Choosing a Textbook...

One of the first questions many AP Biology teachers have is, "Which is the best textbook?". There is no single answer to that. It very much depends on the group of students you will be teaching. You need to balance readability and breath of coverage as well as consider supporting material that the publisher offers.

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...