Organic Chemistry As a Second Language - First Semester Topics

The book is incredibly helpful, however when you get to chapter 12 the pages are mixed up and not in the correcct order. Ch 12 begins in 11 and ten 11 finishes and you get to the rest of 12. Its just kind of annoying to have to swap back and forth.

I am currently studying for the MCAT. Before buying this book, I ordered a collection of Kaplan MCAT prep books (i.e., one book for each tested subject). I found that Kaplan's organization of material is illogical, and their choice of words resemble the very thing students shouldn't do: memorize. I decided to start from scratch with my study materials. On the contrary, it seems like Klein meticulously worded each chapter so that any student can understand the material. That is not to say that the material is "watered down" in any way; he knows what students need to hear, and that is tying in all principles of Organic Chemistry.

I have just ordered the book on second semester topics!

Anybody who is taking Organic Chemistry especially for the first time needs to get this book!!! He is literally like a guru at helping students understand what the hell Organic Chemistry is, and this book is pretty much like a bible to Organic Chemistry.... It's freaking awsome! I would definitely recommend anybody who is getting themselves into this torture called Organic Chemistry should have this book to help. He breaks everything down, and tells you what you need to know. Plenty of practice problems also which is also good with a course like this.

This book is a requirement for any organic chem student! Great problem sets and explanations. A neccesary tool for any student. This was recommended to us by our professor as a tool to help our learning, and it was solid advice.

Received the 2005 edition, but apparently is similar to new editions. Has a misleading title -should be: Lab aids on how to draw Organic molecule diagrams. Be sure to "see inside" before buying. Does NOT help understanding Organic Chemistry. Very limited info - is only on drawings.
I made a mistake & did not see inside". Now studying dvd course on Organic Chemistry wanted a text book type of extra info.

I am currently in Organic Chemistry I. This book is half the length of the actual textbook. Reading this helps summarize what can be a lot of confusing information a chapter of the textbook, into clearly and concisely listed ideas or concepts one should always be aware of while working out problems. Before, when I just had the textbook, I was not completely sure of which rules were more important than others. Then, there were rules within rules, within rules. It was all just very complicated and I found myself almost more confused working on problem after reading the textbook than before. Organic Chemistry as a Second Language really helped me clarify and organize important points and has improved my understanding of the subject greatly. It is a surprise that both this and the the textbook are written by the same author! Get this book. Read it. You will not regret it. AND it's only like 30 dollars.

my organic chem professor is not straight forward. Organic chemistry if hard but I didnt even use my textbook this is all im using for this class and it really helps me understand the concept and do better on the exam. You HAVE to have this if youre taking organic chem it will really help you. Trust me!

Super helpful!!! Got me through Orgo I comfortably by breaking down each topic in an easy to understand form and giving you plenty of practice situations! Definitely would recommend if chemistry isn't your strongest subject and need a little more help!

Super helpful!!! Got me through Orgo I comfortably by breaking down each topic in an easy to understand form and giving you plenty of practice situations! Definitely would recommend if chemistry isn't your strongest subject and need a little more help!

Nicely organized. An adjunct to the required OChem text of the university (is anyone still using Morrison and Boyd by the way?). Like the layout. Gave it to my younger daughter who is using it to great effect.

This book was beyond helpful! My professor recommended it on the first day of class and I ended up using it more than the textbook! It's concise, explains all the concepts simply, and even provides just the right amount of practice problems after every new topic for you to really understand and succeed. I used it for clarification, annotated it, and did all the questions. I credit this book for my understanding of the subject. If you're enrolled in Organic Chemistry 1, this is a must!

I would advise getting both First & Second Semester Topics. A friend of mine learned MS, IR and NMR in organic chemistry II. I'm learning those now in organic chemistry I. It's a good thing to practice, practice, practice. These books explains organic chemistry very well and have practice problems. I have two textbooks (one required for class the other for more problems) that I read first, then I use this book. I love it! Remember, don't be lazy in this class. Practice as many problems as possible. You will not regret it.

Some of the basics like the line structures, shorter way of drawing the compound, are really important and the problems that Klein gives you help a ton, as my professor didn’t assign any problems to learn them, and next lecture he assumed everyone knew how to do it, and I was grateful that I had practiced as the book shows you in the firs time chapter also, and I started going over it the day before the 2nd class of the semester. But for everyone else I the class, I could see how they would feel, as he never mentioned it the first class, so how could they know it was what they had to learn, by the 2nd class no less. I lucked out studying it early, as it was something I never did. Also the rest of the semester and even now the 2nd semester o-chem II, he has never taught it, just expects you to know it.
Also some of the material he just explains better or simpler, it is how when you study you would try to explain it to yourself
Some was better taught by my professor but I doubt that anyone else would have the same kind. So it really helps as the problems build off slowly, while the book or lab might be way harder, here it builds to it slowly, so hard problems you just know how to handle for the most part
the naming is maybe on the things that’s differently explained, as we didn’t do naming on some of the stuff he goes over here, but he also introduces the order differently, from gen chem II I got good at naming so I could tell he’s just approaching it from a different perspective but someone that news might have a harder time grasping it with this order

Just memorize the reactions, as learning how to derive the machism doesn’t help you much, you can but, just to save yourself time to do something more fun

Tip for second semester
Start covering Spectrum’s before it starts, the second semester book, which is more expensive, starts with aromatic ring (also common names of some) but we started with UV Spectrascopy, then IR, the NMR( which has 13C, and H(is), as derivatives following the same logic), Mass Spectrometry, but the time to really handle and understand is way longer than the time one would expect to cover, while also studying for other classes is almost impossible. If you don’t really want to cover this
then just do NMR as it can be tricker than the rest
And/ Or Mass spectrometry as it is also tricky
All before the semester begins
It’s almost like a physics problem as you really have to know what each part means to keep doing the rest

This review books is the best thing since sliced bread!! I needed a refresher on all things Organic in my preparations for taking the OAT (Optometry Admissions Test)!! I haven't taken Organic Chemistry since 2007 and struggled then...managed a C (thank goodness). Honestly, I wish I would have thought to purchase something like this when I was actually taking the course. This book kept the language simple and gave you exactly what you needed to know and even little tips on how to remember certain reactions, etc.
Awesome buy and I would recommend it to any and everyone that is currently taking Organic Chem. I and needs to hear the material explained simpler or for those who simply need a refresher!!!

This book was recommended by my professor, and it's one of the better investments I've made this semester. Wonderfully helpful, with a bit of extra practice for some of the more confusing aspects of organic chemistry.

Although this book was optional I'm so grateful I purchased it. Trust be told I've opened and read this book more then the assigned textbook. Breaks everything up into understandable components and super easy to apply for most if not all concepts. If your taking orgo this should be a requirement as I highly recommend purchasing!!!!

I think one thing may reviewers overlook is the value of the practice problems. This is truly a workbook. There are tons of questions as you go along to be sure that you're really understanding the material. The explanations are fantastic and this book was such a great resource.

The reviews are true. This book is a lifesaver with organic chemistry. I only wish my professor had assigned David Klein's textbook as well. David Klein is a gifted mind, who has shared his clarity of organic chemistry with this neat little book.

If you are taking organic chemistry you need this book. It is great at explaining the important topics. It goes step by step to help you master the basic skills needed to be successful in organic chemistry. I took my first test without it and struggled. One of my classmates suggested the book and it made a big difference in my understanding of the topics.

I used this book as an additional resource for when I was studying organic chemistry. It is very condensed which is helpful when trying to learn a difficult subject like organic chemistry. I used it in conjunction with my textbook and lecture notes from my professor and the three different ways of learning organic chemistry combined and to allow me to do very well. This book is definitely worth a purchase for someone who is nervous about organic chemistry and wants to do well.

This book is fantastic. It contains very succinct explanations of each topic as well as a blend of example and practice problems. I highly recommend this book for anyone studying the organic chemistry sequence.

I found this book extremely useful during my first semester of Orgo. It made the concepts much easier to understand and was a great supplement to the textbook. I found it very helpful to read through a topic before reading it in the textbook to get a basic understanding before diving in. This book greatly helped in my study of organic chemistry and I highly recommend it.

Although I had the store prime, this took an extra day or two to get to me (which was my fault for ordering the book late for the time I needed it anyway). This book is SAVING me in Orgo Chem 1 right now, this book is amazing. I ordered it used and it looks brand new, fresh off the shelf. I would recommend this as a study aid for anyone having difficulty learning this subject

This book was very helpful for me. Although I picked it up halfway through the semester, I found that while I studied by myself, this book offered great practice for me, as the textbook wasn't very helpful for me. This book definitely helps you understand the concepts and the mechanisms behind each of the concepts.

As a medical student, it is difficult to keep things like organic chemistry ingrained in memory. This book was a complete savior both during the OChem class and any time I needed a quick reference afterward.

If you are in Organic Chemistry, BUY THIS BOOK! And don't forget to get the second semester one as well.