Cengage Advantage Books: Biology: A Human Emphasis (Thomson Advantage Books)
342968
I paid half price here for what the book would have cost in my school book store, this site is part of what makes college affordable.
732508
This book will not tell you anything if you lack some basic life science training, or bioinformatics background. But I still give it 4 stars, because it may be a good reference book. The book listed a lot of useful web linkage, software, hardware. And this may be useful for molecular biologist, pharmacologist, biotech CEO.
4658736
Campbell's Biology has been the standard biology text for majors for many years. Though there are many good competitors, this is the one that consistently seems to rise to the top.

The breadth of coverage is good overall, with particular strengths in cell, molecular, and physiology sections of the text.  It's the one we chose to use in our year-long intro to biology majors course.

Not everything is roses, however.  For one thing, compared to other sections of the text the section on animal diversity is brief (perhaps unavoidably so)...after all, no book can be all things to all people.  The section on ecology is also a bit light compared to other sections of the text.  That's not surprising, since many intro courses these days don't touch much on ecology...more's the pitty.

The two biggest challenges associated with this book are it's mass, and massive price tag (not unique among textbooks today).  I have a difficult time sitting in a reading chair and getting into a comfortable position with this block of paper on my lap or in my hands.  It is, as mentioned in at least one other review, just too heavy.  The other challenge is the cost.  That's an issue with many textbooks today.  They are just so expensive that you almost need to take out a loan just to get your books.

Is there a way to get this book in an e-version, so I could load it onto a notebook computer?  At least that way the book would be in a computer that would probably weigh less...

There are pros and cons.  The pros seem to outweigh the cons for the moment.

One concern I have for the future of this text is that Campbell, the senior author, passed away recently.  We'll have to wait and see if subsequent editions are able to maintain the scope and quality of coverage that this and previous editions were able to manage.

5 stars for quality, minus one for weight and cost.  4 stars.

Alan Holyoak (Biol Prof)
2439956
The work on this book is professional and worthy of any biology course. Good addition to health curriculum. I would recommend that parents review the book before deciding whether it is appropriate for your children, everyone's views on educating offspring on the reproductive cycle are different. But it was a great help to us and knowledge is power.
2615553
Following the introduction, the book is structured around chapters on 7 'non-technical' (i.e. human factors related) skills.  These are: situational awareness, decision making, communications, team working, leadership, managing stress and coping with fatigue.  There are then 3 more general chapters on identifying, training and assessing non-technical skills.  The examples used are mostly from aviation, offshore and surgery.  There are extensive bibliographies after each chapter.  While covering some complex subjects the writing style is very accessible.
1075082
This is a high level biochemistry and biophysic book with a deep emphasis in nucleic acids.
3871240
I appreciate this book because it appeals to both my science set interests (BS Biology, pre med) and the practical, in terms of tips for implementing an IF schedule. This book is truly interesting and would dovetail nicely with a review of energy and metabolism in an Anatomy and Physiology class. Furthermore, the more advanced student will appreciate some of the cell signaling aspects of the book.
4854672
This book will give you great insight on the detailed knowledge associated with biology. Very good textbook!  Fun facts as well that are related to topics discussed.
3995957
I'm comparing this book (MB) to&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Molecular-Biology-of-the-Cell/dp/0815344325/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Molecular Biology of the Cell</a>&nbsp;(MBoC), which is probably my favorite textbook of all time.

This one (MB) is not as much of a general cell biology book as it primarily covers only the elements of the so-called "central dogma" of molecular biology. DNA replication and transcription into RNA, and RNA translation into protein, plus all the regulatory aspects of those processes (as well as chapters on the cell cycle, DNA repair, transposable elements, and genomics), unlike MBoC which spends more or less the first half of the book on those topics and then devotes the second half to the further biology of the Cell, covering things like membranes, energy conversion, cell signalling, cancer, and the immune system.

Both books do a good job of introducing the Biochemistry you need in order to understand what follows. MB has a great first chapter that gives an overview of the book (basically "Molecular Biology in 30 pages").

Where MB shines though is in its more in-depth coverage of the topics it touches on. It devotes about twice as many pages to these topics as the current edition of MBoC does. MB is also wonderfully illustrated and does a good job of visually explaining things. MB contains lots of "experimental" panels that talk about how various aspects of the cell were discovered.

Both books include chapters on techniques for manipulating the genetic material in cells. I thought the current edition of MBoC felt slightly more up to date, but both books are very current editions with a good overview of the current state of the art.

Both books are quite readable. I would give the edge to MBoC here in terms of ease of reading as MB seems just a bit denser to me. But both are very easily understandable.

I can highly recommend this book (MB) to anyone looking for an in-depth coverage of the central themes of molecular biology (how DNA and genes work). It goes pretty deep for a first course, but it does not presume much of any background knowledge so it would be an appropriate book to introduce someone to the subject who wants to understand things very thoroughly.

If I had to choose only one or the other I'd still prefer the new MBoC edition due to its much broader coverage of cell biology (it's also 50% larger and twice as expensive though), but this one is really excellent at what it covers. I bought it after previewing the "Look Inside" pages and I have not been disappointed.

If the mechanics of the functioning of cells interests you then you'll probably be fascinated and really enjoy the depth of knowledge you gain from this book, and it's something you'll want to keep and probably use frequently as a reference if you progress further in the study of biology. If you find the details tedious, then this one might be more depth than you want, and something like&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Essential-Cell-Biology-4th-Edition/dp/0815344546/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Essential Cell Biology, 4th Edition</a>&nbsp;might serve you better.

Currently this book is not available as a Kindle "Print Replica" e-textbook yet, where the other titles mentioned here are.

Really happy with the book, easily a 5+ star experience.

G.
1215129
I have a PhD in science from MIT and I have bought and read a number of books on genetics. This is one of the best introductory books, and most will be impressed with the scope, the size, the graphics, and the overall presentation. This must be one of the better "Dummies" books. The only other similar book is "Genetics" (2002) by Guttman et al, but it has less applications than the present book. Overall I would rate the present book as the best introductory book on the market today. I bought about 10 books including the present book.

What I like about the book is the shotgun approach. The author (not a relative) has five basic parts, i.e.:

- 1. Genetics Basics,

- 2. DNA: The Genetic Material,

- 3. Genetics and Your Health,

- 4. Generics and Your World,

- 5. The Part of Tens (genetic history and hot topics).

The first two parts are a general introduction to genetics. This is at a fairly sophisticated level, but made simple by good graphics and excellent writing. The third part describes some of the 200 cancers and how some common cancers are related to genetics. The are other topics here including Down's syndrome. Part 4 is on applications, such as human history, forensic DNA, cloning, ethics, and other topics. The last part describes major events in the development of genetics.

The author has presented a good index at the end along with a good guide to Web Sites so the reader can follow up some of the details.

Tara Robinson has managed to put together an excellent introduction with great graphics that is suitable for the average reader.

Highly recommend: 5 stars.
3597375
I'm not well versed in biological knowledge.  I never have taken a chemistry course and I only have high school level biology education.  I know little of genetics.  But, I've learned much from this book.  The reading is a bit over my head in some ways, but plain enough in others.  I have read into it to learn more about the processes of evolution at work.  It is an engaging and exciting read.

I won't bother readers with my rudimentary understanding.  I recognize that I'm sort of out of my league here.  But, I believe that knowledge is precious and that everything we can do to expand our knowledge is important, and thusly worth my time.  When theory is applied to the practical mechanics a booming picture of the evolutionary process is powerfully displayed.

You may have no interest in technical knowledge concerning biological formations, but I urge you to at least consider expanding your knowledge base with real information.  Don't buy popular level books which only cover someone else's agenda to promote their own view of the world.  Actually take the time to learn about the real information, the real world.  You won't understand evolution simply because someone else said so.  But, actually looking at what happens in evolution brings you all the more closer to real understanding.

That's the goal, right?
567341
Ancestors in Our Genome: The New Science of Human Evolution by Eugene E. Harris published by the Oxford University Press represents years of results of careful effort by one of the leading experts in the field. He is able to show how the newest findings in DNA research by leading biotech companies is expanding our global knowledge of the history of mankind and the migration of our human species worldwide. Dr. Harris is able to link humans to earlier forms of life before homo sapiens: hominids, homo erectus, homo habilis, Neanderthals, Denisovans, chimpanzees, gorillas, and other animals and show how DNA-based discoveries are swiftly changing long-held perceptions of these academic disciplines. Thus, we can distinguish what makes us human: our bipedal stature, upright heads, less sharpened teeth. The author has included plenty of drawings to illustrate his points. Dr. Harris writes about how humans have migrated around the world in surprisingly small sizes of populations. He also explains how the field of genetics has developed terms like selective soft sweeps to explain mutations within populations. These mutations have taken hundreds of thousands of years to change, and are but one example of a science that is evidently in a constant state of development and change as new discoveries are made. Fascinating reading overall. Well worth buying for yourself and for another as a gift.
325265
The book is very well planed and usefull. Its a nice book to teach and study human physiology. The programs help with the experiments.
3194072
As an undergrad I took a year's course (10 semester hrs.) titled: Comparative
anatomy and embryology of the vertebrates.  We used Libby Hyman's(?) book.
That course became the foundation for the whole of my biological universe.  An incredible
course and text ... not to mention Prof- Jane Claire Dirks-Edmunds excellent lectures.

Bonnan has , in a real sense, re-constructed that elder text and, essentially, the course, but
 with new data and a fresh set of perceptions.  A really great read!  A cornerstone edition!

My only problem is that it is printed in small type, hard on eyes,, but fewer pages(?).
1521814
Information on the influences of light on biological processes, and how these processes are thwarted by different types of disturbance of the natural solar radiation. The author reports on biological effects on plants, animals and man. Interesting information for anyone seeking to improve their own health, or those interested in medicine, biology and physics. The information has widespread implications and a potential to benefit product development in lighting / glazing / sun protection and the design of homes and medical facilities, to mention a few. It`s a technical book about scientific findings, but is easy to read, funny and wildly interesting. A book that suggests some easy changes you can implement in your everyday life today, along with others that require some more thought and planning.
1302509
David Sloan Wilson's book is a gem.  In some ways, it's the best general statement of how evolutionary science would explain human life.  It's written in a clear and engaging style that will appeal to general readers as well as scholars.  I will use it as a reading for a general course on evolution for undergraduate students from across my university, and I anticipate that it will stimulate their interest.

This book is based on Wilson's course on the idea of evolution at Binghamton University, which is the one required course for an interdisciplinary program on "Evolutionary Studies."  The course and the book survey Wilson's many interests and research topics in evolutionary reasoning.  The book organizes all of this into a broad evolutionary view of how human life fits into the order of nature.  He shows how evolutionary thinking provides a common language through which the natural sciences, the social sciences, and the humanities can be unified into a shared vision of liberal education.

The general theme of the book is conveyed by the title.  It's a book "for everyone," a book that makes evolutionary reasoning comprehensible to any human being willing to think about it.  And it presents evolution as a way of making sense of our lives as fitting within the natural order of the whole.  In arguing that we are "100 per cent a product of evolution," Wilson denies both religious creationism and secular creationism.  The religious creationist believes that human beings are set apart from nature by their God-given traits.  The secular creationist believes that human beings are set apart from nature by their capacities for rational choice and cultural learning, which create a human realm of artifice outside of nature.  The religious creationist denies Darwinian evolution completely.  The secular creationist accepts Darwinian evolution as explaining the ultimate causes of the living world as including the human body, while insisting that the human mind and human culture transcend Darwinian evolution.  Both forms of creationism assume the idea of human beings as "transcendent selves" above the natural world.

To support his claim tht Darwinian evolution explains all of human life, Wilson must defend a broad conception of evolution as including group selection as well as individual selection and cultural evolution as well as genetic evolution.  He must then show how human evolution working at many levels provides the ultimate explanation for uniquely human traits such as family life, morality, politics, religion, science, and the arts (including dance, music, literature, and the visual arts).

Edward O. Wilson's SOCIOBIOLOGY began the contemporary intellectual movement for applying evolutionary thinking to the social behavior of all animals, including human beings.  Now, David Wilson's EVOLUTION FOR EVERYBODY surveys the main ideas in that intellectual movement while pointing ahead to new frontiers of research.
3457087
Advances in genetics and developmental biology in the last five decades have challenged us to think about the role of genes preparing the species against the challenges of the environment. Biologist Richard Dawkins coins the metaphor selfish gene to suggest that genes are tempered by their need to keep their carrier species successful in nature, which is fundamental to its survival in the evolutionary process.

A brief summary of the book is as follows: Dawkins argues that the evolutionary concept of Natural Selection chooses specific sets of genes that confer the individual species to behave altruistically. For example, family and social behavior of feeding and protecting a social structure is common among species that share copies of the same genes. Within each individual species, some leave more fit offspring that contain some inheritable traits (genes). This non-random differential reproduction of genes is referred to as Natural Selection. A gene by cooperating with group if successful companion gene pools build a mortal machine that survives through a finite time. And all phenotypic effects, a set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from an interaction of its genotype with its environment is present in an individual body. Genes have different functions; some genes are workers, some builders, while others manage the operation as a whole. This helps us understand the complex genetic networks regulating metabolism, reproduction and development. The gene pools give an inside look at the intricate and often surprising adaptations among species. The genetics of immune systems, the evolutionary benefits of sexual reproduction, and genetic differences among human populations are few examples of adaptation and natural selection. For example, humans and chimpanzee share about 99% of their evolutionary history. But how is that humans claim to be more evolved than chimpanzees? How did they acquire bigger brains?

A comparison of the DNA of chimpanzees and humans showed that a single letter change in the DNA of one gene triggered an increase in a population of stem cells called basal radial glia. These cells are thought to have powered the expansion of the human cerebral cortex. It also seems that chunks of DNA in the human had acquired back-up copies of particular genes, That made them ripe for some evolutionary tinkering; if the copy happens to acquire a few coding errors, theres no problem, theres still the functioning original. Once in a while however, a copying error might lead to a new function that is useful. A closer look at a duplicated human gene named SRGAP2C is a slightly altered in humans, but the unaltered original gene is found in chimps but the human SRGAP2C, delayed the maturation of neurons so spines kept sprouting, which enabled them to make more connections. Neurons develop and they acquire spines that act like antennae for receiving messages from other neurons. But the spines stop sprouting once the neurons mature, but altered SRGAP2C, by delaying the maturation process help it to get big and develop more connections and increases the complexity of the brain as it happened in humans.

Another backup copy of a gene that is present in humans but absent from chimps called ARHGAP11B caused a particular population of brain stem cells  basal radial glia  to increase their rounds of multiplication and grow bigger. The altered FOXP2 gene, unique to humans is responsible for turning thoughts into speech, but the unaltered genome is present in chimps where this evolutionary behavior is absent.

This book is 548 pages long and contains very little biological or genetic data. It is written for general readers that require no significant knowledge in evolutionary biology.