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intereact!Wayne M. Becker, Lewis J. Kleinsmith, Jeff Hardin
Edition: 6
Retail Price (not our price): $146.80
ISBN: 0805346805
ISBN-13: 9780805346800
Publication Date: 2005-04-03
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 944
Editorial Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
1) Product Description
The World of the Cell continues the tradition of previous editions widely praised for covering some of the most difficult concepts ¿ bioenergetics, metabolism, enzyme kinetics, thermodynamics, membrane transport, cell signaling, regulatory mechanisms, transcription and translation, signal transduction, and DNA replication and recombination ¿ at the right level. A Preview of the Cell, The Chemistry of the Cell, The Macromolecules of the Cell, Cells and Organelles, Bioenergetics: The Flow of Energy in the Cell, Enzymes: The Catalysts of the Cell, Membranes: Their Structure, Function, and Chemistry, Transport Across Membranes: Overcoming the Permeability Barrier, Chemotrophic Energy Metabolism: Glycolysis and Fermentation, Chemotrophic Energy Metabolism: Aerobic Respiration, Phototrophic Energy Metabolism: Photosynthesis, Intracellular Compartments: The Endoplasmic Reticulum, Golgi Complex, Endosomes, Lysosomes, and Peroxisomes, Signal Transduction Mechanisms: I. Electrical Signals in Nerve Cells, Signal Transduction Mechanisms: II. Messengers and Receptors, Cytoskeletal Systems, Cellular Movement: Motility and Contractility, Beyond the Cell: Extracellular Structures, Cell Adhesion, and Cell Junctions, The Structural Basis of Cellular Information: DNA, Chromosomes, and the Nucleus, The Cell Cycle: DNA Replication, Mitosis, and Cancer, Sexual Reproduction: Meiosis and Genetic Recombination, Gene Expression: I. The Genetic Code and Transcription, Gene Expression: II. Protein Synthesis and Sorting, The Regulation of Gene Expression, Cancer For all readers interested in bioenergetics, metabolism, enzyme kinetics, thermodynamics, membrane transport, cell signaling, regulatory mechanisms, transcription and translation, signal transduction, and DNA replication and recombination.
Customer Reviews (supplied by Amazon.com):
Average Customer Rating: 3.0 out of 5
1) Misguided Reviews- I loved this book [Rating: 5 out of 5]
I know that Cell Biology is a difficult subject to master, so there will always be shortcomings in a textbook's ability to communicate the subject in an understandable fashion. However, I thought this book was awesome. I followed the text entirely. I loved the fact that this text was an introductory text and didn't assume that the reader has previous knowledge of the subject. The authors explained everything. In later chapters of the book, they would summarize previously mentioned material, and reference you to the appropriate section of the book if you needed a more in-depth recap. The figures and tables are incredibly helpful in visualizing what is going on within each molecular process. Like I said, loved this book. I will say that I didn't find the CD-ROM helpful at all, but I won't dock points from such a good book for that reason. Good luck to everyone with your studies. Hope you enjoy the text.2) Know one of the authors... Still hate the book. [Rating: 1 out of 5]
I am a student taking a Cellular bio class from Jeff Hardin. While he is a terrific lecturer, I, like many of these reviewers, find the book extremely difficult to follow. The index is incomplete. The text will highlight a word as if it is the definition (see cis-acting element), while the glossary definition includes information merely glossed over in text. Isn't the text where you are supposed to get a complete description as well as examples, while the glossary provides the concise definition? The glossary definition of endocytosis doesn't even include the directionality of the vesicle. The section on the Calvin cycle is needlessly complex. I found myself viewing an overview on the MIT website, so that I finally understood what the book was getting at. Then I went back to the book and understood the reading. I shouldn't have to look up each topic online to get an overview before I read the book. For most courses I take, the book is the reference we refer to first. Not so for this course with this book. This is doubling the amount of homework time spent on an already complex topic. The diagrams include many acronyms with little or no explanation. Pretty pictures, but they don't elucidate the key points without a different text for explanation. I am almost done with this semester and am on my way to getting an AB, the equivalent of either an A- or a B+ at other universities. I do not feel as if I have learned much for the amount of time I have spent, and I am an extremely hardworking honors student. GET ANOTHER BOOK.3) The pictures are its only saving grace [Rating: 2 out of 5]
I used this text for pre-med biology course-- I was simulataneously taking Biochemistry as well, but more on that later.The text, while not overwhemingly as detailed as other reviewers write, was all in all okay, but fell short in many areas. One of them is the distinct typographical and grammatical errors that riddled, what seemed, to be the only chapters we covered. There were many sentences that were run-ons, which disrupted the learning and flow of the text (and, in my opinion, a textbook backed by such a major publisher as this, errors like that are out of the question).Sometimes, for instance in the TCA chapter, I felt that the material presented on Oxidative Phosphorylation seemed out of order, and just a bit too condensed.The photosynthesis chapter was utterly horrible.The exercises at the end were poorly written, and seemed to ask esoteric questions about common topics. The answers to these questions were esoteric still.I felt that the only saving grace about this were the wonderful pictures: I liked how each chapter opened up an exhaustive diagram. Other than that, this is book pretty much only a decent cell bio book, but no biochemistry one.4) Good Cell Book for those who need to know biochem [Rating: 4 out of 5]
I think the recent reviews of this book have been unfair. I have looked at the beginning chapters of this recent (6th)revision and I think the book has remained a great quality Cell Biology book. As stated in other reviews, the book is detailed, but most good schools will require you to know at least the level of detail presented in this book and likely more. I found this book to be an excellent preparation for more advanced classes in Cell Biology (which used Alberts) and Biochemistry. The book is organized to make sure the students have the underlying knowledge to successfully understand more complex concepts later. The only major drawback of this book is that Alberts exists and the eloquence and sophistication in Alberts is lacking in Becker's World of the Cell. That said, I still recommend this book for people needing to know and understand all the basics of Cell biology/biochemistry.5) Very confusion and tough to read [Rating: 1 out of 5]
I'm a BIO major and this book must be the worst text I've been required to read. Seems to be a giant collection of facts, somewhat organized into chapters and extremely difficult to read and follow. If you have to read this text, be sure that your instructor explains it clearly or else you're screwed! I'd give it a 1/2 star but 1 is the lowest this system allows.