- #1
Jimmy Snyder
- 1,127
- 21
Chemistry, The Central Science by Brown, LeMay, and Bursten.
(6th printing, 6th edition)
I have never studied Chemistry so I decided to get this book out of the county library. I am up to page 20 and I must say that it has been pretty dismal up to now. Here is a paragraph from the Preface to the Instructor labeled: Philosophy.
Throughout the evolution of this text, certain goals have guided our writing efforts. The first is that a text should endeavor to show students the usefulness of chemistry in their major areas of study as well as in the world around them.
When I was in college, the texts didn't even have this kind of motivational pep talk, let alone that it should be the first goal. In my opinion the first goal should be to teach. The first chapter, the part that I read, is probably intended to be more motivational than instructive, but there are more than a few places where the text could be clearer. I'm afraid that the beginner will be confused and worse yet won't even realize it.
Perhaps the book will get better in the next chapters. If I had to judge it solely on the first 20 pages, I would say, skip this book and get another. Unfortunately, this is the only book available to me and so I can't compare it to the others.
(6th printing, 6th edition)
I have never studied Chemistry so I decided to get this book out of the county library. I am up to page 20 and I must say that it has been pretty dismal up to now. Here is a paragraph from the Preface to the Instructor labeled: Philosophy.
Throughout the evolution of this text, certain goals have guided our writing efforts. The first is that a text should endeavor to show students the usefulness of chemistry in their major areas of study as well as in the world around them.
When I was in college, the texts didn't even have this kind of motivational pep talk, let alone that it should be the first goal. In my opinion the first goal should be to teach. The first chapter, the part that I read, is probably intended to be more motivational than instructive, but there are more than a few places where the text could be clearer. I'm afraid that the beginner will be confused and worse yet won't even realize it.
Perhaps the book will get better in the next chapters. If I had to judge it solely on the first 20 pages, I would say, skip this book and get another. Unfortunately, this is the only book available to me and so I can't compare it to the others.