Books to enrich myself in biology

Dory
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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by Dory » Sat Aug 14, 2010 12:19 am

GenesForLife wrote:These are all textbooks, but are good for general biology.

Biology by Mitchell Reece and Campbell, Fifth Edition
Biological Science, Scott Freeman
Biological Science , Soper et al.
Basic Biotechnology is rather interesting.
If you're looking for Undergrad levels of understanding with respect to specific areas, you may want to try the Instant Notes series
which consists of no-frills texts establishing a solid foundation for further study.

One you shouldn't miss is Alberts' Molecular Biology of the Cell V
Well, the point is not to "study-- I know the material! I really do. For the last couple of months I've been cramming them like craaaaaaaaaaaaazy. Nonstop. I was able to connect all the dots in my head. In other words, I have my own textbooks for and am doing quite well, so the point of this thread was looking for books for "peripheral enrichment". Regardless, I think I'll stick to my textbooks in afterthought, but thanks for the replies.

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GenesForLife
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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by GenesForLife » Sat Aug 14, 2010 5:12 am

Dory wrote:
GenesForLife wrote:These are all textbooks, but are good for general biology.

Biology by Mitchell Reece and Campbell, Fifth Edition
Biological Science, Scott Freeman
Biological Science , Soper et al.
Basic Biotechnology is rather interesting.
If you're looking for Undergrad levels of understanding with respect to specific areas, you may want to try the Instant Notes series
which consists of no-frills texts establishing a solid foundation for further study.

One you shouldn't miss is Alberts' Molecular Biology of the Cell V
Well, the point is not to "study-- I know the material! I really do. For the last couple of months I've been cramming them like craaaaaaaaaaaaazy. Nonstop. I was able to connect all the dots in my head. In other words, I have my own textbooks for and am doing quite well, so the point of this thread was looking for books for "peripheral enrichment". Regardless, I think I'll stick to my textbooks in afterthought, but thanks for the replies.
Which books comprise your reading list, Dory?

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natselrox
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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by natselrox » Sat Aug 14, 2010 5:22 am

GenesForLife wrote:One you shouldn't miss is Alberts' Molecular Biology of the Cell V
My favorite textbook of all time. Well, not really. That'd be the Kandel-Schwartz. :biggrin:

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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by natselrox » Sat Aug 14, 2010 5:28 am

And how much did that microscope cost, Dory?

Dory
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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by Dory » Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:34 am

natselrox wrote:And how much did that microscope cost, Dory?
Mic cost about 330$. The prepared microscope slide cost 50$ each... I bought 2. One with human tissues, other with insects, microbes and protists. I enjoy playing with them. But what I really really enjoy is looking at the stuff I pick from my own nose. Which, mind you, is very hard to do since my nostrils are so small due to the surgery. I can only pick my nose with a tweezer and that's not as fun.

Which books comprise your reading list, Dory?
My textbooks are the two huge volumes of Cecie's Starr and Ralph Taggart The Unity and Diversity of Life. It's General Biology in 2 books. I'm pretty much at the end of book 2, which is mostly about ecology and bioethics. Also I need to review the part about plants and soil more introspectively, though I know photosynthesis thoroughly, as well as the rest of the material-- evolution, physiology, diversity, beginning of life, DNA+RNA+Proteins, Basic biochemistry, Cell membrane and organelles, mitosis, meiosis, genes, Mendelian genetics... I know this stuff well. I shall be taking over the world at roughly 2015 with my new bioterrorist colony of super invulnerable protists.

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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by GenesForLife » Sat Aug 14, 2010 9:57 am

I have 82 odd textbooks in PDF format, and all of them are used for reference. This of course is in addition to 20 odd hard copies of textbooks in the Biosciences section of my library.
I may archive those files in subject collections and upload them for download.

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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by Dory » Sat Aug 14, 2010 10:03 am

GenesForLife wrote:I have 82 odd textbooks in PDF format, and all of them are used for reference. This of course is in addition to 20 odd hard copies of textbooks in the Biosciences section of my library.
I may archive those files in subject collections and upload them for download.
Cool!

PS. I like it how in our avatars we both look angrily and introspectively at the camera for no apparent reason. 8-)

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GenesForLife
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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by GenesForLife » Sat Aug 14, 2010 10:38 am

I was thinking deeply about something I don't remember when I took the photo, and no, that isn't me being angry, that photo would be an absolute nightmare for viewers. :tup:

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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by Dory » Sat Aug 14, 2010 11:06 am

GenesForLife wrote:I was thinking deeply about something I don't remember when I took the photo, and no, that isn't me being angry, that photo would be an absolute nightmare for viewers. :tup:
You eerily remind me of Sal from Khan Academy.

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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by GenesForLife » Sat Aug 14, 2010 11:08 am

by appearance?

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Tero
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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by Tero » Sat Aug 14, 2010 12:03 pm

Book of Life, Gould editor,illustrated well.

Your Inner Fish. Google.

Best nature writing: Bernd Heinrich
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_ ... d+Heinrich

start with winter world, summer world

Cellular level, see Life Ascending. Looks at abiogenesis etc.

Dory
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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by Dory » Sat Aug 14, 2010 2:00 pm

GenesForLife wrote:by appearance?
No, by voice, even though I never heard you :P

Yes, by appearance! But then again, I've just found out about him today, so maybe it's in my psychology.

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Re: Books to enrich myself in biology

Post by Ronja » Sat Aug 14, 2010 8:00 pm

Dory: when you say "just general biology" (that's the gist I got), do you include (the evolution of) animal behavior?

If yes, I adore and reread these (among others):

Jane Goodall: In the Shadow of Man
Hugo Van Lawick and Jane Goodall: Innocent Killers
Konrad Lorenz: On Aggression
Frans de Waal (ed): Tree of Origin

Lorenz especially is old, and shows it, but I find it valuable to stay aware of how much basic assumptions, research methods, and quality requirements on (observational) data have advanced in the last 50-60 years.
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