Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life with Infotrac and 2.1 CD

This text is a great way to learn a complex subject. It's expensive but the on-line links provide good value. There's tests and study helps and the animations and explanations of the diagrams make learning so much more pleasant than the last time I did Biology 40 years ago. My fellow students agree this text has made the work easier to absorb. It goes into much more detail than first year university students need but it provides us with good basics for future study. Highly recommended.

This is a fantastic text for homeschooling. Each concept is introduced, discussed, and wrapped up in a 2-page spread. This is *not* the dry bio text you remember from high school. It is fascinating enough that I find myself stealing it from my daughter's room. Perfect for a science-loving homeschooler who is hungry for advanced texts at an earlier age because the setup is conducive to parental participation and discussion. However, be advised it is written from an evolutionary point of view if you are inclined to avoid this emphais. And of course there's that really cool picture of the monkey fighting the cheetah ;)

The Unity and Diversity of Life, 8th edition, is one of the best Biology books I've ever set eyes on. Although there are many other books that have more information about Biology, this is a great book for those students who want to learn the prerequisites to advanced General Biology before or during college. The one aspect of this book that fascinated me more than any other was its improvement over the previous editions on teaching the material. The innovations of one to two page topics, easy to read helpful graphics, CD-ROM quizes, and more all raised the bar of how to teach effectively a Biology class. I would basically recommend this book to just about anyone in conjuction to one's advanced placement or college level book to help them get a better understanding of "what's going on here?" Buy this book and have fun as I always do in my joyful readings of this most excellent and invigorating book!

This is a really wonderful textbook to have read before coming to university. The background I gained was of great help during my first year of college bio where we use the textbook LIFE. I would suggest getting the study guide, as it is a great complement to the text. The intros to the chapters were a little overly dramatic, but everything else was fantastic

The 8th edition of Cecie Starr and Ralph Taggart's BIOLOGY: THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE is a significant improvement over the already excellent 7th edition. It is a substantial reference made "user friendly" with its excellent graphic designs, well organized and readable text, and extensive electronic support...I found the tutorial quizzes and chapter summaries especially useful. The online support and CD-ROM are effective new study tools! I recommend this book to all students taking a course in introductory college biology, as well as biology instructors looking for a well supported book that actively engages their students.