World Famous Comics: Organic Chemistry as a Second Language: Translating the Basic Concepts
Organic Chemistry as a Second Language: Translating the Basic Concepts
By: David R. Klein Publisher: Wiley Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Label: Wiley Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 303 Publication Date: October 22, 2003
Product Description: Organic chemistry may be challenging, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get the grade you want. This book points out the major principles in organic chemistry and explains why they are relevant to the rest of the course. It provides time-saving study tips and a clear roadmap for your studies that will help you focus your efforts. And it helps you develop the skills you need to solve a variety of problems types—even unfamiliar ones!
A great help! I took o chem 15 years ago and remembered nothing. I bought this book and studied it the summer before I took the course. Having pre-learned the concepts in this book really helped me several times through the course, primarily with resonance, chair conformations and sn1, sn2 and e2 reactions. And I got and A in the course! I'm currently reading the second semester book to get ready for second semester.
Good for the basics This book is an excellent reference for anyone looking to nail down the basic concepts presented in the first part of organic chemistry. In this sense, the book does exactly what it sets out to do, and does it very well. A perfectly clear writing style and plenty of examples ensure that the concepts are stuck in your head come exam time. The only flaw I found with this book is that it does not quite reach the level of detail that was necessary in my organic chemistry course, at least. The author tends to lay out general rules but leave out some important exceptions to those rules; in short, make sure you use this in conjunction with a full textbook, not as a textbook replacement. Used this way, it has the potential to significantly help you through organic chemistry I.
Help to Pass Organic Chemistry Regular hard cover textbooks break my back. Organic Chemistry I as a Second Language is just right.
SO FAR, SO GOOD I am, regretfully, attempting to learn "orgo" on my own with a used Wade text, a Schaum's Outline and this excellent book. Probably worth the money for its discussion of Resonance structures (and this is only the first two chapters). My text starts explaining resonance structures when from as if out of nowhere, BAM!!! The text starts asking you to draw only the SIGNIFICANT resonance structures with absolutely zero explanation as to what constitutes a "significant" resonance structure. Not to belabor the point, but Klein does an excellent job of breaking down not only how to draw resonant structures, but also how to determine which are significant. My accuracy level has increased by at least a factor of three. I still feel as though there are some structures that follow Klein's rules and yet don't appear in his answer key. Unfortunately, without a professor to ask (I am currently deployed in the Indian Ocean) I don't know if I am correct or if I am completely missing the point. In any event, while mine is not the recommended method for learning Organic Chemistry, I am doing much better than I had been doing without this book. Buy this BEFORE you start taking the course and you will not waste your money.
Great Supplement for Students of Organic Chemistry As a professor of Organic Chemistry, I have found that this little book is an excellent supplement for students. It is well organized, has many helpful tips, is very readable and presents information in enough detail to be more helpful than typical "review" books.
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