Rating: 
- Excellent textbook
I am currently taking an AP chemistry course in high school and this book is really great. It explains the topics in good detail, but sticks to the point and doesn't start talking about some other topic. The explanations are really thorough and they have some really good 3-D images that help you visualize molecules better (this is useful especially for molecular bonding). Another great feature of this book is the summary they give at the end of each chapter and the numerous sample problems with FULL EXPLANATIONS for each step you take. Unlike other chemistry books that are vague and confusing, this textbook is able to thoroughly explain subjects without all the confusing terms that you'll find in other chemistry books.
Rating: - Excellent Text
I used this book in my General Chem I class a couple of years back and have since used it as a resource for my organic, biochem classes and MCAT review. The book was very easy to read compared to others and the examples were straight forward and easy to follow. The authors also attempted to include scientific/medical relevance to some of the issues covered. The most difficult chapter in the book to read is quantum theory; however, this topic is typically difficult for anyone to understand at first.
This book will be going to medical school with me this fall for sure.
Rating:
- Helpful
This book has been a big help to me as a reference source to fall back on. especially the CD that came with it. This book covers everything from thermo chemistry to organic chemistry. The website is somewhat insightful as well.
Rating:
- Not at all for beginners
I am currently taking an AP chemistry class, and we use this book. The class is meant to be extremely difficult, accelarated, and in-depth. We cover 22 out of the 25 chapters; we do not do modern materials, chemistry of the environment, or coordination compounds.
I feel like this book tries to cover too much for a first year college course. For example, I think they go overboard with the organic and biochemistry, the metallurgy, and the molecular orbitals at the end of chapter 9.
However, I think chapters like the one on electronic structure should take more time on the electrol configuration on transition metals and exceptions to Hund's rule and less time on the line spectra, the Bohr model, and the wave behavior of matter. The quantum mechanics, which I consider to be a very important part of electronic structure, is summarized in a table and barely explained.
The best part of the book is that there are a ton of problems for practice.
It is NOT a good book to use if you are trying to teach yourself college chemistry. You absolutely must have a teacher in conjunction with this book.
Rating: - Finally, a readable Chemistry text...
I used this book for Chemistry II (second semester General College Chemistry). Compared to my first semester text, this is the best text ever.
College chemistry is designed to be difficult, the books shouldn't be. My 1st textbook talked and discussed as if we were Master's student's majoring in chemistry... not freshman.
This text speaks generally in ENGLISH and not in Chemistry jargon like so many textbooks do.
You won't get all the unneccessary information that many other texts have, and the author's seem like they actually want you to learn chemistry... not a common idea in chemistry texts or by professors.
Of course, as with any college level text, a basic high school chemistry course is recommended before taking or reading this text...
Enjoy!!!
- Excellent textbookI am currently taking an AP chemistry course in high school and this book is really great. It explains the topics in good detail, but sticks to the point and doesn't start talking about some other topic. The explanations are really thorough and they have some really good 3-D images that help you visualize molecules better (this is useful especially for molecular bonding). Another great feature of this book is the summary they give at the end of each chapter and the numerous sample problems with FULL EXPLANATIONS for each step you take. Unlike other chemistry books that are vague and confusing, this textbook is able to thoroughly explain subjects without all the confusing terms that you'll find in other chemistry books.
Rating:
- Excellent TextI used this book in my General Chem I class a couple of years back and have since used it as a resource for my organic, biochem classes and MCAT review. The book was very easy to read compared to others and the examples were straight forward and easy to follow. The authors also attempted to include scientific/medical relevance to some of the issues covered. The most difficult chapter in the book to read is quantum theory; however, this topic is typically difficult for anyone to understand at first.
This book will be going to medical school with me this fall for sure.
Rating:
- HelpfulThis book has been a big help to me as a reference source to fall back on. especially the CD that came with it. This book covers everything from thermo chemistry to organic chemistry. The website is somewhat insightful as well.
Rating:
- Not at all for beginnersI am currently taking an AP chemistry class, and we use this book. The class is meant to be extremely difficult, accelarated, and in-depth. We cover 22 out of the 25 chapters; we do not do modern materials, chemistry of the environment, or coordination compounds.
I feel like this book tries to cover too much for a first year college course. For example, I think they go overboard with the organic and biochemistry, the metallurgy, and the molecular orbitals at the end of chapter 9.
However, I think chapters like the one on electronic structure should take more time on the electrol configuration on transition metals and exceptions to Hund's rule and less time on the line spectra, the Bohr model, and the wave behavior of matter. The quantum mechanics, which I consider to be a very important part of electronic structure, is summarized in a table and barely explained.
The best part of the book is that there are a ton of problems for practice.
It is NOT a good book to use if you are trying to teach yourself college chemistry. You absolutely must have a teacher in conjunction with this book.
Rating:
- Finally, a readable Chemistry text...I used this book for Chemistry II (second semester General College Chemistry). Compared to my first semester text, this is the best text ever.
College chemistry is designed to be difficult, the books shouldn't be. My 1st textbook talked and discussed as if we were Master's student's majoring in chemistry... not freshman.
This text speaks generally in ENGLISH and not in Chemistry jargon like so many textbooks do.
You won't get all the unneccessary information that many other texts have, and the author's seem like they actually want you to learn chemistry... not a common idea in chemistry texts or by professors.
Of course, as with any college level text, a basic high school chemistry course is recommended before taking or reading this text...
Enjoy!!!