The major textbooks out there in 2009 are:
- Biology by Campbell & Reece (Pearson/Benjamin Cummings)
- Biology: Concepts & Connections (aka "Baby Campbell") by Campbell & Reece (Pearson/Benjamin Cummings)
- Biology by Raven & Johnson (Glencoe/McGraw Hill)
- Life: The Science of Biology by Purves (Sinauer/Freeman)
- Biology: The Unity and Diversity of Life by Starr & Taggart (Thomson Brooks/Cole)
- Biology by Mader (McGraw Hill)
Let's hear the opinions of teachers and why they chose their particular textbook...
1 comment:
After using Campbell for many years, I had to make a switch because my students had too much difficulty reading it. For my population of students (solid blue collar, working class), Campbell is above their reading level. They either don't understand it or get too bored reading it to sustain the workload. I switched to Raven & Johnson 4 years ago because my students find it much more readable. R&J has simplified much of the discussion without dumbing it down... and it gives many concrete examples of applied concepts. Campbell is more technical and more detailed -- more encyclopedic with lots more vocabulary than AP students need to know. Campbell reads more authoritatively -- which is tiring to read for my students -- but good as a reference. R&J is more conversational and will hold my students' attention much longer. I also like the illustrations in R&J. I have started replacing many of Campbell's images in my PPTs with R&J's. They are clearer.
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