Organic Chemistry - 4th Edition by David R Klein Loose-Leaf

About the Book

"Students who perform poorly on organic chemistry exams often report having invested countless hours studying. Why do many students have difficulty preparing themselves for organic chemistry exams? Certainly, there are several contributing factors, including inefficient study habits, but perhaps the most dominant factor is a fundamental disconnect between what students learn in the lecture hall and the tasks expected of them during an exam. To illustrate the disconnect, consider the following analogy. Imagine that a prestigious university offers a course entitled "Bike-Riding 101." Throughout the course, physics and engineering professors explain many concepts and principles (for example, how bicycles have been engineered to minimize air resistance). Students invest significant time studying the information that was presented, and on the last day of the course, the final exam consists of riding a bike for a distance of 100 feet. A few students may have innate talents and can accomplish the task without falling. But most students will fall several times, slowly making it to the finish line, bruised and hurt; and many students will not be able to ride for even one second without falling. Why? Because there is a disconnect between what the students learned and what they were expected to do for their exam."--

Book Synopsis

In Organic Chemistry, 4th Edition, Dr. David Klein builds on the phenomenal success of the first three editions, with his skills-based approach to learning organic chemistry. The Klein program covers all the concepts typically covered in an organic chemistry course while placing a special emphasis on the skills development needed to support these concepts.

Students in organic chemistry need to be able to bridge the gap between theory (concepts) and practice (problem-solving skills). Klein's SkillBuilder examples and activities offer extensive opportunities for students to develop proficiency in the key skills necessary to succeed in organic chemistry.

About the Author

David Klein is a lecturer at Johns Hopkins University where he teaches Organic and General Chemistry. He is a dynamic and creative teacher and uses analogy to help students grasp difficult topics. Klein's unique informal voice and manner of presentation help students truly master key topics in this course. He is also the author of Organic Chemistry as a Second Language; response to this book has been phenomenal.