Modern Biology

I have two unrelated degrees, and had only high school biology. I use this book for self-study. It is perfect. Its long list of reviewers gave me confidence in its lessons. I find it plain and understandable. The explanations and definitions could not be made simpler. Superbly illustrated, the book also makes good use of boldface type and color. When a new term is introduced, its pronunciation is given right there, and selected useful etymologies are given in the margins. It begins with an overview of biology and the basics of scientific method, experimentation, what a hypothesis is, inference and theories, microscopy, etcetera. Then there is a GREAT review of basic chemistry, and the book logically progresses into biochemistry, cell theory, reproduction, and on "up." There are no gaps; everything is built on what came before. It is concise yet interesting because it cites quick examples. For example, the section on vacuoles explains how these intracellular toxic waste containers can be beneficial to the plant: "For instance, the poisons that certain acacia trees have in their vacuoles provide a defense against plant-eating animals." No chapter is without such examples that cite particular organisms to make a point. Where warranted, there is longer, intelligent discussion of organisms that don't clearly fall on one side of the fence. For example, there is a paragraph on how Volvox (a green algae) exhibits properties of both unicellular and multicellular organisms. There are interesting ecology sidebars on topics such as rain forests, global warming, and acid rain. Ecology is also not forgotten in the main text. The questions at the end of each chapter are also well thought out: There are sections of straightforward multiple choice, short answer, and vocabulary questions. Then there is a "Test Your Thinking" section with clever, fun questions that require one to reflect on the material rather than just regurgitate answers from rote; these questions often involve material from previous chapters, but are never vague nor require knowledge of something that was not presented before. It is complete. All 1100 pages considered, I am honestly at a loss for anything unfavorable to say. Too much to list here. It is so well done that I was dumbfounded to see any negative remarks at all!

This book is amazing. You will know all you need to know of life and beyond with this amazing book. It goes through cells, to genetics, to anatomy, animals, bacteria, disections, maps of organisms such as the human body, animals bodies and etc. This book is top of the line and couldn't get any better. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to know anything about biology, or "the study of life". Ha, see what I already learned.