Biologie. (original 1987; udgave 2003)

2nd Edition; Also have wookbook

This is a fabulous book. It also came with access to a free digital copy of the book, which was very handy. ( )

Sehr zu empfehlen! Die beste Einführung in die Biologie überhaupt. Schön verständlich geschrieben. Allerdings nur als Einführung zu nutzen, auch für das Grundstudium kann es sein, dass es alleine nicht reicht. Beispielsweise ist Botanik m.E. etwas zu kurz geraten, Mikrobiologie wird nur ganz kurz angeschnitten. ( )

Incredibly thorough. ( )

I wasn't going to review Biology by Neil A. Campbell, because well...
1. It's ubiquitous.
2. I studied from the sixth edition in high school for Biology AP and the eighth edition for first-year Biology, and while I read it, there were definitely places I didn't because I didn't have to or didn't want to or I fell asleep or I briefly wanted a social life.
3. Where are those Ph.D's that show I am expert enough to review a first-year textbook about biology?

But then, I remembered:
1. Until those free-source online textbooks gain user-friendliness and traction against the capitalist beast that is the textbook system, it will remain ubiquitous. (And boy, is that rant about the abuses of the textbook business long, off-topic, and totally for another day.)
2. That means I spent two years with it, and if nothing else I learned via idea diffusion while my head rested on its glossy pages because I got an A- grade average. (Idea diffusion is college student urban myth that is going to be proven any year now, just you wait and see.)
3. What else is education for than to teach you that you know nothing?

In short, I like it, actually. Even if the prose gets unwieldy at times, and the layout gets overwhelming... there's always a beautiful picture of a tentacly nautilus I can doodle into my notes or an interview with scientist who gets grants to give IQ tests to ants or something on the next page.

Can't hurt to get in that mythical volumes edition though; your back will probably thank me.

Also my prickly second-quarter Biology professor had a signed edition with him always. That level of respect has got to mean something. ( )