Schaum's Outline of Biology

My favorite chapters included Kingdom Fungi, Photosynthesis,excretory system and structure and function of chloroplasta. Like a previous reviewer, I used this book to prepare for the biology section of the DAT (Dental Admission Test). This is a good reference, it explains with examples that get the facts to stick to your brain. Yes, it requires studying, but then again what subject doesn't? Another great book I totally recommend is "The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations". Volumes 1,2 and 3. It is written by Patrick Leonardi. It is an excellent review for the biology portion of the DAT exam..

If you're using this to review for a test (mine was the DAT), Schaum's is a good choice. A previous reviewer complained that the book is poorly organized and has too much historical detail; this is partially true, but this book is also much more compact than a standard intro Bio text and covers just about everything you will need. After you understand how things work, biology is really just a collection of facts that you need to memorize (e.g., glucose is first turned to glucose 6-phosphate in glycolysis or the excretory organs of insects are Malphigian tubules). The way I would go about preparing is to make a list of biology topics that you need help with the most (topics you need the most review with first, topics you need the least review with last) and study them in that order. Consult your school text to clarify if you still have trouble understanding a concept. Then get a spiral notebook and jot down everything you think is important to remember - keep this notebook handy and find a time to go over it regularly (like before you go to bed at night). You will find that after a few reads, it is possible to know just about everything important covered in the book. It is quite easy to cover 1 - 3 chapters a day using this method, depending on how well you already understand the topic and there are a total of 33 chapters, making a one month review of Biology very doable. Good luck.

A great concise yet thorough review of biology. Everything is explained very clearly and logically (although like any complex subject you may have to re-read portions). But the authors don't talk down to you -- they assume an intelligent reader. What I really liked is the authors' commitment to helping you UNDERSTAND the subject, rather than just giving you facts to memorize. The historical and conceptual background they provide for different topics really helps you grasp the material. If you really want to understand biology rather than just have facts rehashed, this is the outline for you. (Note: I would suggest having a biology dictionary handy -- the Oxford Dictionary of Biology worked for me.)

This is a fantastic reference for everyone interested in biology from laymen to graduate students. Despite being mercifully thin and portable (as compared to those massive textbooks), this book manages to cover all of the key topics in biology ranging from biochemistry and molecular biology to ecology. Moreover, the treatment is sometimes surprisingly sophisticated; this is indeed a real science book, not pop science. At the same time, the writing style is very simple and clear, and therefore easy to understand, yet also concise, so you don't have to waste your time reading a lot of fluff. The format of the book is also pedagogically very effective because it mixes standard narrative text with solved example problems, questions which are posed and then answered in essay format, and problems for the reader to solve. Finally, the price of the book is so ridiculously low that you might even feel a little guilty that you are getting so much while paying so little! IN SHORT, DON'T HESITATE TO BUY THIS BOOK IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST IN BIOLOGY AT ALL.

I am a chemistry/pre-medical student at Florida Agricultural & Mechanical University; therefore, biology is a very integral part of my curriculum. I didn't have a strong biology foundation before my matriculation to college. However, at the suggestion of my academic advisor, I purchased this book. Thus far, it has been on target with my biology textbook. It's almost as if the authors of my text collaborated with the authors of this installment of the Schaum's Outline Series. Without this book, I would be lost. It is a must-buy for any and all college students aspiring to pass biology with a healthy understanding of the course.