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Title: General Chemistry, Second Edition, Annotated Instructor's Version by Peter William Atkins, P. W. Atkins ISBN: 0-7167-2284-4 Publisher: Scientific American Library Pub. Date: October, 1995 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $79.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.5 (4 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Brilliant textbook!
Comment: Some years ago, as a first year student of physics, I had a course in chemistry that I thought I would never pass - it had been years since I graduated from high school, so I could not remember much of the chemistry classes, and chemistry had never been my favorite subject anyway. This course was based on the worst example of a European textbook (filled with information, but extremely hard to grasp), it was impossible to understand chemistry from this source only. So I looked for alternatives.
By sheer luck, I stumbled upon Atkins' book on a bookstore shelf. As soon as I started reading it, I was captivated. Everything that did not make much sense in the other book now was perfectly clear. The illustrations are beautiful, e.g. giving you a feel of what each element looks like in vivid color. This was one of the best textbooks I had ever encountered. It only took me a month or two to learn it all from cover to cover, and I guess what? - I passed the exam with an A, and with the compliments of the professor, congratulating me for my thorough knowledge - something I wouldn't dream of just a few months before. This was the first example for me of what a difference a good textbook can make.
If you want to learn and understand chemistry, even if you're starting from scratch, this is the book to use!
Later on, I read several other Atkins' books. His writing is truly remarkable, passing on not merely knowledge, but insight. I would recommend also "The 2nd Law".
Rating: 4
Summary: Good Examples, Good Illustrations, Great for Self-Study
Comment: I have not seriously looked at a chemistry textbook in years. I still recall with some unease my classes in inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry, biochemistry, geochemistry, and physical chemistry. Despite our long hours together, chemistry and I were never close friends.
A while back I found myself browsing "General Chemistry", a widely used text authored by P. W. Atkins and J. A. Beran. Surprisingly, I transitioned from a cursory review mode to a dedicated reading of the entire text. I emerged six months later with an excitment for chemistry that I had never developed while attending university.
Like most first year college science textbooks, the latest edition of Atkins' text is thick (about 1,000 glossy pages), heavy, and incredibly expensive. I used an older second edition (1990) that is available for a substantially reduced price on Amazon.
I suspect that Atkins' text is more detailed than many first year chemistry books. I found the section on Redox Equations and Half Reactions to be troublesome. I had difficulty with chapters 14 and 15 on Acids and Bases (pgs. 531-620) and even set the book aside for several weeks. I am unsure whether the problem was with the text or with me, probably a little of both. The last 300 pages seemed easier going. The organic chemistry sections were well written.
I appreciated the way that the authors clearly explained the solution strategy for ALL example problems before detailing the solution itself. The problem is defined, a strategy for solving the problem is discussed, and the solution is clearly shown. This feature makes Atkins' textbook particularly sutiable for self-study and review.
I especially enjoyed the discussions on special topics like Processing Ores, Scanning Tunneling Microscope, Redox Reactions in Photography, Photoelectrochemistry, Swimming Pool Chemistry, Stalactite Growth, and Smog Formation.
I am puzzled why reader reviews for Atkins' various textbooks seem so inconsistent. Some readers rave about his textbooks; others hate them. I have read this book from cover to cover and I join those readers that recommend Atkins' textbooks.
Recently I came across a more current edition of Atkins' General Chemistry (now co-authoed with Loretta Jones) that has been substantially restructured. The new 3D drawings of molecules were especially impressive. If you can afford it, buy a newer edition, but avoid the high cost of the latest edition unless it is a class requirement.
Rating: 5
Summary: A doorway to a whole new world
Comment: Ever since I can remember I despised everything that had to do with physics, chemistry, math, biology and other sciences.
When enrolling in college we began learning chemistry at a higher level, and I immidiately felt captivated. I bought this book and suddenly it was all much clearer, no it's not a commercial, it's solid fact, that this book changed my view of the world. I read in it on a daily basis and find it exhubering to read the two authors' descriptions of the wonders of molecyles, atoms, pH, ions and physical chemistry, it has opened a doorway to a whole new world. I really owe my recently acquired interest in chemistry to books like this one.
Buy it!
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Title: Molecules (Scientific American Library Series, No 21) by Peter William Atkins ISBN: 0716750198 Publisher: Scientific American Library Pub. Date: March, 1988 List Price(USD): $32.95 |
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Title: Atoms, Electrons, and Change: A Scientific American Library Book by Peter William Atkins ISBN: 0716750287 Publisher: W H Freeman & Co. Pub. Date: August, 1991 List Price(USD): $32.95 |
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Title: The 2nd Law : Energy, Chaos, and Form by P. W. Atkins ISBN: 0716760061 Publisher: W H Freeman & Co. Pub. Date: 15 August, 1994 List Price(USD): $19.95 |
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