Saturday, February 12, 2011

Biochemistry ) PDF

Rating: (45 reviews) Author: John L. Tymoczko ISBN : 9780716787242 New from $89.86 Format: PDF
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In the new edition of Biochemistry, instructors will see the all the hallmark features that made this a consistent bestseller for the undergraduate biochemistry course: exceptional clarity and concision, a more biological focus, cutting-edge content, and an elegant, uncluttered design.  Accomplished in both the classroom and the laboratory, coauthors Jeremy Berg and John Tymoczko draw on the field's dynamic research to illustrate its fundamental ideas.
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  • Series: Biochemistry (Berg)
  • Hardcover: 1026 pages
  • Publisher: W. H. Freeman; Sixth Edition edition (May 19, 2006)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0716787245
  • ISBN-13: 978-0716787242
  • Product Dimensions: 1.6 x 8.6 x 10.8 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)

Biochemistry ) PDF

I'm halfway through a biochemistry course using this book (Edition 6).

I care about textbooks. Some really go the extra mile to make concepts accessible and memorable. Not this book.

Berg et al are the opposite of exciting. They fail to provide emphasis and perspective that would help concepts stick. Read Richard Feynman's Physics series to see what exciting teaching is all about. He understands what is amazing and what deserves special treatment, use of analogies, etc.

Berg et al use a very stodgy dry style, I think in an effort to avoid saying anything wrong, which is admirable. Feynman on the other hand is not afraid to make lively oversimplifications, and warns you he is, in order to get the basic concept across. Then he slowly develops the concept to a more sophisticated level, sometimes leaving the original model behind, but that's OK because you take an intuitive path similar to the original scientists discovering the concepts.

Berg et al on the other hand insist on a kind of "top-down" approach where often a subject is introduced with sentences thick with generalizations that make no sense (or only vague sense) until more specific examples or detail is developed later. A little top-down is ok if it is simple and gives you a roadmap. Berg et al do it heavy-handedly, often using terms which have not been defined, leaving you to thumb wildly through previous chapters wondering if you missed something.

Top-down explanations are very appealing to writers who already know the material thoroughly. A best-kept-secret of teaching though is that bottom-up explanations (start with building blocks and work up to complex concepts) is really how powerful learning takes place.

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