From Growing to Biology: Plants 1e

Reviewed by Sean Clark, Professor, Berea College on 10/26/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This is an introductory text, so comprehensiveness does not seem like a priority. It provides cursory treatments of terms and concepts in plant science and botany.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Because sources are not provided, it would take some time to verify all claims provided as fact. Definitions and terms appear valid but facts about food production or economic value would need to be checked.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The basic biology is relevant and up-to-date but some facts are provided without support or references.

Clarity rating: 4

There is not a lot of text. The book emphasizes graphics and lists of bullet points with short paragraphs interspersed. The terminology is mostly appropriate to the topic (other than chapter 28, which is more of a motivational speech or general life lesson).

Consistency rating: 5

The title is "From Growing to Biology" but the organization is from biology to growing, and the treatment of growing is very rudimentary. But the terminology and general presentation are consistent throughout.

Modularity rating: 5

Sections could certainly be used separately from other parts of the book, but any of it would seem to need a teacher to serve as a guide to lead students through the material.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 4

The book is heavier on the "biology" and lighter on the "growing." So the title is a bit misleading. But the sequence of topics grouped either by plant taxonomic groups, plant structures or physiological processes, or various applied aspects of production are more or less typical.

Interface rating: 4

It has the feel of scrolling through PowerPoint slides of lectures on various topics. Without the narrator something does seem to be missing.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There isn't much text relative to graphics, but what is there appears correct.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Nothing obvious here.

Comments

This introductory or supplemental text bridges facts, terms, and concepts from botany and/or plant science with the practices of horticulture, gardening, and food production, though it gives very cursory treatments of these applied fields. It’s heavy on graphics and light on text, as if PowerPoint lecture slides were reformatted into a book. Given that style of formatting, it seems like the kind of book that an instructor would present directly to students in a lecture or laboratory with the students reading along and using it as a workbook either in-person or online. Used this way, it could be an effective teaching tool. The trivial facts about crop production, economic value, etc. that are offered are interesting and often fun, but the sources are not given so it’s not immediately clear how current or accurate the information is. The book seems to be aimed at “visual learners” who would be guided through the material by the instructor rather than a book from which out-of-class readings would be assigned to support lectures, activities, and laboratory experiences. Hyperlinks to the sources and resources for additional information would be nice features to have in future editions of this book so students could dig deeper on their own.

Reviewed by Vanessa Garner, Adjunct Instructor, Clatsop Community College on 12/28/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This text is comprehensive in its topics but with limited explanation of each. Good introduction to a wide array of concepts but students will probably need other sources for more substantial information.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The information is accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Content is relevant at this time but some of this information is rapidly changing and will need to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis (i.e. Chapters 18-25.)

Clarity rating: 4

The text is easy enough to read but some terms are not defined and students will need to reference another source. A glossary would be helpful.

Consistency rating: 5

Text is consistent from chapter to chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

The text is separated into manageable sections. There is flexibility in the order the chapters can be covered with students.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics are presented in a logical, clear fashion. Each section is clearly titled.

Interface rating: 4

PDF format is ideal for many students. It would be helpful to have each chapter as a quick link in the Table of Contents to eliminate scrolling through so many pages when searching for information. The pictures and graphs are helpful but could be more instructive.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

Did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 4

A large variety of examples used from different parts of the world. I'm always a proponent of adding more inclusive examples. The more students can relate to the material the easier it is for them to learn!

Comments

I great book to introduce students to plant biology but recommend providing them with ways to find more in-depth information on some of the topics. A "further reading" list or section might be helpful in this regard.

Reviewed by Kimberly Amaral Newton, Professor of Biology, Sustainable Agriculture Program Coordinator, Bristol Community College on 6/28/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

Topic-wise, this text can be considered almost too comprehensive, as it includes chapters on fungi and cyanobacteria (for a plant textbook), as well as chapters on "growth mindset and grit" and "how to study STEM." However, individual chapters relevant to the actual topic of growing plants are short with limited text explanations of the concepts presented. Overall, the textbook is very broad, but doesn't go very deeply into each of the relevant topics discussed.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is accurate when provided, but limited explanation of many concepts, which may lead to students searching for further explanation, which may not be accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

Plant systematics is often updated, so some of the material may become obsolete. Those sections in particular should be reviewed/updated by the author as necessary.

Clarity rating: 3

This is the area I had the most difficulty with and the reason I probably would not use it as a textbook in my "science and care of plants" classes. Many concepts of plant science are covered, but most are glossed over with a brief paragraph, followed by multiple graphics that would make nice powerpoint slides, but definitely would require more explanation, such as during a lecture, in an undergraduate environment. This wouldn't be as helpful as a reference text for students in the course as many terms/concepts are not thoroughly explained, leaving the student hunting for more information. For instance, when xylem/phloem are first introduced, they are not defined. In a later chapter, the definition of xylem is prefaced with "produced by procambium then protoxylem, then metaxylem," with no explanation of what those layers are or where they are found. I think most students reading this text to assist with homework assignments, etc. would be left scrambling to find more information to help define many of the terms and concepts so briefly introduced here.

Consistency rating: 5

The text is consistent and predictable in its content and format and is thus user-friendly in that regard.

Modularity rating: 5

The textbook is broken up into 30 chapters and 5 appendices, with enough sections to be able to cover many different topics within plant science.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The chapters are all organized similarly, and thus user-friendly. Each chapter begins with a brief introductory paragraph followed by student learning outcomes, then 1-2 graphics typically requiring some further explanation (similar to powerpoint slides, so would be useful during a lecture in that regard), then a vocabulary/concept table, and finally a "test your knowledge section" (with answers supplied at the end of each chapter), and a number of plant examples ("spot the plant").

Interface rating: 4

This book is downloadable as a pdf, which I believe is ideal for students with limited or unreliable internet access. However, given the sparseness of many of the explanations within each topic, it would be helpful to provide vetted links to more information on each topic, which would be more easily accessible in an online format.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not find any grammatical errors in my review of this textbook.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This text refers to plants grown and used throughout the world (such as coffee and tea) and did not contain any insensitive or offensive material.

Comments

Overall, I liked the organization and consistency of this textbook along with what would be many useful slides within a lecture class. However, if your intent is to use this textbook as the primary reference for students, I believe it is lacking in fuller explanations of many topics since each chapter only has a brief paragraph introducing the chapter topic, and the rest is explained through tables and graphics, which may be difficult to piece together/access by some students. Also, the inclusion of chapters on fungi and cyanobacteria within the text was a bit confusing since it's a text about growing plants, and the final chapters on "growth mindset and grit," "student learning," and "how to study STEM" really made the text too broad (and might be useful as extended links within the course, but not included in this textbook).

Reviewed by Sabeeha Shariff, Adjunct Biology Professor, College of DuPage on 4/13/21

Comprehensiveness rating: 3 see less

It is a comprehensive text but may even be too broad in its scope. Author should narrow focus.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

Content is accurate but superficial at times. The Genetics chapter is too basic.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

It is relevant.

Clarity rating: 4

It is not completely clear since it is written in scanty language. It appears more as a dictionary or encyclopedia of knowledge. Lacks well developed paragraphs. Only provides broad overview. Appears as an outline for a textbook.

Consistency rating: 5

Style is consistent. Chapter headings, info presented with quizzes and answers at end.

Modularity rating: 5

Sectioned off very well and chapters can be selected for presentation.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Very good organization and structure.

Interface rating: 5

I wish diagrams were clearer. Color phototgraphs would have been better than the diagrams presented.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

There are no grammatical errors. The word “with” should not be abbreviated with a “w”. There should be a w/ instead used here.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

- It is an inclusive book and I found it culturally relevant. Good section on world issues such as the pandemic.

Comments

It is a good basis for a book. Looks more like an encyclopadia or dictionary with quizzes on subject matter. Information is outlined but not written in well developed paragraphs.