. The sections on oxidations, reductions, and organoboranes are excellent. Since organic synthesis is a broad and infinitely growing field, not a single book covers all the principles and gadgets of organic chemistry. Use it as an encyclopedia or along with popular title like Nicholaou's Classics in Total Synthesis in order to enjoy the wonders of organic chemistry.
Rating:
Summary: This book is second only to March
Review: It's amazing to me that Smith is able to gather so many resources and consolidate them into one place. Everything is there. Reagents. Cross references to books that deal only in reagents, and so on and so on.Often, one sees textbooks that give reactions and simply assume that they will work without citing a reference where someone has actually gone through the trouble to see if the reaction really will work. (This, I have found, is the quickest way to waste time in the lab. The easier it is to locate a protocol, the higher your lab productivity is.) It's also good to see that he's taken the time and trouble to whittle away some of the pretty colors that a lot of books put in in order to try to draw the reader's attention away from the glaring lack of substance. This book may, in the next few years, supercede the March text because a good number of his references are from within the past 5 years (50%, I believe), and it is such that if you are working in the lab and need to find *that* particular reference, then you can easily go and look it up.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent advanced text.
Review: The 2/e is a comprehensive look at modern methods in organic synthesis. Smith avoids the trend, common in many books, of using too many colors and myriad worthless illustrations. He instead provides a clean, easy to read volume for the advanced undergraduate or graduate organic student. The references at the end of each chapter are outstanding. There are often in excess of 75 citations per chapter, readily allowing further study. I would like to respond to the criticism of some reviewers regarding typographical errors. The 2/e does seem to be much better than the 1/e in this regard. Also the author maintains a well documented list of typos on his website. All in all, this book is easily the rival of Carey & Sundberg's Part B and well worth the investment for any organic/pharm chemists out there.
|
