Chemistry

Reviewed by Owen Lofthus, Associate Professor, Virginia Western Community College on 4/11/17

Comprehensiveness rating: 5

This textbook has a thorough coverage of general chemistry, and has good coverage of subject matter I rarely am able to touch on in a general chemistry course, such as coordination compounds and the chemistry of the representative elements. The text has sufficient depth and breadth, and incorporates some historical references as well to assist in the explanation of concepts. The book is laid out in a logical pattern, and has a useful table of contents and index, as well as multiple appendices replete with useful information.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The information contained in the chapters I read thoroughly was accurate and gave excellent explanations of the topics. I did find a few errors here and there, typographical in a few figures, but you find typos in every textbook, every edition. The actual text of the book I read appeared to be without error. Quotations were accurately referenced (I checked the one by Lagrange). Most of the topics covered in general chemistry have had little change for years. There appeared to be no apparent bias in the information presented in the textbook. I found it to be informative and fact-based.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

There are several instances of examples that have come from recent events around the world, as well as those that are traditionally included in chemistry textbooks. I would find it difficult to think the textbook would fall out of date, as the material in a general chemistry class would have little variation over time. The examples that are primarily “real-world” appear to be separate from the bulk of common textbook information, a design feature that lends itself to efficient updating for future information to be included, revised or revisited.

Clarity rating: 5

The language used in the textbook is appropriate and adequate for explanation of chemical concepts. In fact, at times it reads more like a lecture than a textbook, which I think helps the student with more detailed information than that of other textbooks. Having the learning objectives listed for each section assists the students in understanding what they will learn and should understand.

Consistency rating: 5

The textbook layout varies little from the textbook I currently use and could most likely be used by reordering the chapters in this text with little effort. There is a logical grouping of information, and there is a similar presentation throughout the textbook. I saw little variation in the explanation of material between this text and others.

Modularity rating: 5

As I mentioned above, the textbook could be used with little rearrangement in my current classes. The chapters, due to limited crossover in the text, are capable of being arranged in a different order than the current version. I like the fact that the book even provides an “atoms first” order, suggesting the alternate pathway through the material. I believe this text can be organized easily and effectively for the students based on the faculty member’s choices.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization of the textbook is similar to other general chemistry textbooks I’ve seen, so there isn’t anything surprising it the structure of the chapters or the flow of the text. I have rearranged lectures in the past based on the books I have used, so that I don’t have to introduce material in later chapters to explain the material in the current chapter. I believe this book would help alleviate this issue.

Interface rating: 4

I used a bound copy to evaluate, but also looked at the textbook online. It appears nearly identical. The only difference is that in the print version, examples were numbered while those online were not. Figures have numbers in the hard-bound version while they are in-line with the text online. One benefit of the online version is that after each section, the end-of-chapter questions are right there. The only thing that was distracting is that the examples in the book seem to extend on to the next page, and tables stretch over two pages also. It would make more sense to start the table at the top of a page and have it all together.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I found no grammatical errors in the chapters I read thoroughly. It reads well, and is put together well.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

I found it to be very relevant to the times technologically, and did not see anything that would be offensive or insensitive to any particular group. I appreciate the effort of putting scientist features in the text, and would suggest incorporating more of these features with a wider variety to benefit outreach for chemistry as a whole. Also, I had to flip through each chapter to find information on scientists, as there was no index for those features.

Looking over the textbook, and considering the very low cost for students, I am seriously considering using this textbook instead our current text. Before looking at the text, I had been a bit wary due to a colleague in a different discipline who struggled with open resources that were disjointed, and had terrible figures. After reviewing this book, I found the pictures to be clear, concise, and useful. Additionally, the text itself is well-written and organized in a logical fashion.