Biology Demystified

by Dale Layman

Book Overview

Say goodbye to dry presentations, grueling formulas, and abstract theory that would put Einstein to sleep--now there's an easier way to master chemistry, biology, trigonometry, and geometry. McGraw-Hill's Demystified Series teaches complex subjects in a unique, easy-to-absorb manner and is designed for users without formal training, unlimited time, or genius IQs.

Organized like self-teaching guides, they come complete with key points, background...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0071410406
• ISBN13: 9780071410403
• Release Date: July 2003
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Companies
• Length: 432 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 7.3" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Great Introductory Foundation to Biology

Being an Electrical Engineering major, I was not required to take a Biology course in College. So my last real brush with this topic was high school Biology probably 20 years ago. I must say that for me it has been the perfect into/refresher Biology book. The chapters are well organized and the quizes are pretty good. Don't expect to be a Biology expert when you complete the book but you will definitely have a much better foundation for discussing, understanding, and investigating related topics such as evolution, genetics, environmentalism, etc. I highly recommend this book!

A Great Book!

I am an ESOL teacher and I have to be able to assist students with many different courses, Kindergarten - 12th grade. I used this book and plan to use others in the series to bone up on some subjects that I haven't taken for years. Biology Demystified was very helpful to me and the concept of biological order and disorder helped me understand a lot more about Biology.

Learning biology in a few weeks has never been easier

I purchased this book awhile back and I can honestly say that after extensive review I am extremely satisfied with the knowledge I have gained from this book. I am a premedical student and aspiring doctor and I will be working on my BS in biology soon. This book teaches you the basics and solidifies your understand in common everyday language and even illustrates these hard to grasp concepts for easier understanding. Once you have mastered the first few chapters of this book simply by reading them and taking the end of chapter quizzes, you will have a strong understanding of the principles of biology. As a matter of fact, when I first got this book I knew very little on biology. I read the first 5 chapters of this book (roughly 100 pages or so) and I aced three college level biology exams based only on the knowledge I obtained from Biology Demystified. This is an excellent study guide and it has really helped me to understand the easier concepts so I can relate them to the harder ones. Rule of thumb: Something is only hard if you don't understand it. Biology Demystified will teach you everything you need to know to get started with biology: Case closed!

very well written and easy to follow

Excellent book! I found it to be very easy to follow. The author really has a grasp on the subject matter and presents it so clearly. I would definitely recommend this book for any level of student be it high school or college. This book is far superior to any major text that can be very dry and boring. The author makes learning fun.

The idea of biological order versus disorder

This author very successfully carries through the idea that some parts of Biology reflect Biological Order (recognizable patterns), while others reflect the exact opposite - - Biological Disorder (breaking or absence of recognizable patterns). He does this for both the individual living thing (using a giraffe with spots on the one hand, a dead giraffe with out its spots on the other), and for the environment (an intact spider web on the one hand, a broken spider web and dead spider on the other). Quite often, Biological Order means a healthy individual and "fit" environment, while Biological Disorder suggests an unhealthy individual and "unfit" environment. This two-way system of classification helps the reader associate certain key facts with particular types of symbols. This is a valuable and proven educational strategy for increasing the retention of facts and promoting long-lasting memory.