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Biology: Concepts and Applications (Cloth with InfoTrac and CD-ROM) (Brooks/Cole Biology Series)
Cecie Starr
Edition: 5
Retail Price (not our price): $125.95
ISBN: 0534385494
ISBN-13: 9780534385491
Publication Date: 2002-02-08
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 880


Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):

1) Product Description
This best-selling text is designed to help students understand biology by engaging them in learning in every way possible. The book's extensive array of multimedia resources enriches the book's hallmark features: unique visuals on every page, applications in every chapter that show how biology is inextricably linked to everyday life, and activities and resources throughout the book that encourage critical thinking and spark curiosity in biological investigation. CD-ROM and segments on the FREE accompanying interactive CD-ROM, as well as CNN Today Videos, Web links, and reading from the InfoTrac College Edition library are all integrated with the text to support, illuminate, and reinforce the text. Cecie Starr's visuals work hand in hand with her clear writing. Each basic concept appears as a one- or two-page concept spread. This format helps student focus on information in manageable easy-to-understand segments. Main points are laid out clearly, summarized, and reinforced by visuals. The carefully written transitions between Concept Spreads help students grasp how each concept fits into the whole story. In the process, students develop an understanding of biology's amazing diversity and underlying unity.

Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 4.0 out of 5

1) great reference book to have around   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
has been very useful to get some basics cleared

2) A Great Book   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I used this book for my introduction to Biology class my freshman year of college. Cecie Starr has a good way to explaining to me certain concepts by using current research that is easy to understand, and connects to the chapter. She uses examples and images illustrating the concept that I thought were helpful, and I was surprised by how up-to-date the book really was (the most recent thing I've seen is the SARS virus), and was even more fascinated for it. Also, Starr makes a point in redefining terms, or telling in what section the term is defined, so that the reading is more understandable.I honestly enjoyed this book over every other boring biology book I've had in the past. She uses great examples and explanations that helped me to learn. I always need something to attach the information to, and this book worked well in doing that for me.As for the online material, I used it very infrequently, so I guess I can't really comment on it well. The CD with the book uses videos, quizzes, flashcards, and links to helpful websites. It's helped when I've used it, but I haven't found much reason to since I understood the book well. However, if you are someone who needs exercises and flashcards, and to see outlines of the chapters, this online material and the CD should help.

3) Good book, helpful for college bio   [Rating: 5 out of 5]
This was my text in my undergraduate biology classes. It is filled with a lot of information and can be intense at times. However, I must say is very complete. Topics such as ecology, evolution, animal structure and function were particularly interesting. I also used more than one source to study from. Patrick Leonardi's "The Ultimate Study Guide for Biology: Key Review Questions and Answers with Explanations (Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3) were right on the mark for great test preparation questions. They were just awesome and so helpful for helping me really get a hold on what is important to study for in biology. Cecie Starr's Biology: Concepts and Applications helped me to first learn biology. Patrick Leonardi's study guides showed me what kind of questions to get ready for on my bio I and II exams. These books helped me to pass biology with very good grades. I thank both these authors for writing these books.

4) too wordy, too advance for an intro book   [Rating: 1 out of 5]
cecie starr, gets mixed up in her own poorly written (and many times, poorly organized) textbook and produces numerous grammatical errors that make her sentences have two meanings, or mean something else that's completely wrong. the textbook uses too many pronouns, like "it" "them" "they" and you end up wasting time finding out what "that" was 2 to three sentences ago. one ends up spending too much time figuring out what she tried to mean, and the logic of her grammar, rather than learning the new material. so you end up reading a chapter over and over again without much help. her pages are jam packed with new and therefore hard concepts to grasp, without much explanation. starr needs an editor big time, especially when it comes to simplifying her complicated and poor writing of the already not so simple concepts of biology to new students. i do not recommend this book (or most of cecie starr's textbooks) to novices, this book is an easy read for bio experts.