Organic Chemistry - A Tenth Edition

Reviewed by Mary Robert Garrett, Professor of Chemistry and Division I (BIO, CHM, MAT, NUR, PHY) Chair, Berea College on 11/29/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

Yes. This textbook covers a wealth of organic chemistry content and could be used for three organic chemistry courses--Organic Chemistry I, Organic Chemistry II, and Advanced Organic Chemistry. Key terms can be found bolded in the text, and in a list at the end of each chapter with links to where they are used in the text. The Study Guide and Student Solutions manual are also openly licensed and free for students in digital formats.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The content appears to be essentially error-free. There may be a missing chemical subscript missing in a place, or two, but nothing that will confuse a student or hinder their learning.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

The content is current with applications to everyday life at the end of each chapter in a section titled, “Chemistry Matters.” Examples range from the importance of Vitamin D, to how epoxy resins and adhesives are used in commercial products, to cocaine and anesthetics.

Clarity rating: 5

The text is very easy to follow with figures and tables well-placed. New terms are highlighted and strengthen content knowledge.

Consistency rating: 5

Yes, each chapter is displayed in the same format beginning with a "Why is this important" and ending with "Chemistry Matters." The subsections are consistent as well.

Modularity rating: 5

The textbook has excellent modularity. I see chapters that can be pulled for three different courses—Organic Chemistry I (Chapters 1-13); Organic Chemistry II (Chapters 14-24); and Advanced Organic Chemistry (Sections 5.9-5.12, Chapter 30, and 31), where students can read a later chapter and understand it at a particular level without rereading a previous chapter.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The order of the content is different than the text I normally teach from, but the author does an excellent job of defending this specific order, so I think I’ll give it a try. I like the chapter on “An Overview of Organic Reactions” before diving into reaction classes. I think it will help students recognize the similarities and patterns between reactions. I normally teach the mass spec, NMR and IR chapters out of order, sooner than listed. The analysis of those instruments is so different, that students normally struggle with such a “different” concept at the end of a semester.

Interface rating: 4

One inconsistency that I found distracting was the size of the structures throughout the text. In one table, the chemical structures changed size from molecule to molecule which distracted from the flow. The interface was okay moving between the end-of-section practice problems and the solutions, but it gave away all of the answers with one click. I was also hoping for a bit of interaction with the 3D molecules. I was expecting to be able to manipulate them. While that certainly goes beyond what a typical textbook can do, that would certainly make the online textbook far more engaging.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not notice any.

Cultural Relevance rating: 2

I was pleased to see a linked resource by Dr. Rhett Smith (Clemson University) to provide a “more complete, diverse, and inclusive picture of the development and current state of organic chemistry research.” This component acknowledges the need for diversity. While there was a Japanese track team, a black music conductor (leading a white orchestra), and one sunbather of color, the majority of images were of white people (scientist on the computer (though female), pole vaulter, Kansas City pitcher, officer with a "drunkometer" test, kayaker, rock climber, officers with tear gas masks, etc.). I would have appreciated more diversity in the images.

Comments

I do really like the content, the level of explanation, the images, and clarity of this textbook. I plan to use it for my Organic Chemistry II course next spring, as well as my Advanced Organic Chemistry course.