Biology: Science for Life

This book is a great general guide through science for life. Gives you the run down on cells, genes, dna, planet history, Etc.

I've taught introductory Biology for non-science majors using many textbooks including Campbell Concepts, Mader's Inquiry, Pratt's BioInquiry, and so on. They all have their strengths, but they all lack that unique feature needed to learn any subject. A book has to be INTERESTING AND READABLE (accessible). Look no further. If Belk and Borden was sitting on your couch at home and you had even a remote interest in Biology, you would pick it up and read out of sheer curiosity. This is not a comprehensive book but it covers the major areas we typically teach non-science majors in freshman Biology. You can read this book and start talking confidently with your friends about a lot of topics like ADHD, Recreational Drugs, Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Mad Cow Disease, Does Race have a Genetic Origin?, Did We Really Evolve from Apes?, Cures for the Common Cold?, and Can the Earth Support Our Population? There's a common phrase among professors which goes something like, "I don't care how much science I cover in my lectures; I don't care how much science they learn in my class. What I care about is how much science they remember one year from now." We also want our students to come away having practiced how to systematically evaluate and question any topic or fact. Science is a collection of facts but more importantly, it's a method of systematic inquiry. This book has a fantastic chapter on scientific method and scientific thinking that anyone can read which is critical. Myself and another colleague have said..."now that we've taught from Belk and Borden, we can never go back to the standard textbooks again!"

This book explains the concept of human biology in a way that even someone, such as myself with no interest what-so-ever in the subject finds it very interesting. What really surprises me is that I still feel that I know the information long after the course has been completed!