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 | | Modern Biology Student Edition by A. Towle ISBN-10: 9780030748820 ISBN-10: 0-03-074882-8 ISBN-13: 9780030748820 ISBN-13: 978-0-03-074882-0 Hardcover 1993-01 Holt Rinehart and Winston Find Lowest Price |
Reviews | ||
Modern Biology I am a biology teacher and I have advanced degrees in Biochemistry. I really dislike the textbook "Modern Biology" by Towle. In my experience some topics are placed in the least opportune places. Thus while the topic of redox reactions is introduced in Chapter 2, there is no real tie-in to anything else until Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration in later chapters. I would prefer leaving the explanation of Redox until Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration are discussed. Similarly, the topic of enzymes and catalysis are brought up before the student is introduced to proteins. I just don't see the logic with which topics are organized. | ||
Terrible I'm a high school Biology student, and this is the textbook our teacher's using. This book is terrible due to the fact that it expects you to blatantly memorize all of the material in it; I mean, the content is presented in the most terrible way possible, making it utterly useless for you to understand what you're reading before you memorize it. In the Chemistry chapters, I reverted to referring to an IGCSE textbook because of how bad the explanations were. If you want a better Biology textbook, look elsewhere. | ||
Excellent --I mean outstanding in every way. I have two unrelated degrees, and had only high school biology. I use this book for self-study. It is perfect. Its long list of reviewers gave me confidence in its lessons. I find it plain and understandable. The explanations and definitions could not be made simpler. Superbly illustrated, the book also makes good use of boldface type and color. When a new term is introduced, its pronunciation is given right there, and selected useful etymologies are given in the margins. It begins with an overview of biology and the basics of scientific method, experimentation, what a hypothesis is, inference and theories, microscopy, etcetera. Then there is a GREAT review of basic chemistry, and the book logically progresses into biochemistry, cell theory, reproduction, and on "up." There are no gaps; everything is built on what came before. It is concise yet interesting because it cites quick examples. For example, the section on vacuoles explains how these intracellular toxic waste containers can be beneficial to the plant: "For instance, the poisons that certain acacia trees have in their vacuoles provide a defense against plant-eating animals." No chapter is without such examples that cite particular organisms to make a point. Where warranted, there is longer, intelligent discussion of organisms that don't clearly fall on one side of the fence. For example, there is a paragraph on how Volvox (a green algae) exhibits properties of both unicellular and multicellular organisms. There are interesting ecology sidebars on topics such as rain forests, global warming, and acid rain. Ecology is also not forgotten in the main text. The questions at the end of each chapter are also well thought out: There are sections of straightforward multiple choice, short answer, and vocabulary questions. Then there is a "Test Your Thinking" section with clever, fun questions that require one to reflect on the material rather than just regurgitate answers from rote; these questions often involve material from previous chapters, but are never vague nor require knowledge of something that was not presented before. It is complete. All 1100 pages considered, I am honestly at a loss for anything unfavorable to say. Too much to list here. It is so well done that I was dumbfounded to see any negative remarks at all! | ||
Learned A lot--But Hated Learning This book really goes in depth in information on all aspects of Biology. However, as a student, I have found that it is extremely difficult to learn from without the direct aid from a biologist or teacher. The vocabulary is over extravagent for a teaching book, and the section review questions badly organized and tiresome. The pictures and diagrams did help me to learn a lot however, because it combined visual along with analytic learning. Overall, I have learned a lot, but had a hard time learning it. And I may well forget this within a few weeks. | ||
Frustration This book is not organized logically and provides an inappropriate level of detail in some areas while offering only very basic information in others. As a novice teacher, I find it frustrating. The section and chapter review questions are also too ambiguous. Students have a hard time determining what exactly questions are asking. I am frustrated by this book. It doesn't work for me or my ninth grade students. I give it two stars because I DO like the writing excercises and "Biology in Progress" sections. | ||