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Rating: 
Summary: A modern classic
Review: I had the good fortune to attend four years in a Scottish university studying chemistry. This book was not on our required/recommended reading, but was suggested to me by the senior lecturer in Organic Chemistry: a very fine example of a British gentleman, and a very good recommendation he made! I have always cherished this book, and return to it again and again, although my current scientific work now involves little organic chemistry: the presentation is very considerate to beginners, and sympathetic of their problems. Even advanced chemists will appreciate its clear and insightful presentation of the logic behind organic reaction mechanisms. Syke's book is certainly a model of clarity, and to my mind perhaps the best book ever written on this vast subject. It is certainly my favorite organic chemistry book: all the explanations are clear and helpful: one is never, (or very rarely!), left dangling at the end of a presentation wondering just what in the world is going on, as seems to happen too often in other texts. The author starts at the basic level of structure and reactivity, proceeds to acid/base equilibria, and addresses subsequent chapters to electrophilic, nucleophilic, radical, carbanion/carbocation reactions, Hammett plots, etc... Really a wonderful read, and an outstanding short reference. Certainly an excellent investment for anyone interested in organic chemistry. How odd that most Americans are unfamiliar with it...
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of Money
Review: I have read this book. Nothing genuine about this book! The content has no difference than that of any textbooks. I threw this book in the trash can. I don't want to resell it because I don't want to waste other people's money and time.
Rating:
Summary: Waste of Money
Review: Peter Sykes' guidebook formats more as a reference to organic reactions such as nucleophilic substitution, electrophilic substitution, nucleophilic addition to carbonyl, elimination reactions, radical reactions and symmetry-controlled reactions such as pericyclic reactions. It is well written, clear, and succinct that undergraduate and graduate students will welcome it as a companion to an organic course. Sykes also discusses topics that are often omitted in an introductory text such as carbocations, electron-deficient species, carbanions, and linear free energy relationships. It can be thought of a compact version of Jerry March's Advanced Organic Chemistry, which is widely used as a graduate text. As a purchase guideline, I also purchased Hoffman's "Organic Chemistry: An Intermediate Text", and Bernard Miller's "Advanced Organic Chemistry", which treat the subject of electrocyclic reactions and cycloaddition more thoroughly. The portable size of Sykes makes it an excellent source of reference.
Rating: 
Summary: Valuable Reference for Organic Chemistry
Review: Peter Sykes' guidebook formats more as a reference to organic reactions such as nucleophilic substitution, electrophilic substitution, nucleophilic addition to carbonyl, elimination reactions, radical reactions and symmetry-controlled reactions such as pericyclic reactions. It is well written, clear, and succinct that undergraduate and graduate students will welcome it as a companion to an organic course. Sykes also discusses topics that are often omitted in an introductory text such as carbocations, electron-deficient species, carbanions, and linear free energy relationships. It can be thought of a compact version of Jerry March's Advanced Organic Chemistry, which is widely used as a graduate text. As a purchase guideline, I also purchased Hoffman's "Organic Chemistry: An Intermediate Text", and Bernard Miller's "Advanced Organic Chemistry", which treat the subject of electrocyclic reactions and cycloaddition more thoroughly. The portable size of Sykes makes it an excellent source of reference.
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