Reviews (3)

Excellent, even for review
I used this book as a junior-year physics major, while I coached (kinda like TA'd) for the introductory calculus-based mechanics course. Although I'd taken this course myself two years before, I found this book enormously helpful for review, and the students also seemed to learn very well from it, too. It doesn't give you or ask for the answers right away, but leads you through your own intuition to find the correct answer as well as the correct ways of thinking. I wish they had similar books for more advanced courses like quantum mechanics!

A Wonderful Learning Tool
These books are a GREAT tool for any physics teacher! It is true that they are very challenging, and sometimes not very pleasurable for the students as they are working through the tutorials, but the reward in the end IS worth it! It is very apparent that the physics education research team at UW spent many semesters putting together these sets of tutorials. I have seen my students retain earlier concepts much better after using the tutorials. This is a must have in any college physics class.
Just a warning... these tutorials are ment to be performed in small groups, and typically need a lot of guidence from an instructor or a lab aid. In a class of 24 studnets, there should be at least 2 "instructors" or an instructor or and a helper that can guide groups through the process.

VERY challenging...
These are the books I use for my physics lab - I find them very hard/challenging to use. I think the fact that there is no set textbook to refer to makes it difficult. Some of the tutorials & homework are relatively easy and quick, while others are hard and take a long time to complete. ... Read more

Book Description

Written primarily for high school and college-101 students, this updated edition covers all important chemistry topics, including atomic structure, bonding, chemical formulas, gases, chemical calculations, liquids, solids, and phase changes, chemical reactions, acids, bases, salts, electrochemistry, the basics of organic chemistry, and other related subjects. The book also presents five practice tests with answers, charts, reference tables, and a helpful glossary. Barron’s Easy Way books focus on both practical and academic topics, presenting fundamental subject matter in clear, understandable language. Equally popular as self-teaching manuals and supplementary texts for classroom use, they are written to help students improve their grades and review subject matter before tests. They are also useful for introducing general readers to a new career-related skill. Easy Way titles cover virtually all subjects that are taught on advanced high school and college-101 levels. Subject heads and key phrases are set in a second color. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Chemistry the BORING way
I bought a whole bunch of books to help me with my Chem 101 class in college, and the good news is that this book was the most complete and comprehensive of any of them.

The bad news is that this book is crushingly dull, and sometimes hard to understand. While it was infinitely more comprehensive than "Chemistry for Dummies", it was so boring that I could barely keep my eyes open when studying with it. Perhaps that has something to do with my lack of talent for chemistry (as evidenced by my grade), but it seems to me that any good introductory chemistry book should at least be interesting enough that a relatively talentless student can keep their eyes open while reading it.

I recommend this book for those who can follow boring texts or those who need something to help them with their insomnia.

Chemistry the Frustrating Way!
I recently needed to brush up on my Chemistry. (I had Chem 1 in college.) I could live with the boringness of this book. But I could NOT put up with the mistakes and poor editing. The chapter tests have questions on things that were never covered in the chapter, as well as wrong answers! That is not only INCREDIBLY frustrating, it also makes me wonder what else was wrong in what I was reading.

I finally decided I had to give up on this book when I was having fits of complete rage and frustration. And let me tell you what brought me back to sanity -- The Complete Idiot's Guide to Chemistry. It is a FABULOUS book. Easy to read, easy to follow, everything is thoroughly explained, and it's funny!

Laboratory Aspects
I borrowed this book from the library and am barely into it, but I thought I would look at some of the Amazon reviews before buying it. One thing I see missing from the customer and editorial reviews is no mention of the fact that it has laboratory experiments. I find that valuable. It seems that most reviewers miss the idea that the book is meant to be supplemental. Perhaps the editorial reviews suggest otherwise, maybe to increase sales, but it hardly seems like one should expect a full treatment of the concepts in this book.

Returning to my laboratory comment, I think many books these days omit this aspect. That I think is unfortunate. Perhaps it's just harder to do independently because of limits imposed by 9/11 and our society's touchiness over chemical dangers. The availability of chemicals and labware are not so easily available as they once were. However, I suspect for those who might want to tackle lab exercises that such books exist, although they may be older ones.

I don't really feel that I can give the book a fair review at this point, but thought I would at least express the above thoughts. Since Amazon doesnt' really provide a non-review way to comment (Yes, I know they have some supplemental comments form, but it really misses the comment but no review idea.) I've used the review form. My rating just reflects the average review. I'll update it after I've gotten into the book.

Chemistry the HARD way
If you are looking for a good introductory chemistry book, don't get this one. It will save you time, money, and effort if you get something else like Chemistry: A self teaching guide. The diagrams are horribly explained, the text is downright confusing, and to top it all off the author introduces random bits of information in the text just when you get frustrated. Don't get this book.

Horrible for self-study
This book is horrible for self-study. While it may help improve grades for those already taking chemistry, the book is NOT one that I would recommend for those wanting to take college level exams. I have worked in the education field for eight years as an instructor, curriculum developer, and as a chief of non-resident correspondence course development, and my opinion is that this book is pitiful. The chapter review exercises are especially awful. For example, the review exercises ask questions on information that was never even covered in the lessons themselves. I'm certain that this leaves a lot of poor souls wondering just where the information lies. Perhaps I'm spoiled, but as a professional technical writer, my ethics with teaching tools begin by asking questions on material that is covered in the text.

This book may be designed to help those already taking chemistry improve their grades, but nothing more. My suggestion for those who want to learn chemistry on their own, please look elsewhere. My editors would laugh if I had attempted to publish this kind of publication, especially with the misleading forward that led me to buy the book. Claims that you can use the review exercises to check your comprehension of the material are pure bunk (paragraph one, above). Additionally, don't expect this book to help you prepare for College Entrance Exam Boards or the like. The book is not a good teaching tool, but rather, may be a good book for reinforcing what you may have already learned about chemistry from some other source. ... Read more

Book Description

As the largest river on the East Coast of the United States, the rolling Susquehanna, is the indispensable tributary of the Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary. Gathering strength from scores of streams along its 444-mile journey, the river delivers half of the freshwater the bay requires to maintain its ecological balance.

Down the Susquehanna to the Chesapeake traces the course of the Susquehanna River through New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland to the bay. Fifty-six short chapters discuss key locations along the route and how the river changes from sources to sea. These chapters also look at how natural resources influence, and in some ways shape, the lives of the people and their communities.

Along the river tour, Jack Brubaker examines the natural and human history of the Susquehanna, exploring how the river has been used and abused, as well as its current condition and future prospects. He explains how the unusually shallow, rocky river has substantially altered its drainage pattern over geologic time and how it continues to cut channels while erasing and creating islands.

For generations the Susquehanna has ebbed through the daily lives of the riverside residents, providing water to drink and a place to pump sewage. Floods have humbled those who chose to live close to the river’s edge, and droughts have fretted farmers. A vibrant fishery has provided sustenance and recreation for hundreds of thousands.

The Iroquois and the Susquehannocks reluctantly yielded the river to white settlers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the Susquehanna defined the American frontier. Coal mining, lumbering, and hydroelectric and nuclear energy production polluted the water and nearly ruined the landscape beyond hope in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Hope returned in the latter part of the last century as the people of the Susquehanna began restoration efforts.

With the aid of more than 70 maps and illustrations, Down the Susquehanna to the Chesapeake provides a bold new look at a dynamic old river. This powerful journey brings alive the Susquehanna, its history, and the colorful personalities who live along its banks. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent Reading
It should come as no surprise that I would pick up DOWN THE SUSQUEHANNA TO THE CHESAPEAKE since I live within a few blocks (and, gratefully, a few feet above the flood plain) of the beautiful Susquehanna River. However, I read it not because I heard about it from local sources but because the estimable literary critic, Jonathan Yardley of the Washington Post, named it as a top non-fiction book of 2002, a competitive year for quality publishing. In other words, this book is that good and I recommend it not only to fellow citizens of the huge watershed that feeds the river but to everyone.

Author Jack Brubaker reminds me of John McPhee as he deftly corrals a considerable volume of information on both natural and human history into a fine narrative. The Susquehanna offers universal lessons in the human effect on our waters and the effect of the waters on humans. The river is an important feature in Pre-Columbian cultures in North America and its European contacts go all the way back to 1588. Settlements as far north as Northumberland were originally considered as possible sites for our nation's capital. The river is an often ironic education in the development of American commerce and the Industrial and technological revolutions. It is the seat of Three Mile Island, the victim of Hurricane Agnes, the source of our drinking water, the playground of sportsmen, and, down river, the power behind major electrical companies. It is at once strong and fragile, feeding yet threatening the Chesapeake Bay. Its obvious non-navigability has frustrated developers for nearly four centuries now, though someone in Congress decided to have it declared navigable. There are thousands of stories to tell and Brubaker pulls together the most representative in a lucid trip from the headsprings to the Susquehanna's actual submerged mouth at the edge of the Atlantic.

Examines both the natural and human history of the river
Down The Susquehanna To The Chesapeake by Jack Brubaker (columnist for the Lancaster New Era) traces the course of the Susquehanna River as it winds through New York, Pennsylvania, and Maryland ending at the Chesapeak bay. Comprised of 56 brief chapters discussing key locations along the route, as well as how the river changes from its sources to the sea, the reader is informed as to how natural resources influence and shape the lives of the people and the communities along the way. Brubaker deftly examines both the natural and human history of the river, exploring how it has been both used and abused, its current condition and its future prospects. Of special note is how this unusually shallow, rocky river has substantially altered its drainage pattern over geologic time and how it continues to cut channels while erasing and creating islands. Enhanced with more than 70 maps and illustrations, Down The Susquehanna To The Chesapeake is a fascinating, well written, highly recommended treatise and would serve as an admirable model to writing about and exploring the histories of other major American rivers. ... Read more

Book Description

Organized according to the NSES Content Standard, on which the GED Science exam is based.

Announcing the ultimate GED test review series

For the nearly one million North Americans who take the GED exam every year, readiness is a key ingredient for success. McGraw-Hill's GED Test series, which reflects the new 2002 test guidelines, is dedicated to preparing students to pass each of the five GED subject exams. This focused format allows students to pretest for strengths and weaknesses in a given subject, thoroughly review core content areas, and finally check their exam-readiness with a full-length posttest in GED format. A complete answer key, which explains why each answer is correct and test-taking strategies, increases the odds of success.

Book Description

The Nature of Science in Science Education: Rationales andStrategies is the first book to blend a justification for theinclusion of the history and philosophy of science in science teachingwith methods by which this vital content can be shared with a varietyof learners. The book provides a definition of the elements of thenature of science applicable in instruction with a range of methods bywhich students and teachers can experience aspects of this importantfield. This book is designed for all of those involved in the scienceteaching enterprise. Science methods instructors, science educationgraduate students and science teachers will find a variety of plans bywhich they can share the content of the nature of science with theirstudents while benefitting from the background and history providedinto the role and history of the nature of science in scienceteaching. A concluding section contains a complete analysis of thevariety of tools developed thus far to assess learning in this domain. ... Read more

Book Description

Five Easy Lessions: Strategies for Successful Physics Teaching

• "An invaluable resource for any instructor interested in creating a physics class where students are actively engaged in learning and applying physics. The book is filled with specific suggestions on teaching individual topics in addition to an excellent summary and overview of teaching strategies based on physics education research." — Michael Read, College of the Siskiyous, CA
• "One of the most complete and helpful books on teaching introductory physics that I have ever come across. Not only does it provide thoughtful suggestions about how to improve your course topic by topic, it provides a marvelous primer on educational research into how students learn (or fail to learn) physics." — Dale Pleticha, Gordon College, MA
• "I have used the great ideas from this book over the last few years. It contains excellent summaries of research into students' learning and offers lots of helpful and specific advice on how to bring the ideas that have emerged from this research into your classroom. It is a valuable resource for improving students' learning." — Larry Lonney, Shawnee State University, Portsmouth, OH

Five Easy Lessons: Strategies for Successful Physics Teaching is a paperback book packed with creative tips on how instructors can enhance and improve their physics class instruction techniques. It's an invaluable companion to Randy Knight's Physics for Scientists and Engineers — or for any physics course.

Randy Knight has taught introductory physics for more than 20 years at Ohio State University and California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo, where he is currently Professor of Physics. Professor Knight received a bachelor's degree in physics from Washington University in St. Louis and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of California, Berkeley. He was a post-doctoral fellow at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics before joining the faculty at Ohio State University. It was at Ohio State, under the mentorship of Professor Leonard Jossem, that he began to learn about the research in physics education that, many years later, led to this book. Professor Knight's research interests are in the field of lasers and spectroscopy. He recently led the effort to establish an environmental studies program at Cal Poly, where, in addition to teaching introductory physics, he also teaches classes on energy, oceanography, and environmental issues. ... Read more

Book Description

From the Foreword written by Erick M. Carreira:

"... The Organic Synthesis Workbook is an ideal compilation of state-of-the art modern syntheses which wonderfully showcases the latest advances in synthetic chemistry in combination with fundamentals in a question-and-answer format. The structure of the book is such that the reader can appreciate the intricacies of strategic planning, reagent tailoring, and structural analysis within the context of the individual synthetic targets.In providing highlights of synthesis from a wider range of natural products classes (alkaloids, terpenes, macrolides) the reader is given a tour through a broad range of reaction chemistry and concepts.Moreover, because in its scope the authors have ignored international borders, the book effectively parlays the global aspect of current research in the exciting field of organic synthesis...

The Organic Synthesis Workbook promises to be to the current generation of graduate students, and even "students-for-life", what Ireland's and Alonso's books were to those of us who were graduate students in the 80's [Alsono: The Art of Problem Solving in Organic Chemistry, Ireland: Organic Synthesis]. The authors have wonderfully captured the thrill, the enjoyment, and the intellectual rigor that is so characteristic of modern synthetic organic chemistry." ... Read more

Book Description

This volume offers a broad collection of college-level experiments that provides students with a hands-on understanding of biotechnology and molecular biology, including applications and practical uses.

The inquiry-based activities, chosen for their safety, reliability, and flexibility, are designed to pique the students' interest and provide them with opportunities for independent study.The clear, readable text makes concepts readily understandable and the user-friendly format allows students to easily follow protocols.

Each investigation includes suggested reading, laboratory language, and analysis questions that help direct student thinking.Side bar comments offer special hints and detailed information to ensure success, but keep the protocols themselves easy to follow. Comprehensive laboratory safety guidelines are also included. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great Lab Resource
I use this book in my molecular biology course and it is well put together, with easy to follow procedures. The manual starts out with the basics (safety, keeping a lab journal, using equipment, measuring, plus some simple experiments),and progress to more complex experiments (cloning, RFLP analysis, western blotting, PCR, for example). The early lab activities can be used to give students a basic grounding in molecular techniques,and the later ones can be used as mini-research projects. The sidebars explain details that help students understand the "whys" of the experiments.The labs pretty much stand on their own, so instructors can pick and choose as needed. ... Read more

Book Description

Readers praise the careful balance of microbiology concepts and applications and the straightforward presentation of complex topics in Microbiology: An Introduction, making it the #1 non-majors microbiology book. The Seventh Edition Media Update includes a new laboratory simulation CD-ROM, VirtualUnknown(tm) Microbiology; the Microbiology Interactive Student Tutorial CD-ROM; and access to the resource-rich Microbiology Place web site, (www.microbiologyplace.com). ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent book for college microbiology
I used this book for microbiology class and it is very helpful. Tortora is a great writer. Each chapter is very organized and quite easy to understand. I also used the following:
Microbiology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers by Patrick Leonardi
The second book had the type of questions that were asked on my microbiology undergraduate exams. My study group and I found both books excellent ... Read more

Book Description

? This manual serves as a general introduction to the microbiology laboratory, including basic procedures and equipment.Its 36 stand-alone exercises include explanations of the salient points being demonstrated or tested, and are divided into nine sections—Microscopic Technique, Microbial Diversity, Microbial Cultivation Techniques, Identification Techniques, Microbial Growth, Microbial Control, Clinical Microbiology, Virology, and Applied Microbiology. Questions are provided with each exercise to reinforce users' understanding of basic concepts, and require them to analyze or apply the material under discussion.For use with any standard microbiology textbook. ... Read more

Book Description

Written in clear, easy-to-understand language, this best-selling reference text and activities manual offers easy-to-implement lessons and classroom activities.

Part I covers basic molecular biology, and Part II offers imaginative dry labs and wet labs that can be done by both college and precollege students.Part III is an innovative section addressing the social issues and public concerns of biotechnology.Extensive appendixes provide important background information on basic laboratory techniques and teaching resources, including overhead masters and templates.

Adopted by numerous school systems, this unique book is an outgrowth of molecular biology and biotechnology teaching workshops.All of the exercises and lab activities have been extensively tested in the classroom by hundreds of high school teachers. ... Read more

Book Description

Active Assessment for Active Science meets the needs of teachers faced with the task of assessing hands-on science. ... Read more

Book Description

Science Teaching argues that science teaching and science teacher education can be improved if teachers know something of the history and philosophy of science and if these topics are included in the science curriculum. The history and philosophy of science have important roles in many of the theoretical issues that science educators need to address: what constitutes an appropriate science curriculum for all students; how science should be taught in traditional cultures; how scientific literacy can be promoted; and the conflict which can occur between science curriculum and deep-seated religious or cultural values and knowledge.Outlining the history of liberal approaches to the teaching of science, Michael Matthews elaborates contemporary curriculum developments that explicitly address questions about the nature and the history of science. He provides examples of classroom teaching and develops useful arguments on constructivism, multicultural science education and teacher education. ... Read more

Book Description

* Allows the reader to quickly and easily grasp the math, fundamentals, and general concepts involved in astronomy
* Covers techniques for using telescopes, the challenges of amateur astrophotography, and the special problems of observing the sky at "invisible wavelengths"
* Unlike most books on the topic, it presents general concepts first and details follow
* Contains quizzes, tests, and final exams ... Read more

Reviews (3)

The writer can't keep facts straight
I have borrowed this book in a library, at first I hoped it would be interesting light reading, but when I got to chapters of Sun as well as chapters concerning stellar evolution, I was very disappointed -- the author can't keep his data straight when it comes to given star's fate, like the sun. In one chapter he's talking about Sun becoming a hard cold body and in another he makes it a black dwarf. All around, to me this book was a disappoitment.

I love the "Demystified" series
I am really enjoying this book. In fact I have the Physics, Calculus, Algebra books also. I find them very well explained. I am using these book as "self study" and find them very good for that purpose, but I can also see how they would be helpful to anyone in High School that needs some extra help, or wants to go beyond the level they are being taught. The end of topic reviews and tests help you see how much knowledge you are gaining and what areas you need to focus on.

Takes us on mind journeys
This is one of the most comprehensive basic astronomy courses I've ever seen. I especially like it because it includes information about the sky as seen from "down under." Half of the globe is, after all, south of the equator (even if most of the landmass is not). The imaginary journeys among the planets are fun. I wish the author had taken me on an intergalactic voyage, but maybe that is asking too much. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Simple and concise is the way to go!
I took the SAT II Biology test my senior year of high school because some of the colleges I was applying to required a science SAT II. Since I didn't like chemistry or physics, I decided to take the Biology test. I problem was I hadn't taken honors biology since freshman year, and I was only a month into AP biology. I used this book along with the princeton review book because I needed things explained plainly and simply. Any gaps in one book seemed to be covered by the other. Just by studying these 2 books for a week before, and by using Sparknote's 5 More practice tests book, I was able to get a 760 on the Biology-M test.

I would definitely buy this book for its simple explanations. Barron's and Kaplan's have too much information. I know some people say study more just in case, but trying to memorize all that information is unnecessary and impossible in a short amount of time. There were only 3 questions on the test I had no clue about, and to me the effort and time needed to study the entire Kaplan book is not worth it for 3 questions. ... Read more

Book Description

This indispensible study tool helps students cut down learning time and still get a firm grasp of elementary physics, chemistry, earth science and astronomy. The outlines included in each chapter, and the solved problems and practice test exercises with answers, reinforce the essential points of this broad spectrum subject.

Reviews (1)

Use it, or lose it!
This is one of the books that I pull out once or twice a year to review the principles of physical science. If you are like me, it is irritating to contemplate losing all of that hard-won knowledge from high school and college science courses. I especially like this volume, since it includes earth science and astronomy along with the basic chemistry and physics.

Here are the contents by chapter: 1) Physical Quantities, 2) Motion in a Straight Line, 3) The Laws of Motion, 4) Circular Motion and Gravitation, 5) Energy, 6) Momentum, 7) Relativity, 8) Fluids, 9) Heat, 10) Kinetic Theory of Matter, 11) Thermodynamics, 12) Electricity, 13) Electric Current, 14) Magnetism, 15) Electromagnetic Induction, 16) Waves, 17) Quantum Physics, 18) The Nucleus, 19) Radioactivity and Elementary Particles, 20) Theory of the Atom, 21) The Periodic Law, 22) Chemical Bonding, 23) Formulas and Equations, 24) Stoichiometry, 25) Gas Stoichiometry, 26) Solutions, 27) Acids and Bases, 28) Oxidation and Reduction, 29) Electrochemistry, 30) Chemical Energy, 31) Reaction Rates and Equilibrium, 32) Organic Chemistry, 33) The Atmosphere, 34) Weather, 35) The Oceans, 36) Earth Materials, 37) Erosion and Sedimentation, 38) Vulcanism and Diastrophism, 39) The Earth's Interior, 40) Continental Drift, 41) Earth History, 42) Earth and Sky, 43) The Solar System, 44) The Sun, 45) The Stars, 46)The Universe.

Appendixes are included on Physical Constants and Quantities, Conversion Factors, and the Periodic Table.

There are plenty of worked examples, as well as, supplemental problems and answers. You do not need calculus. ... Read more