Best Biology Textbook Reviews 2020

The publisher, Prentice Hall, a subsidiary of Pearson PLC, was founded in 1913 by Charles Gerstenberg and Richard Ettinger. It publishes both print and digital content for grades 6 through 12 and higher classes. It distributes its technical titles through the Safari Books Online e-reference service. The authors, Kenneth Miller and Joseph Levine are both biologists. Kenneth Miller, a biology professor, is specifically a cell and molecular biologist and received his Sc.B. in biology at Brown University in the year 1970. Joseph Levine, a former student of Miller’s, has taught introductory biology, marine biology, neurobiology and physiology at Boston College.

The book, Prentice Hall Miller Levine Biology Workbook, is written in a conversational storytelling style that will make reading it worth your while. The text is quite engaging and focuses on the use of analogies. Comparing or contrasting two things, probably something new with something you’ve always known, will help cement this new knowledge making sure it is substantially retained by the learner. It is so easy to understand that it can be used for homeschooling. That is, you don’t need a degree in biology to use this book. The fact that it is written in large print is a huge plus since nobody wants to spend time trying to see what is written on the text before getting to understanding it.

The content is up-to-date with happenings in nature so that learners get a front row seat to observe what’s new and what’s out in biology. The topics are very relatable discussing current happenings in our ecosystem and human system. With its “The Chemistry of Life” chapter, chemistry is beautifully woven into the text and used to explain biology to give you a 2-in-1 learning bonus. Your knowledge of chemistry is neatly tied to your knowledge of biology and so you’re improving simultaneously in both areas.

Other biology resources from Prentice Hall/Miller and Levine include:

• Prentice Hall Levine Biology Standardized Test Prep Workbook - To help you prepare for that biology test
• Prentice Hall Biology Guided Reading and Study Workbook - That will help steer you in the right direction of what to read
• Prentice Hall Miller Levine Biology Student Edition Spanish - For those with Spanish as first language or those that are just familiarizing themselves with the language

The publisher, Oxford University Press, currently publishes many titles in many countries in many languages and in different formats. From dictionaries to English teaching materials, printed music sheets, textbooks for higher classes and even children’s books, it publishes practically everything. It is driven by the core values of scholarship, research and education derived from its mother body, The University of Oxford. The author, Andrew Allot, got his International Baccalaureate Diploma in 1974. He currently acts as an IB (International Baccalaureate) advisor and helps develop and review the curriculum. He is also Head of Biology department at Shrewsbury School, United Kingdom.

The book, Andrew Allot IB Biology Study Guide, is an embracive study guide that matches up to the new 2014 syllabus. For students at both the standard and higher levels, this is good news because you are getting a book that touches on all the important topics that you need to know. All the topics come properly explained and expatiated because they are interested in you doing well in your International Baccalaureate test.

The concepts are broken down into friendly chunks and clearly explained to make understanding easier. Coupled with the diagrams and illustrations, learning with this text will be quite engaging and fun.

Examination preparation materials are incorporated into the text for you to assess yourself as you go. With the materials, you can build your confidence in your ability to perform well in the test before you do it for real. It properly prepares you for assessments, tests or examinations using revision questions, past question papers and exam strategies.

The clear and straight forward language in which it is written makes this book a veritable tool for learners with English as an additional language. You don’t have to waste precious time and mental energy trying to decode phrases and sentences used in the text, just concentrate on learning biology.

Other books by Andrew Allot include:

• IB Biology Course Book: 2014 Edition: Oxford IB Diploma program 2014 ed. Edition - A course book that helps you learn biology in its finest details
• IB Course Companion: Biology (International Baccalaureate) 2nd edition - That comes with the International Baccalaureate course content
• Biology for the IB Diploma by Andrew Allot (2007-12-15) - Another good book for biology students

Andrew Allot’s books are useful to everybody taking the International Baccalaureate test in biology.

The publisher, Pearson Education Inc., provides a host of educational materials and products in different media. These materials come in form of educational assessment for teachers and students, teacher professional development and certification programs and textbooks. It is dedicated to providing actionable and affordable educational intervention so every student has the chance to succeed. The author, Lisa Urry, is a graduate of Tufts University where she studied French and Biology. She’s currently a Biology professor and chairs the biology department at Mills College in Oakland, California. She also drops in as a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley.

The book, Lisa A Urry Biology Textbook, is one interesting read. Written in an engaging narrative, the reader gets the sense of being spoken to. You feel like you’re being engaged in a conversation with someone, so reading the book is quite engrossing. It relies heavily on the use of art, photos and other such media to pass across its message and hold the reader’s interest while at it.

One other thing Lisa Urry brings to the table with this book is the opportunity for students to have a hands-on experience of biology. She does this by providing activities and exercises, both in the text and online, that help students apply their knowledge to real life situations.

There is a way that she ties chemistry to biology in this text that is just beautiful. She helps you learn biology through your knowledge of chemistry or she helps you learn chemistry through your knowledge of biology. Whichever way, there is a two-part learning going on.

What you get in this book mirrors the recent changes that have been happening in the world of research and learning. Some of the concepts reflected include; problem solving, visualizing figures and lots more. What this means is that, throughout the text, you will be coming in contact with content that will challenge and improve your problem solving skills and general mental capability through already prepared exercises.

Lisa Urry has authored some other biology books including:

• The Preparing for the Biology AP Exam (School Edition) (Pearson Education Test Prep) 5th edition - Specially designed to help students prepare for the AP (Advanced Placement Program) test in biology
• Investigating Biology Laboratory Manual - For those interested in the workings of a biology laboratory

Plus, many other books that are sure to be what you need.

The publisher, Pearson Education Inc., provides a host of educational materials and products in different media. These materials come in the form of educational assessment for teachers and students, student information systems, teacher professional development and certification programs and textbooks. It is dedicated to providing actionable and affordable educational intervention so every student has the chance to succeed. The author, Scott Freeman, holds a Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Washington. He was awarded a Distinguished Teaching Award by the University of Washington plus various other awards in journalism. He has also been nominated twice for the Pulitzer Prize.

The book, Scott Freeman Biology Textbook, contains introductory courses for biology majors. The book is written in the Socratic style which emphasizes on experimental evidence and active learning. What this means is that the book gives room for hands on experience instead of just forcing a lot of random information into your head. Hands on experiment helps you better understand and retain the subject matter.

This book serves to force you out of the confines of memorization and into the embrace of active engagement. The beauty of this is that it presents this to you in a personal focused way, so, you’re learning biology like it’s just you and nature. This edition emphasizes some of the concepts and notions that were highlighted in the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education report, which means it is up-to-date with current happenings and changes in the world of undergraduate biology education.

With its unique BioSkills section, students are able to develop skills that they will need to become real scientists. This section comes with a ‘making models’ sub-section and a ‘put it all together’ sub-section. The ‘making models’ involves interpreting and creating models while the ‘put it all together’ helps students connect the textbook world to real life.

Other books by the same author include:

• The Study Guide for Biological Science 6th edition - To help you study for that biology test or will just help you better understand what you’ve learnt
• Evolutionary Analysis - Another interesting one from Scott Freeman as he does not just state the principles of evolution but breaks it down into understandable bits

With Scott Freeman, no two books can be the same.

The publisher, Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., is one of America’s leading publishers of test preparation manuals. It has begun to broaden its publishing scope by venturing into other books like children’s books, foreign language learning books, pet care books and even parenting books. The author, Deborah Goldberg studied for her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in Long Island University. For fourteen years, she studied cells at the New York University Medical Center and New York Medical College using electron microscopy. For the succeeding years, she has been teaching chemistry, biology and forensic science at Lawrence High School on Long Island.

The book, Deborah Goldberg Barron’s AP Biology, gives an elaborate review of AP (Advanced Placement Program) test topics. If you’re going to be taking this test, you should be thinking of getting this book because it addresses all the topics that the test will be taken from. The topics are properly elaborated on and concepts that are related are compared and contrasted to aid better understanding and even broaden your knowledge base.

It comes with two AP mock examinations that are in line with the style and the context of a standard AP exam. This gives you an edge in the exam situation, and will give you the opportunity to see how you can handle mistakes in the exam before actually doing it. Of course all the questions are possible AP questions so you might even get one or two questions from this mock test that will appear in the real thing.

There are yet hundreds of additional random questions. The beautiful thing here is that, all the questions, including the mock exams, come with their answers and explanations. You’re told what the answer is and why it is what it is. You can go ahead to apply these explanations to similar situations.

Amazingly, you get free access to a full length online AP biology test if you purchase this book. All the questions come with their answers and the answers, their explanation.

Other biology books by the same author include:

Barron’s AP Biology Flash Cards, 3rd edition - Ready-made flash cards that allow you memorize and study on the go

Barron’s Subject Test Biology - A good study guide for biology students preparing to take a SAT exam

Deborah Goldberg’s biology study materials come with answers that are explained, so the books are basically one-stop-books.