This Hardcover Book item from W. H. Freeman was reviewed on 21-Oct-2008.
Search ISBN:0716787245 offer from Abebooks or used books from Alibris. Biochemistry (Biochemistry (Berg)) Reference Book. Classifications : Biochemistry Basic Sciences Medicine Medicine & Health Sciences New & Used Textbooks Custom Stores Specialty Stores Books General AAS Medicine & Health Sciences New & Used Textbooks Custom Stores Spec . Click the following link to view the cover of Biochemistry (Biochemistry (Berg)). Related topics: Biochemistry. Basic Sciences. Medicine. Custom Stores. Specialty Stores. Books. General AAS. Custom Stores. Specialty Stores. Books. requestid: 8649f5b1-8b05-4841-865d-e236aef6e9c3
requestprocessingtime: 0.0888810000000000
salesrank: 59256
edition: Sixth Edition
numberofitems: 1
packagedimensions: 1601090550850
1) Hardcover Book Biochemistry (Biochemistry (Berg)) by W. H. Freeman. I think the service is wonderful. I got the book three days later after I ordered it online.¤ 2) Hardcover Book Biochemistry (Biochemistry (Berg)) by W. H. Freeman. I´m halfway through a biochemistry course using this book (Edition 6).
I care about textbooks. Some really go the extra mile to make concepts accessible and memorable. Not this book.
Berg et al are the opposite of exciting. They fail to provide emphasis and perspective that would help concepts stick. Read Richard Feynman´s Physics series to see what exciting teaching is all about. He understands what is amazing and what deserves special treatment, use of analogies, etc.
Berg et al use a very stodgy dry style, I think in an effort to avoid saying anything wrong, which is admirable. Feynman on the other hand is not afraid to make lively oversimplifications, and warns you he is, in order to get the basic concept across. Then he slowly develops the concept to a more sophisticated level, sometimes leaving the original model behind, but that´s OK because you take an intuitive path similar to the original scientists discovering the concepts.
Berg et al on the other hand insist on a kind of "top-down" approach where often a subject is introduced with sentences thick with generalizations that make no sense (or only vague sense) until more specific examples or detail is developed later. A little top-down is ok if it is simple and gives you a roadmap. Berg et al do it heavy-handedly, often using terms which have not been defined, leaving you to thumb wildly through previous chapters wondering if you missed something.
Top-down explanations are very appealing to writers who already know the material thoroughly. A best-kept-secret of teaching though is that bottom-up explanations (start with building blocks and work up to complex concepts) is really how powerful learning takes place. It´s how the concepts were developed in the first place; it´s how we learned in kindergarten.
To be fair, my organic (and inorganic) chemistry background is weak, as perhaps with many biology students. Berg et al assume you know chemistry thoroughly, and that is understandable. But aside from that, the language and writing style is simply dense, dry, and requires you pay close attention to each word in the sentence so you don´t misinterpret what is being said. Again, compare it to Feynman´s writing. The concepts are not easy in his books, but you really feel caught up in his explanations.
Using Berg/Stryer is exhausting, not what I admire in a textbook. I encourage students to make frequent trips to the index, as quick visits to later chapters may very well help you understand an earlier chapter better (for instance tRNA mechanisms). Or just read it back to front, it might flow better that way :) By the way, I agree with other reviewers that criticize the index as being mediocre (does not indicate where the prime definition of terms are), and in general the authors do not seem to understand the importance of defining terms clearly and emphatically prior to referencing them.
I think often reviewers that give favorable reviews to books such as this already know the material so of course the sentences full of generalizations and undefined terms make perfect sense. However, the true value of a textbook is careful organization, defining of terms, making distinctions, building up of concepts out of simpler ideas, demystifying convoluted concepts, highlighting what is important, and clearly pointing out when simplified results of non-obvious concepts are employed (such as reaction rates, equilibrium constants). This book gets low grades for that kind of teaching.
On the other hand, I´ve noticed that most biochemistry books just blast you with new substances, sentence after sentence, with little substantiating or clarifying logic, as if you are on a memorization marathon; so I can´t suggest a better single alternative at this time. Someone needs to write a book with the approach of imparting a usable set of knowledge with some kind of theme (such as understanding mechanisms to fight cancer). Perhaps the field is just so vast that one must wade in hip deep and muck around for several years until some light begins to dawn. I would like to believe a good book can be written with a building block approach.
The book does get high grades for excellent summaries at the ends of the chapters and additional (but I´ve seen more) references. The authors take their duties very seriously to present correct and accurate information. They are just not the most gifted writer/teachers to come along.¤ 3) Hardcover Book Biochemistry (Biochemistry (Berg)) by W. H. Freeman. Great quality as advertised. I would have prefered to receive it a couple of days earlier but it was not late.¤ 4) Hardcover Book Biochemistry (Biochemistry (Berg)) by W. H. Freeman. The product was better than I asked for! Perfect shape and great deal! Would definately do business with again!!¤ 5) Hardcover Book Biochemistry (Biochemistry (Berg)) by W. H. Freeman. This book gives the reader an indepth view of Biochemistry. The pictures are helpful and the text is typical of a Biochem book.¤ 6) Hardcover Book Biochemistry (Biochemistry (Berg)) by W. H. Freeman. In the new edition of Biochemistry, instructors will see the all the hallmark features that made this a consistent bestseller for the undergraduate biochemistry course: exceptional clarity and concision, a more biological focus, cutting-edge content, and an elegant, uncluttered design. Accomplished in both the classroom and the laboratory, coauthors Jeremy Berg and John Tymoczko draw on the field’s dynamic research to illustrate its fundamental ideas. ¤Page Updated: Robert N. Goolsby, 18-Nov-2008, 07167872459780716787242, 790-140-450-500-040-810-590-8 
Biochemistry (Biochemistry (Berg)), Book, Image © W. H. Freeman
|
