Fundamentals of Biochemistry

Rating:
Summary: Not for someone new on biochemistry
Review: All 3 major biochemistry texts were being used at the univesity where I attended: Lehninger was used in a one-semester survey course for biological science students whose emphasis was not biochemistry and/or molecular biology; Voet was the chosen text for the first of a 2-semester sequence in biochemistry; and Stryer was selected for the second half of the sequence. As an undergradate student, I was grateful that the authors (joined by Pratt) produced a fine version instead of the original Voet & Voet main text. This revised, modified version is more succinct, clear, with excellent graphics and photographs. The level of content in this version of Voet is no less intense and thorough than the other 2 major texts, with a special attention on chemistry as well. One star is taken off due to the high price!

Rating:
Summary: Appropriate for the 1st Biochemistry Course of a Sequence
Review: All 3 major biochemistry texts were being used at the univesity where I attended: Lehninger was used in a one-semester survey course for biological science students whose emphasis was not biochemistry and/or molecular biology; Voet was the chosen text for the first of a 2-semester sequence in biochemistry; and Stryer was selected for the second half of the sequence. As an undergradate student, I was grateful that the authors (joined by Pratt) produced a fine version instead of the original Voet & Voet main text. This revised, modified version is more succinct, clear, with excellent graphics and photographs. The level of content in this version of Voet is no less intense and thorough than the other 2 major texts, with a special attention on chemistry as well. One star is taken off due to the high price!

Rating:
Summary: IMHO, better than Stryer for undergraduates!
Review: Although not as comprehensive as their larger text, this book is ideal for a beginning course in biochemistry. Most undergraduates are overwhelmed by the encylcopedic nature of Voet & Voet's main text, so the author team are to be thanked for joining with Pratt to produce this fine text. The book is on the level of the other main biochemistry textbooks (Stryer & Lehninger), but has the wonderful images and diagrams for which V&V (via artist Irving Geis) are famous! The interactive CD is very informative and useful as well. I have switched my classes to this text, as have about half of the liberal arts colleges in the midwest area (noted at the last MACTLAC conference, where the text, although new, was aready tied with Stryer as the textbook of choice).

Rating:
Summary: Not for someone new on biochemistry
Review: I'm taking biochemistry for the first time and the book is almost useless. It has many errors and the explanations are not clear. To study for my class I have to look for other books. I don't recomend this book to anyone who really wants to learn biochemistry, specially if they're taking the class with a bad professor. I'm not saying this because I don't like the class; I like chemistry and I thought biochemistry would be very exciting. But, the book isn't a good reference, neither the CD-ROM it includes. Thank God I bought it used.

Rating:
Summary: Average
Review: This book is average at best. It does not cover the fundamental aspects of many of the important parts of biochemistry. What is does give you is an excellent overview of hemoglobin and myoglobin. I would, however, recommend Stryer's book, especially for those who have lousy undergraduate professors.

Rating:
Summary: Very good undergraduate Biochemistry text
Review: This was my assigned textbook for college Biochemistry. I also used the accompanying Take Note workbook, and read some topics (mainly Proteins) from Lehninger. Voet was clear and easy to understand. I've even referred back to it while taking Biochem again in medical school. However, Chemistry majors will probably want something more advanced.

Rating:
Summary: Difficult to use
Review: This was the biochemistry book for my undergraduate course, but I hardly used it because it is not written in clearly understood language. It does have a glossary which is useful for looking up definitions, but when I would go to the index to clarify something we learned in class, chances were none of the references would apply to the concepts I was looking for, and if it did, it was incomprehensible. The general consensus among my classmates was that the book was worthless. The only useful feature is the end of chapter problems, and the solutions to these are found at the end of the book. I understand Lippincotts biochem is supposed to be pretty good, so you may want to investigate that if you are looking for a biochemistry book.