Customer Reviews (23)

Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, Fourth Edition
Excellent book!I would recommend this book for any person taking a beginners biochemistry class or just wanting to know more about the subject.

Great overview of Biochem
Usually required reading for college students, this book was used for undergrad biochem and my pharmacy biochem.Pretty good tome.

This book is good for non-medical professions
When I took this book for the first time I thought - wow they probably made the well-known Leninger book more illustrated, maybe added something new - let's read it. But from the first chapters I realized - there is nothing left from the original book. There is too much water in this book. You can for example read like 30 pages and then stop and ask yourself - Ok what have I've learned. And the answer is "not too much", because what was written in 30 pages in fact can be written in5. I recommend the editors to change thename "Leninger - Principles of biochemistry" for something like - "Very general principles of biochemistry". Though I cannot tell that the entire book is bad - starting with metabolic pathways I found some new details and informationI didn't know about, but in general it was a waste of time and money to buy and read this book.

Its a Classic
This book is a classic.It seems to contain just about everything.The format is simple and easy to understand and the website it very good.If you are using this for class, buying the Absolute Guide is a MUST.The Absolute, Ultimate Guide to Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry 4eTo review for tests and simplify hard concepts I also recommend the Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews 3rd Ed.Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry (Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews Series), which I just love.If you want to understand Biochem, Lehninger and Lippincott are the way to go!

Fascinating Incursions in the Infinitely Unimaginable Kingdom of Wireframes
Fascinating Incursions in the Infinitely Unimaginable Kingdom of Lehninger's Principles of Biochemistry(Fourth Edition) (Hardcover) by David L. Nelson and Michael M. Cox, Freeman 2004.
This is a medium-sized heavyweight classic, updated, honest and useful for physicians. The authors do not make a fuss about the wealth of data available in biochemistry, keep a cool attitude overall and somehow manage to inspire lay readers. Physicians benefit from it a lot, since the dreaded detail of molecular pathology is described at an amazing level of medical awareness and even clinical relevance. Molecular models are clear enough for the busy practitioner who has little if any real interest in the arcane wireframes of those nevertheless current substances involved in prescriptions. The print is fine, and readable, the pagesetting is minimalist but useful, and the index is workable. As for the biochemical material, in the original text of Lehninger, everything has been carefully updated, in order not to spoil the reader with the usual Big Pharma nonsense. Incredible as it may sound this is an independent book even in the Age of Virtual News. Highly Reccommended.
In conclusion, here we have a book we will not buy for the beauty of our reference desk, even in the age of the instant reference.

ISBN : 311017054X, BOBE-5277-REFS-0001, RANK : #10,887, 1100 pages, fourth edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (41)

It's a book
Well it's a boring book but biochemistry isn't the most interesting thing to read on your free time.The book is in good condition and came quickly.

Biochemistry anyone?
Most people are probably buying this book because they are a college student and they have to, but compared to some other books, this one is clear and easy to read, so don't be too afraid of Biochemistry if you have this in you bag.

Question
What is the difference between this edition and the 6th revised edition, and why is the latter so much cheaper?

For learning of organised systems, organised thematical material would be better.
I am basing my review primarily on two things in this textbook: the organisation and the definitions.

A textbook MUST be approachable. Students will be covering intricate topics in a book of this sort, and in order to help them, the writer(s) must present the material logically, thematically and beautifully organised.

I'm afraid the writers did not do that here. Systems that should be covered before one proceeds further - information for which knowledge of other systems is presupposed - appear much earlier than they should, leaving the unfortunate student staring wild-eyed at the text, muttering, "What?" This is particularly noticable when explicating chemical pathways.

Definitions are ludicrously lacking. What indexing there is is incomplete and insufficient.

The book fails in its intended purpose, and that is why I simply cannot recommend it. May I suggest using Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews as a better organised textbook? It is quite a good coverage, although it does assume some biochemistry knowledge. I've heard that the Garrett Biochemistry textbook (just released in December 2006) is good for beginner students, so that may well be worth checking.

There are certainly alternatives to this poorly written textbook.

Great reference
Disclaimer: I've only used the 4th edition, even after the newest edition came out, because that's what I happen to own.From what I understand, the later edition includes most, if not all, of the 4th edition, and a couple of new chapters.My graduate class called for the latest edition, but I got through the class using my good ol' 4th.

I used the 4th edition of this book both in college and grad school, and it's served me very well.It succinctly covers the basics of biochemistry, including enzyme kinetics, protein structure, metabolism, and biosynthesis.It also includes helpful chapters on common techniques and assays.Diagrams and illustrations help understand the material (and there are diagrams for everything), and the text includes practice questions to solidify knowledge.Clear organization makes the book easy to use, and the text is sometimes surprising with unexpected humor.There are also charts for quick reference on the inside back cover.Oh, and handy side notes that define new terms and provide quick facts.

The book also links each topic to human disease, which makes it great for comprehending biochemistry as a whole.

All of this is done in simple, straightforward language that is nonetheless pleasant to read.(Really, this text is not as boring as one might think from a textbook!)

This book has served me very well, and I still refer to it to refresh myself on pathways.While, like most textbooks, it's not THE most detailed text you could get, it provides an excellent overview and jumping-off point. ... Read more

Book Description
Thoroughly updated for its Fourth Edition, Lippincott's Illustrated Reviews: Biochemistry enables students to quickly review, assimilate, and integrate large amounts of complex information by utilizing powerful visual resources that deliver the focus and clarification needed for mastery of difficult biochemical concepts. Its signature outline format, full-color illustrations, and end-of-chapter summaries and USMLE-style review questions make it one of the most user-friendly books in the field. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (64)

good
Im studying medicine and my proffesor recomended the Harper`s Illusrated biochemistry from Lange. This is a very detailed book with a scientific language, withOUT too many explenations for beginners in this subject. Therefore my and my fellow classmates found this Lippincot book to be far better. One of the things I always appreciate in this kinds of books is if the index is large and easy to use and of course that I find what I am looking for. And Lippincot`s index is good.

Clinically oriented
This book is very good about applying biochemistry to clinical settings.It is very easy to read also.Although sufficient for my biochem class, it may not get deep enough for other biochem classes.If you are in a master's program for biochem it probably isn't sufficient.

Best biochemistry book for med school

Disclaimer: I am writing this review from the point of view of a first year medical student, having taken a fairly detailed course in undergrad biochemistry.

Having said that, I find Lippincott's Illustrated Biochemistry one of the best books written on the subject. The main advantage of using Lippincott's is in its concise and clear language. It explains almost everything you need to know about medical biochemistry in a very easy to understand language, with the help of some great illustrations. I absolutely love the chapter summaries and the concept maps at the end of the chapter - very useful for a quick review. Highly recommended for a medical students!

Great, Even for the Non-Med Student
I'll preface this by saying I'm not in med school or even in the medical field.I took a year of Chemistry for freshmen engineering and a graduate biomedical engineering course but never Organic Chem or any level of Biology.I bought this book to give me a better understanding metabolism hoping to provide me with unbiased information I could use to tailor my diet and for a quick sanity check of my suppliment use.

On metabolism, I certainly feel like I have a better, truer understanding of my body's different modes of operation specifically the role each part plays, especially the liver.I haven't seen the cycles presented in this book elseware, mind you I haven't been looking too hard either.

As to my diet, the section on the feed/fast cycles reinforced my belief that more frequent smaller meals are the way to go.I've reduced my protein intake based on the information about the Amino Acid pool and how anything not used is excreated.

For suppliments I've actually increased my use.I re-introduced creatine based on the section which shows how it is used to turn ADP back into ATP and also began taking Alpha Lipoic Acid again.I am continuing my use of Glutamine and I've added Arginine and Acetyl L-Carnitine.

Will any of this help?Who knows, but if nothing else it'll keep me interested and motivated.

Every medical student should get this book.
All major topics covered by the usmle step 1 are concisely and intelligently covered in this book. The figures are amazing and integrate concepts so that you are sure to get the big picture and the most important points from each chapter. I use this as my main textbook for my medical biochemistry course. After I get the concepts covered in this book, filling in the details from lectures or my required textbook, (Textbook of Biochemistry With Clinical Correlations, is easy. I am sure that it will make studying for step 1 easier too since, with the aid of this book, I have been able to focus on the big picture from day 1. Also, if there is no preview here on amazon, I think the book's website has sample chapters. [...]. ... Read more

Book Description
Get hands-on experience with this Lab Manual! Designed to accompany Hein’s Introduction to General, Organic & Biochemistry, 8^th Edition, this manual contains 48 experiments, 6 study aids, 26 exercises, and appendices.

The new edition of the popular text, Introduction to General, Organic and Biochemistry, offers the most comprehensive coverage of general, organic, and biochemistry currently available to those in the Allied Health professions. Written by an experienced author team, who recognize that both science and mathematics can be daunting subjects to students, they skillfully anticipate areas of difficulty and pace the text accordingly. Particular emphasis is placed on the understanding of how chemical principles relate to allied health careers. The authors focus on problem solving over rote memorization and provide a variety of exercises to aid in the development of this essential skill. ... Read more

Book Description
Get the most from your study time...and experience a realistic USMLE simulation! These new additions to the Rapid Review Serieshighly rated in the First Aid rankingsmake it easy for you to master all of the basic science material covered on the USMLE Step 1 Exam. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Excellent USMLE Review!
When I first took biochemistry, it was the 1st term of medical school.I knew absolutely nothing when I was done, and felt like I was just memorizing a bunch of random facts/pathways.

After taking 90% of our basic science curriculum, and then reading this book, it tied in Biochemistry with all of the rest of my knowledge very well, and in a very easy to read outline format with EXCELLENT diagrams and charts.If you care about biochemistry at all for your boards prep, this is a great choice.Also, co-authored by Goljan, and you can see his hand all over this book with the clinical tie-ins.

Rapid Review Series: the in-thing
I have heard so much about the RR series, and I decided to give it a try, and boy, was I impressed? Talk about how splendiferous this RR Biochemistry is. Also, I have heard so much about Goljan, Goljan, Goljan. So within 5 days or so of laying my hands on the RR Biochem, I ordered for the Pathology brother written by Goljan. They say the man sure knows how to tie Path, Biochem, etc together. I can't wait to get my hands on that as well. RR Biochem rocks, and I am now almost certain RR Path rocks more, if what I hear from reviews follows

Great Biochemistry Review for the Boards but not for class
If you are a MS1 I would suggest using Lippincott's Biochemistry. However, when it comes to the Boards this is the book you want as following Goljan's tradition of integration in not only includes relevant Biochm but also alot of Pathology. I would suggest to use this book for review alongside with the Rapid Review Pathology and Goljan's audio lectures.

must be
nice book with student access online... really good for review not for learning ... Read more

Book Description
This text uses a more brief and qualitative approach to present biochemistry with chemical rigor, focusing on the structures of biomolecules, chemical mechanisms, and evolutionary relationships. It is written to impart a sense of intellectual history of biochemistry, an understanding of the tools and approaches used to solve biochemical puzzles, and a hint of the excitement that accompanies new discoveries. This edition has been thoroughly updated to reflect the most recent advances in biochemistry, particularly in the areas of genomics and structural biology. A new chapter focuses on cytoskeletal and motor proteins, currently one of the most active areas of research in biochemistry. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Solid Biochemistry Textbook
The title of the book is a very succinct description of the content. This is a solid text with alot of good, basic information. As a course text, I think the success with which this book may be employed depends a great deal upon the employer. If all you require of your students is that they skim the chapters and hear your lectures, the book will seem simple and lacking in detail to the student. If you require your students to memorize the diagrams, tables, reaction mechanisms, molecular structures, pathways, etc... (as my biochem professors did), then the book will seem very difficult, convoluted, and complicated. Unfortunately, when you get to a course like biochem with so much information for the students to absorb, and for which every text looks like an encyclopedia, I'm afraid a person's opinion of a textbook actually depends more upon the instructor who presented them with the text, rather than on the text itself. So I suspect many of the reviews on this page are actually reviews of professors who taught the reviewers and not of the book. Just something to keep in mind.

That said, I enjoyed learning from this text and I did well in the course (a notoriously difficult course at my school).

This "Upgrade" is a Real Downgrade
Overview:

I am reading this book in preparation for Biochemistry I and find it to be full of gross errors.Simple definitions like that of osmosis are incorrect.Table 4-1 is terrible, and there are other tables and figures (Figure 3-6 for example) that require much more attention than they have been given.I am seriously concerned and disappointed about the authors, editors, and long list of professionals that reviewed this book because of missing basic "fundamental" pieces of information.

Professors:

If you are a professor who is thinking of using this text in class, I would suggest you DO NOT!Your students could be a hazard in the end if they plan to got to medical school or into pharmacology.

Students:

If you are a student currently using this text for class, please find other resources.I am catching only the errors that I know to be false, but there could be many more.

DO NOT USE THIS BOOK!!!

Further Comments:

My professor will be using the third edition of this book in class, and I can only hope that in the third edition Voet got it right.

Excellent Condition
The book i received was in excellent condition, it was listed under the used section, but when i received it, it was still in the original packing. The only problem was the CD was missing somehow, no big deal.

great pits
When I first used this book in undergrad I did not like it very much, however, in medical school, I found this book to be a huge asset.It is great for someone who learns visually and condenses all the info on to a few pages, my medical school bio chem book took 30 pages to explain what this book does in a few.Also, I like the way this book is organized, it seems to flow.... the only chapter that seemed to need a little work was nucliotide mab.. Undergrad texts seem to stress more chemistry and enzyme mechanics, while med school will stress inh points.Also, photosythesis is not covered in med school, vitamins are not covered in this text

Difficult to use
This was the biochemistry book for my undergraduate course, but I hardly used it because it is not written in clearly understood language. It does have a glossary which is useful for looking up definitions, but when I would go to the index to clarify something we learned in class, chances were none of the references would apply to the concepts I was looking for, and if it did, it was incomprehensible. The general consensus among my classmates was that the book was worthless. The only useful feature is the end of chapter problems, and the solutions to these are found at the end of the book. I understand Lippincotts biochem is supposed to be pretty good, so you may want to investigate that if you are looking for a biochemistry book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

not what i thought
i thought this book would be explained solutions for the problems found in the actual textbook.its actually just a review book relating to each chapter, with new problems/ solutions/ quizzes etc. still useful, but not as correlated to the textbook as i had thought.

Biochemistry
This book is very useful, though the book may not contain as many problems(e.g muitipule choices) to be solved as you think!
Anyway,I buy this book in order to prepare GRE sub-biochemistry exam.and I find it great ,not only assist you for the exam, but enhance your biochemistry knowledge as well!!

NOT a solutions manual
I don't do reviews, but I'm so angry, I just had to.

The title of this text is misleading.It leads one to believe that it contains worked solutions to questions asked in the text.It does NOT.Instead, it contains warm and furry puzzles and discussion questions (with answers to those.)

Everyone knows what a "solutions manual" is -- or even a "study guide and solutions manual."It is a book with solutions (potentially to "selected problems" if the authors are feeling particularly stingy and manipulative) in the text.

Hello authors and publishers! Wake up! What full time undergrad science student has the time to do anything besides the bare reading and exams (unless they've never been to the gym a day in their life and live on dingdongs and coffee?)"Study groups" are BS sessions with people yammering so loud you can't think.Why would you force your happy fuzzy "it's all about learning" ideology down my throat with your deceptive title?Why don't you let ME and my professor worry about how good a biochemist I'm going to be?Grant me the dignity of charting my own course through our pathetic public university system!

The authors and the publisher should be prosecuted for FRAUD and forced to offer refunds to anyone who purchased the book, new or used, regardless of the source.Then they need to rename it "Warm and furry study manual to accompany... blah, blah."

Very pleased
The producted was in the condition promised by the seller.I am satisfied with the product BUT I paid extra for priority shipping and it took over a week to receive the book.

Great resource
This workbook contains cross-words and a variety of different quiz questions to help review.I probably use this source more than the text associated with it, because our class is focused around the lecture moslty. A great buy and a great way to keep up with the material. ... Read more

Book Description
Thomas M. Devlin's Textbook of Biochemistry with Clinical Correlations presents the biochemistry of mammalian cells, relates events at a cellular level to the subsequent physiological processes in the whole animal, and cites examples of human diseases derived from aberrant biochemical processes. The organization and content are tied together to provide students with the complete picture of biochemistry and how it relates to humans. Loaded with new material and chapters and brimming with detailed, full-color illustrations that clearly explain associated concepts, this sixth edition is an indispensable tool for students and professionals in the medical or health sciences.

Key Features of the Sixth Edition:

• Over 250 Clinical Correlations highlighting the significance of the biochemistry to clinical conditions and diseases
• MCAT-Style Questions with annontated answers in every chapter - in a format similar to that used by the National Board of Medical Examiners
• More than 1,200 high-quality, full-color illustrations
• A concise appendix reviewing important Organic Chemistry Concepts

Customer Reviews (17)

A MESS of a book
I had to use this book for my Biochemistry class.My major is Nutrition & Dietetics, and I already graduated.This book is just awful.Like someone else wrote, if you need to find a term or a figure, you have to look in almost the whole book, and you may still won't understand what you were looking for, or even worse, you'll get more confused.Devlin finds the hardest way to explain an easy term or fact you can explain a lot easier.This is just not worth it.Do not buy this book, there are other books a lot better.

A new low......Devlin redefines our concept of confusion
Senior in college,
double major Biology and Chemistry.
This is the worst book I have ever used.
Two brief examples..
looking for a figure? On the previous (or next) page or 100pages further down the book.
Thought Marcel Proust could write endless sentences? Hold on! devlin can spend four to five lines, with "bold term" to explain something you won't understand the 10th time around.
Don't waste your time, don't waste your money....stay away from this mess of a book.

Devlin's Biochemistry, 6th edition
I expected better from a 6th edition medical textbook.There are still grammatical and sentence errors that need to be corrected, and we have found multiple diagram problems throughout the book.The sentences can be poorly worded at times, and the book occassionally makes leaps in thought that are difficult to follow.It does contain a large amount of information, which is good, but the presentation of that information definitely needs to be further refined.

a fine integrative text
We used this book teaching first year medical school biochemistry.The clinical correlations are well done, but the real strengh of the book lies in the sections on metabolic interrelationships.It is often confusing to the medical student to learn a pathway, and the the metabolic controls of the pathway, and then the added complexity that this system works differently in different tissues.This physiological complexity (which is the layer of integration where diagnosis really happens) is tackled head on in the first few chapters.This helps keep the student oriented to the system (the patient) and not get totally lost in the trees of enzyme names and co-factors.

I wish this book had been around when I went through medical school.

duke out

DONT WASTE MONEY
THIS BOOK IS GARBAGE. NOT SUITABLE FOR UNDERGRAD STUDENTS. TO MUCH DETAIL ITS OVER THE TOP. IF YOU NEED THE BASICS JUST FORGET THIS BOOK. ... Read more

Book Description
In Biochemistry, the questions often are more exhilarating than the answers. This Updated Third Edition continues the unique conceptual and organizing framework, "Essential Questions." Guiding students through the density of the material by the use of section head questions, supporting concept statements, and summaries, this focused approach is supported by unparalleled text/media integration through BiochemistryNow, providing students with a seamless learning system. Beautifully and consistently illustrated, this text gives science majors the most current presentation of biochemistry available. Written by a chemist and a biologist, the book presents biochemistry from balanced perspectives.This Updated Edition includes "Emerging Insights into Biochemistry" at the end of each chapter, which present students with the latest advances in biochemical research. The Updated Edition also is enhanced by the power of the online assessment-centered learning tool, BiochemistryNow. This powerful online learning companion helps students gauge their unique study needs and provides them with a Personalized Learning plan that enhances their problem-solving skills and conceptual understanding. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

not too good
Good organization, but the authors try to make the text beautiful to read. They are very vague with important details, using terms like 'mileu' to describe components, when you really need to know what the components actually are!!

Great Book
This is very well rounded book. Do not pay any heed to the reviwers who gave it a lower rating. The truth is biochemistry is not an easy subject and you have to work hard at it. If you are willing to work hard and are willing to take the time to read the book and do the end of chapter problems you will succeed. Some reviewers suggested that they struggled through two semesters of biochem with this book, that is not the books fault. In order to study a book of this magnitude one requires a very strong background in molecular biology, organic chemistry and some physics. Otherwise don't bother with this book or taking up biochem as your field of study!

Excellent book
This book has been very helpful in understanding the complex topics in biochemistry such as protein folding. Very well written for the beginning biochemistry student who only has a general background in chemistry and biology

Great Bio-Chem Book
This book is very detailed and covers a wide range of bio-chemistry information.

Well-written, not-so-hot layout
My university uses this book for the two-semester biochem sequence for BSc Chemistry/Biochemistry students.It's a well-written book, overall -- lots of information but not a very dense "scientific" read.The best part is the way the authors keep tying things back to reality ... sidebars explain how the dynamics of protein folding affect Alzheimer's disease, or what protease inhibition means for the development of HIV drugs.

The figures are aesthetically pleasing and really help to clarify descriptions in the text.The only problem is that the figures are usually a couple pages away from the text they refer to.For example, when describing the mechanism of chymotrypsin cleavage, it would make a lot more sense to put all the text on the left page and the mechanism/structures on the right page.Instead, the text is about three pages before the mechanism, meaning the reader has to keep flipping back and forth trying to understand what is going on.It's like that in most if not all cases.Not a big deal, but it's the sort of thing the layout editor should have realized when putting the book together.Maybe they'll fix it in the fourth edition.

Regardless, this is a very good biochem book.I'd recommend it for an undergraduate student of chemistry or biochemistry. ... Read more

Book Description
Discover how the latest developments in biotechnology, genomics, and proteins directly affect your life with Campbell/Farrell’s best-selling biochemistry text. Known for its logical organization and appropriate depth of coverage, BIOCHEMISTRY, Sixth Edition, balances scientific detail with readability that’s ideal for those studying biochemistry for the first time. A unique new magazine-style insert, Hot Topics in Biochemistry, introduces advancements in areas such as the Avian Flu, stem cell research, blood doping, HPV, the Gardasil vaccine, and more. New in-text questions help you master key concepts of biochemistry, while end-of-chapter problem sets, now grouped by problem types, assist you in efficiently preparing for exams. State-of-the art visuals throughout the book help clarify concepts. Biochemical Connections demonstrate how biochemistry affects other fields, such as health and sports medicineThe book’s popular Web-based tutorial, CengageNOW for BIOCHEMISTRY, Sixth Edition, uses diagnostic tools and tutorials to help you focus your study time on the specific biochemistry principles that are challenging you personally. Count on BIOCHEMISTRY, Sixth Edition, for the most current coverage and clarity you need to excel in your one-semester biochemistry course. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Biochem
This book was good but I was under the impression that the book was the normal book not international. It was paperback with no color on the pages.

Excellent Choice
This textbook has an excellent mix of detailed information and readability.Explanations are clear and illustrations are numerous and greatly add to the learning experience.The flow of material is well suited to learning.There is a logical flow that aids the student in building a solid understanding of the subject.I am so thankful that my Biochem professor chose this text as the requirement for our class (Biochemistry for PharmD program).

Typo City
Chap 2 Question 34 answer from the back of the book states:

"We now have .003 mol of H+ in approximately 0.1 L of solution.This is approximately 0.3 M H+."

Now, I might be wrong, but isn't it really 0.03 M H+?M = moles/L and since 0.1 L is one-tenth of a liter, one should be able to multiply both .003 and 0.1 by 10 to get the correct molarity.

I've found other boo-boos in this book too.

A good introduction
I used this text in our 300-level undergrad biochemistry course.It was written quite simply, and most of the diagrams were good (although the professor had to correct many mistakes he had found).It is great for an introductory book, but it stinks for a student intending to pursue graduate study in the subject.I would recommend Stryer's biochem book for a more in-depth look at the topic.

Good, but carbohydrates a mess
It's a good one semester-type of book. It is concise and clear at the same time. I just saw a number of mistakes with carbohydrates, esp. disaccharides, e.g. Fig 12.12 on p.435, problem 14.b on p.452 etc. PleaseMary, do not trust your TA-s for these things because you cause a lot ofconfusion among us, the stupid undergrads! ... Read more

Book Description
Biochemistry 3rd edition DONALD VOET, University of Pennsylvania, USA and JUDITH G. VOET, Swarthmore College, USA Biochemistry is a modern classic that has been thoroughly revised. Don and Judy Voet explain biochemical concepts while offering a unified presentation of life and its variation through evolution. Incorporates both classical and current research to illustrate the historical source of much of our biochemical knowledge.
* This edition has been updated to reflect the enormous advances in molecular and protein structure
* Integrated Biochemical Interactions CD ... Read more

Customer Reviews (38)

BIOCHEMISTRY MAJOR/GRADUATE? LOOK NO FURTHER
Actually, it's kinda dumb to recommend this book for graduate biochemistry students. If you haven't heard about Voet while being an undergrad, it's because you weren't interested in biochemistry at all. To everyother undergrad who is really into biochemistry and is intending to follow on through research in biochemical science, I say look no further.

Voet & Voet IS the very best biochemistry book you will find right now in the shelves. Of course, don't expect to read through it unless you're taking a 2nd course in biochemistry or doubling a major in chemistry/biochemistry.

If this is your first approach to biochemistry (and you don't care much about the chemistry/physics behind it all), this isn't the book you're looking for. Check Lehninger instead (the best INTRODUCTORY biochemistry book for DUMMIES - aka. Medschool, Biology, etc.). But, sooner or later, if you're the curious type, you'll start wondering, asking questions like "How did they actually find out the genetic code?" or "What's the enzymatic reaction mechanism for this complex enzyme?" or "How do they manage physical data to make all these pretty 3D crystallographic structures?". Of course, you could go to more specialized books to find all about these and other inquiries. But, the fact is Voet & Voet collects all the relevant scientific answers in one big chunk of paper.

I've known uncountable biochemistry grads who've strived between Matthews and Devlin, Lehinger and Stryer, and Garret and Grisham, just to compile the information that's presented in a perfect order in this amazing book. Don't waste your time. If you're taking it seriously, it's Voet & Voet.

A Benchmark in 2 semester biochem courses; however, needs revision
I have finished a 2 semester course in biochemistry which had focused on both biopolymer chemistry and metabolism, as well as fundamentals of biotechnology (i.e. cloning and expression studies).
From the early days we were prescribed Voet, and it was a textbook that most often made students cringe and complain. The fundamental reasons for it doing so was attributed to its pedantic style, uneasy writing, disoriented explanations and verbose nature. It requires that you actually start reading it prior to the semester, since the length and depth of chapters is too much to handle; this is not due to the information itself. Biochemistry is relatively easy, but the book does not give clear explanations and often randomly jumps into unwelcome depths prior to establishing an overall context of the subject matter.
The chapter on DNA metabolism is a very good example, it starts off giving a history lesson about how radiography and other exploratory studies (nowadays these techniques arent implemented) were conducted and proceeds into the domains, motifs and archetypes of DNA polymerase without first establishing the biological purpose of replication, how it differs in the eukaryotes and prokaryotes, the fundamental "machinery" involved in replication and how the processes occurs (as an overview). So now from this stupid history lesson we jump into the structure and function of various different protein units....no mention of sequence or relevance.
Its hard as it is doing four units of different subjects, I was lucky enough to primarily be doing all chemistry units for the first semester. I still suffered. I mean the length and depth of this book is not suited to a struggling undergraduate student, who has to cover a variety of other subjects. When it came to the exams, revision was almost impossible with this book. I had to rely on my own hand written notes.
I am principally an organic chemist and I have to say that the authors really got me lost even in the sections pertaining to a structural and mechanistic explanation of metabolic elements. I think it was due to lack of experience of the authors in these fields, in conjunction with a desire to present a sophisticated discussion of glycolysis and gluconeogensis.

They dont even explain WHY plants and animals store glucose as starch and glycogen respectively. Nothing about osmolarity and concentration gradients. These two (hubby and wife) claim to give a robust understanding of the fundamental workings of biochemistry. However all they provide is unnecessary, superfluous information which if I did actually even seek, I would look at journal articles rather than an undergraduate textbook. Meaning that no university on earth expects 1st and 2nd year biochemistry majors to even know a lot of that junk, so why bother presenting it?

We dont care about which genes encode each polymeraze. At most we may care about how they differ in their active sites, possibly in their subunit structure and how they actually process DNA.


Garrett and Grisham are significantly better than this book for undergrads.

great book, grossly overpriced
Voet and Voet is an excellent introductory biochemistry textbook.The focus leans more towards the chemical aspects as opposed to the biological, which allows it to fill an important gap among undergraduate texts.The scope is broad and comprehensive, with clear writing and informative illustrations.While the book is a valuable resource, the price is truly outrageous.For those adopting textbooks for classes, I recommend assessing whether the added chemical rigor is worth the added price for students.Serious and motivated students of biochemistry will likely appreciate and benefit most from this book.Check out the contents (e.g. at a library or college bookstore), and make sure they meet your needs, before taking the considerable financial plunge in buying this book though.

Pluses and publisher minus
As a reference for those of us that are out here doing research in the real world this is a Godsend. It may not be appropriate for an introductory text but for those of us needing a concise backup for real decisions it is wonderful.
HOWEVER the BS that the CD won't run on my Mac Tiger (which gives me:

"The page "Guided Exploration 23 (Section 29-1)" has content of MIME type "application/x-spt". Because you don't have a plug-in installed for this MIME type, this content can't be displayed."

I have installed everything with the disk.)
is publisher junk. I can't even send Wiley and Sons an email because the link won't go through.
Kudos to the authors, shame on the publishers.

What do you want this for?
Before you buy this book, you must carefully ask yourself what purpose you intend to use this for.As a textbook it is horrible, but will serve you well as reference material.V&V was inflicted upon me by my professor in my single-semester graduate level biochemistry course (I am a first year student working towards a PhD in Molecular Biology).The course was structured so that we were tested once a month on about 8-12 chapters of this book. Therefore, I did not have much time to dwell for very long on each chapter and was tested in significantly less detail than what was presented in the text.The problem, as others have stated, was that the author goes into excruciating detail for each component of the chapter and then fails to state exactly why it is important.For example, the text will spend two pages describing exactly how many beta sheets and alpha helixes an enzyme has, its folding substructures, the critical amino acid residues in the active sites, and what substrate analogs researchers used to elucidate the enzyme's function. Somewhere buried in that mess will be a few words on why the enzyme is related or important to the topic of the chapter.For most people, you will never ever need to know 95% of this material unless you are personally involved in research directly related to this topic.Otherwise you would be a complete fool to waste so much time memorizing the intimate details of all the proteins and molecules.Unfortunately with this text, the nitty-gritty details are not placed aside from the main points so that you can skip over them when need be.Instead you are forced to wade through the endless morass of minutia to find the few hidden gems of general principles. ... Read more

Book Description
This concise, introductory text focuses on the basic principles of biochemistry, filling the gap between the encyclopedic volumes and the cursory overview texts. Principles of Biochemistry, 4/e has a well-deserved reputation for being the most accurate biochemistry textbook in the market. Widely praised in its previous edition for currency, and clarity of exposition, the new edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect recent changes in this dynamic discipline. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Not as Good as Expected!
I had to purchase the book because of the General Biochemistry course that I took at school. Although it is a well-written book, it does not provide the materials that are covered in our class. I do not even know why this book is required for an upper-division general biochemistry course! In other words, the book is very superficial and does not have enough substance.

Moreover, there are a lot of errors in the answer key section. You can pay slightly more and buy Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, but at least you would have something that you can learn from. I would not recommend this book.

Biochemistry text that leans more on the chemistry side...
This book was adopted by my university for a senior level / first year graduate level biochemistry course.It is well written and contains no messy jargon.Literally all of the text is useful information.In addition, it is concise.

My chief complaints about the book are: 1) the illustrations require substantial updating to be compared to what is presently available even in inferior texts.2) it lacks clinical/biological correlations and focuses instead on the quantitative nature of biochemistry (acid base calculations etc)Clinical correlations are certainly essential to applying biochemistry concepts.If this book had either or both of these two items, it would have earned 5 stars from me!

Instead, I recommend the following texts:
- Biochemistry: outstanding illustrations and concept coverage.
- Marks' Basic Medical Biochemistry: A Clinical Approach: outstanding clinical correlations with concise concept coverage and good illustrations (although not in full color)
- Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, Fourth Edition: outstanding text and illustrations!

Probably the best introductory text for Biochemistry. No Stereoviews?
This is one of the most readable texts for biochemistry on the market. It would be most useful for undergraduates and medical students. It is almost useless for graduate students in the biological sciences because it doesn't talk enough about experimental strategies. The older version of this text was much cooler because it has stereoviews. This feature makes the book stand out because the stereoviews are awesome. Whose idea was it to remove them??? This would make a good first book in biochemistry, but for upper level students I would recommend Stryer.

Why your reviews are important...
I am a biochemistry professor.After years of using another text I decided to try the Voet & Voet text.I was very excited about their latest edition and couldn't wait to teach with it. Unfortunately it was a disaster.There are far too many trees in Voet & Voet, and students couldn't see the forest this year.For next year I am looking at "Principles of Biochemistry" 4th edition by Horton et al.

So, in response to V. Kankanala below, student perspectives in these Amazon Reviews are very useful to those of us assigning the texts.

Fine book, for whatever it matters
The book is decent. To be honest though, reviewing textbooks is kind of funny. Does it matter what I say? I suppose if you're ordering this book because you honestly just have a burning desire to learn about the principles of biochemistry, well... the more power to you. You'll learn it just fine from this book. If you're just buying the book because it's the required text for your college class (like I expect), well yeah, doesn't really matter what I say, does it? ... Read more

Book Description
BRS Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Fourth Edition is an updated revision of a bestselling review, with an increased clinical focus, expanded molecular biology material, and several completely new chapters. The book outlines the important facts and concepts tested on the USMLE, within the context of physiologic functioning of the human body. Each chapter begins with a summary and ends with a high-yield summary to consolidate the material, so students can cover topics in a shorter time. Clinical vignette USMLE-style review questions, answers, and explanations appear after each chapter and in a comprehensive end-of-book exam. All the question material is also available online for electronic practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Way too many errors, in both questions and text
I found myself extremely frustrated with this book.I found so many errors in the questions, and even some in the text (it would literally say a completely different thing on one page than the next).I spent so much time checking facts in it and trying to make sure what they were saying was correct.I also found myself worrying about the things I did not catch, and if I was learning incorrect information.I very much disliked this book, and I would discourage anyone from purchasing it.

Poorly Written Book
I have used the anatomy and this book (BRS Bio Chem & Molecular Bio) of the BRS series and this one has got to be the worst book I have ever used for review. Through out the entire book there are mistake (both in the text and in the practice questions). You will spend more time trying to figure out if the book it right or wrong then actually studying. I would NOT recommend this book to anyone! I returned this book after using it for 1 day!

Good book and questions
This book has very good text.It really highlights are important concepts without going into too much detail.In medical school this is important because you don't want minor details to keep you from getting the main idea.The questions are great as well; however, I would have to agree that some erros are present.I don't think the errors are as extensive as others have tried to say, though.If you know the material then the mistakes are obvious.The only reason that I gave 4 stars instead of 5 was that the mistakes shouldn't be there.

Priceless
This is a good book regardless of the errors.I used it before each lecture to give me a good QUICK and concise run down on the topic at hand.The clinical correlations in the body of text, next to the relevant topic was more helpful than the previous editions.Many of the clinical correlations I remembered on the NBME test because of this book.

Just remember, this isn't a hardcore peer reviewed textbook.So there are probably some errors.I do remember a few questions that were incorrect, but I did not find it much worse than any other textbook I have used.

Overall, I wish I had this from day 1 of my molecules to cells portion of med school, instead of day 20.I say that because I spent so much time reading a lengthy textbook instead of this.It is worth it's weight in gold if you are NOT a chem/bio major and you need to learn biochem in a hurry.

I would recomend Lippincott's Illustrated review in case you don't like the BRS series.However, it doesn't have as many clinical correlations as the BRS does.

Littered with ERRORS
I agree with the other reviewer - this book is LITTERED with ERRORS, particularly in the question/answer sections. ... Read more

Book Description
This best-selling GOB text continues to lead the way with a strong focus on current issues, pedagogically rich framework, a wide variety of medical and biological applications, visually dynamic art program, and exceptionally strong and varied end-of-chapter problems. Plus, this edition includes numerous new resources to help students' understanding and comprehension of chemistry, including full integration with our popular technological tools OWL (online homework management system) and CengageNOW (student assessment program), completely updated biochemistry content, and expanded medical and health applications useful for allied health students. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Great Non-majors Book
This book is in its 8th Edition with two new authors. The style continues the high standards set in the previous edition. I find this book to be a very good quick reference guide for chemical reactions, stoichiometry, organic and biological chemistry. I am very sad to see that Bettelheim and March have passed away! ... Read more

Book Description
The fifth edition of General, Organic, and Biochemistry is designed to help undergraduate health-related majors, and students of all other majors, understand key concepts and appreciate the significant connections between chemistry, health, disease, and the treatment of disease. This text continues to strike a balance between theoretical and practical chemistry, while emphasizing material that is unique to health-related studies.

Designed for the one- or two-semester course, the text has an easy-to-follow problem-solving pedagogy, vivid illustrations, and engaging applications. The updating of the art program throughout, along with many new questions, problems, and discussion topics, continues to make this book appealing to students and instructors alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A++
Dr Joseph Topping is a fabulous teacher so it is no surprise that his textbook is equally amazing.I highly recommend this book!

A++
Dr Joseph Topping is a fabulous teacher so it is no surprise that his textbook is equally amazing.I highly recommend this book! ... Read more

Book Description
This step-by-step outline steers you logically, expertly, and clearly through biochemistry. It can save you study time and helps you get better grades because it focuses on the core information you really need to know—and avoids confusing, extraneous material that you don’t need! A question-and-answer format highlights the meaning of the material and helps you remember. Easy-to-read line drawings and diagrams make important structures and processes memorable. This new second edition features added sections on whole-body metabolism, enzyme kinetics, and new technologies for monitoring metabolic processes. Use this excellent study guide to help you ace your biochemistry course, study it alone as a complete biochemistry course, or use it for review before a standardized test—it can cut your study hours as it moves you quickly from cell structure through protein synthesis. This is the study guide that makes biochemistry comprehensible—the one whose first edition was chosen by 32,000 grateful students! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Great in midterm examinations
For undergraduate courses related to biochemistry, Schaum's Outline of Biochemistry is a vital course supply material for quizzes, midterms and also finals. The book contains a wide range of topics including amino acids and proteins, and hundreds of examples at the end of every chapter.

For Timesavers not Great for Bookshelves.
For Timesavers not Great for Bookshelves.
I used this book quite infrequently because of the too short and simple contents. I rather refer to a complete text and shorten them by my own.
Futhermore, this book is not great for bookshelves. It's a paperback!

Great Study Guide
I used this book while pursuing my B.S. in Biochemistry and it is the best study guide I ever used. It covers all of the primary topics in undergraduate biochemistry and gives pertinent examples without extraneous information. I highly recommend it as a study aid, especially for standardized tests. ... Read more

Book Description

Harper's Illustrated Biochemistry offers concise, up-to-date, and authoritative coverage of the principles of biochemistry and molecular biology as they relate to medicine.

Book Description

Customer Reviews (1)

So-so intro chemistry text
This book is designed as an introductory text for a yearlong chemistry course targeted to allied health students. It is organized in three parts: general chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry.It also has a secondary goal to present chemistry from the view point those aspiring to careers in health care and does so via a number of pedagogical features that highlight the role of chemistry in health and make the text a bit more relevant: Chaptersbegin with a workplace scenario that illustrates the practical use of chemistry; numerous drawings depict how various subjects apply to health and the human body; profiles of health care professionals that use chemistry in their day-to-day work are interspersed throughout; inset essays that describe the role of chemistry in maintaining health, applications of chemistry in everyday life, and in-depth forays into selected topics.

In light of the aforementioned features of this book, I was initially rather optimistic. However, as my course progressed and I needed more in-depth explanations of chemistry concepts, I found time and again that I needed a secondary source for full understanding. This really shouldn't be a knock against the book as it is not designed for the kind of depth and completeness that I am used to in a textbook, but I found it frustrating nonetheless. I would rate organic section as the best followed by the general chemistry with the biochemistry coming in last. I would suggest to those that haven't had chemistry before to get a supplementary text to help you gain a more complete understanding. I had an especially difficult time with the biochemistry section and felt precious little effort was made to explaining some of the biochemical pathways that were presented. All too often, complex pathways like glycolysis andcitric acid cycle were just presented as a series of reactions and I never got a feel for the big picture but was often lost and confused amongst all the intermediate steps. A better job should have been done to present this material especially considering the audience.

Overall, it's not a terrible book and a good deal of chemistry can be gleaned from its pages, but some additional effort will be needed to make the most of it. Don't bother with the biochemistry section unless you have a good supplementary text or tutor at hand, otherwise the going will be tough. The redeeming qualities of this book are it's additional features that highlight the role of chemistry in physiology and health and make chemistry seem relevant. ... Read more