Product Description

Created to spark students' sense of wonder about life in its many forms, Biology: Concepts and Connections, Fourth Edition invites students into the world of biology. While encouraging students to explore interactive media activities, the text facilitates mastery of concepts and core biological material through unique modules that combine exceptional art, text that “walks” students through the illustrations, and compelling real-world connections. These modules help students break down the reading into manageable sections and allow flexibility in tailoring the material to make Biology: Concepts and Connections, Fourth Edition the perfect fit for your syllabus.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2039293 in Books
• Published on: 2002-08-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback

About the Author

Neil A. Campbell has taught general biology for 30 years, and with Dr. Reece, has coauthored Biology, Sixth Edition, the most widely used text for biology majors. His enthusiasm for sharing the fun of science with students stems from his own undergraduate experience. He began at Long Beach State College as a history major, but switched to zoology after general education requirements "forced" him to take a science course. Following a B.S. from Long Beach, he earned an M.A. in Zoology from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the University of California, Riverside.

He has published numerous articles on how certain desert plants thrive in salty soil and how sensitive plant (Mimosa) and other legumes move their leaves. His diverse teaching experiences include courses for non-biology majors at Cornell University, Pomona College, and San Bernardino Valley College, where he received the first Outstanding Professor Award in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at UC Riverside, which recognized him as the university's Distinguished Alumnus for 2001. In addition to Biology, Sixth Edition, he is coauthor of Essential Biology.

Jane B. Reece has worked in biology publishing since 1978, when she joined the editorial staff of Benjamin Cummings. Her education includes an A.B. in Biology from Harvard University, an M.S. in Microbiology from Rutgers University, and a Ph.D. in Bacteriology from the University of California, Berkeley. At UC Berkeley and later as a post-doctoral fellow in genetics at Stanford University, her research focused on genetic recombination in bacteria. Dr. Reece taught biology at Middlesex County College (New Jersey) and Queensborough Community College (New York). During her 12 years as an editor at Benjamin Cummings, she played major roles in a number of successful textbooks. Subsequently, she was a coauthor of The World of the Cell, Third Edition, with W. M. Becker and M. F. Poenie. With Dr. Campbell, she coauthors Biology, Sixth Edition, and Essential Biology.

Lawrence G. Mitchell has 21 years of experience teaching a broad range of life science courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. He holds a B.S. degree in Zoology from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Zoology and Microbiology from the University of Montana. Following postdoctoral research with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Mitchell joined the biology faculty at Iowa State University in 1971. He received the Outstanding Teacher Award at Iowa State in 1982. In addition to numerous research publications in aquatic parasitology, Dr. Mitchell has coauthored the textbook Zoology, two laboratory manuals, and a study guide for introductory biology. He has also developed television courses in general biology and has written, produced, and narrated programs on wildlife biology for public television. Dr. Mitchell is a full-time writer.

Martha R. Taylor has been teaching biology for more than 20 years. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Gettysburg College and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Science Education from Cornell University. She was Assistant Director of the Office of Instructional Support at Cornell for seven years. She has taught introductory biology for both majors and non-majors at Cornell University for many years and is currently a visiting lecturer in Cornell's introductory biology laboratory course. Based on her experiences working with students from high school and community college through university, in both classrooms and tutorials, Dr. Taylor is committed to helping students create their own knowledge of and appreciation for biology. She has been the author of the Student Study Guide for all six editions of Biology by Drs. Campbell and Reece.

Customer Reviews

It's alive!
I love this Biology book. I first studied biology nearly twenty-five years ago with a huge and lovely biology book written by an author whose name unfortunately escapes me. I loved that book, and have always judged future biology texts against that one; this one measures up well against my memory of that text.

The fourth edition of `Biology: Concepts & Connections' is an excellent, thorough introduction to the science of biology. It is used at the community college where I tutor (biology and other sciences) for general education and nursing students. The book is divided into seven major sections: The Life of a Cell; Cellular Reproduction and Genetics; Concepts of Evolution; Biological Diversity; Animals; Plants; and finally, general Ecology.

After an interesting introduction, which talks about discovery-based science in addition to theoretical/hypothesis science with interesting examples (the Australian Flying Fox, flies that mimic spiders), the first unit on the Life of the Cell looks at basic structure and chemistry of cells. Even though this text deals with chemistry, a chemistry background is not required. Care is taken from the outset to relate the biology tasks to `everyday life', things that people know and care about - there is a look at athletic performance with slow-twitch and fast-twitch muscles, light in the lives of plants, and even look at the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

The unit on Cellular Reproduction and Genetics introduces a hot topic in general conversation today, including discussions of medicine and law in addition to the basic theory, with some of the latest information included. The units on Concepts of Evolution and Biological Diversity include new features such as discussion on mitochondrial DNA comparison and the use of molecular clocks to date divergence in evolutionary paths. Topics such as increasing resistance of bacteria to antibiotics are discussed, and the interesting evolutionary situation of Australia, separated from the major landmasses of the rest of the world, shows an interesting side-show on biological diversity.

The unit on Animals will be the most interesting for many, and the diversity here includes discussions from geckos to bears to human traits shared with and different from other animals. Particularly for our nursing students, the sections on respiration (anaerobic and aerobic), broken bones, immune systems, blood-cell diseases and the like really drive home the need for a basic understanding of biology.

The units on Plants and Ecology draw in the larger mass of living things sharing our planet, work to show how the environment operates from the standpoint of individual plants to entire ecosystems. Interesting current topics such as organic farming, population ecology, endangered species and global warming drive home the importance of biology.

The book is very colourful, both in text copy and in pictures. Headers reinforce the broader topics while modules give key concepts within each broad topic. Diagrams are arranged with numbered steps to help understanding, and there are frequent references to website and CD-ROM additions. Key questions are asked at each conceptual point. The `behind the scenes' information helps reinforce the concepts both with the hot topics involved in biological issues today, as well as the personalities driving the science in key areas. Each chapter has a summary of key points, concept questions and multiple-choice questions for test preparation. There are well over 100 `Connection' Modules and `Talking about Science' Modules. Each of the 38 chapters has an interesting, inviting essay as introduction. There are probably 200 CD-ROM and website activities to engage the students, everything from the cloning of genes in bacteria to steroid hormone action to the Honeybee waggle dance.

This is a very good book, with lots of information - it is also a flexible book, and certain portions can be omitted in a syllabus without diminishing the overall text. I find myself constantly glancing through the chapters and reading the interesting essays and connection modules between my tutoring appointments. That's the mark of a good textbook.