{"data":[{"id":167,"title":"Biology","edition_statement":"2e","volume":null,"copyright_year":2018,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Biology 2e is designed to cover the scope and sequence requirements of a typical two-semester biology course for science majors. The text provides comprehensive coverage of foundational research and core biology concepts through an evolutionary lens. Biology includes rich features that engage students in scientific inquiry, highlight careers in the biological sciences, and offer everyday applications. The book also includes various types of practice and homework questions that help students understand—and apply—key concepts. The 2nd edition has been revised to incorporate clearer, more current, and more dynamic explanations, while maintaining the same organization as the first edition. Art and illustrations have been substantially improved, and the textbook features additional assessments and related resources.","contributors":[{"id":4460,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Mary","middle_name":"Ann","last_name":"Clark","location":"Fort Worth, Texas","background_text":"Mary Ann Clark, Texas Wesleyan University"},{"id":5038,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Jung","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Choi","location":"Marietta, Georgia","background_text":"Jung Choi, Georgia Polytechnic University"},{"id":5039,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Matthew","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Douglas","location":"Grand Rapids, Michigan","background_text":"Matthew Douglas, Grand Rapids Community College"}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":502,"url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:40.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:40.000-05:00","name":"OpenStax"}],"formats":[{"id":1021,"type":"Online","url":"https://cnx.org/contents/8d50a0af-948b-4204-a71d-4826cba765b8","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1022,"type":"PDF","url":"https://d3bxy9euw4e147.cloudfront.net/oscms-prodcms/media/documents/Biology2e-OP_aHSFm3Y.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1023,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/biology-2e","price":{"cents":5000,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":5031,"type":"Audiobook","url":"https://audileo.com/openstax-biology-2e-audiobook/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":71,"reviews":[{"id":67,"first_name":"Kate","last_name":"Pettem","position":"Instructor, Biology","institution_name":"Camosun College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is well-written and easy to read and understand.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The textbook is aimed to provide fundamental knowledge at a general reading level. The content is up to date with no glaring and serious mistakes. However, there are several mistakes that do need to be corrected. For instance, in Figure 40.15/Page 1178, the branch after the Thoracic aorta is named the Abdominal aorta; its branches include the Celiac trunk, Superior Mesenteric artery (mistakenly labeled as Gastric artery)…, and it becomes the Common Iliac artery (mistakenly labeled as Iliac artery) …","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook has taken good advantage of the use of figures in describing concepts and structures. I would agree that the relevance is one of the strengths of the textbook.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The textbook may need some improvements with clarity. For instance, in Figure 41.5/page 1194, the major and minor calyces are introduced unclearly in the description and there are no labels provided to follow.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The terminology and framework are consistent throughout the whole text.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The textbook is divisible into smaller reading sections and it is self-referential.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"It is acceptable for a general reading level.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The interface is acceptable. It would definitely improve the interface if there were a softer color scheme. The contrast of the colors is too strong which detracts the reader from the content.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found there are no issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The majority of the photos in this textbook are images adopted from American-based resources. It may be more suitable for Canadian students if there were more images from Canada-based resources.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"The content and organization of the textbook have great potential to be a popular textbook if the clarity and interface were improved. I still would not recommend my students this current version as it may not be easy to follow and is at times confusing.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":68,"first_name":"Kuo-Hsing","last_name":"Kuo","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Northern British Columbia","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"•\tThe text appears to be very comprehensive. The index at the start of the text is very useful for navigation.\n•\tThe glossary appears comprehensive, however, many duplicates (ie. hydrophobic and Hydrophobic) were noted in the index. Furthermore, these duplicates appear to reference different pages.\n•\tThe listing of key words with definitions at the end of each chapter is a useful feature, since students can reference key words for that specific chapter easily and quickly.\n•\tYes it is but a lack of internal referencing is evident.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"•\tDiagrams and written content both appeared to be accurate.\n•\tOne exception: it appears that there is an error on page 150 in the image labeling frontal and transverse planes in the goat (at least the image doesn’t seem to match the description in the text).\n•\tThe reviewers did not notice any bias in the text. Any ethical issues (for example, reproductive technologies) were handled carefully but with technical accuracy. \n•\tError page 371.  Paternal leakage means that not every mitochondrial DNA is from the female.\n•\tError p. 322 color is spelled with the American spelling.\n•\tError p.375  I was unaware that Rosalyn Franklin was considered for the Nobel prize…should have been.\n•\tTypo in bicarbonate image in Ch.2\n•\tp.214 error (again) in the equations/arrows.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"•\tContent seemed very up-to-date.\n•\tThe reviewers noticed that care was taken to include recent findings (for example, neurogenesis and BrdU labeling; epigenetics; personalized medicine).\n•\tThe basics / foundations were covered in an appropriate manner so that the text will not become out of date very quickly.\n•\tThe sections on anatomy and physiology of the human body had a nice mix of explaining structures and functions, and linking these with disorders to make the content more relevant and interesting. \n•\tI have no impression that it will be quickly out of date.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"•\tText was written clearly and was fairly engaging to read. Overall text was a good mix between technical / scientific jargon and everyday language. \n•\tMany examples and connections were included to help students stay interested (for example, links in the macromolecules section to “low carb” diets and Celiac disease).\n•\tLearning objectives presented at the start of each section are also very useful for students to focus their reading. Learning objectives were phrased in a clear way using verbs to help students understand exactly what is expected of them. \n•\tEnd of chapter questions are also a nice addition for students to practice (especially since answers are provided at end of text). \n•\tThe depth at which material is covered seems appropriate for a first year majors biology course.\n•\tI found real problems with chapters 12-15 and 17.  I found them very densely written.  Concepts did not flow one into another.  Lack references to previous text sections to review basic concepts, like meiosis.\n•\tP.375  PCR is introduced before it is explained.\n•\tP. 451  How can student “get” cDNA in one sentence?\n•\tP.451  Probes must be explained much more completely.\n•\tP.459  I think linkage maps belong elsewhere.\n•\tP.464  I think a microarray image is very important here.\n•\tI think the entire first paragraph of chapter 7 needs a do over.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"•\tOverall most of the text reads as if a single author were involved; no major differences in writing style were noted between chapters.\n•\tThe layout and flow of the text (intro paragraph, learning objectives, text, etc) was consistent throughout. \n•\tI fe","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"•\tUse of bolded key words helps readers pick out important terms.\n•\tThe number and placement of headings and sub-headings seemed appropriate – not too many that the flow of text was disrupted, but not too few that readers would have to stretch on and on with simple text.\n•\tHeadings and subheadings are clearly labeled so sections can be found easily.\n•\tText didn’t self-reference too much, which is very useful for classes that only cover part of the text.\n•\tI thought this was very poor.  I could not image how to part of a chapter to cover the basics of a topic.  Very evident in Cellular respiration chapter\n•\tp.401  A very odd experiment to throw in.\n•\tJumping to the electron transport system is an odd way to start in 7.1.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"•\tOverall, topics seem to flow nicely within individual chapters and also are appropriately ordered within the larger Units. \n•\tComplex topics are built up slowly and in a logical way.\n•\tRather good in Chapters 1,2,16,18 and 19.\n•\tRather poor in 7, 12-15 and 17.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"•\tInterface is overall clearly laid out, but is not particularly engaging visually\n•\tThe margins are very large, resulting in a proportionately small text size. Images in the text also do not make a very good use of space. A two-column format may be more appropriate.\n•\tPoor use of page space / too much white space also makes this text a poor fit for reading online, particularly on devices such as iPad, tablet, eReaders where screen size is smaller and the text /content is intended to fill the entire screen space.\n•\tOverall figures / images were good and clearly demonstrated the concepts, although occasionally they look somewhat unprofessional when compared to other similar texts. Occasionally figures also look grainy / blurry or as if they are low-resolution images (ex. Page 149).\n•\tThe “Art Connection” headings seem unnecessary. These images are similar or complimentary to others displayed in the main text, and labeling them as “Art” seems strange.\n•\tWould it be possible to move the image credits to an Appendix at the end of the text? They create unnecessary clutter on the page / in the figure caption. \n•\tUse of tables was appropriate and any information in tables was presented in a clear and organized manner, without extraneous details. \n•\tI thought many images had a random quality.  For example 14.3, a dead mouse image was unhelpful in understanding this classic experiment.\n•\tEspecially in the first image for the chapter.  12.1, 15.1,16.1,17.1 all were poor choices.  18.1 too dark.  12.7 needed to show red, white and pink phenotypes.  \n•\tp.356 Where is the phenotype associated with the G/C phenotype?\n•\tp.358  Please show the McClintock strategy as well.\n•\tp.359  Why show a karyotype where the colours don’t match up for the homologues?  Ie #21’s and #10’s\n•\tShow more water molecules in shell of hydration image fig. 2.15\n•\tInclude blood in pH figure 2.19","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"•\tNo grammatical errors were noted.\n•\tException:  Noted unnecessary use of ( ) on pg. 122 – an entire sentence was inside the parentheses. ","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"•\tContent did not seem culturally insensitive or offensive. \n•\tI noticed nothing culturally insentitive.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"•\tCareer Connections are great throughout, but some appear to be written from an American perspective. Special interest topics also fail to mention Canadian content (for example, laws governing reproductive technologies and “designer babies”).\n•\tLinks to online content varied in quality and ability to engage students in a dynamic way. Some videos were very good and modern, while some animations seemed overly simplistic. \n•\tNothing caught my attention regarding Canadian content. (other than the colour/color thing)\n•\tI think you need to hire someone to give the text a consistent voice and internal refences.\n\n ","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":69,"first_name":"Joan","last_name":"Sharp","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"Simon Fraser University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers most necessary areas, but not always with clarity or accuracy. The index and glossary are fine.\n\nIn Chapter 18, the text only includes the biological species concept, with no discussion of its weaknesses or limitations. Other species concepts should be included and the pros and cons of each should be discussed.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"I noted many errors in the text and I’m sure there are many more. \n•\tOn page 65, the text states, “Hydrogen bonds are also involved in various recognition processes, such as DNA complementary base pairing and the binding of an enzyme to its substrate, as illustrated in Figure 2.28.” The figure illustrates the former, but not the latter. Plus the right hand side of the drawing is labeled as Cytosine bonded to adenine. Why are two base pairs (T-A and incorrectly labeled C-G) shown? Students will be confused and uncertain how the two strands are represented. Although the text states that H-bonds create the double-helix structure, this is not shown in the Figure.\n•\tOn page 90, the text states, “Being the outermost structure in animal cells, the plasma membrane is responsible for the transport of materials and cellular recognition and it is involved in cell-to-cell communication.” Why only animal cells?\n•\tOn page 96, the text states, “The structural difference between a normal hemoglobin molecule and a sickle cell molecule—which dramatically decreases life expectancy—is a single amino acid of the 600.” No, the sickle cell hemoglobin only decreases life expectancy in homozygous individuals.\n•\tThere are two errors on page 125: “Have you ever noticed that when you bite into a raw vegetable, like celery, it crunches? That’s because you are tearing the rigid cell walls of the celery cells with your teeth.” No, it’s not the cell walls. It’s the lignified schlerenchyma cells. “Fungal and protistan cells also have cell walls.” No, not all protists have cell walls.\n•\tOn page 159, crenation does not mean shrinkage but refers to the effect of shrinkage on the cell membrane. \n•\tOn page 186, the text states, “ATP is a highly unstable molecule.” No, not at the range of pH in most cells. If this statement were true, the energy of ATP could not be used to supply energy to reactions within cells.\n•\tIn Chapter 8, the text states, “The energy extracted today by the burning of coal and petroleum products represents sunlight energy captured and stored by photosynthesis almost 200 million years ago.” No, fossil fuels formed in the Paleozoic, which ended 252 mya.\n•\tOn page 243, the text states, “Every single atom of matter and energy is conserved, recycling over and over infinitely.” No, this is not so. Energy is conserved, but does not recycle, as energy is lost as heat in each chemical reaction. \n•\tIn Chapter 11, the text states, “Spores are haploid cells that can produce a haploid organism or can fuse with another spore to form a diploid cell.” Spores never fuse with other spores to form diploid cells. It also states, “Some plants produce spores.” No, all plants produce spores.\n•\tThis statement on page 488 is not necessarily true: “A geographically continuous population has a gene pool that is relatively homogeneous. Gene flow, the movement of alleles across the range of the species, is relatively free because individuals can move and then mate with individuals in their new location. Thus, the frequency of an allele at one end of a distribution will be similar to the frequency of the allele at the other end.” It’s inaccurate to claim that allele frequencies do not change over the range of a species.  \n•\tOn page 503, the text states, “Evolutionary theory states that humans, beetles, plants, and bacteria all share a common ancestor, but that millions of years of evolution have shaped each of these organisms into the forms seen today.” No, billions of years.\n•\tIn Figure 45.10, there is no such thing as “the carrying capacity of seals”. Carrying capacity is a feature of a population’s environment, not of the population.\n•\tThe text uses the terms primitive and advanced for extant taxa. This terminology is out-of-date and reinforces student misconceptions of evolutionary change as goal-directed and progressive.\n\nThere are a number of concepts or topics that are very poorly explained. In some cases, it appears that the authors do not fully understand them. Here are some examples; I’m sure there are many more. \n•\tOn page 52, the text states, “Like hydrogen bonds, van der Waals interactions are weak attractions or interactions between molecules. Van der Waals attractions can occur between any two or more molecules and are dependent on slight fluctuations of the electron densities, which are not always symmetrical around an atom. For these attractions to happen, the molecules need to be very close to one another. These bonds, along with hydrogen bonds, help form the three-dimensional structure of the proteins in our cells that is necessary for their proper function.” In fact, interactions between R-groups on amino acids are more important than Van der Waals attractions in stabilizing 3D structure in proteins.  \n•\tIn Figure 5.12 and throughout the text and chapter questions, the terms hypertonic, isotonic, and hypotonic are used to describe single solutions. You cannot refer to solutions as hypertonic, isotonic, and hypotonic except in comparison to other solutions. The text and figure reinforce a common and significant student error that prevents clear understanding of this key concept. \n•\tOn page 749, the text says, “In the following Cenozoic Era, mammals radiated into terrestrial and aquatic niches once occupied by dinosaurs.” No, the aquatic reptiles of the Mesozoic were not dinosaurs. Many seven-year-olds could correct the authors on this one. \n•\tOn page 1304, the text states, “Animals faced with temperature fluctuations may respond with adaptations, such as migration, in order to survive.” This reinforces a common and deeply rooted student misconception that organisms adapt in order to survive. Frankly, I was surprised and appalled to see this sentence in a university level textbook. \n•\tOn page 1360, the explanation of keystone species is very weak and insufficient to answer the critical thinking question at the end of the chapter.\n•\tThe very brief discussion of sociobiology on page 1372 is biased, sketchy, and inaccurate:  “Sociobiology also links genes with behaviors and has been associated with biological determinism, the belief that all behaviors are hardwired into our genes.”\n•\tThe text generally takes a traditional approach to behavior, with insufficient discussion of behavioral ecology. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"I noted quite a few examples of out of date terminology and concepts. I’m sure there are many more.\n•\tArchaea get very short shrift in this textbook. On page 30, the text says, “Many organisms belonging to the Archaea domain live under extreme conditions and are called extremophiles.” This would be fine if the text then went on to explain that we now realize that Archaea are far more widespread than previously thought, but the discussion ends there. In fact, throughout the textbook, bacteria are mentioned in contexts where bacteria and archaea should both be included. Students are generally not familiar with archaea and it seems the authors of this textbook share this lack of understanding. \n•\tOn page 479, the text states that “Natural selection [is] also known as “survival of the fittest.” This outdated phrase is not challenged or revised. \n•\tThe terms “warm-blooded” and “cold-blooded” are used throughout the text, e.g., page 749: “The mostly cold-blooded dinosaurs ceded their dominance of the landscape to more warm-blooded mammals.” These terms are highly inaccurate. Terrestrial vertebrates differ in the source of body heat and in the variation in temperature they experience and can tolerate, not in the temperature of their blood. The biologically accurate terms are ectothermic and endothermic. Again, this seems to reflect a lack of understanding on the part of the authors, as the inaccurate terms are used consistently. \n•\tThe terms higher and lower organisms are used throughout the text. This is outdated terminology that has no place in a general biology textbook.\n•\tThere are many cases in which the authors refer to plants and animals, rather than including all relevant taxa. Again, this reinforces student misconceptions and lack of familiarity with fungi, protists, and prokaryotes.  Examples are found on page 27: “A community is the sum of populations inhabiting a particular area. For instance, all of the trees, flowers, insects, and other populations in a forest form the forest’s community;” in Figure 6.3: “Both plants and animals use cellular respiration to derive energy from the organic molecules originally produced by plants;” and on page 228: “Photosynthesis is essential to all life on earth; both plants and animals depend on it.”\n•\tOn page 804, the text states, “The notochord, however, is not found in the postnatal stage of vertebrates.” On page 807, it says,  “In adult vertebrates, the vertebral column replaces the notochord, which is only seen in the embryonic stage.” Not so! Consider extinct vertebrate taxa (e.g., ostracoderms and Placoderms) and extant taxa (e.g., lungfishes) that have unconstricted notochords. \n•\tOn page 807, the text states,  “Based on molecular analysis, vertebrates appear to be more closely related to lancelets (cephalochordates) than to tunicates (urochordates) among the invertebrate chordates. This evidence suggests that the cephalochordates diverged from Urochordata and the vertebrates subsequently diverged from the cephalochordates.” Nope, that’s out of date. More recent genomic analysis has identified cephalochordates as the most basal chordates. Tunicates and vertebrates are sister taxa that diverged more recently. Urochordate and vertebrate embryos share a novel embryonic tissue layer: migratory neural crest cells.\n•\tOn page 808, the text states, “We will consider hagfishes and lampreys together as jawless fishes, the agnathans, although emerging classification schemes separate them into chordate jawless fishes (the hagfishes) and vertebrate jawless fishes (the lampreys).” This is incorrect and out-of-date. In fact, recent genomic evidence shows that hagfishes and lampreys form a clade, the cyclostomes: Hagfishes and lampreys share four unique miDNA families. The term Agnatha was abandoned long ago, as jawless fishes include cyclostomes and ostracoderms and are not a clade. ","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"There are a number of examples of complex terms or concepts that are not clearly explained. Here are some examples:\n•\tIn Chapter 3, the Evolution Connection on cytochrome C is not well explained: “When human and rhesus monkey sequences were compared, the single difference found was in one amino acid. In another comparison, human to yeast sequencing shows a difference in the 44th position.” This suggests that humans and yeast are as closely related as humans and rhesus monkeys. And why specify the position of the one change? The significance of these comparisons is not explained. \n•\tOn page 94, the term homology is used but not clearly defined or explained.\n•\tFigure 3.32 is not helpful and does not show H-bonding or antiparallel arrangement clearly. \n•\tUnless I missed it, the R in Figure 2.27 is undefined.\n•\tOn page 54, this sentence requires a fuller explanation: “Cells can only survive freezing if the water in them is temporarily replaced by another liquid like glycerol.” \n•\tThis explanation on page 58 is overly simplified: “So how do the cells of the stomach survive in such an acidic environment? How do they homeostatically maintain the near neutral pH inside them? The answer is that they cannot do it and are constantly dying. New stomach cells are constantly produced to replace dead ones, which are digested by the stomach acids.”\n•\tOn page 154, the text states, “For example, think about someone opening a bottle of ammonia in a room filled with people. The ammonia gas is at its highest concentration in the bottle; its lowest concentration is at the edges of the room. The ammonia vapor will diffuse, or spread away, from the bottle, and gradually, more and more people will smell the ammonia as it spreads.” No! This is an example of convection, NOT diffusion. Diffusion plays a key role in the movement of molecules across plasma membranes, which are only 8 nm thick.  Many students imagine that diffusion explains the spread of molecules of dye in a beaker of water or the movement of molecules of scent in a room and this example feeds this misconception. It is also important to emphasize to students that diffusion is an effective and important process for transport of molecules over small distances but is completely irrelevant at macrocopic scales.  See Vogel (1994) Dealing honestly with diffusion. American Biology Teacher 56:7, 405-407.\n•\tOn page 242, the discussion of CAM and C4 photosynthesis is far too brief.\n•\tOn page 285, the text states, “Cells in G0 phase are not actively preparing to divide. The cell is in a quiescent (inactive) stage that occurs when cells exit the cell cycle.” A G0 cell is far from quiescent metabolically and this term will mislead students. \n•\tOn page 313, the explanation of The Red Queen Hypothesis in the Evolution Connection is very weak and unclear. \n•\tOn page 481, the text fails to explain why a mutation may be neutral. \n•\tOn page 496, the explanation of punctuated equilibrium is very weak.\n•\tOn page 518, the term linkage disequilibrium is very poorly explained.\n•\tIn Chapter 19, the discussion of some evolutionary mechanisms, e.g., nonrandom and assortative mating, is very sketchy.\n\nChapter 20 shows a very weak understanding of a key topic: phylogeny. Students struggle with “tree-thinking”, a necessary skill for anyone who plans to continue in biology. Phylogenetic trees are poorly explained in this chapter and the discussion on how to construct them is confusing. I honestly do not think that the author has a clear understanding of this important topic. \nSome examples:\n•\tOn page 524, phylogeny is very poorly defined: “Phylogeny describes the relationships of an organism, such as from which organisms it is thought to have evolved, to which species it is most closely related, and so forth.” Ouch! \n•\tOn the same page, “ Scientists consider phylogenetic trees to be a hypothesis of the evolutionary past since one cannot go back to confirm the proposed relationships.” Yes, phylogenetic trees represent hypotheses about evolutionary relationships, but not because these hypotheses cannot be tested! \n•\tIn Figure 20.7: “For example, the bones in the wings of bats and birds have homologous structures.” This is a poor example, since these wings are both homologous as vertebrate forelimbs and analogous as wings. Later, the text (page 530) says, “Some structures are both analogous and homologous: the wings of a bird and the wings of a bat are both homologous and analogous.” True, but the author does not explain why these structures are both homologous and analogous!\n•\tThe chapter appears confused about how time is represented in phylogenetic trees, saying both that trees do and do not have a time axis.\n•\tOn page 534, the text states, “The vertebrate in Figure 20.10 is a shared ancestral character.” Huh?\n•\tThe discussion of horizontal gene transfer is very lengthy but very poorly written. For example, the discussion of Lake’s work would not be accessible to general biology students. It’s not clear that the author understands it, frankly.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Many terms are used before they are defined. I noted several examples and I am sure that there are many more.\n•\tOn page 24, the term “germline cells” is used but is not clearly defined. \n•\tIn Figure 1.16, just before three domains are introduced, many tax","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is fine in this regard. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I noted several examples in which material is explained clearly in one part of the text, with inaccurate or inconsistent information in other places. I’m sure there were many others. \n•\tOn page 188, the text states, “Due to this jigsaw puzzle-like match between an enzyme and its substrates (which adapts to find the best fit between the transition state and the active site), enzymes are known for their specificity.” No, it’s not like a jigsaw puzzle. This will confuse students, many of whom have trouble grasping induced fit, which is introduced on the next page. \n•\tOn page 482, the text states, “Although natural selection may work in a single generation on an individual, it can take thousands or even millions of years for the genotype of an entire species to evolve.” The idea that evolution and speciation require millennia is included as a misconception later in the chapter!\n•\tOn page 676, the text confounds green algae and charophytes, referring to all green algae as charophytes. The distinction between charophytes and the other taxon within the green algae was made clearly in Chapter 23. The distinction is also clear on page 682. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not note any problems with the interface. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The text contains few grammatical and spelling errors. Here are a few errors that I noted:\n•\tOn page 54: Unites States\n•\tIn Figure 4.6: “Relatives sizes on a log scale” \n•\tOn page 123: “… proteins synthesis is an essential function of all cells”\n•\tOn page 176, this sentence is very poorly written, with a full and confusing sentence in brackets: “Photosynthesis is the primary pathway in which photosynthetic organisms like plants (the majority of global synthesis is done by planktonic algae) harvest the sun’s energy and convert it into carbohydrates.”\n•\tGene and allele names/letters and variables in equations should be italicized, but are not. This is a problem throughout the text.\n•\tOn page 486, this sentence is incomplete: “Define species and describe how species are identified as different”","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive and uses a wide variety of examples. ","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"There are many examples (e.g., government regulations such as the FDA, examples of careers) that are American and explicitly not Canadian. \n\nAmerican spelling is used throughout, which is fine with me.\n\nThe text has some good features. \n•\tLearning outcomes are specified throughout and are clear and complete. \n•\tThe Career Connection sections are good, although they are definitely American and not Canadian.  \n•\tThe critical thinking questions are generally pretty good. Do students have access to answers to these questions and to the others included in some figures? If so, how?\n•\tOne of the best features is the Everyday Connection sections, which are imaginative and will be interesting to students. \n•\tThe introduction to scientific approach and the culture of science is generally good.\n\nOne very serious weakness of this text is the art: the figures, the animations, and the Art Connection features. They are very basic and do little to help students visualize biological concepts and structures. Some of them (Figure 5.11, Figure 18.6) are truly awful. \n\nCurrently available textbooks have made huge strides in producing carefully rendered and accurate illustrations and animations that are produced by talented teams of artists and animators. I realize that it is impossible to provide this quality of artwork in an open source textbook, but I think it is also important to recognize how important such features are for students attempting to visualize complex structures and to master difficult concepts. It is a false savings to provide a free textbook that lacks features that are crucial and necessary to student understanding of what is, frankly, very challenging material.","created_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2013-10-09T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":136,"first_name":"Tobili","last_name":"Sam-Yellowe","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Cleveland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all areas of biology appropriate for first year biology students. Key terms are defined at the end of each chapter. A comprehensive index is provided at the end of the text. Answers to text and chapter questions are also provided.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The content of the text is generally accurate but not uniformly. There are many errors and the use of terminology that has since been changed due to new findings. Also newer information is missing in some of the chapters. I have cited a few examples In fig 2.19, human blood should be included in the pH scale. In Fig 3.12 \"Hydrophobic lipids\" is redundant. In Fig 5.4 a new illustration of bilayer is needed because the current diagram is not very clear. In Fig 5.11 the diagram depicting osmosis is misleading due to the depiction of the height of water following its movement across the membrane. On pg. 91 indicate that majority of enzymes are proteins and also include a discussion of ribozymes; specify that enzymes are biological catalysts and affect the rate of reactions by increasing the rate of reaction. In chapter 42, both B and T cells play significant roles in immune responses. The concept of T suppressor subsets has been changed and regulatory T, B, DC and NK populations have been described and shown to have immune suppressive and regulatory functions. It is not clear what the authors mean by the subheading \"Cytokine Release Affect\". Chemokines are not discussed. They should be discussed along with cytokines. In the complement pathway, the lectin pathway is missing. In chapter 34, there is no discussion of phytonutrients. The majority of  \"Art Connection Figures\" throughout the text are difficult to read, labeling is poor and the font used either has shadows or is extremely blurry. The relevance of the opening figures to the chapter content is not always obvious. Among the three domains, the archaea are not given adequate treatment. There is very little discussion of this domain in the text.\r\nThese and many more errors and omissions can be corrected by a revision of the text and replacement of figures.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text content is generally relevant and up-to-date. Material is presented in an engaging way with practical examples that students can easily relate to. However, because of the errors and the use of terms that no longer apply, students may become easily confused and this could affect the longevity of the text. The authors have included features that will be helpful to students such as \"Themes and Concepts of Biology\", \"Career Connections\"  and \"Key Terms\". The lay out of the text may not allow easy updates. Sections will need to be fully revised to provide updates of text and figures. Inclusion of new landmark scientific discoveries will be useful.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall the writing is clear. However, each of the chapters could use a clearer transition from the opening of the chapter to the main chapter content. There is unevenness in accessibility across chapters. The units on evolutionary processes (unit 4), biological diversity (unit 5) and ecology (unit 8), are hard to follow and may confuse students. Chapter introductions need to be specific on what will be covered. The introductory material needs to provide recall or review of previously covered material so that students are not constantly referring back to previous chapters in order to comprehend the new material. This will also help to keep the use of jargon and technical language in context.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terminology and organization is consistent. More review and recall of key terminology and concepts should be provided in each chapter. Also the writing style needs to be kept the same throughout the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Text modularity is good. Sections can be used individually. However, as the text reads currently, some \"self-referencing\" will be necessary to maintain connections among chapters and between sections within chapters.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall the topics are presented logically and students can follow. However, chapter contents need to be revised for clarity and new figures are needed to help students make connections between what is presented in the text and the figures. Due to the challenging nature of the subject, figures can help students understand concepts better when the figures are clear and unambiguous. The structure of the text is similar to most text books for this level of biology and the units are divided appropriately.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"Majority of the figures and charts in the \"Art Connection Figures\" are very difficult to read. The labeling is not clear in many figures, the font type is distracting, labels have shadows, and they are distorted or blurry. Also, some figures are too crowded, the choice of colors is distracting and the figures have no depth. For example, Figs. 4.8, 5.4, 5.19, 33.21, 33.23, 34.19, 40.17, 38.38, 41.13, 41,13, 42.11, 43.15, 43.17, 46.6, 46.10; there are many more examples like these.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text reads well and has no grammatical errors. There are typographical errors that can be easily corrected during a revision.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There are no cultural insensitivities or biases in the text.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":182,"first_name":"Kristyn","last_name":"VanderWaal","position":"Faculty","institution_name":"Anoka Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"If you are looking for a majors level textbook that covers all the content covered in the vast majority of first semester biology course, this will work for you.  The content, as least in the chapters I cover, is extremely similar to my current majors level text (Campbell Biology 10th Ed., Reece et. al.). A few differences I would like to highlight.  One, the figures are sometimes bare-bones.  While the content is there, they are not as “elegant” as one would find from a mainstream publisher (for example, the illustrations of the cell are 2-dimensional).  This may actually help students, as the “elegant” figures are sometimes distracting for students anyhow.  Two, some chapters simplify explanations.  In some cases this is good.  For example, in the photosynthesis chapter, the explanation of the light reactions is much more straightforward than in my book.  I think students would grasp the concept better.  But, in the case of mitosis, the lack of a good figure of the mitotic spindle is notable.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I know that several other reviewers commented on errors they found in this textbook.  I will not argue with them, as those errors may be within their field of expertise.  However, I firmly believe that these small errors are mainly in sections that would not be covered in most one-semester courses, and could easily be clarified by the professor if they were covered.  I read the chapters I would cover quite carefully, and did not find any errors of note.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Most of the material taught in introductory biology courses has not changed in the last 15-20 years and this book is certainly up to date.  I liked that current research examples were used, such as HPV infected cells in the cell division chapter, and neurons from Huntington’s patients in the Mendelian genetics chapter.  I thought the biotechnology chapter was particularly good, and better that my current textbook, which is not the most up to date, even in the newest edition.  Plus, the book could easily be updated in this open source format.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"As a longtime user of a textbook that is well-respected by biologists and other colleges, but a struggle for many introductory science students to read, this book was a breath of fresh air!  I think students will find it easy and straightforward to read.  The sentence structure and vocabulary beyond the scientific terms are simple enough that even ESL college students should be able to glean information.  ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Mostly, the internal text seems consistent.  However, they are inconsistent in the quality of the website links.  One aspect I really like of the text is all of the website links built right into the chapters.  After each section, you can click the link and it brings you to a relevant video, activity, etc. Some are terrific, and worth a student spending time there to better understand the material.  Others are not as worthwhile, and may even solidify commonly believed biological myths. (For example, a link to the genetics of human eye-color exercise inaccurately depicts human eye color as a two-gene character).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"There is not much to say here.  The book is perfectly fine in its modularity and is similar to most other biology textbooks.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I have no special comments for this metric.  The organization is on par with other majors level biology texts.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not find any issues with the interface, and especially liked the option of reading it online.  I think students would also like this option. Any issues present must be pretty minor.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There is no reason to dwell on this metric, as the grammar and English were fine in all the chapters I read.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This is a science textbook, so there are very few places to talk about other cultures and ethnicities.  I did not find any obvious examples of insensitive or offensive language.  ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"After comparing this text to my current majors-level textbook, I would strongly recommend this text with a 4 star rating.  I do have one other caveat: I had difficulty finding and accessing instructor resources. If you are a competent instructor who tends to use the textbook as a supplemental resource for your students, rather than the main way of obtaining information, this will meet your needs.  I tried several times to access the “Instructor Power Points” that are supposedly available, and I could not get the website to work.  Before I adopt this text, I would really like to see the quality of these resources.  Also, a new professor may find the lack of a test bank of questions tough, as they will end up shouldering the majority of the test-writing job. ","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":194,"first_name":"Jessalyn","last_name":"Sabin","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Hibbing Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"\r\nThis textbook was comprehensively organized and populated with topics. It covered all of the subject areas that my current General Biology textbook covers. Some current topics, such as epigenetics and biotechnology, were covered very well and will be easily updateable. In some instances, I felt that certain topics, such as stem cell research, were not given much coverage, but the overall coverage was excellent. It would be easy for the instructor to build off the foundation that was laid out in the text.\r\n\r\nThe online version has additional organizational features that connect glossary terms with each subsection, rather than an entire chapter or even at the end of the book. With the downloaded pdf or (I am assuming) the printed text version, the glossary comes at the end of the chapter. I personally prefer the section-by-section glossary, as students can immediately look up terms, rather than flipping back and forth. Additionally, with the online version, students could see what unit, chapter, and subsection they were within, as it becomes highlighted in the table of contents at the top.\r\n\r\nOne aspect of this book that I feel was done very well was the coverage of the scientific method and the manner in which this was tied into subsequent chapters again and again. I don't think that can be stressed enough; science is a way of thinking and approaching problems. The small text-box presentations of examples of the scientific method throughout the book were well executed.\r\n\r\n","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"\r\nThere were a variety of small errors in content matter, which included some small mislabeling and repetition of images.  Some terms were utilized in strange ways, and I felt some of the definitions could be altered a little to be more precise. I did not notice any bias towards or against historical studies, current topics, research, or ideas made apparent. Some other errors included some minor semantics issues within a few of the chapters, including the genetics and immune system chapters. I personally do not find those to be too distracting since this book would be utilized in a beginning course, although I do feel they should be addressed to avoid misinformation.\r\n\r\n\r\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content is very up-to-date, and I did check out how frequently the content was altered (it mentions this at the bottom of the online version). The content is changed very frequently- my one concern would be if these changes were major, how would that influence the ease-of-use for those students that download and print or order a text copy? I also think that the links to external resources may be difficult to maintain, although I did spot-check those and the links were all good.  These included sites such as Khan Academy.\r\n\r\nSmall changes to update the Evolution Connection and Everyday Connection sections would be simple enough to do, and these small boxed-in sections contain some of the current events and applications to each chapter. The Career Connections sections are a nice addition that students will be able to explore when considering career possibilities in science.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"This text was written in a more straight-forward manner than my current text that I am using. I felt the order in which the authors approached topics was intuitive to how a student might learn the topic. Much of the time, the text took on a more conversational tone than I was expecting, which I feel will appeal to readers. There was also links to videos and tutorials which more fully explained some of the more difficult topics in a visual and/or audio dimension. These were accessible with a QR reader for the offline versions. The online version also linked the figures to the text itself, so students could click the referenced figure and have it appear as they were reading.\r\n\r\nI only felt that the jargon got to be a little technical in some of the genetics unit, especially within Genes and Proteins and Gene Expression. That is where students struggle anyway, and it would have been nice to have a little more clarity at that point. The terms sometimes can be used before they are fully defined, and some of the figures appeared before the text, which can be confusing to students as they pace through the book.\r\n","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The tone of the book seems fairly consistent across chapters. There is not a clear transition of voice from author to author, which is good.  There is little consistency in the images- some ar every nicely edited and some are difficult to see. If you enter into a new tab, you can see the images better in some cases, but this may not be the case for those that print out the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of this book is stellar, especially in the online version. Each unit contains chapters that have subsections that are easy to find and pull apart.  The instructor will easily be able to present topics in the order in which they prefer. The text is very self-definitive, and it would be easy to read a section on its own, save for perhaps the genetics sections, which are a little trickier. However, the likelihood of an instructor assigning those subsections at random is very low, so I don't think it would be a problem. Intermittently, the text refers to itself, which could be an issue if one has not read the previous information, but this is not frequent.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"In general, the topics in the text are presented in a logical order, with more basic ideas coming before more complex ones. Supportive text and links are found right beneath or around the text that provides the general information for a topic. There were a few times that a figure came before some of the text that would have explained certain aspects of that figure a little more, but this was infrequent.  At the end of the text, it would have been nice to pair Plant Structure and Function with the plant diversity chapters in the previous unit, and likewise for the Animal Structure and Function. This is fairly common in most textbooks, but many General Biology courses will cover the plant unit and the animal unit in two distinct parts of the course.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The links within the text are all good, as well as the images, which can by sized-up for ease of reading. Some of the online-version images seemed small at first, so they did need to be opened in a new tab, but that was easily accomplished and did not disrupt or confuse me as the reader. As I have mentioned in a previous section, the online version has a table of contents above the text that highlights where you are in the book: by unit, chapter, and subsection. Links are clearly visible yet subtle, and the small Evolution Connection boxes and the like are small enough to not disrupt the flow of the regular text.\r\n\r\nThe images themselves could use some work, in a few instances. There were also some chapters that were sparse of images, including the genetics unit - in particular the information about cancer. I would have liked to see more surrounding that topic in the way of images, and even information.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book did not contain blatant grammatical errors, although sometimes there were words that were defined that perhaps did not need to be. For instance, serendipity is defined right away on page 22, which I thought was odd to define that in a Biology text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Images in the text included a variety of people from different races and backgrounds. When talking about inherited disorders and conditions, the authors were straight-forward and sensitive with jargon related to those topics, which can read as offensive if done thoughtlessly. Within the evolution section, no outwardly offensive material was presented that would make conversations difficult with students of a variety of belief systems.\r\n\r\n","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I was surprised by how easy-to-use and thorough this text was. I am seriously considering transitioning to this text from my much more expensive versions that I currently require. This text will get a General Biology student through just fine, and I think that students will appreciate how accessible the links and external content is. ","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":198,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Sorensen","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Minnesota State University Mankato","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The 8 units this textbook, chemistry through ecology, sufficiently cover the range of topics that would be covered in an Introductory Biology series of courses.The order in which topics are addressed follows the common approach of building from the simplest level of organization up to the highest level. Within each chapter, the fundamental concepts and principles are addressed in a factual manner. \r\nAt times, it seems too little effort is devoted to explaining the relevance, context, or complexity of the concepts and principles. Having said that, I need to add that a major complaint I have of the most widely used introductory textbooks for Biology majors is that too much attention is focused on trying to provide that context, which makes the essential facts more difficult for some students to grasp. Whereas those books provide too much information, which can overwhelm, I wonder if this book could be a little too scant, which may make the facts feel irrelevant. That being said, a knowledgeable instructor should be able to provide that context and, not having the authors' context in the text, may make the naive students'  path through the material less overwhelming.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the information presented in this book to be accurate, up-to-date, and consistent with the most widely held scientific opinions on the topics. This was especially noteworthy in the diversity of life chapters, where contemporary taxonomic titles are used rather than the more widely recognized historical names and groups that are currently outdated.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book is written in a manner that it's content will remain relevant long into the future, although I suspect motivated instructors who adopt this book will quickly adapt it to fit their viewpoint on the relevance of topics. The fact that it is open source textbook, allows it to be readily modified or updated by individual instructors. So long as those instructors follow the expectations of the Creative Commons license of the text, their is great potential for this book or instructor-modified versions of it, to remain relevant indefinitely. The facts that are presented are unlikely to change to an extent that would require a major revision any time soon.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"As I mentioned earlier, I have concerns about the \"facts only\" approach that is used in some of the sections I reviewed. For instance, in the cell reproduction chapter, the metaphase, anaphase, and telophase sections are each described using just 3 sentences. Everything in those sentences is accurate and easy to comprehend, but what seems lacking to me is an explanation of the relevance of the processes that are being described. Reading those sections alone would seem to reinforce memorization of the details rather than an understanding of the relevance process.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Although this book had 6 Senior Contributors and a large number of Faculty Contributors, the editing was done in a manner that kept the framework and terminology consistent throughout the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book has a degree of modularity that should readily accommodate a variety of approaches for covering its topics","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This book follow the traditional, and most widely used, manner of organization for the sequence of chapters and topics, which allows for a logical flow of content.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is trouble-free. The links that I clicked to external sites all worked well. Navigation within the digital book was problem-free. Images, tables, and boxes were all presented well and without distortion.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The sentence structure and paragraph flow and logical and easy to follow. The factual context of the writing made for very quick reading.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found no evidence of cultural insensitivity. In fact in the first chapter, the second image that contained a person, showed researchers excavating a paleontological site in Spain.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I found the illustrations to be very instructive and easy to interpret. They are a strength of this text and, in many places, serve as the focus for the author's discussion of the topic. They aren't just in the book, they are incorporated into the discussion. I also found the external links to be extremely beneficial and well selected. The capacity to have external links embedded within a digital textbook can be a real strength for reinforcing content.\r\nOverall, I found this to be an exceptional textbook option for the cost. That being said, I am still on the fence about whether I am ready to adopt this textbook for my introductory biology course base on the brevity of their discussion and strict factual manner in which some key concepts are presented.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":238,"first_name":"Irving","last_name":"Allen","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Virginia Tech","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a very comprehensive textbook that provides an appropriate balance between the different fields of biology. The textbook explains very complex topics in a comprehensive manner and appears to be designed for early term biology and associated science majors. The book is well organized and the table of contents is through to allow students the ability to quickly view each topic covered. Overall, this textbook is more comprehensive than other books by the same authors, covers each topic well, and expands upon topics not covered in the “Concepts of Biology” textbook. However, while more topics are covered in the “Biology” textbook, the amount of comprehensiveness for each Chapter is only minimally expanded from the “Concepts of Biology” textbook. The key terms and review questions for each chapter are excellent and the answers to the review questions are provided. However, the answers are difficult to quickly locate as they are listed in paragraph format, rather than organized as a list. The textbook also offers access to a variety of “Learning Resources” and various real world “Connection” sub-topics that are highly useful and complemented the material provided in each chapter. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the text is accurate. There are several instances of subtle inaccuracies, which is expected in any textbook. Thus, this textbook is comparable to the majority of its peer “traditional” books. In many cases, the book is written in very simplistic terms, which is likely designed to hold the readers interest. In some cases, the inconsistencies appear to be associated with oversimplification. The Figures in the textbook are also generally accurate. However, some have low resolution, which makes their interpretation difficult.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook contains current information and up-dated material. As with any science textbook, periodic revisions will be necessary for many of the units. The textbook also has an assortment of web links that will need to be maintained.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is well done, with minimal jargon. When jargon is used, it is well defined and the meaning is clear. The material is presented in an engaging manner and should hold the student’s attention. There is a nice, seamless transition between sections contributed by different authors. This is commonly a distraction that is minimized in this textbook.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is quite consistent from Chapter-to-Chapter. In general, the terminology and nomenclature is consistent throughout the book. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The format of the Textbook is highly modular. In general, each Unit/Chapter could stand alone is independent from the textbook as a whole. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is well organized and flows in a logical manner. The unit and chapter breakdown was very well done and organized appropriately.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The interfaces were either excellent or poor. The bar codes associated with each “Link to Learning” were fantastic and an excellent addition to the textbook to add additional information. Likewise, the inclusion of the Chapter Summaries and Key Word definitions were highly beneficial. The Review Questions and Critical Thinking questions were excellent and very useful to reinforce the content. However, the “Art Connection” figures, in general, were very low resolution and many appeared blurry and difficult to read. The coloration of these figures should also be improved for contrast.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"In general, I did not locate any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No cultural issues were noted in the textbook.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a well assembled textbook that would be highly appropriate for an introductory biology course for majors. There are a few issues with image resolution; however, this was only a minor concern. This is a very nice textbook.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":287,"first_name":"Ashley","last_name":"Gramza","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is extremely comprehensive, almost too comprehensive. However, I now realize that instructors are encouraged to cut irrelevant material and use relevant material to their coursework. Biology is an extremely broad subject area to cover and the authors do a great job of covering topics as diverse as general chemistry to biodiversity conservation. Furthermore, for students who will only be taking one year of biology, I am confident that using this textbook will give them a broad overview of the field and introduce them to more specific topics that could help them in any major or career.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I thought that the authors did a great job of providing unbiased scientifically based information in this textbook. Furthermore, authors did not avoid controversial topics, but instead try to present all sides of scientific debates or discussions, distilling information in a way that is easy to understand for students just starting college. I did not find any inaccuracies or errors in my review of this textbook.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This textbook did a great job of presenting seminal, historical research as well as using examples and illustrations from today to explain biological concepts and theories. It's hard to say how quickly these current examples will become obsolete, but this would be a problem with any textbook that uses current examples. Most of the current research examples just serve to further elaborate or explain a concept and thus many examples would still be relevant  even if the theories or studies became outdated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I had absolutely no problem understanding the content in this textbook. Reading this textbook was remarkably easy and smooth which is much different than the textbooks I remember reading for general biology when I was an undergraduate. Authors also do a great job of explaining complex ideas through case studies, diagrams, and videos. I think this question would be more appropriate to ask students after they use this textbook for class.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter and subsections within each chapter are set up similarly with chapter glossaries, summaries, and questions occurring at the end of each chapter. I did not notice any inconsistencies in this set-up or within terms.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter and sections within chapters can easily stand alone and be assigned at any point within the semester without much problem. However, the textbook is set up to explain the subject of biology starting from broad (chemistry/building blocks of life) to specific (organ systems) and going from simple (cells) to complex (ecology) and therefore could easily be assigned sequentially as well. I encountered almost no places in the textbook that reference previous or later sections of the textbook. For the most part, large blocks of text are broken up with a plethora of photos, graphs, diagrams, and inset boxes.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is broadly set-up to explain the subject of biology starting from broad (chemistry/building blocks of life) to specific (organ systems) and going from simple (cells) to complex (ecology) and therefore is structured in a way that inherently builds off of the concepts from previous chapters. Many biology textbooks seem to be set up this way and I think this organization makes the material flow well. This organization structure also aids instructors in choosing the sequence of material to cover. \r\n\r\n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I had a few problems with the textbook interface while reading it on Adobe Acrobat reader. Some of the charts and photos were a bit pixelated, but it didn't detract too much to the meaning of these photos/charts. Furthermore, some of the links that take readers to additional multimedia features do not work. To fix this, I would recommend that authors periodically check and change these links accordingly. I also found many random blank pages and some font size/style inconsistencies. Further, some comprehension questions at the end of chapters would continue on the next page making it hard to understand what the answer choices were. I would also recommend reminding readers where the answers to the comprehension questions can be found (i.e. at the end of the book). Specifically stating which pages the specific answers could be found would be even better.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"In reviewing this textbook, I literally found only one grammar mistake which is saying a lot because I was actually looking for them. This single grammar mistake was found on pg. 1443, after the 2nd word of the last paragraph. There is a second, random \"s\" after the word success.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I commend authors on their inclusion of the political and cultural issues and ramifications of certain biological concepts such as biodiversity conservation and eugenics. There is even a mention of the importance of integrating social science research into biological research and authors mention how traditional ecological knowledge was used to help biologists understand the sin nombre hantavirus discovery. Authors also mention many ways that biological studies can help society. \r\n\r\nOn a more negative note, a reference was made to \"hard\" and \"soft\" sciences with biology being called a \"hard\" or quantitative science which was identified as different from the more qualitative or \"soft\" social sciences. Using the terms soft and hard to differentiate between biological and social sciences simply furthers the divide between the two and also imparts a value judgment where \"soft\" sciences are not viewed as rigorous or quantitative as biological sciences. In truth, both fields are equally rigorous and important, they just study different parts of our world.\r\n\r\n","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I was pleasantly surprised at how interesting and easy this book was to read. I thoroughly enjoyed it!  I learned quite a bit myself from reading it, and I look forward to teaching courses where I can use this book's material to help explain concepts in biology.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":338,"first_name":"Mark","last_name":"Platta","position":"Faculty ","institution_name":"Central Lakes College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Biology was very comprehensive in its covering of general biology topics and the \"Link to Learning\" feature allows the learner to expand the concept. Often these links provide cutting edge insight into both the research and application to make the concept interesting and plausible to the viewer. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"My review of the text found no errors and it appeared in every since to follow the standard for a quality general biology text. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"With an online text the capability of providing updates in a timely fashion would appear to be easily accomplished. Often in printed textbooks the material can be outdated by several years.   ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is easy to read and flows nicely. Definitions and examples for terminology are provided by several means; within the body of the text, key terms, tables, examples and through Link to Learning.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text itself is consistent from chapter to chapter, utilizing the Link to Learning feature within the text however opens up a portal to knowledge that could easily draw the learner off task.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The information of the text is nicely proportioned into manageable sections with allows the reader to pause and contemplate the material just presented. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics follow the fairly standard structure of a inclusive general biology text.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did have a few issues getting back to my starting point when using the Link to Learning feature but after downloading the text as a PDF I could bounce back and forth easily. I found no problems with the links within in the text and I was surprised by this since I myself often have issues year to year with broken links. A few images had some distortion of text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any errors with the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text wast not culturally insensitive of offensive and when used examples where cultural diverse throughout the text.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"With failing vision reading from a standard text book requires good lighting and magnification. Having a downloadable online text allows me and others the ability to adjust light intensity and size easily on the monitor. For me this could not have come at a better time in my life. I loved the Link to Learning, I have used a number of the linked sites in my courses however it did open up a world of other valuable sites.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":417,"first_name":"Lisa","last_name":"Turnbull","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Lane Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is fairly comprehensive. There are a few areas that I am pleasantly surprised by the detail included, but other areas where I am a little surprised to see detail lacking.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't see any major flaws.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"All of the websites mentioned in the text do make me a little nervous. The basic content doesn't seem to be at any more risk of becoming dated that a traditional text. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Better written than some, but I can tell they haven't spent large sums of money on editing. I like that the chapters are fairly short.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This is one of the more consistent open ed resources I've seen.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity is good! Clear subtitles and logically arranged chapters.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think most reasonably flexible instructors would not find the organization to clash with the organization of their course.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I haven't had issues using the interface. I primarily used PDF copies, but did spend one day using the online version without issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I didn't see anything that made this book more or less culturally relevant than other texts. I was pleased that key female scientists were mentioned.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I think it is a good text. The major limitation I see is that there are fewer and lower quality images than with other texts I've used. I could see having to recreate a few key figures to use this textbook.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":469,"first_name":"Meagan","last_name":"Harless","position":"instructor","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers essential content in sufficient detail for an introductory and/or non-majors biology survey type course. Many topics are covered at a moderate level of depth with additional links provided to content from other sections of the text in the 'connections' sections. There is coverage of all levels of organization and no bias is evident in coverage of molecular versus ecological topics. A typical concern with introductory texts is a lack of coverage in ecological concepts and this text does well in representing all aspects well. The authors cover the basics of each subject well within each section and unit. Section headings and learning objectives are useful in breaking up the material into smaller, more digestible components. I would not suggest adding more subjects and I appreciate the depth of coverage in the text giving the instructor the option to choose which sections to focus on in their courses. Glossary terms, chapter summaries, and chapter reading questions are a welcome study tool for students. The index is comprehensive yet lists multiple links to many terms in the pdf version. It would be better to list these after a single entry for each term. Also, capitalization of terms is not uniform throughout the index.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Topic coverage on was accurate for the majority of subjects presented. Few minor errors are present in some materials. Sections should be revised to ensure figures link closely to text content and do well in demonstrating important concepts.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Overall, a timely discussion of modern issues is demonstrated well throughout the text. The authors did well in presenting multiple controversial topics within numerous sections throughout the book. These are helpful in linking the topics covered to real world issues. These are presented well with all sides considered. Discussion of modern genetics is appropriate in detail. It is refreshing to see a discussion of epigenetics in detail as this is often missing from upper level genetics text books. Formatting issues are numerous throughout and a uniform layout would be a welcomed addition to each section and should include a link to current events in biology.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The descriptions explanations are well-written at an appropriate level for lower level biology and non-majors courses. The text does a great job of discussing important terms in sufficient detail and avoids extensive jargon. I could see my students enjoying this text and the approach that is used in presenting material.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Chapter and section content is consistent throughout. The sections and chapter headings are well organized throughout and set up an easy to follow format for students. Some minor formatting issues would help in the visual presentation but the framework is easy to follow and constant in each section.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I really enjoy that the learning objectives are broken down by section to facilitate the discussion of one or more sections at a time rather than the entire chapter content. I think students will appreciate this breakdown and it will help to avoid overwhelming them with new material. The information in each unit is well organized and follows the levels of biological organization well. I appreciate the approach in using multiple, short chapters instead of fewer, longer chapters as I find students (particularly in non-majors) courses tend to get overwhelmed with longer reading assignments.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow of the text as it begins at lower levels of biological organization and moves up to the highest levels follows a typical format of many introductory texts. This is well done and contributes to student learning as concepts will build upon one another as higher levels of organization are discussed. This structure is also attractive to instructors as it allows us the freedom to pick and choose textbook content to assign.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Images and figures need revision as many are displaying with poor resolution in the pdf version. Figures should be introduced after text throughout each section. The 'Link to Learning' sections would better flow at the end of the section or in a sidebar. Additional colors in the background and/or headings would help break up the material. In the pdf version there were also many blank sections and pages. The format od each section should be consistent across reading platforms.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text reads well with no blatant grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"No culturally insensitive or offensive material was encountered. I appreciate the discussion of controversial topics as well as the career links that introduce students to multiple facets of biology. I enjoyed the broad presentation of biologists of numerous backgrounds as well as inclusion of multiple female scientists.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"- Many figures appear blurry in the pdf version of the text. This is distracting in trying to tie the figure into the associated text. \n- The color scheme throughout should be softened and include different colors for major and minor headings.\n- Figures (in the pdf version at least) should not be placed directly under new title headings but should be introduced after the reference text has been presented (i.e., figures 1.13 and 1.14).\n- The 'Link to Learning' sections should be in a footnote or sidebar as they are distracting in the main body of the text. \n- Figures should not cross multiple pages (i.e., figure 1.16 in pdf version).\n- Biological levels should begin at the atomic level (Figure 1.16).","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":481,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Doherty","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":1,"comprehensiveness_review":"This books covers the minimal basics, but not in great detail and isn't comprehensive by any means.  There is no theme of how science works or is done.  It is mostly a long long list of descriptive paragraphs.  I reviewed the book for use in the \"Plant Form and Function\" aspect of Majors introductory biology and concluded I could not use this book.  I was going to also review it for \"Animal Form and Function\" but the quality was so poor I decided not to spend my time.  I did look at the OpenStax A\u0026amp;P book and it looked like it would do for the \"Animal Form and Function\" aspects of introductory biology.\n\nTopic completely missing from the book or coverage is so poor it is unusable, in my analysis were:\nFrom photosynthesis: cyclic reaction in photosynthesis, CAM and C4 photosynthetic adaptations, Fate of triose-P after Calvin Cycle, Any regulation of photosynthesis\nFrom nutrient and water uptake transport: root absorption, cation exchange, active transport into root hair\nFrom Plant Sensory: Pathogen defense, Herbivory defense, Electrical signalling, Auxin transport, Acid growth hypothesis, Auxin regulated gene expression\nFrom Flowering: Circadian rhythm biology, Photoperiod detection, ABC model","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Seemed fine.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"The examples do not seem modern.  Climate change was not well covered.  AAAS's Vision and Change concepts and competencies were not a theme in the book.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Seemed fine.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Seemed fine.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Seemed good.  Very easy to browse and assign in pcs.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Was very standard but very little in the way of main themes","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Good, easy to navigate and use Ctrl-F to search a page.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Seemed good.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"NA","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I really like the model of open and free materials and admire the work, but the quality is really low.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":530,"first_name":"Ken","last_name":"Carloni","position":"Assoc. Professor, Science Dept. Chair","institution_name":"Umpqua Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Content Depth: A-\n\nThe depth of content is largely appropriate for a 200-level Biology class.  All texts tend to emphasize some areas over others, and this is no exception.  Joint and body movement illustrations and descriptions are very detailed while important concepts like “trophic cascade” are not included at all.  Fick’s Law is missing, but pgs. 1171-2 are covered with weakly explained equations and values in mm Hg.  I would like to see that section on gas pressure and respiration simplified to its principles with some better (and correctly labeled) graphics.  Ecosystem concepts range from excellent to shallow (or none).  Nitrogen fixation and plant defenses are not well explained, and “deamination” and “cation exchange” don’t come up in a search.  But most other areas well-done -- but i will be looking for supplemental material for those concepts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Accuracy: A-\n\nOnly issues I've found are in the accuracy of illustrations -- several are mis-labeled.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Relevance: A-\n\n\"Connection\" sections (except for \"Art\") were for the most part excellent and bridged concepts with real-world issues.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Clarity: B\n\nMostly written in a clear efficient style, but some chapters had organizational problems (see above).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I never noticed any obvious inconsistencies in terminology that affected understanding.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Continuity: B\n\nMany authors contributed, so terms were often used before they had been explained in any depth, and some connections were missed or redundantly discussed.  For example the term “collagen” appears well before it is described in any detail, and viruses were presented before chapters on molecular genetics.  This is inevitable to some extent in any text, but the editors have some smoothing out to do.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Organization: B+ \n\nThis text was broken into subjects similar to other textbooks, so converting my study guides to match OpenStax was usually fairly straightforward.  I’m used to seeing A\u0026amp;P chapters laid out from an evolutionary perspective (e.g. organisms with simple diffusion through countercurrent flow) and then using human systems as examples.  Some chapters were confusing when there were brief intros to some clades, then human A\u0026amp;P, and then more animal systems.  Ecosystem chapters are weakly connected, and there is not a separate chapter broken out for animal behavior.","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"Graphics: C\n\nFairly clunky art program.  My students do a lot of Google image searching to supplement graphics.  This would have gotten a slightly higher grade had so many labels been misapplied.  I’m sure labeling will get fixed in the next revision that will be available soon.  Art program is adequate but not inspiring.\n\nEase of Use: A+\n\nAny student who can download Acrobat can search for vocabulary terms I assign.  This is a boon to both students looking for a term I've assigned, and to me when I'm re-working my concept study guides.\n\nIn my first year of using this OER, I regret to report that I didn’t have time to explore the links embedded in the text.  But I applaud the effort and appreciate that they are there to use as I settle in to the new text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't notice any glaring problems.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Cultural Relevance: A\n\nI never came across anything that looked culturally offensive to this white guy.  I appreciated the occasional career connection boxes.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall Grade: B+\n\nThis is a laudable grade for the first iteration of an enormous community project.  I used this text for my 3-term majors' sequence, and although one class does not make a trend, my students turned in the highest grades of any class I've taught in my 29 year career.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":585,"first_name":"Pat","last_name":"Boleyn","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Lane Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive in its coverage of the typical materials for a non-majors introductory biology course at the 100 level. It has a good online index that is searchable.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content of the text does have some inaccurate sections. For example, the terrestrial biomes section on temperate forests has some information that is omitted and therefore is misleading.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content appears up to date, especially in the genetics section which changes so rapidly. It does not however include the latest information on gene editing. The online format should make it easy to update.There are no peer reviewed references for each chapter so there is no way to know that the material is scientifically accurate. The student can use references to look up additional material. Also, the glossary has terms that are not fully defined.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is written well, but covers some of the more complex topics too quickly and with too few examples for the introductory student. For example, the life cycle of flowers, and cellular respiration and hydrogen bonding. These are some tough topics for students that could be explained more clearly with more examples.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The text is mostly consistent however, they have provided the square for accessing videos, and also provide a link to videos, but sometimes the link to the videos is not available on a pc computer. Also, some of the links to learning don’t work, such as for the second part of glycolysis link. Finally, some chapters have abstracts and other chapter don’t. The abstracts are a good concise summary of what the chapter intends","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is easily divisible into smaller reading sections just by including the link to the text in a syllabus and specifiying which sections need to be read. The only issue is that the chapter numbers and pages differ between the pdf and the read online versions.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is very well organized, with all of the typical topics for non-majors biology classes present. There is consistency with the presentation in each of the chapters with the art inserts and the glossary and test questions.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The book downloads easily, and can be viewed and searched online easily. The art is well done and has clear images that are well labeled. The figures have a hyperlink in the text that the student can click on. Some of the videos for the pc computer, cannot be accessed however. Sometimes a link will bring the reader to a website, and not directly to the learning video or animation. That is confusing.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book's grammar seems to be good. I did not detect any major errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The only part of the text that could be offensive are in the links to the advertisements that are part of the videos links to concepts covered in the text. Some of these are laced with ads that might indicate endorsement by a school or faculty and could be offensive to a student. There could be more cultural references in the examples of careers sections.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Yes, my other comments are as follows: \r\n1.\tThere are no citations within the text to reference where the facts in the text were researched. \r\n2.\tThere is no list of references at the end of each chapter to the literature.\r\n3.\tTheir art connections have good diagrams\r\n4.\tIt is good to be able to search the documents easily because they are online.\r\n5.\tThe links to learning videos are often from utube with no evidence that they come from scientific peer reviewed sources. Also, many of the videos are laced with advertisements that a faculty or a student could find offensive. The ads might indicate endorsement by a faculty or school for certain corporations for example. \r\n6.\tSome of the figures credit the authors, yet the authors are not listed in the reference section of the text, so there is no way to confirm their credibility or to look them up. \r\n7.\tThe career connections are good sections that help students relate what they are learning to the job market.\r\n8.\tGood to have a glossary at the end of each chapter but the definitions could have more depth and research. \r\n9.\tThe chemistry chapter and many others have animations to help teach concepts that are better learned through visualizations, but some chapters do not have interactive animations that are very helpful in learning tough concepts like chemical bonding, building a molecule or diffusion and osmosis. These concepts are best taught with interactive animations that allow the student to try different responses and then get immediate feedback on whether they were correct or not.  Also, some of these basic concepts are essential to build upon as the student reads through the text. \r\n10.\tThey have provided the square for accessing videos, and also provide a link to videos, but sometimes the link to the videos is not available on a pc computer. \r\n11.\tSome of the links to learning don’t work, such as for the second part of glycolysis link.\r\n12.\tSome chapters have abstracts and other chapter don’t. The abstracts are a good concise summary of what the chapter intends. \r\n13.\tSome of the sources for the videos are Wikimedia which may not be produced or edited by scientifically credible authors or creators. \r\n14.\tThe section on the terrestrial biomes discusses only the temperate forests of the eastern part of the U.S. There is no discussion of the temperate forests on the west coast. The section on temperate forests is actually inaccurate in spots, stating that deciduous trees are dominant in this biome, and omitting the fact that coniferous forest are also dominant in these forests.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":774,"first_name":"John","last_name":"Lepri","position":"Professor (Biology)","institution_name":"University of North Carolina at Greensboro","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Spanning 47 chapters, the OpenStax \"Biology\" production is as comprehensive as its competitors. The contents list expands readily, and the names of the chapters mirrors those in the competitor texts. Each chapter has a number of small photographs, and the artwork varies considerably from one chapter to the next, ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The topics that travel into an introductory biology text are topics that are rarely controversial or inadequately supported by scientific vetting. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The questions that are offered for student review of what they've learned are generally shallow and do not offer much access to ways that a student might learn more about the topics.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"As an older reader, the small artwork was a challenge for me to work out, but expanding the magnification of what I see on the screen certainly helped. The written text is straightforward and easy to read, albeit sometimes disjointed, like more than one author wrote the chapter.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"As noted earlier, the many authors involved in this effort makes it challenging to recognize the same \"voice\" presenting the background and logic of a biological concept.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"With the thorough index, it should be easy for instructors and students to track sections and subsections.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The text follows the many models of material sequence available in this market.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The questions offered for students to self-test were few and under-developed. The graphics were small and not at all rich. Many more instructor resources are offered with just about any text on the market.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Easy to read. Scientists are not ones to dress up language, aiming instead to say things as precisely as possible. Some of the language is loose: \"Need for osmoregulation\" implies that osmoregulation happens because it needs to happen, instead of correctly stating that \"osmoregulation happens\" because of all the partnering proteins, the membranes, the solutes, the pumps, etc. are responsible for osmoregulation happening.,","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Science is usually pretty straightforward in attempting to describe phenomena without too much interpretation or cultural \"spin,\" and this text meets expectations in that regard.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The major textbooks in Biology offer numerous, diverse learning resources, including audience response programs, test banks, adaptive learning software, etc. This market is challenging to break into, in spite of the appeal of a \"free\" text. It is likely that an instructor adopting this text, seeking the best possible learning environment for her students,  will use many resources from other publishers, in effect, shifting the financial backing for resources to publishers who charge considerably prices to access their products.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":867,"first_name":"Theresa","last_name":"Spradling","position":"Professor","institution_name":"University of Northern Iowa","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is on par in scope with the commonly used Campbell Biology.  The table of contents and index are useful, and the PDF is searchable.  My students who use the PDF and iBook versions report that they like being able to search for topics.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As with any textbook, minor errors have made their way into the book.  However, unlike most textbooks, it is simple for anyone to submit a correction, so these errors are corrected more efficiently than can be done for most textbooks.  To submit a correction, 1. Navigate to openstax.org/subjects, 2. Click on the cover of the book for which you would like to submit a correction., 3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click the \"Suggest a correction\" link., 4. Complete the following page as thoroughly as possible.  It is possible to see the resolution of every correction suggested over the entire history of the book when it was initially published in 2012 at: https://www.openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/biology/errata.\n\nEvery summer, a new PDF of Biology is released and print stock is updated for the following Fall.  Release notes, available to instructors only, indicates all changes and corrections from the most recent release.\n\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book covers the fundamental concepts of biology well and asks appropriate questions at the ends of chapters, and therefore has staying power.  It also is relatively current, and includes some relatively recent knowledge, but the time for a major update is approaching.  For example, at the time of this review in December 2016, statistics and citations in the book date primarily to 2012 and earlier, and some recently hot topics like CRISPR are not yet covered.  The book takes a historical approach to dealing with protists and is, in that respect, in need of modernization.  While other recent textbooks also have taken this approach, it is important that we move forward and write textbooks that are consistent with what is well known now about evolutionary history.  Certainly from the perspective of an instructor, maintaining some consistency from one semester to another is helpful, but I am hoping that future updates will not be limited to errata. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book is written at a level that is very accessible to my college freshmen and sophomores.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is clear and illustrations are helpful.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Sections are numbered within chapters, which makes it easier to assign parts of chapters.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization is logical and clear.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This textbook is available in a variety of formats, and each is easy to use.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains few grammatical errors.  It was initially well-written, and has benefitted from additional suggestions and corrections by users.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is perfectly appropriate and not offensive.  It is as culturally relevant as would be expected for an introductory biology textbook.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The answer guide available to verified instructors (verification is simple and takes about a day or two) is useful.  The PowerPoint presentations are attractive and well organized.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":911,"first_name":"Raj","last_name":"Nathaniel","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Nicholls State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is mostly suitable for 100 level introductory biology for non-majors. While not in detail, most of the material covered gives the reader a basic understanding of various biological processes.  Non-major students who dislike biology because of the very intricate details of glycolysis or the steps in DNA replication would be the best sort of market this book could reach. Nursing students, business majors and arts students would like the easy to read and brief descriptions in this book.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Seeing that is a very basic biology text, the material discussed here is at an introductory level. While the authors have consistently kept descriptions to the minimum, it would be unfair to expect great explanations for the various topics in biology some of which we have entire courses designed for them. For example the authors point out the differences between T-helper cells such as TH1, Th2 and Regulatory T-cells.  In this reviewer's opinion, this amount of  detail is sufficient for the level of students being targeted.  Granted that the texbook is \"inaccurate\" with respect to T cell subpopulations (at this detail level), but if one wants to know more about T-cells, then perhaps an Immunology textbook would be more appropriate! For the level of students being targeted, there is sufficient focus.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Many of the areas of biology are constantly changing with the ever increasing research being performed.  While the authors are currently relevant and up to date.  Since this is an online publication, this reviewer envisions that there should be a mechanism to be able to add new information or updates current information on a periodic basis. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing style is easy to read and is well written for the freshman/sophomore level.  Since several authors are involved in this authorship, the differences in style are perceivable from chapter to chapter.  But this is no different than reading a popular magazine that has different articles authored by various writers.  It is refreshing to hear from experts in their areas of expertise. It is the opinion of this reviewer that these differences in writing styles are not a hindrance to learning rather an opportunity to prepare students for the real world.  In the real world students will not have the luxury of being exposed to monolithic writing styles therefore what better place to prepare students for life than the introductory Biology textbook!","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"For the most part this textbook is consistent in use of terminology.  This reviewer did not notice any jargon being used.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"In this reviewer's opinion the modularity followed in this text is very helpful for the intented target student audience ...students who are freshman non-majors.  The paragraphs are small enough to be viewed effortlessly on a mobile device such as a phone or tablet with ease. The lengths of the paragraphs are rightly tailored for mobile devices such that continued reading interest is sustained. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow and organization is comparable to other texts in the market. Since this is an introductory biology textbook, the topics are rather standardized across textbooks in this market.  There is really no other way to deal with this material. The chemistry of life and macromolecules in biology have to be discussed before gene regulation which itself has to precede the various organ systems.  In this regard, there is very little room for innovation or variation from standard practice.  It is this reviewers opinion that the organization and flow of material is traditional and well served.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There are no issues with images or charts. However, this reviewer feels that there are too few images/charts to explain concepts. The target audience is of a generation that grew up with the internet, Youtube and social media.  All of these interfaces are image heavy.  Therefore in order to reach this audience effectively (to help them retain material), it is better to have a few more images. Difficult concepts can be presented in image form as supplemental material. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The reviewer has no issues with the grammar used in this textbook.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The major complaint from the students who are non-majors in biology is that the material (at least a large portion of it) has no relevance to their field of study. For example, why does a business major need to know about RNA transcription or the different parts of the translation machinery.  In order to overcome this obstacle this reviewer seeks out examples from daily living in order to reinforce biological concepts.  This textbook has some such examples which is commendable.  However, in order to sustain student interest, it maybe useful to add a few more examples where biological concepts are applied to daily living making this subject more interesting to the reader. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Very good easy to read book.  I would definitely consider adopting this textbook for a non-majors introductory class at the freshman level.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":987,"first_name":"Shalini","last_name":"Upadhyaya","position":"Associate Professor ","institution_name":"Reynolds Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"After having used the book for major’s biology course for the last 4 semester, I have pleased to say that I content is simple yet efficient and effective. It is provides a baseline for the essential content for a Biology course. However to meet the learning outcomes for each and individual institution extra supplement must be provided. After chapter questions give a start to learning to take the assessment but various levels of blooms taxonomy questions can be added to promote / advance the critical thinking skills. Also- for the physiology section- inclusion of various disorders based on different races and genders can be beneficial to the students. \n Not being as comprehensive a science thesaurus is the best part of the book, it’s simplicity invites the first time science student or a new college level science student. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Book content is accurate and reliable. For my own satisfaction- I would have liked to see the citations but lack of it does not make the book any less effective. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Text Book is relevant to the western standards. Mention of the various topics relating to the globalization of science may benefit the students coming from outside of US. Ex-Chinese use of various techniques to treat physical ailments, Syrian environmental migrants and disease they may endure as a result of their conditions. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Content is laid out in a clear and concise manner. Colored images work better for the students since I emphasize that is publisher is paying more for the color – it must be important.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Content is consistent with any basic entrance level Biology course. Due to its ease of use- chapters can be assigned out of order to tailor the individual needs. Occasionally a link to a video is not available but that is the nature of any online content and instructor should prepare to handle it accordingly.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"First half of the book fits seamlessly with any generalized schedule. Second half an easily be taught out of order while keeping the integrity of the textbook order. If assigning page number it is important to remember that view online page number may not match with PDF version. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As stated in the previous sections, book is well laid out to fit the needs of any entrance level biology course. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are no issues with the download at any time and website does reminder the reader to use the chrome or any other web browser than IE.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Book reads like an easy nonfiction science read. My audience rate it highly. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Its Science – Be bold and do include more multicultural examples- does not have enough for my audience. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"N/A","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1125,"first_name":"Christopher","last_name":"Sorenson","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"St. Cloud Technical and Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text book is as comprehensive as the McGraw Hill and Pearson texts that we have been using.  It includes both the cell biology and organismal biology required of a 2-semester biology post-secondary sequence.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have found no inaccuracies.  The level of depth of material is consistent enough as well that the information covered is \"accurate\" to the level required for the text book.  For instance \"anabolic pathways require an input of energy to synthesize complex........ is accurate.  On the other hand if the authors wanted to dwell on minutia they could say that catabolic reactions also require input of energy to overcome the energy of activation.  The authors have done an excellent job in this regard.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This text book shows relevance.  It shows biology in light of evolution and in light of molecular biology.  It includes video embedded that will be updated as needed.  The video looks current.  Bar codes are used in many places for easy conversion as media changes.\nAs is typical, some of the video does not have captioning so every video does not allow full accessibility.\nI did also have trouble opening one barcode.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text book uses accessible prose while at the same time expecting the student to remain current with the material learned in previous chapters.  The sections (chapters) are quite small, which helps the compartmentalization of the material but at times feels a bit choppy.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters are edited consistently; a great improvement from the first versions of open materials.  The language skills needed are consistent throughout the text and the organization of the material is consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text book has taken modularity to new heights.  Each section is very short.  It will be interesting to try to adapt these sections to a lecture format.  It should work very well with logical breaks for interactive materials or group work.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This text book follows the usual pattern of chapters in covering the subject of general biology.  I prefer to have more evolution covered in the first 2 chapters but it is just as easy to jump to chapter 19 to harvest enough info to inform the rest of the cell biology chapters.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is simple.  It is linear, without unnecessary bifurcations.  I did not find instructional resources, but I assume that if I had purchased the text I would have been granted access to them.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar in this text is excellent.  I am a Midwesterner so I have my own colloquialisms and idiosyncrasies.  I found no grammatical errors, nor did I find distracting terms.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text avoids the use of ethnocentric names and concepts as far as I can see.  Of course, my lens is a bit foggy with bias.  I was disappointing to see that Dr. Rosalind Franklin did not get a little more ink and perhaps a photo.  My classes are full of women.  This is a great chance to show the accomplishments of a brilliant woman.  Our young women need more role models in the STEM fields.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This text book is an excellent teaching tool.  If the instructor resources, including test bank, projectable images/slides and interactive tools are of the same quality as the text book itself, I fully endorse it.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1276,"first_name":"Melissa","last_name":"Kilgore","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Lane Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers all of the major topics that I address in a year of non-majors biology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Additional content should be added regarding topics such as pseudoscience and the influence of social media and politics on science.  The rest of the content is current and relevant.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The clarity of the text is very well done.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is very consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The authors did a good job of organizing the textbook with appropriate headings and subheadings.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical, clear fashion, with minimal searching for an area of interest.  The underlying theme of evolution is throughout the book and unifies the theme.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The website was easy to use and search.  The search feature worked well, and the table of contents was easy to navigate.  The additional content of animations was well done and accessible.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I couldn't find any errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text was not culturally insensitive or offensive but the inclusion of races and ethnicities was lacking.  For example, the section on global climate change could include information on rising sea levels and how island nations and their culture will be eliminated.  There were also areas where American Indian culture could have been included but were not.  However, the authors did an excellent job of looking at a global perspective when reviewing conservation issues and biodiversity on other continents.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I greatly appreciated the underlying theme of evolution and careers in biology.  There were also many resources for both the instructor and the students that make the use of this book ideal.  It is a complete package!","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1310,"first_name":"Alex","last_name":"Werth","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Hampden-Sydney College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is nicely comprehensive in its overall selection of units and chapters—all the basic components of any standard semester-long or year-long general biology course for majors or a mixed nonmajors/majors audience. All topics are covered appropriately. It seems clear that different chapters are written by different people—some of the chapters (for example, on the immune system) are exceptionally detailed, whereas others (e.g., on evolution and speciation) are a bit more bare-bones, but all the bases are covered. I especially like the individual glossaries for each chapter rather than a single glossary at the end.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"There are a few errors or misstatements in this book, but they are few and far between. For example, the large aquatic reptiles of the Mesozoic Era were not in fact dinosaurs; they were just contemporaries of dinosaurs. But given the abundance of information in this text, I am quite pleased at the factual accuracy.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"In a very few places this book might need to be updated—for example, some of the taxonomic diversity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic groups, and some other statements (for example, there is a lot of life near deep sea vents that does not depend in any way on photosynthesis). However, any such statements could easily be clarified or amended, so I think this book will have good longevity. Any possible problems can be easily fixed or updated.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Some amount of jargon is inescapable in a general biology text, where students are hit with as much new terminology as in an introductory course in a foreign language, but this book is refreshingly free of unnecessary jargon. Also, all terms that might be unfamiliar to students are used simply and properly, then defined in each chapter-end glossary. Descriptions of complex processes (especially of genetics and physiology) are also clear and easy to understand.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terms and concepts are used consistently throughout the book; there are no problems in that regard, even if this book was written by a big team of authors. The chapter-end questions, the opening outlines, and other such framing devices are used consistently throughout the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I am especially keen to look for modularity of basic biology books because my school has long used a “top-down” approach in which we first focus on whole-organism concepts in evolution and ecology before zooming down to reductionist areas in biochemistry, genetics, and so on. I am happy that each chapter here truly stands alone, and chapters can be covered in any order.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As noted above, the chapters can be covered in any order as instructors prefer, but the overall outline of the units and chapters fits perfectly with any standard biology course taught over one or two terms. Material flows logically both between and within chapters.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The online interface is clear, easy to use, and free of problems. I liked being able to click on a link in the index or table of contents, which takes the reader directly to a specific page within the book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are very few grammatical or typographical errors, and these can easily be fixed in subsequent versions. In a book of this size, I would expect there to be lots of mistakes, so I was pleased at how mistake-free this is.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This book is perfectly appropriate for all readers. There are no problems regarding cultural insensitivity. In fact, not only are there no such problems, but many of the examples used demonstrate a clear commitment to human (and other biological) diversity.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I I have been teaching general biology for 25 years, during which time I have used traditionally published texts. In other words, I am unfamiliar with open source, online texts. I must admit that at first glance this book looked to me to be much less glitzy than traditionally published books, without all the bells and whistles, the fancy graphics and human interest stories. However, I actually find this quite refreshing, in that there is more of an emphasis on essential information. I worry a bit that students used to traditional science books will initially find this open source book dry and unappealing, but I think they will soon be won over by the “just-the-facts” approach (and I truly mean that in a good way). This book focuses on proper concepts and details, not extraneous stuff. I am optimistic that this book will be quite useful for me and my students.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1380,"first_name":"Stan","last_name":"Guffey","position":"Faculty Scholar","institution_name":"University of Tennessee","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Biology (OpenStax) is as comprehensive as, and follows the general topical format of a commercially available introductory biology textbook designed for life science majors. Comprehensiveness in an introductory biology textbook is a daunting issue: A text needs to be sufficiently comprehensive to meet the needs of adopters in courses of widely varying organization and focus, without at the same time becoming so massive as to be unwieldy. For my purposes this text does an adequate job of achieving that balance, and any deficiencies in content coverage can be made up by supplementary materials supplied by individual instructors.\n\nIn the survey of the major groups of organisms (Protists, Fungi, etc.) there is little use of graphical phylogenetic hypotheses (“trees”) to illustrate evolutionary relationships and to identify the hypothesized origins of key evolutionary and clade-defining characteristics. This is the major shortcoming of the text from my perspective; but I can supplement as needed.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I have not identified any specific errors in the text. However, I have found some points of disagreement that are perhaps matters of emphasis, philosophy or omission. \n\nThe most distressing to me comes early, in the first chapter. In the section discussing “The Process of Science” the author writes: “The scientific method is a method of research with defined steps that include experiments and careful observation.” This is followed by a more in-depth treatment of “the scientific method.” Unfortunately this treatment perpetuates a misconception that most of our students arrive with: that the practice of science consists of a series of formalized sequential steps that lead to knowledge that we can be put on the shelf and move on (although the “Art Connection” graphic does point out the iterative nature of hypothesis-based science). Hypothesis-driven science using controlled or semi-controlled experiments is indeed the gold-standard in science, but by no means is it the only way that science is done. No small amount of science is discovery science, research that while firmly embedded in existing theories, questions, and hypotheses, is not driven by a particular specific hypothesis. And in the discussion of hypothesis testing only controlled experiments are addressed. There is no discussion of hypotheses that cannot be directly tested by controlled experiment, for ethical reasons or reasons of temporal or spatial scale. No mention is made of other ways of testing hypotheses such as with new observations (as predicted by a hypothesis), by comparative studies or natural, inadvertent, or unfortunate experiments, or by mathematical modeling. From my perspective this is the weakest part of the text, and unfortunately early on, one that I must rectify in my teaching.\n\nI did not examine all of the review questions in the 26 chapters I engaged, but I came across one that to my mind rises to the level of error (Section 19.1 “Population Evolution”\n\nPopulation genetics is the study of:\na.\thow selective forces change the allele frequencies in a population over time\nb.\tthe genetic basis of population-wide traits\nc.\twhether traits have a genetic basis\nd.\tthe degree of inbreeding in a population\nThe correct answer was identified as “A.” While that answer is obviously “more correct” than the others, it is certainly incomplete and misleading. I suggest that instructors pay close attention to review and end-of-chapter questions in this and all textbooks!","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text is relatively up-to-date, certainly adequately so. In any case it is an instructor’s responsibility to supplement with the latest understanding and findings as they may pertain to a course. The organization of the text will allow for easy updating and revision by authors and users. Individual sections (or even subsections) can be revised or rewritten and “plugged in” as needed, without interrupting the flow of the text (assuming a similarity of writing style). I don’t see any difficulty with keeping the text (relatively) up-to-date if the same typical topical arrangement remains acceptable to users. Of course other organizing principles are possible, and perhaps desirable; for example the AAAS Vision and Change core concepts in biology. This would necessitate a rewriting.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is lucid and concise in use of language, and overall well written. I think, well, hope, that this attention to clarity of language will allow students to more readily grasp the concepts without becoming mired in the weeds of jargon. For example, in Chapter 7 (Cellular Respiration) the section “ATP in Living Systems” begins with: “A living cell cannot store significant amounts of free energy.” That’s a great set-up for a paragraph, with the key concept laid bare in clear language! There are numerous areas that could be improved, but none that I have seen that stand out as warranting complaint.\n\nNecessary and appropriate disciplinary terminology is employed well, and definitions in context are supplemented by end-of-chapter lists of key terms, with definitions.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is structurally and terminologically consistent as is the writing style.\n\nOne inconsistency of note is the use, or lack of use, of graphical phylogenetic hypotheses. The importance of phylogeny, and the basic elements of phylogeny construction and interpretation are fairly well presented in Chapter 20, but they are sparsely employed in the remainder of the text. Again, the instructor can supplement.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The topical treatment by chapter and the sections within chapters allow for modular assignment of material. This is especially important at my institution where our introductory sequence for life science majors consists of two free-standing semester-long courses: “Organismal and Ecological Biology”; and “Cellular and Molecular Biology.” This is a strength of the text, considerably easier to use in that way that most texts I have examined.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization and flow of the text is logical and straightforward. I encountered no glaring examples of concepts being presented in a sequence that would hinder student comprehension. Numerous other ways of logically organizing chapters are certainly possible, but that employed in this text flow nicely.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I encountered no interface issues other than that of slowness of loading. No internal links were dead or misdirected, and figures were clear.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors of grammar noted.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I encountered nothing that could be construed as culturally insensitive of offensive in any way. And I do keep an eye out for that sort of thing. I wouldn’t call the text “culturally relevant” but it is certainly not culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This review is based on close examination and reading of all or sections of 27 chapters (1,4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 43, 44, 45, 46, and 47).\n\nI would like to see greater use made of graphical phylogenetic hypotheses (\"phylogenetic trees\") in the diversity overview sections, and in other areas where the evolution of key characteristics is discussed.\n\nI advise reviewing and using review questions with caution so that students are not conceptually mislead, or think the questions are isomorphic with your own assessment questions. Of course this applies to any textbook.\n\nI have adopted OpenStax Biology for my life science majors introductory course \"Organismal and Ecological Biology.\"","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1394,"first_name":"Paul","last_name":"Heideman","position":"Professor","institution_name":"College of William and Mary","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am reviewing this textbook not for a first year course in introductory biology, but for a second-year one-semester course on the integrative biology of animals. For “Integrative Biology: Animals”, I need a biology textbook with three types of content: (1) the ‘toolkit’ of genes, proteins, structures, and pathways used by animals for the processes of life, (2) a biodiversity section that covers motile protists and about 10 major phyla of animals: Porifera, Cnidaria, Ctenophora, Platyhelminthes, Nematoda, Annelida, Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata, and Chordata, and (3) physiology and anatomy covering the basic structure and function of animals.  For my purposes, the text covers these topics at the right breadth and depth.  For my purposes, the weakest section is on phylogenetics, but I always need to supplement that section of any text. The second-weakest section for my course is on developmental biology, and there are some other texts that offer more (e.g., on polarity genes, segmentation genes, and hox genes).\n     I offer more details on comprehensiveness and other topics in my additional comments at the end of this review.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Generally, this text meets the level of accuracy I find in other texts.  During my review, I noticed some things i would correct.  For example, the link on text page 149 to “the process of diffusion” links to a video showing dispersion (not diffusion) of a dye in water, with the dispersion clearly due to turbulence created by adding the dye to a beaker of water.  The short video is correctly labeled as dispersion in Wikipedia rather than as diffusion. I may notice more such problems when I adopt the text for my course.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is relevant, and it should remain so for some time.  Details from recent discoveries are always additions I make to the course, and I do not need the most recent findings in my textbook.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book reads clearly to me.  But I'll need student feedback to assess whether it reads clearly to students.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"In the sections I plan to use, there is consistency.  I may discover more inconsistency when I am using it with my students.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The books modularity is what makes it helpful.  I can focus on the sections I need, and they seem to stand alone without needing references to others.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a format that is typical and logical for a large introductory biology text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Many figures are not readable until viewing at 200% or even 300%.  That should be fine on a laptop or desktop computer.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I noticed no problems.  But I confess that I was not look closely at the grammar.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not perceive any problems.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"For my course, \"Integrative Biology: Animals\" at the sophomore level, this book should be a useful resource for students.  There is no open source zoology textbook available, and in any case, the published texts tend to be too heavy on facts and too weak on what I present as the ‘logic of zoology’ – the evolutionary reasons or biochemical constraints that are common drivers of the structure and function of animals.  (Examples include:  why do we use action potentials for internal communication instead of direct current or signaling using photons; why are our skeletons made of calcium and phosphate rather than other minerals, and why do mammals use an inefficient tidal lung while birds use an efficient one-way flow that can extract more oxygen than mammals?)  None of the existing textbooks for zoology cover this material well enough to be worth the cost to students.  In the sections of my review below, I discuss the information my students need in relation to the content of this text.\n\n1.  The ‘Toolkit’.  Students will have seen much of the necessary content in a year-long introductory sequence, but nonetheless will need reference and reminders on the chemistry of life (Ch 2), biological molecules (Ch 3), cell structure (Ch 4), and membrane function (Ch 5).  Most of the descriptions and illustrations in these chapters and those below are useful ones that are equivalent to those in most other textbooks. In addition, students need to refer to some of the background on cell metabolism and cellular respiration (Ch 6 and Ch 7, respectively). A quibble I have with this and most other textbooks is that the energy of a phosphate bond is described solely in terms of the chemistry.  Nowhere does the text point out that attaching a phosphate with its -2 charge will necessarily cause a change in the conformation of the protein, and taking that phosphate back off will cause a change back to the original conformation: that cycle causes the protein to do physiologically useful activity, from powering the movement of sodium and potassium across membranes to the movement of a myosin head.  I wish that any textbooks would explain what actually happens to proteins when phosphorylated and dephosphorylated, rather than solely referring to changes in energy state.   Chapter 9, on signaling, provides a good explanation of the basics of cell-cell communication, a central element of what makes animals different from unicellular eukaryotes.  Finally, the sections on eukaryotic transcription, translation, and gene regulation (Ch 15 \u0026amp; 16) provide sufficient background for students to understand why all cells in an animal can have all the same genes but nonetheless have very different patterns of gene expression and function.  \n\n2.  Single-celled eukaryotes and the major phyla of animals.  In order to understand animal function, students must understand that the fundamental molecular tool kit of animals is largely present in single-celled eukaryotes.  The chapter on protists (23) provides a good summary of structure and some aspects of function.  I would prefer more detail on, for example, the similarity of the molecular basis of movement in protists and in animals.  However, no zoology textbook I’ve found since R. MacNeil Alexander’s “Animals” of the 1990’s has attempted to fully integrate these molecular details of function with protist structure.  Chapter 23 provides a foundation.  Chapters 28 and 29 on invertebrates and vertebrates, respectively, provide an overview of the major phyla.  For each of these phyla, there is at least one illustration of major structural elements and a discussion of characteristic features, along with images of typical forms.  These chapters provide sufficient background, though they will be best if supplemented with a laboratory text that provides more details and images.\n\n3.  Physiology and anatomy covering the basic structure and function of animals.  Unit 7, Chapters 33 – 41, covers the major systems of animals, including digestive, nervous, sensory, endocrine, musculoskeletal, respiratory, circulatory, excretory, immune, and reproductive systems.  In approximately 280 pages these offer a solid introduction to structure and physiological function.  Images of structures and processes are clear and useful, and this section is limited mostly by the comparatively strong focus on mammalian and human physiology.  It would be helpful for my objectives to have a stronger treatment of invertebrates.\n\n4.  Links.  The video links I checked were generally good, although a few include misconceptions.  One misconception is in the link on text page 149 to “the process of diffusion” as it actually links to a video showing dispersion of a dye in water due to turbulent currents created by adding the dye to a beaker of water (and is correctly labeled as dispersion in Wikipedia), rather than diffusion.  Some of the links would not open, such as a video link illustrating the fluidity of membranes.  In another case, for videos on enzyme function, the web page opened, but the enzyme videos were not visible on my old MacBook Pro running Safari 9.0.3.  Overall, I felt that the authors made wise choices in balancing clarity of illustrations against complexity of an illustration.  I will be comfortable adding information and details on the logic of structure and function.\n\n5.  End of chapter problems.  I did not read these in any depth because I write my own problems for students.  The problems I read through struck me as sensible and mostly straightforward.  Most require that students explain or apply a concept from the textbook.  Students who did these problems would gain in understanding, but I think the questions are not especially strong with respect to developing new skills at applying the concepts, doing broader analysis, or synthesizing ideas. \n\n6.  Conclusion.  I plan to adopt Biology OpenStax in place of a (highly-priced) standard zoology or integrative biology of animals text.  Even if this text was not free, I suspect it would be a better choice because the page-count is more manageable.  My students have always struggled with the ever-higher page count zoology or integrative biology textbooks.  They hold far more fine details than students can absorb (or need), and there’s no easy way to tell students to read only selected pages or sections from those books.  When using Biology OpenStax, I can direct students approximately 160 pages on the molecular toolkit of animals (most of which will be review from introductory biology), much of the approximately 110 pages on protists, invertebrates, and vertebrates, and most of the approximately 200 pages from Unit 7 on structure and function.  In other words, the new content will be a much more manageable 300 pages that will complement short videos I prepare.  I predict that this text will serve my students as well as my previous texts for this course.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1656,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Carlini","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is very comprehensive, covering all topics that should be included in a two semester undergraduate introductory biology course for Biology majors/premedical students. I liked the fact that there was a glossary of terms in each section, rather than a full glossary at the end of the chapter, because I think it will help students organize the information and help them to understand the material better as a consequence.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any obviously  inaccurate information in the book, so I would agree with the statement that the content is accurate, error-free, and unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"For the most part, the content is up-to-date, but I did find a few sections that already needed updating. In particular, Chapter 17 (Biotechnology and Genomics), needs to be updated. For example, section 17.3 discussion of next-generation sequencing needs to be updated. Also, there is no discussion of applications of next-generation sequencing (e,g, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq) that are commonly used today. I do believe that the text is written in such a manner that it would be relatively easy to update. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very clear.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Given the fact the book is written by a variety of authors in different subject areas, I found the book's consistency to be quite impressive.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter consists a number of sections - this makes it easy for the student to break the material up into manageable chunks. It would be nice if there were links within each section that took you to other sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is organized in a very similar manner to most introductory Biology textbooks - with good reason. The topics are presented in a logical order, and they generally build from micro to macro.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The main problem I noticed (at least with the online version of the text) is that you can't click on the figures to open up an enlarged version of the figure in higher resolution, either in a separate window or within the body of the text. Many online books and journals offer this feature..","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I didn't notice any culturally insensitive statements or examples in the text. On the other hand, there did not seem to be many opportunities for the inclusion of racial, ethnic, or socio-economic variation in the text. Therefore, I conclude that the text is neither culturally relevant, nor culturally insensitive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Links to Animations\nGood, but a bit variable in quality.\n\nLink to Learning\nAnother advantage of online textbooks. The links to talks given by leading researchers (e.g. Svante Paabo’s TED talk,) are a great perk.\n\nReview Questions at End of Section\nBetter than most textbooks which have all the questions at the end of each chapter. However, there is quite a bit of variability from section to section in the number of review questions provided. This doesn’t always correlate with the amount of material covered in each section (e.g., Section 45.3 is pretty dense but only has three Review Questions).\n\nGlossary\nVery useful.\n\nGraphics\nIt would be nice if, when using the online version of the textbook (rather than pdf), one could click on the figures to view them enlarged in a separate window.\n\nNotes on Specific Sections\nChapter 12\nNo Dihybrid Cross (Independent Assortment) in 12.2 Characteristics \u0026amp; Traits, even though incomplete dominance, codominance, multiple alleles, and X-linkage are discussed. Independent Assortment is discussed in 12.3 along with Linkage, but Linkage section did not provide any information about determining the distance between and order of genes on chromosomes. A very general discussion of linkage analysis of two genes is included in chapter 13, but very little information or opportunity for practice is provided, and no information on how gene order can be inferred from linkage distances.\n\nChapter 15, Section 15.4\nAlternative splicing is not mentioned in this section, which is titled “RNA Processing in Eukaryotes”. Although alternative splicing is mentioned in Chapter 16, it should be described in Section 15.4.\n\nChapter 17 appears to be in need of updating. For example, section 17.3 discussion of next-generation sequencing needs to be updated. Also, there is no discussion of applications of next-generation sequencing (e,g, RNA-seq, ChIP-seq) that are commonly used today.\n\nChapter 19\nSection 19.1 Link to Learning online calculator is a useful tool but it would be nice to have an animation illustrate the principle of HWE (similar to the Link to Learning on Drift in Section 19.2).\n\nSection 19.2  Population genetics describes drift, mutation, gene flow, \u0026amp; nonrandom mating but natural selection is only briefly mentioned in the section summary. The next section, 19.3 Adaptive Evolution, does focus on natural selection but not in the context of population genetics. Here I think an animation or worksheet would be useful, where two alleles compete against one another over time to show the effects on allele frequency change given different magnitudes/directions of selection.\n","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1718,"first_name":"Karen","last_name":"Sirum","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Bowling Green State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Core concepts for introductory level college course are addressed in sufficient detail, without overly complicating the material for this audience. Presentation is straightforward, but I find that supplementing with additional web based teaching tutorials and videos, compliments this basic text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no errors, and if I felt certain topics needed further reinforcement or detail, there are many other free web based teaching resources such as those available from HHMI and Learn.Genetics.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content covers the foundational concepts and therefore are unlikely to change or need radical revising in the short term.  Updating with new information should be relatively straightforward, but as with all texts, the challenge will be to maintain brevity. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text uses straightforward language, maintaining clarity in this field full of specialized vocabulary.  Images are simple and clear.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistently organized into brief modules, that break down the ideas into manageable chunks of information.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The organization of the text makes it easy to assign very specific chapters and subsections according to the goals of the course, and to read these sections out of order.  The sections, though integrated, can, in many cases stand alone as an introduction to the topics.  When more depth is required, other web sites and tutorials can be added to the students' reading materials.  This text is a nice way to help students organize those core ideas, all in one place.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The core concepts of biology can be taught in many different orders and there is not one best linear path through the material.  Even when using the material in a different order than presented in the text, it does not affect the continuity and connectedness of the material.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The web based interface is simple and clean, and not overly complicated.  External supplementary links are provided and augment the text. Navigation is obvious, reliable, intuitive, and resembles a traditional hard copy text, so that it should feel familiar to most students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no grammatical errors, and the language is not overly complicated in terms of sentence structure and organization.  ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive, and material can easily be supplemented with current news articles and essays addressing the moral and ethical implications of current findings and technologies.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Where this text could be improved is in providing more practice questions and tutorials for students to check their understanding.  ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1741,"first_name":"Chris","last_name":"Trimby","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Delaware","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The OpenStax Biology book has units and chapters that cover all of the major topics that one would consider for a general or introductory Biology course. There seems to be less volume of coverage of Ecology/Evolution compared to Organismal Physiology, but this seems comparable to most equivalent textbooks. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Chapters seem to be accurate, and there does not seem to be any significant bias in the content. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The relevance of this textbook is and will be fantastic, as new examples can be addressed in a relatively short period of time, keeping the text fresh and relevant. Text does not seem to be written in a way that will make it obsolete any more quickly than any other textbook. Topics such as biotechnology and conservation/ecology will, of course, have a quicker update cycle as new technology is developed and example animals are driven to extinction.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Text is well-written and does not seem to be overly technical. Would seem to be easily digestible for an early-career college student. Blocks of text are broken frequently by diagrams and questions, which helps them feel less intimidating. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The chapters that I have read through follow the same/similar format and feel like a cohesive text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text feels very modular. As mentioned, there are not long blocks of text that most units and chapters are divided into short, directly linkable chunks. My current use of this textbook has only portions of the text assigned, and this does not seem to be an issue for students. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The structure makes sense and is consistent with most presentations of this material. As a result of the modularity, if a different progression is preferred it is easy to select material in a manner that aligns with your course/preferences. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I have only used the online interface, which had no issues. It would be nice to be able to click on images and have them blown up or popped out, but it is easy enough to zoom in the browser. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"None that I noticed.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Examples overall seem fine. It would be nice to see more career examples and spotlights on diverse scientists, but this would make the text hard to keep updated and current, so I can understand it not being done. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think it is a great alternative to using a for pay text, and with the multitude of formats (browser, pdf, app, print) it can be accessed in the format that is best for a particular student. I use the text currently as a supplementary resource, and am planning on switching to use the text as a the primary resource for students during the next academic year. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1746,"first_name":"Laura","last_name":"Lambert","position":"Administrative and Professional Faculty","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I focused in on Chapter 15: Genes and Proteins.  I found that the level of detail is appropriate for a lower level undergraduate biology course.  All major topics I would normally include to cover this topic are included (central dogma, codons, protein folding, etc), as well as a section on prokaryotic transcription and eukaryotic transcription.  There is a figure error in the description of prokaryotic transcription, but the text is correct.  Additionally, when describing the different types of RNA that can be found in a cell, not only does the text mention mRNA and tRNA, but additionally rRNA, which some introductory books leave out.  At the end of the chapter, there is a mini glossary, defining key terms that were found throughout the chapter, which will be a nice resource for students.  What I found particularly refreshing was the inclusion of a biotechnology and genomics chapter later on in the book.  As my class has a focus on biotechnology, this will be the first time it is included in  a 'general use' textbook.  ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"There is a glaring error in Figure 15.8: Prokaryotic genes do not have introns, and there is little to no mRNA processing that occurs in prokaryotes, as transcription and translation are often coupled in time and location.  The text in that section was correct, but an incorrect figure can easily confuse students who are not familiar with the topic.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This particular information is relatively new in the field of biology, though most of the current discoveries lie in the realm of gene function and would be included in an upper level course.  This chapter will be “current” for quite a while, I would imagine.  I enjoyed that throughout the chapter, there were little “blurbs” relating the material being discussed to a potential experiment, a human disease, or thought questions.  This helps students connect what they are learning with their lives.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"There is a bit of redundancy when talking about amino acid structure, as every time amino acids are mentioned, there is also the mention of the amino group and carboxyl group.  However, to a new learner, redundancy is never a bad thing.  The text is written in an understandable, clear manner, and all major terms are bolded and referenced in the end-of-chapter glossary.\n","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I found the book to be consistent in regards of terminology and layout, definitions of terms, and general chapter scheme.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book will work taken as a whole, or taken in parts.  I have smaller, one week “chunks” and this book will still allow for that approach, using chapters or parts of chapters each week, as well as taking parts of chapters in isolation, or in conjunction with other chapter parts.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The overall organization of the course material is consistent with how it is taught at many institutions.   Content is presented in a logical fashion, building upon one another as the book progresses.  I appreciated the additional “learning links” included within the chapter, particularly the one detailing transcription and translation, allowing students to practice this concept in a manner likely to be encountered on an in-class evaluation or in other evaluations the student may encounter later in their career.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found no interface errors.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not find any instances of cultural insensitivity.  Most of the images I saw were biological in nature, and did not include human subjects.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a good book for an introductory level class, covering all material that would traditionally be presented in a one or two semester series.  Be on the watch that the figures mirror the text, but aside from that, I look forward to using this for my class.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1891,"first_name":"Dilrukshan","last_name":"Wijesinghe","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"LaGuardia Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is comprehensive and suitable for use in a 2-semester (year long) college-level biology/science majors general biology sequence. It compares well in this regard with widely used textbooks such as Campbell Biology, Biological Science by Freeman et al. and Biology by Russell et al. However, since the publication date is 2013 and completion of the book was perhaps a year or two before that date the text does not include newer advances in some fast-moving areas like molecular genetics. For example, there is no reference to CRISPR-cas9 gene editing.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate as far as the coverage and presentation of the subject matter is concerned. No errors of fact or interpretation were evident to me.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As stated above, for those areas in biology where there have been significant advances over the past decade or so (e.g. molecular genetics) I don't think this book reflects very well the sate of knowledge now. The book has links to external digital content at OpenStax but some of the QR codes and/or URL do not seem to function. If there are provisions for regular revisions of the textbook these issues can be addressed easily. My impression is that with a publication date of 2013 the book is in need of revision now (2018).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the book well written and very readable. The sequence of topics covered, the organization of content within chapters, and each chapters ending with a list of key terms, a summary and questions contribute to the book's clarity. The illustrations while generally very appropriate perhaps could be shown larger and in more visually appealing ways (e.g. better use of color).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is internally consistent between different sections in spite of the multi-author origin of the content.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The organization of the book follows a well established and familiar pattern, with the chapters organized into sections as in many other well known general biology textbooks, e.g. Unit 1: The Chemistry of Life, Unit 2: The Cell, Unit 3: Genetics, etc. This would allow the subject matter to be distributed among two or more courses easily. However, as with any subject, certain topics in generally biology (e.g. cellular respiration or molecular genetics) will rely on knowledge gained from the chemistry and cell focused parts, so naturally in distributing the subject matter among several courses proper sequencing of those courses in the curriculum is desirable.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"See previous section.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The chapters include QR codes and URLs that take the reader to animations and movies on the OpenStax website. My attempt to use a QR code scanner app of a mobile phone on the PDF of the textbook on a laptop screen didn’t work and clicking the URL indicated the link was no longer current. Web resources have a notoriously short longevity and links to external sources need updating, so their inclusion makes regular updating essential if only for that reason.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No issues with grammar were noticed .","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No instances of cultural insensitivity were apparent. Perhaps the diverse and multi-author origin of the book's content ensured the excellence of the book in this regard.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook is comparable to several widely used college-level textbooks such as Campbell Biology, Biological Science by Freeman et al. and Biology by Russell et al which are all well suited for a two-semester general biology sequence such as is typically taken by biology and science majors. (It might be worth mentioning here that Concepts of Biology also from OpenStax is meant to be used in non-majors biology courses.) The book was published in 2013 and in spite of the 2017 Rice University copyright notice it does not appear to have been updated since the original publication.\n\nThe book is similar in scope to the textbooks mentioned above and follows a conventional topic and chapter sequence, with molecular and cellular topics (plus genetics and evolution) in the first part of the book and the more organismic topics and ecology occupying the rest of the book. Each chapter ends with a list of key terms and a summary, plus questions. The latter include ‘art connection questions’ (which refer to diagrams in the chapter), multiple choice ‘review questions’ and free response ‘critical thinking questions’. No references for further reading (e.g., review or primary literature) are provided. Within chapters some of the graphics are labeled ‘art connection’, ‘evolution connection’, etc. ‘Career connection’ boxes in chapters briefly describe jobs in relation to the chapter topic. Also within chapters are QR codes and URLs that take the reader to animations and movies on the OpenStax website.\n\nMy overall impressions of Biology from OpenStax by Rye et al. is positive and it is certainly a book I would consider using in my general biology course sequence, not only because of cost considerations (the web and PDF versions are free and even the printed version is inexpensive). The book provides a sound and sufficiently detailed and accurate coverage of general biology and is readable, has appropriate illustrations, comes with questions and has links to supplementary external digital content (but see comment on QR codes and URLs below). My main concern is that in some areas the book is already out of date and unless there are provisions for regular revision and updating it will soon become significantly out of date. This will probably be apparent especially in the molecular genetics topics. One example will suffice: there is no mention of the CRISPR-cas9 gene editing method which even the general public is aware of now because of extensive media coverage of the work of Dr. Jennifer Doudna and others. While the artwork is generally good some of the illustrations are too small and generally not as visually appealing as in commercial textbooks. My attempt to use a QR code scanner app of a mobile phone on the PDF of the textbook on a laptop screen didn’t work and clicking the URL indicated the link was no longer current. Web resources have a notoriously short longevity and links to external sources need updating, so their inclusion makes regular updating essential if only for that reason. More importantly, however, rapid advances are made in many aspects of modern biology, most notably in molecular genetics, but even other areas are undergoing change from the application of molecular approaches and new discoveries. I believe the time is ripe for a revised edition. If an extensively updated version was available which also addressed some of the other concerns noted earlier I would definitely adopt this textbook in my majors biology sequence.\n","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2060,"first_name":"Thomas","last_name":"Giardina","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Delaware","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This review will focuses specifically on a representative chapter—in this case, Chapter 7: Cellular Respiration.  I compare the chapter from Biology 2e to both the first edition Openstax Biology and a traditional introductory text from a major publisher.  I selected Cellular Respiration because this is a complex, multi-step concept which is challenging for many students.\n  \nIn terms of comprehensiveness, Biology 2e is very thorough.  The text wastes no words on poetry, and moves through the material with a workmanlike approach.  It hits all the major points of cellular respiration, covering some of them in more detail than I would require of an introductory course (the section on glycolysis, for example, walks through each step of the process in the main text, instead of shunting it off into a figure as I have seen in traditional textbooks.)  One feature I like is that students can explore these concepts in greater depth by following in-text links to online resources.  Especially for multi-step processes like glycolysis and the citric acid cycle, these tools will be useful for visualizing each stage.\n\nI very much appreciated the inclusion of Career Connections and Evolution Connections.  These sections make the material more relevant to students, and help them shift focus from the proximate, detail-oriented perspective to the ultimate, ‘big-picture’ perspective.  The Scientific Method Connections help to reinforce the process of science, which is always welcome in an introductory class.\n\nOne surprisingly omission in this section is the lack of total ATP yield from oxidative phosphorylation.  As the text states, the ATP yield from a single molecule of glucose will be variable, so I can appreciate some reluctance to nail down a specific number.  However most texts offer a “maximum ATP per glucose” value to frame the possible range, then go on to explain the factors influencing total ATP produced.  I think that this omission by Biology 2e makes it difficult to frame how absolutely important oxidative phosphorylation is in terms of energy yield, and also to compare the efficiency of aerobic to anaerobic respiration.  \n\nBiology 2e works through cellular respiration diligently and thoroughly, making it very useful as a reference text.  However, I would like to see a bit more of the ‘big picture’ ideas of cellular respiration.  For example, redox reactions are briefly described, but their value in removing free energy from glucose molecules is given short shrift.  What happens to the free energy of that original glucose molecule as it is processed through cellular respiration?  Why do organisms need energy at all?  Putting these pieces together would help students gain a more unified understanding of cellular respiration as one component of larger biological processes.\n\nOverall, I found that Biology 2e was very strong in terms of comprehensiveness perspective.  It was comparable to the similar chapter from a traditional textbook.  While I think the traditional text did a better job of framing the big-picture perspective of cellular respiration, the depth offered by Openstax is beyond reproach.  This depth is supplemented by online materials which were not offered by the traditional textbook.  I found no major changes between Openstax Biology 1e and 2e.\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Overall, this chapter was accurate, with concepts clearly described.  I found no problems with the accuracy of major concepts or with the more specific steps of cellular respiration.\n\nI did find a couple of minor errors that are not related to conceptual issues.  Both of these could almost be considered ‘typos,’ except for that they risk confusing students.  For example, there is one instance in which a figure caption did not match the figure.  (Fig 7.4 claims to show a phosphorylation reaction in which the third phosphate of ATP attaches to a protein.  However, the image shows the reverse—substrate-level phosphorylation of ATP, in which the third phosphate is attached to ADP from some substrate.  This error appears to be due to a change in the figure from the first edition which was not accompanied by a corresponding change to the caption.)  In another (pg227, alcohol fermentation), the text claims that it is providing the first chemical reaction of alcohol fermentation below.  Instead, both reactions are below, formatted such that they appear on a single line.  Again, while this error is very minor, it risks confusing students, especially those not familiar with chemical equations.\n\nOverall, I found this chapter to be of high quality.  Although there were some minor figure errors which I did not find in the traditional textbook, there was effectively no difference in accuracy.  There were no major differences I observed between 1e and 2e.\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I don’t see any problems with relevance/longevity for this chapter, or with the text more broadly.  The information provided is up to date and comparable to similar texts.  Should our understanding of cellular respiration or fermentation change, the chapter should be easy to update. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The body of this chapter is readily understandable, with a level of clarity similar to other texts.  The figures are far less polished than those found in traditional textbooks, reducing clarity somewhat.  However, this is offset by links to online resources which allow students to click through the stages of cellular respiration for themselves.  This seems to be representative of the textbook more broadly.  ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Overall, this chapter is consistent in its use of terminology and concepts.  For example, they use the term “Citric Acid Cycle” instead of the “Krebs Cycle,” and this is conserved throughout the text.  (The text does link out to an online resource which invites students to click through the stages of the Krebs Cycle, however the usefulness of this tool far outweighs the confusion of the older term.)\n\nOne thing that I would have liked is greater consistency in the figures.  For example, figures 7.6-7.8 all label the steps of the reactions taking place, which I found useful.  In figure 7.9 (Citric Acid Cycle), this convention is jettisoned.  The text describes the reactions in steps, but they are not accompanied by labels on the figure, which I think is a shame.  In another example, 7.11 and 7.12 both refer to pH gradients across the mitochondrial membrane.  So far as I can tell, pH isn’t referenced in this way anywhere else in the chapter.  Although a keen student will immediately connect pH with hydrogen ion concentration, I think it would be more useful and consistent to refer to “hydrogen ion gradient” as it does in the text.\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I found the text to be highly modular.  Chapter 7 was broken down into small, manageable sub-sections which could be easily assigned to students.\n\nIn fact, I would argue that a strength of digital textbooks is the ability to quickly zip from one section to another with a click.  From this perspective, I would have actually preferred if the text was less modular.  For example, the structure and function of ATP was discussed only briefly in chapter 7.  While this provides a concise orientation to ATP, why not take the opportunity to link to the more detailed description of ATP provided in chapter 6 here?  \n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As I would expect, this chapter is organized in a logical, straightforward manner.  In traditional fashion, the text begins by introducing the important chemical processes in cellular respiration, then working through the catabolism of a glucose molecule.  The placement of the chapter within the larger text makes sense, following a section on the introduction to metabolism, and preceding a section on photosynthesis.  Again, I think this structure is typical for an introductory class.  This is consistent across the textbook, with the chapters following what I would consider to be a logical flow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I only viewed the text using a laptop, so I cannot comment on its interface on a smartphone or tablet.  That said, I found no problems with the text interface.  I personally prefer navigating a physical text to a pdf, however I have observed that students take naturally to the digital format, and stand to benefit from the convenience of carrying their books digitally wherever they go.  Should a student wish to purchase a physical copy, they can do so at a very reasonable rate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Overall, grammar in the text is strong.  I noticed no grammatical errors in this chapter, though I have noticed a couple minor typos throughout the book.  While there are probably a few more grammatical errors than would be typical for a traditional textbook, I have no problems with the grammar of the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found nothing in this chapter which could be construed as offensive or insensitive.  Naturally, other chapters addresses some scientific concepts which have unfortunately become politicized (evolution and anthropogenic climate change, for example), which may be alienating to some students.  The text does not dive into the controversy, merely puts forward the biological information as it should.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I recommend this book highly.  While it is not as polished as a traditional text, I feel that the advantages it offers far outweigh the costs.  I have personally adopted the Openstax Biology textbook, which I assign to my introductory biology students as a reference text.  After one semester of using Openstax, I have received positive feedback from students.  In particular, they praise Biology for its convenience, affordability, and succinctness.  I am unlikely to switch back to the traditional textbook model, which I feel has become far too costly for my students.  Openstax Biology 2e offers a low-cost alternative that meets the needs of an introductory biology class.   \n\n","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2230,"first_name":"Conner","last_name":"Sandefur","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of North Carolina Pembroke","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers all subject matter used in a one semester introductory biology course. Some of the content, such as mitosis and meiosis, are separated into different chapters, which is different from some of the standard texts used (e.g. Concepts and Connections). Each section has a Glossary but I could not identify a Glossary for the whole text.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not see any inaccuracies in my use of the book; however, there were few references available (at least that I could find).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content seems up to date, relative to the content level. For a majors, there might be some supplemental material required, if the instructor wants to dig into particularly new technologies.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The language of the text is at a reasonable level for an intro biology course for majors or non-majors.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each section is consistently laid out and includes a glossary, chapter summary and review questions for students.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I found this text responded well to being reordered as each section sat on its own. Additionally, the text was quite modular and is broken down well into distinct topics that maintain complexity but are also self contained.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a traditional manner as most biology textbooks.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Interfacing with the online version was straightforward. I enjoyed the navigation of the text via the left-hand side contents menu. Additionally, the search feature is somewhat fuzzy. I found my topic if the end of the keyword was different from the text but a misspelling in the middle of the word returned no matching results.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors when using this book.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I saw very few references to race/ethnicity in the text","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"No","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2250,"first_name":"Dara","last_name":"Wegman-Geedey","position":"Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Augustana College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Given that this is a text for two semester introductory sequence in biology for undergraduates, it appears to be very comprehensive. I was expecting to see basic cellular biology and a survey of organismal diversity including units on evolutionary change and interactions of organisms at the ecosystem level, but I was surprised to also find several chapters on human anatomy and physiology including the basics of the immune system.\n\nIt appears the text has been crafted to meet the needs of a general/non-major biology course that might be more human-biology based as well as a more typical (in my experience) two semester foundational course for biology majors. \n\nI liked that chapters were separated into a handful of subsections  with a concise heading -- some other texts seem to over-partition concepts which can prevent a novice from understanding the connections between sections.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I feel the text is mostly accurate, but as in any large text, the occasional error slips by editors now and then. A few are important to correct, especially given that we push students to understand the need for precise use of science terminology and vocabulary (e.g., Section 34.2 is titled \"Nutrition and Energy Production,\" which might confuse a student who has learned that \"energy can neither be created nor destroyed.\"). Others are likely typos (e.g., in Table 4.1, it is shown that \"Some\" bacteria have cilia, which is not correct. I checked several other sources just to be sure and can find no confirmation of this claim).","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Some of the concepts in introductory biology are refined from time to time as our techniques improve, but many of the basic ideas have great longevity and are conveyed in the text in logical ways with well known examples and references. One of the most attractive features of an open source text is that it can be more readily revised that hard copy since it is a web-based text.\n\n I was happy to see that the text includes the relatively new supergroup taxa presented in Chapter 23 when Protists are the first eucaryotes discussed, but I'd like to see the supergroup concept reinforced at the beginning of the chapters on Fungi, Plants, Invertebrates, and Vertebrates. Few students know that humans are Opisthokonts and more closely related to Fungi than Fungi are to Plants.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The overall clarity if the text is equivalent to other introductory level biology textbooks, but one feature that I feel elevates this text beyond average is the inclusion of several \"Visual Connection\" items in each chapter. Many of our students lack critical reading skills and the \"Visual Connection\" items help to reinforce important or subtle concepts by zooming in on a portion of a figure, clarifying a particular idea and then asking the student to apply that concept using a \"so what do you think would happen then?\" format.\n\nI also like the frequent inclusion of the \"Career Connection\" items -- they're very accessible and our students need to know there are many, many careers in biology beyond healthcare, teaching, and academic research.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I noticed just one inconsistency with terminology in the text: Citric Acid Cycle is almost exclusively in Chapter 7, with the first mention of \"Kreb's Cycle\" in the link to an animation  (which might confuse students) and the first mention of TCA cycle in the end of chapter glossary. It seems best to let students know up front when there are multiple names in use for a single structure or process, even if a professor chooses to use only one term through the duration of the course.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As noted above, I like the logic of the subdivisions of each chapter (not too many, not huge blocks of text) and the amount of material on one page is less than I feel most other books offer. Not having to worry about printing costs per page allows for more freedom and prevents \"widowing and orphaning\" of paragraphs that don't belong with the rest of the page content.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I felt that the eight major units of the text had a logical flow to them, moving from smaller, discrete concepts to applications and interactions among concepts. It also seems easy enough to omit or shift order to fit one's preferred teaching plan given the clearly titled subdivisions in each chapter.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I had problems with the interface for several of the animations I tried: a few took me to pages that didn't work (in either Chrome or Explorer), some opened a TED talk or YouTube video in my browser window and when I wanted to navigate back to the text, I had to wait for the entire pdf to load. Hopefully this is not an issue when the pdf is accessed from a desktop...I'd have preferred to have all animations open in a new window.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"While there were a few typos, I noted no grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"I was disappointed that the vast majority of images were of white people. While it makes sense to use a fair-skinned leg to more graphically show the characteristic bull's eye rash of Lyme disease, there is no reason that all these were also apparently white folk: an arm being vaccinated, a child getting polio vaccine orally \u0026amp; the hands dropping the polio vaccine into the child's mouth, a baseball player for an item on hormone use, the pinna of an ear in cross section showing internal anatomy. I saw a handful of images that were ambiguous enough to construe as possibly portraying people of color, but only one photograph (portraying gouty toes) was from someone with a dark complexion.\n\nThe diagrams of almost every human body system had outlines that suggested long, straight noses,, non-ethnic hair styles, and no disabilities (e.g., someone using a wheelchair). Most of the \"skin tones\" colorized in these diagrams where light beige to pinkish tan, but it would be easy to resort to a pale olive tone or even a neutral light grey if a darker brown tone would make it difficult to visualize the line drawing of the system portrayed in the image.\n\nAt a time when inclusion strategies in education are critical, this is a part of the text I feel needs the most revision.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2272,"first_name":"Jonathan","last_name":"Karpel","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Southern Utah U","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Yes, this text is much like any of the regular, paper general biology textbooks. It covers all the topics in sufficient detail for the student to succeed. I don’t see any glaring errors in terms of subjects that are missing from the text. The order of presentation is basically the same as any other textbook.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As far as I can discern, the information looks accurate and does not favor one pedagogy over another. I looked over the major sections that I regularly teach (chapters 1-16) and I didn’t run into any inaccurate information.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This textbook is almost exactly like any paper textbook. So it will remain relevant for the long term, as general biology subjects do not change very much anymore.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This textbook reads much like any other textbook. I don’t think this type of writing will attract any students to this type of text over a paper textbook. So if you are not trying to differentiate yourself from any of the other general biology textbooks, then the writing in this website doesn’t really make a difference in the selection of a textbook. The writing is not hard to understand and students can quickly search for terms to help them find information.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I think the layout is consistent within this text. I like how vocabulary words are in bold as this makes it easy for students to make flash cards. The overall framework makes it easy for students to find what they are looking for and they are not constantly adapting to a changing layout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of this textbook is excellent. The contents on the left side of the page make navigation very easy and you can easily switch to different sections to find the information that you need. This is very helpful from a student’s point-of-view, as they can try to find the pertinent information for whatever question they are trying to answer. For a professor, it is easy to point to a chapter and section to provide guidance on where students should focus their studies.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"This book is laid out just like the other major paper textbooks, like Campbell and Raven textbooks.  It presents the same problems if one wishes to teach topics out of order, which is that the student will have to pay attention to the section they are currently teaching on as not all professors go in chapter order.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I didn’t encounter any problems navigating through the pages. It was easy to navigate the contents list, and very easy to switch from one section to another. It was also easy to search the whole document for terms of interest. One thing that was kind of annoying is that you encounter hyperlinks for “figure” and you click it and it really doesn’t do much. You might want to consider having the figure become larger in a popup or opening a new window. Not sure this is a major hang up, just something I noticed.\nI also do not like being required to download some videos through links, but would rather watch the video within the website.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text that I perused did not contain any grammatical errors. I like the way the text is easy to read, it seems different than  the worst textbooks.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The nice thing about biology is that it is accessible to most everybody who is interested in learning. I didn't find anything in the text that would turn off a particular ethnicity or other background.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a nice replacement for a standard paper textbook. It doesn't really provide much differentiation from paper products other then the fact that it is free. So this can easily be used for this purpose.","created_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2333,"first_name":"Anthony","last_name":"Arment","position":"Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Central State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"No additional comments.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No additional comments.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"No additional comments.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"No additional comments.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No additional comments.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"No additional comments.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I personally would put mitosis and meiosis and heredity before metabolism but was able to rearrange chapter orders with no difficulties.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No additional comments.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No additional comments.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No additional comments.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I would like to see more supplementary materials generated, things like end of chapter problems that are not so dependent on multiple choice.  Easier import power into different LMS platforms.  Additional supporting materials with simulations and problem sets.","created_at":"2018-10-11T11:29:55.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-10-11T11:29:55.000-05:00"},{"id":2343,"first_name":"Joseph","last_name":"Ly","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"St. Ambrose University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Is able to cover aspects of biology very well.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Is correct in terminology and descriptions.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Though relevant, it may need revisions to trends in the future.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Clear and defined, but definitions can be overly complex depending on the rigor of the class it is used in.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Consistent and flowing from one logical chapter to the next.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters are logical and divided well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Chapters are logical and divided well.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No issues so far.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammar errors so far.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Not culturally offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-10-26T11:25:43.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-10-26T11:25:43.000-05:00"},{"id":2410,"first_name":"Maria","last_name":"Quintero","position":"Graduate teaching assistant","institution_name":"Florida State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This seems like a great book for freshman because often at that stage the students are interested in science but are unsure of what branch of science they want to go into. This book teaches them the basics every biology major should become familiar but spans a large amount of disciplines within biology.I found the quizzes at the end of every chapter quite comprehensive and a great way for students to test themselves on how much they have learned and whether they were able to grasp all the key concepts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book overall was very accurate and descriptive.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Something especially unique about this book is the “Career connections” Section within every chapter. These provide real world examples as to why they are learning these topics and how they can be applied to a career or are being used by other scientists and professionals. The topics are all relevant.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I thought the explanations were very specific and well versed. The illustrations were also very helpful and I can see them providing a lot of help to those visual learners. This book is readily available online and provides the same diversity as other freshman text books with current and up to date images and tables","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent every chapter is clearly laid out in a good order and would make a great book for freshman biology majors.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book could definitely be broken up into small sections for lectures, discussions and homework. Each subunit is organized well and has a comprehensive outline at the end of every chapter along with questions.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Clear and logically organized.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I saw no evidence of any navigation problems, all the displays looked clear and adequate. It was easy to download and view.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I saw no evidence of grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is inclusive, I did not see any cultural biases. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Biology 2e seems like a great text book for freshman biology majors. It focuses on many broad aspects of biology such as Chemistry, Cell biology, Ecology and Geology. This seems like a great book for freshman because often at that stage the students are interested in science but are unsure of what branch of science they want to go into. This book teaches them the basics every biology major should become familiar but spans a large amount of disciplines within biology.","created_at":"2018-11-28T07:54:52.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-28T07:54:52.000-06:00"},{"id":2504,"first_name":"Katelyn","last_name":"Butler","position":"Assistant Professor of Bioogy","institution_name":"Anderson University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this book covers the essentials required by an introductory biology textbook. It covers the main topics such as genetics, evolution, and cell biology in sufficient detail. I do wish there was more content on plant biology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not found any errors within the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I found many references to modern techniques, jobs, and information. I feel this text is relevant and would be easily updated with new information.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing was clear and succinct. Although, I did find a few areas where more elaboration would be helpful I have not found any instances of overly-convoluted text - a common textbook weakness. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I've found all the terminology to be consistent. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I have found assigning readings to be easy and convenient. I like that I can find small sections throughout the book to assign to students. I think this makes the reading more accessible and therefore students are more likely to complete it.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the book is intuitive and I can easily find information and readings associated with class topics through the table of contents.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I have found a few broken links throughout the text. Most of the images are clear and appropriately arranged. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No blaring grammatical errors detected.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"No insensitive or offensive language. I would like to see something like \"Scientist Spotlights\" featuring scientists from diverse backgrounds and how their work has contributed to our understanding of biology.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-01-09T13:42:37.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-01-09T13:42:37.000-06:00"},{"id":3008,"first_name":"Dan","last_name":"Atwater","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Earlham College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The comprehensiveness varies but is overall mostly appropriate. Diversity of life and physiology get a lot of attention and surprising detail for an introductory textbook. Cell biology gets more cursory coverage and evolution is surprisingly spare. Molecular biology gets some detailed figures but without much explanation in the text. Indexes and glossaries are good, which is important because definitions are often not given in the text.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I didn't notice any major errors, but there were some omissions, especially in the evolution section, which is a disaster. For example, I didn't find any mention of drift, mutation, or gene flow. Evolution is defined--incorrectly--only once (in the Chapter 18 Summary). Systematics could be another trouble spot, but the authors do OK presenting an up-to-date, albeit conservative phylogeny. For example, I object to Phylum Zygomycota being described in a modern textbook, but this is a minor quibble. Protists are another trouble spot, but the authors do a good job discussing the modern perspective on the protists. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Since the text is foundational, many of the subjects aren't changing rapidly. The areas with the most change are systematics and human ecology, and those are reasonably current.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"In terms of writing and clarity, some chapters are great, others are mediocre. A few are poor. Readers will get the impression that multiple authors contributed. A weak spot was that bold-face words were not always defined in the text. Readers will have to go to the glossary for some definitions, and that is not ideal. Overall the text is not overly technical, but sometimes it fails when it is not technical enough. For example, there is a box in the plant section discussing whether green algae are considered as plants. The authors use a confusing 'straight line' terminology to try to explain monophyly. It doesn't work very well. Other sections are excessively technical and will probably confuse students. I wonder if the text needed a firmer editor.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Consistency is good but not great. Some of the figures did not match well with the text. For example, the text describing the citric acid cycle outlines seven steps, but these are not indicated on the accompanying figure. The external link is no help because it uses a completely different scheme. Also, the degree of taxonomic detail given for clades varied seemingly at random. Some clades were given with their taxonomic rank and others not. For example, most fish taxa are listed with their rank, but not gnathostomes (which might've been referred to as a superclass). Other sections completely ignored taxonomic rank. This is a guaranteed trouble-spot because the field is experiencing so much revision. But an editor had to step in and work for consistency.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is a bright spot. The modules make sense, are well organized, and (mostly) self-sufficient.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Overall, the organization is good, probably because it follows longstanding conventions. Some of the chapter introductions could use improvement. One example is section 25.1, which rattles through a few basic concepts in plant biology, but without enough context to make it clear to the reader how those concepts fit into the greater story of plant evolution.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I noticed one broken video link, but that's the nature of this kind of resource. My major complaint is that many of the figures were small in my browser, with no way I could find to be enlarged, except for right-clicking and opening them in a new tab. It would be nice to have links to the full-sized image. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice grammatical errors but I was speed-reading.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The two most likely trouble spots, human population growth and human impacts on biodiversity, are softballed in this textbook, avoiding cultural insensitivity. However, the authors missed an opportunity to discuss how conservation and population control impact, influence, and are lead by local societies. I believe that more modern books will more thoroughly discuss the human element to conservation and management.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this book provides a mostly adequate resource for teachers who are trying to save on textbook costs. It is comparable to most conventionally printed textbooks in being fair, but not great. Compared to conventional textbooks, it is typically accurate and perhaps a little above average in freshness. Unfortunately, it is also uneven relative to the printed alternatives. The evolution section is a particular bad spot, which is inexcusable. The graphics are fewer and lower quality compared to expensive conventional textbooks, and the study questions are fewer and less thoughtful--an expected and acceptable trade-off given that this book has the potential to save students hundreds of dollars. ","created_at":"2019-06-23T13:41:21.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-06-23T13:41:21.000-05:00"},{"id":3069,"first_name":"Christy","last_name":"Fillman","position":"Senior Instructor","institution_name":"CU Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am writing this review of the genetics unit from Biology 2e (chapters 11-17) in the context of potentially using this book for an introductory level, one semester genetics course for majors.  Note: I have not yet used this book in a class.  \nI think this book has is comprehensive for a general biology textbook, but it lacks some depth and breath for a genetics class.  Mendelian genetics and non-mendelian traits, DNA replication and repair and mitosis and meiosis I believe are covered adequately for a genetics class, but I think to use this book for a genetics class many outside resources would also need to be used (epigenetics, modern bioinformatics and next generation sequencing, genetic testing, ethics, and CRISPR-cas are some examples).  I found the index and glossary complete; it was easy to find topics of interest and the completeness of the topics matched my expectations from the index.\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content appears to be accurate.  The figures are simplistic, which for some topics is helpful like meiosis, but in other cases I think more details in the figure would be helpful.  For example, the figure depicting Southern blotting (17.6) does not show how the probes hybridize (why you get a band rather than a smear) though it is described in the text.  But overall regardless of the depth of information in the figures; they appear accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Much of the genetics content that I would use from this book is sort of timeless in that it hasn’t changed in many years and is unlikely to change in the near future (meiosis, mitosis, mendelian genetics).   These topics are presented in similar ways in most genetics and biology textbooks and haven’t changed much in the years that I have been teaching.  However, modern genetics is a rapidly changing field and many of those topics (listed below) are either not included or not included in depth.  These topics including sequencing, genomics and genomics techniques, epigenetics and genome editing.  Some of these topics, for examples DNA sequencing, only Sanger sequencing has a figure and next generation sequencing is described in a few sentences.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I liked the clarity of this text.  Topics are explained simply in shorter rather than longer paragraphs, and details that often bog down longer texts are omitted.  However, some topics at least for a genetics class, I believe do not have enough detail (examples gene expression, sequencing).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The genetics section of this book appears to be consistent.  The figures have an overall similar look and parts of them are colored the same way for consistency for example the homologous chromosomes (blue and red).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The genetics section in particular seems to be modular.  I did not find references to other sections of the book, and these chapters could be used without the rest of the text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think the modularity of this book helps with the flow.  Chapters can be taken out of order.  For example, I would introduce DNA structure, replication, central dogma and gene expression (chapters 14-16) before classical genetics (chapter 12), and I think that would work fine with the way this text is written. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I found the online interface difficult to use, because the pages load slowly and only one section of a chapter was visible on the page at a time. As I was looking through a chapter, I kept needing to load the next section and could not see the entire chapter at once.  The table of contents is not available on each page, so navigation other than directly forward or backward is difficult.  I also did not find an easy way to highlight or make notes in the online version, which are features often available in commercial online texts.  I used the PDF version to read/review this text and that avoided many of the problems with the online version, and highlighting and notes are available on many free PDF readers.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice grammatical errors in the text or figures.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not notice cultural insensitive in this book; it includes mention of women scientists (Figure 14.16 Elizabeth Blackburn, telomerase) and discussion some genetic disease that occur more frequently in particular populations.    ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-07-01T12:58:58.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-01T12:58:58.000-05:00"},{"id":3105,"first_name":"Cathy","last_name":"Sistilli","position":"Professor, Biological Sciences","institution_name":"OhioLink","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Good coverage of topics appropriate to a two semester biology majors course. The index is helpful but there is no glossary","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"There are some typos and the answers provided to some questions are incorrect. However, these errors are minimal for a 1500+ page text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The references to recent research areas is an asset.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Chapters that involve complex areas including genetics, physiology, and the immune system could be a bit more user friendly for the population that this text should serve. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Consistency is excellent! ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text easily lends itself to be parceled into units/modules, such as between two semesters. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization is certainly logical, topics are in their predicted locations.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is adequate. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"A few typos, but not excessive for such a large text. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Cultural issues are handled appropriately. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"There are an array of instructor resources available through OpenStax for this text. Quite an asset!","created_at":"2019-07-19T10:05:42.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-19T10:05:42.000-05:00"},{"id":3108,"first_name":"Emma","last_name":"Murray","position":"Instructor (Biology for majors)","institution_name":"Aims Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall this text covers each topic in adequate detail and provides enough detail and content for a two semester coverage of biology for majors, especially if this text is used alongside additional instructor input and labs. For example, chapters on Chemistry and Biological molecules both explain important fundamentals and provide adequate detail to maintain interest and give context to these topics. Ideally some complex themes could be covered in more detail. There is adequate coverage of evolutionary processes and mechanisms of speciation in later chapters. Since evolution is such an important theme in Biology and a chosen connecting theme in this book by the authors, Chapter 1 should cover evolution in some detail instead of leaving this essential topic to a later chapter. Evolution is mentioned in Ch.1 but is not defined or explained, assuming that students already understand this complex. Given that many students struggle with thoroughly understanding evolutionary processes and have misconceptions regarding evolution, this does seem to be an oversight.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found few errors. The information presented was accurate and relevant. Figures were also accurate and current.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Overall the content has longevity - many topics are relatively unchanging, especially since this textbook covers fundamentals. One area that may need updating are topics such as phylogenetics and climate change; however the authors do a good job of giving relative examples. It would improve the longevity of the book to better connect climate change with speciation and evolution, for example by including more relevant examples and current research at the end of the evolution chapter. Instead, climate change is dealt with separately.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is very accessible to students in terms of clarity and accessibility of prose. The authors 'talk' to the students and the text feels welcoming and understandable. I do think that changes to the layout and would make this book more accessible. Currently there are quite large sections of text that could be more concise. Figures and images are places between paragraphs. If the images were to be integrated more into the text using close wrapping it may improve the accessibility and make the text feel less intimidating. Getting students to read textbooks is always a struggle and so I do think that making the layout appear less daunting would be an improvement.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This textbook does a great job at being consistent throughout in terms of style, dialogue, summaries, resources, etc. After reading the first few chapters students will know what to expect from future chapters. The authors do a great job of this important aspect. I also found the instructor resources to be consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This book does do a good job of being modular. It would be useful for a variety of styles of classes. I would like to see more integration of topics; however the layout and the style of the textbook does allow for some flexibility. Topics are broken up enough so that particular areas could be omitted if needed without making a chapter or coverage of a topic incomplete.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The textbook is organized in a clear and logical way. Ideally evolution should be covered right at the start in some level of detail to help students understand and connect the chapters before the evolution chapter; however overall the organization is good and flows well. I do think that the book would benefit from integrating more questions throughout the text to check student understanding throughout the chapters instead of having the majority of questions at the end of the chapters.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no issues browsing and reading the textbook. Links are provided for quick navigation and the PDF is fully searchable. Lots of options are provided for accessibility.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"In the sections I read closely and thoroughly I found no errors. The prose is consistent and accessible to students. The authors' voices are clear and the text is easy to follow and understand. There is good use of bolding for emphasizing particular text and themes.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text is culturally accessible and inclusive. I did not find any culturally insensitive material.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall this book does a great job and overall I believe that it is an adequate substitution for a published text that students purchase, although some connections between themes may need to be emphasized. The chapter summaries and key terms are nice editions for students and illustrations are clear and professional. The themes are appropriate and comprehensive. I love that there are instructor resources available. If I were to adopt this book I would need to pay close attention to connecting some themes, providing plenty of examples, and checking comprehension throughout. My main issues with the text are that evolution is not covered in enough detail at the start of the text and that the book could be laid out in a way that made the text more accessible, i.e. by integrating more images into the text to break it up.","created_at":"2019-07-23T12:14:53.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-23T12:14:53.000-05:00"},{"id":3129,"first_name":"Rachael","last_name":"Detraz","position":"Associate Professer","institution_name":"Edison Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is comparable to a general biology textbook for majors from any of the major publishers.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"It is accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Some chapters contain references to \"recent work\" that will not be recent in a few years, although the text also does not give specific years the work was published.  There will be some chapters that will need to be updated in a few years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Generally, the book is written at a student's level.  I think my students will have an easier time following this book than some of the publishers' textbooks that appear to be written for more upper level students than freshmen.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Due to the nature of a general biology course, there are certainly chapters that should be covered before other chapters.  There is previous knowledge assumed in several chapters that students would not have if entire units of the textbook were skipped or covered out of order.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The flow of the chapters themselves is fine.  However, within individual chapters, the topics may not always be presented in the most logical order.  For example, in Chapter 20, phylogenetic trees are discussed before taxonomy.  In every other published textbook, taxonomy is presented first, and it can then be discussed how cladistics is a better approach since it takes relationships into account.  In Mendel's chapter, the text gives a brief, insufficient description of  topics like linkage and independent assortment that would confuse a student and then only at the end of the chapter does the text cover these in depth.  It would make more sense to discuss the topics as they arise than to briefly mention and revisit later. It must be assumed that students have no prior knowledge of these concepts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have at times had difficulty in navigating the table of contents, but this could be due to connectivity issues on my end.  I have tried to obtain a paper copy of the textbook, but it is not as easy as calling my publisher for a desk copy.  Just something to think about if you want to use it for seated sections on campus.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The book itself is generally free of grammatical errors.  However, the powerpoints that go along with the book do have many grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"It is not culturally insensitive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is an excellent textbook for a majors general biology course.  It covers all of the same topics as books sold by the major publishing companies, but it's free to the students!  In addition, it streamlines many of the chapters to cover just the essentials, so it is half the length of a publisher textbook.  Part of the reduction in length is a loss of supporting images and real world examples, but these can be easily supplied to the class in a powerpoint or out-of-class reading assignment.  Overall, I highly recommend the book.","created_at":"2019-07-31T09:31:06.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-31T09:31:06.000-05:00"},{"id":3150,"first_name":"Shaun","last_name":"Blevins","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"OhioLink","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook provides an excellent discourse on the many foundational ideas of Biology.  I found it to be broad in scope but still provided the depth you would want in a major's level Biology course. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The scientific information provided in this text is very accurate.  I would feel confident in this textbooks ability to provide scientifically sound ideas to my students.  There are a few errata, but they were mostly grammatical errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The information and real life examples provided in the text are both up-to-date and relevant.  One of the great benefits of this textbook is its ability to be updated without the need for students to purchase a new edition.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I greatly appreciated how the text explained scientific concepts in ways that students would be able to understand.  I found it to be very clear and concise, yet still containing the rigor you would expect of a major's level textbook.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terms and phrasing used within the text were extremely consistent.  The layout and framework were also extremely consistent.  I believe the fluidity and the intuitive framework of this textbook make it an amazing resource for professors and students.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I greatly appreciate the attention given to this textbook's organization down to the subtopics within each section of every chapter.  I believe this will allow for easy alignment into any new or existing Biology course.  I found it very easy to divide the readings into manageable segments that provide clarity and promote student understanding.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The overall organization of topics is very sensical as it goes from \"small-scale\" Biology (cells, DNA, etc.) to \"large-scale\" scale Biology (evolution, ecology, etc.).  I appreciate this because it allows for the cross-referencing of important cellular and genetic concepts in later chapters.  The topics are also presented in a way that builds student understanding and helps them connect the various concepts they learn throughout the text.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Overall I feel this textbook is easy to use and easy to read.  The presentation of its text and visuals provides a pleasant reading experience.  The navigation bar is simplistic but does the job.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are a few grammatical errors within the text but they are not distracting nor do they diminish the scientific accuracy of the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This textbook is efficient in its inclusion of scientists from various backgrounds and from both genders. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is an amazing textbook that provides both the scope and depth you would need in a major's level Biology course.  It is written and presented in a way that students could actually use and understand.  The framework and organization allows this to be a resource that professors could actually use as well.  It provides a path to cut student cost while still maintaining rigor.","created_at":"2019-08-15T23:09:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-08-15T23:09:07.000-05:00"},{"id":3187,"first_name":"Philips","last_name":"Akinwole","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"DePauw University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am writing this review for potential  \"Introductory Biology\" course (chapters 1-16), thus, I currently use it as supplemental resource. I think this book is comprehensive for a general biology textbook, but it lacks some depth and breath for some concepts. For example, Cell Communication, Cell reproduction, Mendelian genetics and non-mendelian traits, DNA replication and repair and mitosis and meiosis I believe are covered adequately.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found few errors. Content is generally accurate and relevant. Figures were also accurate, though simplistic in many cases but current.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Topics are well covered and relevant, mostly. Also, the references to recent studies makes it an up-to-date text.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I found the chapters to be easy to read, student friendly and lucid. Few chapter, though, like Gene expression might need more detail/clarity.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Consistency is generally good but need some help in few instances. For example, the text describing seven steps of the Kreb cycle phases did not align with the accompanying figure (with eight steps). ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"For future use, I like that I could assign small sections to students.  Students are more likely to complete assigned readings that are shorter sections and mostly self-contained.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are presented and arranged in a traditional manner as most biology textbooks and as taught in many colleges.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found no problems navigating through the pages. Easy to navigate the contents list, especially when downloaded as PDF, and very easy to switch from one section to another.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I hardly found any grammatical errors in the sections read, but found the text easy to follow and understand.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any culturally insensitive material.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, acceptable trade-off to conventional high quality textbooks. Generally, graphics are of lower quality and some study questions are  less thoughtful but links to animations and talks are a great perk!","created_at":"2019-10-16T15:59:23.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-10-16T15:59:23.000-05:00"},{"id":3451,"first_name":"Lily","last_name":"Arias","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is comprehensive; the extent and depth of the topics and concepts covered are at the level required in an introductory course for biology majors. The index at the end of the book and the glossary-“key terms”- at the end of each chapter are both very comprehensive as well.\r\n","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"For the most part the content is accurate, error-free, and unbiased. I found only one incongruence. In the section “The process of science” in chapter 1, it’s mentioned that hypotheses “could be correct or false”. In other sections, the definition of hypothesis is accurate.\r\nSome of the links on the textbook take you to trusted sources such as Khan Academy and TED talks, but others don’t look very reliable to me\r\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"For the most part the concepts and topics are up-to-date. However, most of the scientific articles cited are more than 10 years old, being the most recent article from 2015. The section dedicated to gene therapy is very short and there's no specific mention to CRISPR. The book is easily adaptable. \r\n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written in a clear  language, easy to understand by freshmen students.\r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"All the components of the textbook, including the terminology and framework, are consistent throughout \r\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is divided into several smaller sections and each section has their own learning goals. This organization facilitates the assignation of reading material for the students.\r\n","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"For the most part topics are presented in a logical sequence, except for the Evolution chapters. I find that these chapters lack organization and clarity. For instance different aspects regarding natural selection are found in three sections in two different chapters, being the sections:  “understanding evolution”, “population genetics”, and “adaptive evolution”. I think the logical way to organize these concepts is to give the definition of evolution first and then list and explain the mechanisms that lead to evolution, being natural selection one of them [and here is what all the concepts related to NS are given, in a single place].\r\nThe approach of including Hardy Weingberg under “population evolution” and drift, flow, mutations, and natural selection under “population genetics” is different from what I’ve seen in other books. Usually HW is what you find under “population genetics”\r\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not find any navigation issues, all images and charts are nitid\r\n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors\r\n","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is not culturally insensitive or offensive. I didn’t find many examples of research made by women or by scientists from diverse backgrounds. Working towards a more culturally relevant content would be appropriate.\r\n","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is an excellent resource for instructors and students. I really appreciate the efforts of OpenStax and the authors to provide such a helpful resource for free. I have chosen this textbook for my Animal Biology course that I will teach in the Fall of 2020.\r\nEven though simple, I like the illustrations in this textbook because they are clear, to the point.  I’ve been using them for my class even before adopting the book\r\nThe career connection sections are a great addition to the book. I haven’t seen anything like this in any other biology textbook.\r\n","created_at":"2020-01-01T19:37:09.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-01-01T19:37:09.000-06:00"},{"id":3509,"first_name":"Sarah","last_name":"Foltz","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Radford University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"General coverage is good – the text covers all of the areas I’d expect to see in an introductory biology textbook, including behavior, which I find is sometimes overlooked. It’s detailed enough to provide a good foundation for introductory students without overwhelming them. In general, it hits right at the level it’s aimed at. The index has links to the relevant sections, which is helpful, and each chapter contains a Key Words section.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I haven’t found any obvious errors. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is fairly up-to-date, but not so specific in most places that it would need constant updating to stay relevant. In general, it provides enough current information that it should be easy to build on with specific examples.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is fairly accessible for beginning biology students. Specialized terms are introduced (in bold) and defined, and examples are provided. Each chapter also includes a list of key terms – basically, a mini-glossary – at the end just before the chapter summary.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terminology is used consistently throughout. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is divided into subsections, each of which contain several chapters relevant to that topic, and chapters are further broken down into subunits. Each section is relatively short and self-contained. Overall, the organization is much like the intro textbooks from major publishers that I’ve used in the past, and it would be easy to assign specific sections rather than whole chapters. I plan on doing this with my course this semester. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization makes sense and flows well.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I haven’t noticed any major interface problems with the .pdf or the online version (viewed in Chrome). Both online and .pdf versions have links embedded in the Table of Contents, making it easy to skip around through the book as needed. It does occasionally hang while loading if the internet connection is slow, but that’s to be expected. Nothing appears distorted or out of place in either version, and the in-text links to animations, videos, and figures all seem functional so far.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"It’s generally well-written. I haven’t noticed any glaring errors so far.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text doesn’t reference or picture actual people very often, and generally seems to avoid gender-specific pronouns in hypothetical scenarios. However, the scientists who are mentioned are the typical examples – there’s no obvious effort to include or highlight contributions from a variety of cultures or ethnic backgrounds. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, this book provides what I need content-wise for my introductory courses. It's professional and well-written, and while the visuals (though accurate) may be less polished than a traditional textbook, I think the fact that it's free more than makes up for that lack.","created_at":"2020-01-14T13:13:51.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-01-14T13:13:51.000-06:00"},{"id":3619,"first_name":"Petra","last_name":"Kranzfelder","position":"Assistant Teaching Professor","institution_name":"University of California, Merced","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers the typical introductory biology course topics for biology majors, including chemistry, cells, genetics, evolution, biodiversity, plant and animal form and function, and ecology. One critique is that the learning outcomes at the beginning of the chapter and the visual connection and review questions at the end of the chapter are mostly lower order cognitive skill questions (i.e. knowledge and comprehension for Bloom's taxonomy).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't notice any errors in the textbook.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Biodiversity chapter information (e.g., Table 28.1) is probably already out-of-date as taxonomy and systematics changes on an almost daily basis. Could these figures, tables, and text link to online databases (e.g., https://www.gbif.org/species/search) that are retrieving species data on a more regular basis?","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"While the textbook appears to be clear to me (someone with a PhD in biology), I wonder if it would be clear to my students? Many of the key terms are highlighted in bold, but it would be nice if students could click on bold key terms to get definitions. It seems cumbersome for my students to go to the end of the chapter to look up the key term.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes, the text appears to be consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Overall, modularity is good; however, between chapters (in the PDF versions) there is a blank white page.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Each chapter subsection starts with 3-5 clear and concise learning outcomes. For example, in 4.1 Studying Cells, one learning outcome is \"Describe the role of cells in organisms.\"","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"It was easy to find specific topics using the \"Search this book\" feature on the online version.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text appears to be culturally sensitive, but there are not very many examples of the importance of biodiversity to a variety of groups of people across the globe.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The book is not aligned with the core concepts and core competencies of Vision and Change (V\u0026C). In future versions of this book, could the learning outcomes of each chapter be aligned with V\u0026C?","created_at":"2020-03-05T22:11:12.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-03-05T22:11:12.000-06:00"},{"id":3626,"first_name":"Emily Jane","last_name":"McTavish","position":"Asst. Professor","institution_name":"University of California, Merced","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers the appropriate breadth of material in appropriate depth for an introductory biology class. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is as accurate as I expect from a biology textbook. There are currently ongoing rapid changes in our understanding of some aspects of biology, such as whether the three domain model for life is  correct. The book addresses that there is conflict. In some cases simplification can result in explanations that lack the accurate nuance of a more complex explanation, but that is a necessary tradeoff in an introductory text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is relevant and well structured. As mentioned above, changes in our understanding of biology are happening quickly, but those can be incorporated into the the framework of this textbook in a straightforward way.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and makes good use of figures and images. The applied examples make great connections for students.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The terminology is consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Reading sections seem appropriate. The questions at the end of sections are helpful to student learning.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization was straightforward and followed standard introductory biology progression.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I reviewed a downloaded pdf. The interface was fine. Figures rendered well. The line width of text on the pdf download was a little wide for easy scanning, I would prefer a two column per page format, but that may simply be personal preference.\r\n","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors, although some sentence constructions were awkward.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The book was culturally appropriate, but could highlight a greater diversity of researchers.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-03-06T18:46:27.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-03-06T18:46:27.000-06:00"},{"id":3676,"first_name":"Chris","last_name":"Pantazis","position":"Assistant Professor of Biology","institution_name":"John Tyler Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"All areas of introductory biology were covered.  This book will suffice in a 2 semester biology course.  I found it had enough depth for a majors course while being accessible for non-majors.  The index is easy to use in both the PDF and online format.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I was impressed with the quality of the content.  It was accurate and error free, to my knowledge.  Sources were cited appropriately and they were relatively recent.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"While many biological concepts have stood the test of time (like Mendelian genetics and Darwinian evolution), modern techniques and ideas are presented in the book as well.  CRISPR-CAS technology is sufficiently explained for an understanding of the concept without going into too much detail.  The book had a slightly heavier bias toward molecular techniques rather than organismal or behavioral science, but that field appears to be the current zeitgeist, maintaining the book's relevancy.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Wherever technical jargon is used, it is immediately explained so the reader gets used to field terminology but also understands it.  The book is not written in a conversational or condescending voice, a plague among other biology textbooks.  I feel this book would be relevant for biology majors, learning their new field, as well as non-majors exploring the topic for the first and (maybe) only time.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terminology is consistent in most chapters read.  The only issues were alternating terminology between Kreb Cycle and Citric Acid Cycle as well as between Calvin Cycle, Calvin-Benson Cycle, and Light Independent Reactions.  In a few cases, I saw Hydrogen ions referred to as protons (and vice versa) without explaining that they were the same thing in the same chapter.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is divided logically and often, providing a break for students reading.  When I re-arranged chapters, the individual chapters could be understood without referring back to previous chapters EXCEPT for the basic chemistry and water chapters.  These were foundational and references in many other chapters without explanation.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics were presented in a logical, clear fashion.  They followed the format of most other textbooks making a transition to OpenStax from Cambell or Biology in Focus simple.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The electronic version of the textbook was easily read on a Mac, PC, and on various tablets and phones.  It has a high degree of accessibility.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were very few grammatical errors.  Those that occurred did not interrupt the flow of reading and understanding.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There was nothing culturally insensitive that I could find.  All of the material is based on objective science and, after presenting facts, offered learners the chance to evaluate their own beliefs based on new information.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I love this book.  It is a high quality text that can provide free access to students of any income level.  I do not understand why it is not more widely adopted.  The only issue I have convincing others to use this text is that there is a lack of free to use, pre-generated content that instructors can readily use on the first day of class.  There is no adaptive learning software like publishers use.  Still, if you prefer to create your own lectures, this text is without a doubt a top choice.","created_at":"2020-03-24T13:12:51.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-24T13:12:51.000-05:00"},{"id":3713,"first_name":"Aruna","last_name":"Kilaru","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"East Tennessee State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book will serve the purpose of introductory biology and could very well be used in place of the expensive textbooks. The book followed a typical format of introducing biological concepts starting with cell and ending with community biology. As is the case with most biology textbooks, the focus of the organismal topics are heavily biased towards animal structure and function (10 chapters), while plant structure and function (3 chapters) are poorly covered. Students would benefit from learning about totipotency and tissue culture, development and growth, phytohormones and associated signaling mechanisms etc., in plants, Each chapter is provided with much useful key terms and definitions, chapter summary and review questions.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Algae should have been discussed as a separated chapter (like fungi) and not lumped with seedless plants. Some analogies used to make a point were dull and unintelligent.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Introduction to some of the emerging concepts and techniques would have been useful. For example, there was no discussion on epigenetics, -omic studies, non-coding RNA, gene editing by CRISPR-Cas etc.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"In general, the text is simple to follow but some sentences are awkward to read; there was also unnecessary use of abbreviations that might not make it easier for freshman and sophomores who may want to use the text. Figures were overly simplified, yet serve the purpose.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The authors maintained a consistent style and flow throughout the book. Managed to relate content between the chapters and provided an evolutionary context to the topics.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The chapters could be easily reorganized into smaller subunits as needed for a class. In doing so, however, care should be taken to not divide the topics where some continuity could be lost.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The text is easy to read with consistent flow and rationale. Interactive exercises (links to learning) and visual connection would be well appreciated by the students.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have reviewed the content online and also in PDF format and in both cases I did not encounter any issues with the text, figures or any html links. The resolution of the figures is not great when you zoom into study the details.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed any grammatical issues but did find some of the sentences to be too long or awkwardly constructed.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text could have certainly benefited from using the pictures of scientists to give a human face to the work presented. Historical aspects are important so the students recognize and understand scientific pursuits and can be inspired. As such the text was lacking in examples and depicting a diverse cultural tone and images when possible.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Despite some minor criticisms, I would use this text to replace our current biology textbooks in use for Biol 1, II and III.","created_at":"2020-04-13T09:11:20.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-04-13T09:11:20.000-05:00"},{"id":3738,"first_name":"Lisa","last_name":"Johansen","position":"Senior Instructor","institution_name":"University of Colorado Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text book covered all the chapters I would assign for first semester General Biology course at the college level (Molecules to Cells). The chapters are divided into topical sections, making it easy to assign or not assign specific topics. Each chapter has a list of key terms plus definitions at the end. The text is easily searchable by key words (Ctrl F).","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I have not read each chapter, but the few I did, I did not find errors. I am rating a 4 just based on the fact that I have not read the entire text, nor all the chapters I intend to assign.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text has nice basic information that can easily be added to based on current findings or the instructor's preference. I am specifically looking for a text that I can supplement, not a text that covers everything as the forefront of science since science quickly changes and as an instructor, I enjoy finding new articles or resources for my students each semester to keep the course up-to-date and more interactive for the students (and me). For me, a text book is a resource of basic information that allows the students to learn a bit on their own (the critical basics) before applying their knowledge to in class activities.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The chapters are clear and concise. They are at just the right level for a first year biology student. The text is not bogged down with technical jargon, but subject-specific terminology is used were appropriate with adequate introduction to the material. \r\n\r\nI appreciate the highlighted boxes that provide additional information, such as the Visual, Everyday, and Career Connections. These highlighted boxes standout for the students as something extra and interesting, and the information is not lost in the main text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The set up of the text book is easy to navigate and the framework is consistent. For each chapter there is an outline (list of sections). For each section there are 2-4 objectives for the students to focus on. Most chapters have multiple Link to Learning offerings, which are links to an animation or other external resource. Each chapter has the appropriate figures for enhanced learning and understanding. Key words are in bold and are defined at the end of the chapter.  Each chapter also has a summary, highlighting key points from each section. Finally, each chapter has review questions, both multiple choice and short answer (critical thinking).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter sections are well defined and accurately titled. This will make it quite easy to assign specific parts of a chapter. The Table of contents is easy to access (always on the top navigation bar) and so with a click a student go right to the assigned chapter or section. The navigation is a bit easier with the downloaded version, as the online version is divided into units, so if you just give your student a chapter to look at, you may need to tell them which unit the chapter is listed under. For the downloaded PDF version, each chapter and section are listed in the drop-down table of contents.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization of the chapters for a biology course that covers: molecules, cells, energy, cell reproduction and genetics, this text follows the conventional organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Every link that I clicked on was active. I really liked the variety of outside sources and animations the text directs students to explore. \r\nThe chapter figures were standard (common figures to many hard copy texts) and easy to read - large enough to see on a computer screen without distortion. Figure legends were descriptive.\r\nSometimes, after opening an outside resource (following a link) with the PDF version and then clicking the back arrow when you are done, you were taken back to the beginning of the text, and you would then have to find the chapter/page that you had left, but this only happened a couple of times. Most of the time you are linked right to the page you clicked off of.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammar / proofreading errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text book used various external resources with both female and male voices. There is not much, in my opinion, that a general biology resource text book needs to include for cultural sensitivity. I believe this is where the instructor comes in to highlight other scientists and contributors to the field. I did not read any insensitive or offensive language in the chapters I reviewed.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The text book is easy to navigate with essential and well chosen figures and links to outside resources, some very good and simple animations. The text book covers the basics of what I am looking to teach. The text is visually appealing; section titles and sub-section titles are easy to see (green text). Figure numbers are in an orange/brown and stand out (easy to find). Key words in bold are also easily visible and defined at the end of the chapter, so students can quickly find definitions.","created_at":"2020-04-20T09:50:52.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-04-20T09:50:52.000-05:00"},{"id":3797,"first_name":"Kara","last_name":"Nuss","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Northeastern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, the coverage of subjects is appropriate for an introductory majors-level textbook that would be used across two (or more) semesters. Like many other biology texts, the book begins with an introductory chapter on the nature of science, before introducing atoms and chemistry, and then progressing all the way to ecology and evolution, with units on genetics, diversity, and anatomy/physiology along the way. In my review, I focused mainly on Units 1 – 3 (Chemistry, The Cell, and Genetics) as those encompass the topics that I typically address in the first semester of General Bio. \r\n\r\nFor the most part, concepts are discussed in an appropriate amount of detail. Obviously, individual instructors will vary in how much coverage they give to specific topics, but in general, this book matches the level of detail I expect from my students. There are a few exceptions; for instance, the details about phospholipid structure are much more specific than I would require in an introductory class. In other places, there are attempts to make connections with topics introduced in later chapters. However, there is not enough explanation or detail provided for most students to make any sort of meaningful connection.\r\n\r\nThere is not a glossary, which would be helpful, but new terms are generally in bold. A browser plug-in for Safari allowed me to click on any text and see a definition. Additionally, the end of each chapter features a list of key terms. Both the pdf and online version contain an index. In the online version, each term is hyperlinked to the appropriate section, whereas in the pdf index, the link goes to the key term list at the end of the chapter. The pdf is also easily searchable when opened with the Preview app on a Mac.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Because the book provides only survey-level detail, occasionally concepts are over-simplified, but I did not notice major factual errors.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As this book is designed to provide foundational knowledge rather than understanding of current research, I don’t think it is necessary to highlight extremely recent findings. I did not notice anything glaringly outdated, but given the speed of new research, it is likely that regular updates will be needed to keep the book current. The organization of the book seems like it would allow for this.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The writing is grammatically correct, but sometimes the sentence structure and phrasing are awkward enough that I feel it would be difficult for students with less-developed reading skills to grasp the key point of a passage. \r\n\r\nThis book does suffer from the “expert gap” phenomenon. Many times, a new term is used, but there is no definition or introduction of it. Often the term is explained later (either later in the paragraph or chapter, but sometimes not until another section of the book). For instance, ligand is mentioned in Section 5.2 but not defined until Chapter 9. Another example occurs in the chapter on cells. The section on prokaryotic cells does not mention the circular shape of their DNA, but it is then eluded to in the section on eukaryotic cells. \r\n\r\nAdditionally, sometimes terms are never explicitly defined. In some cases, these are not strictly related to biology; for example, quantitative and qualitative are discussed but not defined in Chapter 1. Overall, the non-technical vocabulary is appropriate for students entering introductory majors courses, but there are some exceptions.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There are some areas of the book that would benefit from additional copy editing. In some places, information is repeated within a paragraph. In other places (particularly Chapter 6 on metabolism), it seems like the order within the chapter had been changed, so that sometimes topics (including the second law of thermodynamics and entropy) are referenced, but not fully explained until later in the chapter. In Section 10.1 (p. 280) on genomic DNA, the text makes a distinction between character and trait (a tricky concept for many students) but then conflates the two on the following page (referring to hair color as a trait instead of a character).","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is broken up into sections, generally between three to five sections per chapter (but ranging from two to seven). Within each section, subheadings are used effectively to break-up and organize material. I think it would be difficult to teach the first three units out of order or to select only a few chapters/sections to include in a course, but this has much more to do with the interrelated nature of the material itself, rather than the design of the text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The unit and chapter organization are logical, and comparable to other texts. Additionally, I like the summary tables at the end of many sections and/or chapters (particularly cells and membranes). These are concise and provide a better “big-picture” summary than the text I currently use, where students often become overwhelmed and lost in the details.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The figures in the online version are too small. Usually they are much narrower than the text, and there does not seem to be a way to enlarge them other than increasing browser magnification. Further, labeling of figure components is often too small and borderline blurry. Figure 1.16 is one example where the display issues make the figure almost useless. Figures are wider and slightly larger in the pdf version, but labeling is still difficult to read.\r\n\r\nAside from the figures, other aspects of the interface function well. The online version features a side menu table of contents with a drop-down option for each unit and chapter, so that one can navigate to individual chapter sections. The pdf also contains a hyper-linked table of contents.\r\nThe online version has features to search, highlight (with five color options), and add notes. These features are useful and work well. The top menu bar has a My Highlights icon that brings up all notes and highlighted passages organized by chapter.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice grammatical errors, although there are occasional typos. My concerns over the writing are more about clarity and consistency (as described in those sections of the review) than technical usage.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I did not observe any culturally insensitive content. The book uses relatively few examples or images of people, so while it does not highlight diversity, it also did not feel exclusionary to me. This book includes less detail on landmark scientific discoveries than other books I’ve used. Although some might miss that focus on the history of science and classic experimental designs, I appreciated that this led to a decrease in the number of pictures of what my students have deemed “old white men doing very serious science,” which can feel almost constant in other introductory texts.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"Each chapter includes at least one link to an external resource. These resources vary in quality, but links do work properly and redirect to functioning sites. Many of the links are to YouTube videos, some of which are embedded and play directly in the text, whereas others open in a new tab. A few of these external resources are Flash, which may not be accessible to some students.\r\n\r\nThe Career Connections are a nice feature. These are relatively short and simple. In the introductory chapters, they are heavily focused on careers relating to health and medicine, but there are a few mentions of professions relating more toward ecology. I also like the connections to diet and nutrition throughout Chapters 2 – 4. These are clearly presented and provide simple ways for students to connect the material to their own lives.","created_at":"2020-05-05T11:52:14.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-05T11:52:14.000-05:00"},{"id":3966,"first_name":"Samuel","last_name":"Flaxman","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Colorado Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The PDF of the text is over 1500 pages in length, making it very long (by print standards). I found chapters and subheadings on nearly every topic that I expected to see in a biology text for majors. The chapters are organized into 8 main units. As I looked at the units, their order, and the titles, I found a very familiar feel, like I could have been looking at the table of contents of several well-known commercial textbooks. Each chapter has a list of “key terms” defined at the end of the chapter (in the PDF; the online version has a shorter “glossary” at the end of each chapter).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The vast majority of the content is accurate. There are a few things that pervade the text that I take issue with. For example, “prokaryotes” are consistently referred to throughout the book. On p. 23 the authors write: \"Scientists classify cells as prokaryotic or eukaryotic\". This is not correct in the formal sense of “classification”. \"Prokaryotes\" do not comprise a monophyletic group, and thus, while the name \"prokaryote\" may still be used, it is definitely not a basis of modern, formal, scientific classification. Their own figure 1.17 underscores that “prokaryotes” are not a valid monophyletic group. \r\n \r\nAnother inaccuracy has to do with wording used to describe genes and their influences on traits. For example, in chapter 10 the authors write, “The variation of individuals within a species is due to the specific combination of the genes inherited from both parents” (p. 281). The sentence conveys an implicit idea that ALL variation in a species is attributable to genes. This is false, of course. The variation of individuals within a species is due to genetic factors, environmental factors, and their interactions. There are roles for deterministic processes and stochastic processes. However, the blanket statement as written by the authors instead plays to the very common misconception that genes are all-powerful and determine one’s fate.\r\n \r\nAnother inaccuracy has to do with gender and genetic determinism. Page 344 has a link to a Khan Academy video that is ostensibly supposed to be about sex-linked traits. However, the video opens by talking about how “gender” is determined by chromosomes in humans. This video again reinforces the misconception of genetic determinism. Furthermore, the video is really talking about sex, but incorrectly uses the term “gender” for reasons that are unknown to me. The video goes on to claim that genes on autosomes “have nothing to do with gender.” This is patently false. There are many genes on our autosomes that affect primary and secondary sexual characteristics (including the potential to affect some aspects of gender expression). While the authors/publisher did not create the video, they are responsible for it being embedded in the textbook. \r\n \r\nPlease see also my comments below under the prompt about “cultural relevance”.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"In general, the content to me felt like a “classic introductory biology” set of material. There were some obvious modern features that I thought I would find but didn’t, such as genome editing with CRISPR-Cas9. Sanger sequencing is described in chapter 14 as being “widely used” today (p. 385). That might be true in a sense, but relative to “next generation”, “high throughput” techniques, it is a very small portion of the sequencing actually happening in this day and age. Even less accurate, the text goes on (p. 386) to say that “Sanger’s genome sequencing has led to a race to sequence human genomes at rapid speed and low cost, often referred to as the $1000-in-one-day sequence”. Sanger sequencing is NOT what is used for cheap sequencing today. Next generation sequencing is the topic of only one VERY short paragraph in chapter 17 as far as I found. The word “bioinformatics” appears in the text but is never explained, though a few -omics fields are briefly discussed, most notably genomics and proteomics.\r\n \r\nI also think that the consistent lumping of Archaea and Bacteria together as “prokaryotes” is out-of-date (see my comments on this above).\r\n \r\nMy own sense is that the “r/K selection” paradigm (presented in Chapter 45) has largely fallen out of usage by practicing ecologists, in favor of more comprehensive and nuanced analyses of life histories. It may remain as a heuristic that is often mentioned, so perhaps there is still some use in having in a textbook, but it’s not exactly an up-to-date framework. Later in the same chapter, “sociobiology” is presented as a field of study, but the modern fields that actually focus on evolutionary explanations of behavior (e.g., Neuroethology; Behavioral Ecology) are not. This is a shame and could wind up creating misconceptions about the current study of animal behavior.\r\n \r\nOn the positive side, the section on global climate change is quite welcome as being highly relevant. The authors linked climate change very clearly to human activity. Thank you!","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"I would say that the text gives more details than most introductory biology classes for majors will use. Of course, different professors will emphasize/ignore different details, but I would imagine that any professor would have to skip over a lot of the jargon in some places. This might be particularly true in some of the biochemical terms and pathways presented. I think that the chapter glossaries and ample index do a good job with the jargon.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I found it to be internally consistent. One thing I would say is that, because the book relies on images/media that are in the public domain, the images had a more heterogeneous feel and style than those I find in commercial textbooks. This is not a criticism, but rather merely an observation. When the authors have constructed their own images, they are rather basic by modern standards, but that is not a bad thing in my view.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I intentionally stepped into chapters out of order and found them to be appropriately modular.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization and flow are exactly what many introductory biology teachers would expect – in terms of major topics/themes and their ordering – if one is used to a number of the major commercial offerings: topics progress from molecules to cells to organisms to ecosystems. The organization is so similar, in fact, that I have to believe it was intentionally pattered, sometimes chapter-by-chapter, after offerings from major commercial publishers. Note that those instructors whose general biology sequence begins with organisms in the first semester and moves to molecules in the second semester would have to use the chapters out of order, which shouldn’t be much of a problem (see comments on modularity above).\r\n \r\nAt the level of details, I found a few places in the text in which terms were used before they were defined, though in such cases they were usually defined in the following paragraph/page.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Some of the figures in the PDF have very small components that can’t be magnified (they just become pixelated if one tries). An example is chromosomes in Figure 11.7. Otherwise I had no interface issues. I did not check to see if higher resolution options were available online for such figures.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not encounter grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"This is a place where I feel the book was really lacking. Since the review prompt asked for me to consider inclusion specifically, I made a point to page through the book, one page at a time, specifically looking for portrayals of human diversity and humans working as biologists/scientists. I have to say I was disappointed in multiple ways. \r\n \r\nFirst, the visual portrayals: The vast majority of working scientists shown in photographs appear to be light-skinned, and mostly male-presenting. (I use the phrases “appear to be,” “light-skinned,” and “male-presenting” because I do not presume to know how all the people in all the photographs identify.) There are the all-too-familiar historical photos of white men who are credited with the discovery of major things. One unfortunate (in my mind) example is that a photo featuring Watson and Crick is present, yet there is no photo of Rosalind Franklin (though her name is mentioned in the text). I found only one photograph of a named female scientist, Elizabeth Blackburn, in Figure 14.16. I found no unambiguous portrayals of scientists of color. Furthermore, there are a great many photos in which the hand of a human being is shown as holding a sample, such as holding a test tube or holding an animal studied in the field. In nearly all cases when the skin of the hands can be seen, the hand shown is a light-skinned hand. This highly consistent repetition of “white” role models, and mostly male role models to boot, is not the kind of imagery that is likely to communicate that biology is a science open to all. It’s a shame because it would have been relatively easy to bring in a great deal more diversity in portrayals of human scientists. Specifically, the large majority of the “Career Connection” pieces have no photograph at all; this would have been an easy way to add diverse role models. Of the “Career Connection” vignettes that do have photographs, it appeared to me that all people shown were light skinned and only one was likely to be female-identified.\r\n \r\nA second way I was disappointed was in the handling of biological sex. Human sex determination is presented as being very simple, completely chromosomal, and binary. On p. 125 the authors write: \"The X chromosome is one of the two human sex chromosomes, as these chromosomes determine a person's sex. Females possess two X chromosomes while males possess one X and one Y chromosome.\" This is an obvious example of the fallacy of genetic determinism; it’s the kind of writing that instills misconceptions about the power of genes and chromosomes. We biologists know that chromosomes do not entirely \"determine\" a person's sex. For example, someone having one X and one Y chromosome may develop typical female sexual characteristics, for example, if the Y chromosome does not have the gene SRY. This alone happens at a frequency of perhaps 1 in 20000, and there are a great number of additional ways in which a person’s chromosomes might not follow the statistically most common pattern. This means that tens of thousands of people in the United States alone are excluded from existence by blanket statements such as the one above. Furthermore, in a classroom of 300 students, I probably have 3-12 gender-non-conforming students who feel that statements such as these deny their existence, causing them to readily give up on \"science.\" Finally, we biologists also know that there are many humans born intersex, and their existence is completely ignored by the statements made by the authors. I know that I have such students, and I know that this text would be hurtful to them. We biologists study the diversity of life! Why should our textbooks ignore it?\r\n \r\nSimilarly, there are blanket statements about humans such as “Human body (somatic) cells have 46 chromosomes” (p. 280). That may be true for most humans, but some humans have 45 or 47.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-06-11T16:25:56.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-11T16:25:56.000-05:00"},{"id":4064,"first_name":"Beth","last_name":"Graham","position":"Part-Time Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I teach \"Cell Biology for Health Occupations\" at a community college, and we currently use an abridged version of Pearson's Campbell Biology in Focus textbook. The first third of this Biology 2e text is roughly equivalent to our abridged version of Biology in Focus. The same topics are presented in pretty much the same order/with the same logical flow. Biology 2e seems to go into slightly more detail in some places, especially in regard to molecular biology. It's a solid traditional biology text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't notice any major factual errors while I was going through the book.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book follows the sequence and structure of other traditional biology textbooks that I have seen. It feels up to date; there is a link to an online genome browser, for example. That said, it isn't particularly cutting edge, either in terms of content, or in its approach to teaching.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clear but perhaps a little dry and sparse. Some students may need more context to learn the vocabulary.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent. The 4 rating is because there isn't the same consistent visual \"language\" in the illustrations as there is in a commercial textbook. The images are good -- I recognize many of them from Wikipedia and other internet sources -- they are just all done by different people, so they might not use a consistent set of symbols, etc.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text is modular in the way that most textbooks are modular -- information is organized into chapters, and chapters are organized with subheadings. You can assign students some chapters and not others. I don't find it to be any more modular than a rather textbook, however.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book orders information the same way as a traditional biology textbook. This will make it easy for instructors of other texts to transition to. However, I wonder if there might be a better way to organize some material. For example, does it still make sense to start teach students about genetics by starting with Mendel, or does this \"plant\" (haha) some misconceptions about the way that genes work from the very beginning?","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I didn't notice any issues. Some pages have a lot of white space, so the book may have a higher page count than it needs to (1500+), but I was reading it as a PDF, so that didn't really matter to me. It is nice that links to animations and webpages are included. I would love to see a version that takes advantage of the electronic format more and becomes a little more interactive.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I am interpreting this question as 5 = no grammatical errors and 1 = oh-my-goodness-so-bad. I did notice a few grammatical errors, but it wasn't terrible.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I didn't notice any content that was culturally insensitive or offensive, but I didn't notice anything particularly inclusive, either. There is one image of a white woman scientist and there are two dark-complexioned individuals with skin conditions. The text includes information on various jobs in biology, as well as information on many human health conditions. However, I don't think it goes out of its way make science more accessible.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book does an outstanding job of replacing a traditional textbook. I absolutely intend to use it to replace expensive textbooks. However, I personally find most traditional textbooks a little uninspiring, and I think that by following the standard format closely, this book misses out on an opportunity to improve on a formula that could probably stand to be updated.","created_at":"2020-06-23T22:53:20.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-23T22:53:20.000-05:00"},{"id":4083,"first_name":"Marisa","last_name":"Cases","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Middlesex Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook includes more depth than the current publisher's edition. More vocabulary is presented which is a good thing to expose the students to.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Unless you use a third party software to remix, textbook is highly accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Text is already in its second edition. Not sure how often they update, but it would be easy to do in an online platform.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Sometimes a bit on the technical side, but the publisher book had the same issue.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The structure and formatting of the text allows for the students to build up a set of habits over time if used properly.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"While I feel some of the topics and concepts are broken up over more than one chapter, there is ample opportunity to pick and choose which sections to use.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I am not as excited about the flow of information in this text, but it can be rearranged to fit individual college's needs.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Have the text as both an online and pdf document is helpful because if student needed to increase the size of the image, they could always look at the other version.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Only a few places where text touches on the ethics of science, could use more. But it does allow the reader to come to their own conclusion.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This book is a great free replacement for the textbook we normally use from a large name publisher. We have a two part biology series for majors and pre-nursing students that should have a good grounding in biology. Its nice to have a free textbook from a reputable university that can give students from lower incomes the ability to have the same depth and breadth of information for no money on or before the first day. Teaching in an area with many first generation college students from disadvantaged background that is key.","created_at":"2020-06-25T13:54:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-25T13:54:04.000-05:00"},{"id":4310,"first_name":"Rhonda","last_name":"Hattar","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Community College of Aurora","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Like most Biology textbooks, this was hit or miss for me.  This is often a matter of opinion across Biology professors, so that is not surprising.   I felt like there was too much detail on some processes, and too little detail on other topics.  The Inheritance chapters stood out as chapters that had significantly less detail than common commercial textbooks-- a big disappointment if you love that topic and also a missed opportunity to provide more information about inheritance in humans.  I would say that the standard commercial texts error on the side of being too detail heavy and encyclopedic and this text errors on the side of being too shallow .  The biggest issue, though, is the images.  Most chapters lack the highly detailed summary images that most will be familiar with from commercial texts--for example, a summary image of cellular respiration or cladograms for major phylogenies.  An instructor who was teaching with this book would have to be able to create/provide this kind of summary for students on their own or from another source.  Similarly, an instructor would need to be able to fill in more details and context for many of the topics by consulting other texts or teaching materials.  For  these reasons, I think this would be a very difficult text for a new instructor to teach from.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There were a couple of places where there was either an issue with accuracy and clarity of explanation, or else a typo (like for example, using the word phenotype when genotype would have been more appropriate)","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"My expertise comes only from what the newest editions of other textbooks have, but for what it's worth, a lot of the phylogeny and taxonomy is not updated to the most recent information.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is very concise--I would estimate that the chapters are probably half as long as traditional texts (hard to tell exactly because of the online format).  Unfortunately, for many of the students at my college, the reading level of this text is difficult.  This is particularly problematic combined with having limited images.  I wish it had more of the style of some of the new condensed Majors books that include a lot more bulleted lists and other ways to make the text less dense and more accessible.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not notice any discrepancies in terminology.  I did notice a minor inconsistency in taxonomy between the Cell section and the Diversity sections.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are divided into sections and subheadings.  The website lets you easily navigate directly to specific sections.  There are also chapter summaries and review sections at the end of every chapter.  Chapters are also organized into larger units.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I noticed a couple of issues, like introducing a concept before it has been defined or explained.  For example, trying to show how Valine is substituted in hemoglobin  before Translation has been covered.  The overall order of the chapters seems to me to reflect an \"order of discovery\" approach that I have seen in the Campbell book (Mendelian genetics before DNA, speciation before population genetics).  I prefer a different order that introduces DNA before Mendelian genetics, for example ( as in Brooker Biology).  However, I can't say for sure that one order is better than the other for student learning.\r\nI really liked the integration of links to animations and videos in the text.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Some of the text in images is a little hard to read.  I think visibility might be even more of an issue on a cell phone, which I know many students use to view their digital texts.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There were biological examples from across the globe.  This textbook does not include very many biographical \"stories\" of scientists/pictures of people other than for the seminal discoveries/experiments (Darwin, Mendel etc).  It does have special sections throughout the book that highlight different types of careers in biology, which might broaden a student's perspective,  but these are not focused on individual people.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I think this book has great potential and I really want to adopt this book in order to save students money.  However, I have a lot of reservations.  Despite its brevity, the reading is still pretty dense and mostly in paragraph form.  For many students, it will be a slog to get through, and they will struggle to identify key concepts on their own\r\nOn the instructor side,  anyone who relies on powerpoints, especially new instructors, would find the lack of included images to be challenging and the need to add images will raise some issues around using copyrighted material from other sources.    For new instructors, I would also feel like they would need an alternative textbook, at least for reference since this book has so much less depth on most topics.  It would then fall on the instructor to really add a lot of depth and context for the content into their class in lectures and active learning activities.  This would be what good instructors always do, but new instructors often have to take more of their clues from the text.\r\nI would love to see this text evolve to have more images, especially summary type images, as well as more areas of text simplified into lists, bullet points or other more simple ways to organize and present  information.","created_at":"2020-08-12T16:17:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-12T16:17:37.000-05:00"},{"id":4473,"first_name":"Julia","last_name":"Mabry","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Clatsop Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I have used chapter 1-16 of this book for a 100-level community college class \"Integrated Chemistry and Cellular Biology for Healthcare Professionals\". I have found the content for this purpose mostly comprehensive, with some need to supplement. \r\nI do think that the book misses several opportunities to have a more critical look at the use of science, but it thankfully does so in a side bar on eugenics. While it puts major discoveries into some historical context (Mendel is discussed at length) it forgoes that context in more recent discoveries (epigenetic and its historical context). \r\nWith the general misunderstandings of the biological concepts of race, integrating the scientific answer to \"are there human races?\" in a basic biology textbook would be helpful. \r\nThe associated slide deck is not as comprehensive needs significant jazzing up to keep students engaged when lecturing. It does contain some of the video links from the text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Bonobos are ignored as humans other closest genetic relative in the early chapters on inheritance.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"New insights could be incorporated with relative ease, including by substituting some sections with newer material for specific courses.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I have found the writing clear and easy to read. There is no superfluous verbiage. New vocabulary is introduced throughout in bold, and key terms are repeated at the end of each chapter. A chapter summary provides a good review for students, and I sometimes advised students to read the summary first, before getting into the weeds. \r\nThe book would benefit from greater use of diagrams, charts, and images (and even lists and bullet points) to cater to visual learners.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Over the first 16 chapters, the text is consistent in its framework, as well as in its design.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is one area in which this book truly shines: chapters are subdivided and can often stand alone. This makes it easy to expand on particular topics, replace a section with other reading, and tailor the text to the objectives of a course.  In addition, chapters are grouped under 8 units, from \"The Chemistry of Life\" to \"Ecology.\"","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This is a traditional textbook. Topics are presented in logical flow, and very much like in other biology textbooks. Sometimes (as in other textbooks) the historical chronology of discovery appears to supersede the relevance as we understand it today.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The online version of the text is easy to navigate, has no broken links, and is searchable. Also helpful is the ability to highlight within the text, only requiring a simple log in. Chapters can be easily integrated into a learning platform to facilitate weekly reading assignments.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not stumble over any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This is not an enlightened book, but I have not found it to lack images and examples from across the spectrum of humanity. (Rosalind Franklin deserves a photo next to Crick and Watson.) \r\nThat said, more and more scientific discoveries require extensive team work, making the worship of individual scientists -always questionable- impossible. I would like to see more than headshots of \"discoverers\", particularly since they are bound to be primarily white men, and more emphasis on the work of culturally diverse teams, reflective of what labs and discoveries look like today.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a fine textbook for my purposes (intro to chemistry and cell biology, as a foundation for an anatomy and physiology sequence). It is easily adapted, and accessible on multiple devices. With a little work to customize, this is a great alternative to an expensive textbook, and I will continue to use it. The option to purchase a bound copy is great for students who choose to do so.","created_at":"2020-12-18T13:27:33.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-12-18T13:27:33.000-06:00"},{"id":4549,"first_name":"Mark","last_name":"Wagner","position":"Instructor/Life Sciences","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text integrates in-depth concepts over a broad range of topics. The text provides students with current, relevant information in a progression of topics and concepts based on empirical data and basic science. Support resources at the end of the text are thorough and well organized.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text provides accurate, current information without bias. It provides the student with a strong foundation with which to analyze and respond to new knowledge and apply it in the contemporary world.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is up to date and addresses relevant and contemporary issues.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very easy to read, written for a collegiate audience in a way that avoids jargon, or identifies it in quotes to indicate that it is. Terms and concepts are very well explained and significance is emphasized.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"High quality in every sense, cover to cover.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is well organized and the sections well thought and relevant. For my own purposes, I would have preferred a bit more discussion of evolution in the first section since it has relevance at every level of life.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is very well organized and the material flows well. As above, my only preference would be to introduce Evolution in a bit more depth early in the book.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to read as a PDF and in book form. I did not examine the online version in-depth, but  I could find no issues with distorted images, pagination nor confusing captions. Generally, having so many possible ways to access the material makes the interface exceptionally positive for students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I could find no errors in grammar in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text embraces cultural diversity and is written from a perspective that respects humans as humans, and life as life.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Since first looking at this text a year ago, I have been very impressed with the quality and comprehensiveness. While there is far more content than I cover in a 10-week term, the ability to customize this excellent text for specific use is invaluable. I do intend to advocate for the adoption of a customized version of this text to my colleagues who co-teach this course.","created_at":"2021-01-10T09:42:10.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-10T09:42:10.000-06:00"},{"id":4700,"first_name":"Eric","last_name":"Goff","position":"Biology Professor","institution_name":"Midlands Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Content-wise, Biology -2e very closely aligns itself with most traditional introductory Biology text books. The topics are arranged in a typically progression and build on one another in a traditional fashion. The concepts are covered fully and are presented in a way that information can easily be scaffolded for a particular learner/course. The integration of career connections are an added bonus. While some introductory biology students have a general career plan, many are unaware of the scope of what work in biology can be. This text ties together conceptual understand and application to the real-world in a way that I feel will benefit many first year Biology students. The addition of key terms at the end of the chapters also adds a bonus summary for students to use as a resource to gauge their understanding of course concepts. Overall, I was pleased with the comprehensiveness of the text.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall the content accuracy was on par with an introductory course. There are some nuances of classification and speaking in generalities that could lead the learner to think in terms of absolutes where that may not be the case (ie. it could be conveyed that it notes ALL species variation is directly related to genetics). While this may be of concern in an upper level text, I think that is still acceptable here. I think that in an introductory course, it is more important to convey the more general, big  picture of concepts without adding confusion with over-exertion of details. These details will inevitably be explored more deeply as students progress through their program of study. As a result, for this level,I am pleased with the level of accuracy.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The relevance for the most part is good. I would have like to see a more up-to-date depiction of Biotechnology and Biotechnological techniques. I understand that this is tough considering the expedited evolution of the field. However, it still seems slightly dated even with this consideration. This is especially important with the focus the text takes in its career connections. Giving a more accurate representation may sway students to pursue some of the more cutting edge aspects of Biotechnology research. My suggestion would be not to completely overhaul the text exactly but maybe update the ancillary materials in a way that teachers and students are introduced to new discoveries and new techniques on regular basis. The excitement may drive their interest to learn more.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is organized in a clear and easy to follow manner and provides formative assessments throughout so that students may gauge their learning. The text is easily readable and helps make complex topics easier to navigate.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The consistency in terminology and flow of content is solid throughout. The addition of vocabulary terms and definitions at the end of each chapter aid in clarifying any concerns with terminology. The organization of the topics and how each are approached make sense in the scope of the course.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity is consistent and adequately divided throughout. Organization is appropriate and is adaptable for the specifics of individual course requirements.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is organized in a way that most introductory instructors would be familiar with. The chapters match what most introductory courses outline in their syllabi.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Most components of the interface were easy to navigate and only show minor distortion in few cases.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I noticed no glaring grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No cultural insensitivities were noticed as part of this course.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, fantastic text and a great option for OER content for an introductory biology course.","created_at":"2021-03-22T10:35:23.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-03-22T10:35:23.000-05:00"},{"id":4747,"first_name":"Archana","last_name":"Lal","position":"Associate Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Labette County Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is quite comprehensive and covers all aspect of biology that one can choose from to cover in an introductory biology course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book accurately covers different aspects of biology.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The topics are relevant to cover in an introductory biology college at an undergraduate institution.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a clear and easy to comprehend manner.  It maintains a fine balance between using scientific language in a way that student will be able to understand with little effort.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in terms of terminology, illustrations, and descriptions.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is divisible into many reading sections within each chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Different topics in the text are organized and presented in a logical manner that make sense from biological perspective.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is good.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"It is a scientific text and presents the material in a way that should not be offensive to any one.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, it a text that is a good value for students to learn basics of biology.","created_at":"2021-04-06T20:35:04.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-06T20:35:04.000-05:00"},{"id":4836,"first_name":"Alyssa","last_name":"MacDonald","position":"Assistant Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Leeward Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"While it is challenging to cover all Biology content in an introductory text, the book is an excellent substitute for the previous Biology text we were using. The online accessibility allows one to search the contents of the book, making it incredibly easy to navigate.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book has minimal errors and seems to present a balanced overview of controversial topics with links to outside sources and videos for more information.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The authors have done a wonderful job incorporating current research in a broad perspective so that it can be updated without major changes to the content.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Because this content is designed for an introductory Biology majors course, there is quite a bit of jargon and technical terminology. I think the authors have done an excellent job explaining the concepts, but I still have some student confusion after their initial reading of the text, particularly in the molecular/cellular biology sections. To be fair, all previous texts I have used have had this same student issue because that content is challenging for anyone unfamiliar with Biology.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is very consistent and the formatting is carried from one chapter to the next, making it easy to navigate.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The Biology 2e text has done an excellent job of \"breaking up\" the reading material into manageable sections split with images, videos, and links to outside sources that deepen student knowledge and facilitate engagement with the material. Because there is so much information to cover in the Introductory Biology survey courses, it is helpful to organize the text in this way so students are not overwhelmed.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text follows the same logical fashion as previous texts. The information builds on previous chapters in a manner that deepens student knowledge.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have had no issues with the interface on my computer or phone. Everything is formatted correctly and links and images are accessible on both devices.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not encountered grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text does an excellent job of focusing on the content and providing examples from around the world. I supplement many Hawaiian examples throughout because our flora and fauna are unique, so students don't always understand references to mainland species. Additionally, there is a lack of images of people in the text, so I supplement the information presented with \"scientist spotlights\" to highlight diverse scientists in the wide range of careers available with a Biology degree.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, I was pleasantly surprised when we made the switch to Biology 2e from Campbell Biology In Focus. The Biology 2e text is comprehensive without being overwhelming and provides a similar organization and logical flow as the previous text. This is a wonderful substitute text for major's Biology courses and you cannot beat the price!","created_at":"2021-04-23T12:41:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-23T12:41:39.000-05:00"},{"id":4894,"first_name":"Eric","last_name":"Johnson","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Virginia Wesleyan University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"For the topics most commonly covered (Cellular Resipration, Mitosis, etc...), this book does a good job.  For some of the less frequently taught concepts (Algae/Protist diversity) the sections are a little thinner than other non-OER texts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any errors","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text is arranged to be able to stay up to date.  I'ld like to see some deeper discussions into current topics such as CRISPR and other Biotechnology related concepts, although discussions around genomics was sufficient","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text and figures seem clear.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not find anything inconsistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I can easily envision plucking chapters or subchapter-units out for one class vs. another as the book is written for a 2 course sequence.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Seems to mimick other Intro Biology for Majors organizational schemes.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I'm not in love with the interface when using the search function when it takes the plae of the TOC.  I'm also not clear if students would have access to the answers for the review questions as I couldn't find it.  Broadly speaking, the TOC and units are easy to navigate and the images/videos are placed appropriately.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find anything culturally insensitive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-05-07T08:57:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-07T08:57:07.000-05:00"},{"id":5097,"first_name":"Mark","last_name":"Wagner","position":"Instructor/Life Sciences","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I found the book to cover the topics in good depth, definitely a lower division, major-level text","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"While I found a few instances where I disagree with the text, but they are minor","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The topics speak to contemporary relevance.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I feel the text is quite readable, concepts do not require much interpretation, and students do not appear to get lost in a concept","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"In no case did I find a chapter that appeared inconsistent with the overall quality of the text., nor clarity of concept","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It does fit well into the organization of our curriculum, though I would prefer that the discussions of Evolution be moved to the beginning of the text, and more emphasis put on the role of Evolution in life","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"As above, I'd prefer that evolution be discussed in the first section","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is very easy to read, concepts are well presented, and illustrations support the writing very effectively","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I could find only a few minor grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"In my opinion, the text is considerate of all cultural, racial, and ethnic sensibilities","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"In my opinion, this text has wide applications, and its ability to be customized makes it a strong candidate for adoption within our curriculum","created_at":"2021-06-14T12:36:59.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-14T12:36:59.000-05:00"},{"id":5129,"first_name":"Jeffrey","last_name":"White","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Framingham State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers everything a traditional introductory biology major textbook covers at an average level of detail, organized in the usual hierarchy from atoms to ecosystems. A glossary of key terms is provided for each chapter.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As no comprehensive textbook like this is ever completely error-free despite the best of intentions, I am sure there are some inadvertent mistakes. However, I did not encounter anything glaring.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is reasonably current, as much as the most recent editions of mainstream print biology texts. The online, open-source nature of the book should allow for content to be refreshed on an as-needed basis. The book highlights different career paths for students in each respective field of biology using engaging real-world examples, and explicitly calls out areas that cause frequent confusion for students (for example, the difference between “weather” and “climate” when discussing climate change, and common misunderstandings about the process of evolution.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and well-written, and defines key terminology on first use.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not notice any obvious internal inconsistencies in framework or use of terminology.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is divided into topical subsections much like mainstream print books of its kind. They are generally uniform in length, although some subsections are longer or shorter than others depending on the topic. The subsections are natural and permit the instructor to easily select the specific topics they wish to cover or not.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Like most biology textbooks, the topics are presented in hierarchy from small to large scale (atoms to ecosystems), which builds concepts logically and necessarily somewhat cumulatively. Although the book will be most naturally adoptable for courses that deliver content in this same order, the book should be flexible enough to allow instructors to adapt it to their own ordering of topics. I would say the authors play it safe and structure/organize the material in standard fashion (there is nothing revolutionary or new about the pedagogical approach it adopts): it reads like a very traditional print biology textbook. But this is not necessarily a “bad” thing, as it should make it easy for all instructors (regardless of their teaching style) to make the change and substitute this book for an equivalent print text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is straightforward and gets the job done. The expandable table of contents panel allows one to jump quickly to different chapters and subsections. Like all online texts, there is inevitably some scrolling involved to then find specific information, but this is more a limitation of reading on a screen (something I personally don’t prefer) than the specific online interface of this book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any glaring grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not notice anything culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think the book is of equal quality, scientific rigor, and depth as any mainstream introductory biology textbook currently on the market. As always when covering such a large amount of information in relatively selective detail, some topics will get more or less attention than an instructor may wish to cover in their own course, but the OER nature of the text makes it fairly customizable. The open access nature of the content means that figures and illustrations are readily available online, making it easier for instructors to access the supporting content and incorporate it into their own teaching materials (the book also comes with all the standard instructor resources), and for students to directly interface with other online media (for example, embedded YouTube videos). The free cost to students is the biggest plus and means the book is equally and equitably accessible to all students, and can be easily navigated or downloaded in a variety of formats to suit personal preferences. There really is nothing this book doesn’t provide that I would absolutely need as an instructor to teach my course.","created_at":"2021-06-22T10:12:34.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-22T10:12:34.000-05:00"},{"id":33600,"first_name":"Debora","last_name":"Christensen","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Drake University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook’s content and depth of coverage are comparable to current commercial introductory biology textbooks. At approximately 1,500 pages, the book is slightly longer than other books we’ve used, but the additional length may be due to the organization and inclusion of glossaries at the end of each chapter. The order of topics is also similar to other books and follows a logical progression: process of science, chemistry, cell biology, genetics, evolution, biological diversity, plant structure/function, animal structure/function, and ecology. In this review, we focus on the textbook units (cell biology, genetics, physiology) that align with the specific topics we teach in the first and second semesters of introductory biology for science majors. These are students with majors and interests that include biology, biochemistry, neuroscience, kinesiology, environmental science, and pre-professional students who aspire to attend professional graduate programs in medicine, veterinary medicine, dentistry, and allied health care. With this target audience in mind, we found these units are discussed at an appropriate level for undergraduates, particularly first- and second-semester college freshmen. While, in general, the amount of detail and depth is also appropriate, the balance of coverage could be improved. In some cases, the text over-focuses on certain topics while omitting others. However, a significant strength is that the online, editable nature of the book enables an instructor to edit the text to best fit their course. In contrast to some introductory biology textbooks that focus almost exclusively on humans, this text consistently includes examples from all three domains of life, making the content more applicable to students with interests in different areas of biology. \r\nSeveral features are included to help the learner and educator alike. Each chapter begins with a list of learning objectives. Key terms are placed in bold font when first described. Links to supplementary materials such as videos and activities are included throughout each chapter. At the end of each chapter, there is a glossary of key terms, chapter summaries (divided by section), visual connection questions, multiple-choice review questions, and short-answer critical thinking questions. At the end of the textbook, appendices (e.g., periodic table, metric system) and a comprehensive index are included. The text also includes a variety of supplementary instructor and student resources (e.g., answers to end-of-chapter questions, PowerPoint slides, learning strategies for students).","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In general, the content of the text is accurate. We did find a few conceptual errors with minor errors scattered throughout. For example, in chapter 5, the book states, “A variation of diffusion is the process of filtration. In filtration, material moves according to its concentration gradient through a membrane.” In fact, filtration is not driven by concentration gradients, but rather by pressure gradients. In some cases, oversimplification of a topic can be misleading for students. Once again, however, the dynamic nature of the text proves to be its strength, as the community of users actively submit suggested corrections to address potential errors in concepts, typos, art, wording, review questions, and broken links. Errors are corrected in the text’s online format prior to fall and spring semesters, and the pdf version prior to fall semesters. Furthermore, an instructor can edit the text for their own student population and according to their unique needs.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"With a few exceptions, the textbook addresses relevant issues in biology while also presenting historical findings. With an introductory-level biology text, it is important to achieve a balance between the length of the text \u0026 number of topics and the inclusion of the most recent technological advances. To this end, the text could swap outdated, less commonly used biotechnology methods for more recent developments (e.g., CRISPR).  This should be fairly easy to accomplish, as the short modular nature of book chapters facilitates continual updates and revisions. Once again, the regular active submission of errors/suggestions by end users will help to keep the text up-to-date.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Most chapters within the textbook are clear and relatively easy to read. Complex topics are clearly presented, many terms are defined, and there is a logical progression of ideas and information. Inclusion of well-labeled figures, tables, and charts throughout the text to compare and contrast structures and to help students visualize processes are particularly helpful. While the overall clarity is good, the use of jargon in places could be confusing to students. In some instances, the language could be simplified to make the text more accessible and terms better defined. In other instances, particularly later chapters, clarity could be improved with more and/or improved visuals. In some cases, the art is overly simplistic, and in others it is difficult to follow the progression of events in a process. End-of-chapter questions are included for students to check their understanding.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The format and terminology are consistent across units and chapters. Examples used early in a chapter may be revisited later in that same chapter as new information is presented, facilitating layering of knowledge and continuity of understanding. While some topics and visuals are redundant across chapters, this also helps with modularity of the text. Instructors frequently choose to omit one or more early chapters for the sake of time and because there may be an assumption that students are already familiar with those concepts. However, it is a reality that not all students will be facile with such foundational knowledge, so inclusion of these terms and figures in subsequent chapters reduces compromising student understanding. Consistency in the artwork could be improved such that visuals within and across chapters are more similar (e.g., plasma membrane visuals). This is likely a consequence of using open-access images rather than art created specifically for a textbook.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each unit is divided into multiple chapters, which are themselves, subdivided into sections with clear headings. This format would allow an instructor to select specific sections that align with their course coverage. Students at this level often feel overwhelmed with the amount of information presented to them. This modularity breaks complex concepts and topics into smaller, more manageable sub-topics for student learning. It also makes it easier for a student to be able to navigate through the text and find a particular idea or piece of information that they may be searching for.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The overall organization of topics and concepts within the textbook is similar to current commercial introductory biology textbooks.  Each chapter is arranged in smaller, manageable subdivisions. In general, chapters are arranged in a logical order, and topics flow seamlessly within chapters. Examples used earlier in a given chapter may be revisited later in that same chapter or unit, facilitating continuity and flow. Frequently, however, the flow seems stilted and information presented out of context or out of order. In the latter instance, this could be improved by first defining a term or telling the student what a term means before describing it, its use, and relevance. Another oddity is that table headings are located below their respective tables, rather than above them, contrary to the way these are normally presented. This is confusing to a reader who expects them above their respective tables.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is available in multiple formats: online, pdf, app, print, and iBook. We found both the online book and pdf to be easy to navigate and especially appreciated the online version’s expandable table of contents panel that allows for easy navigations across chapters. The font in the online text is easier to read than the font in the pdf. Links were functional, videos were integrated seamlessly, and it was easy to highlight text and zoom in on images without losing the integrity or altering the resolution of the visual. As noted above, in some cases the art is not consistent across ideas and within and between chapters, and this could be confusing for a student.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"No overt grammatical errors were observed, but frequent minor grammatical errors are smattered throughout that may cause confusion, particularly in a student who is struggling with the material or in a student who is a non-native English speaker. In many cases, we found this necessitated rereading and trying to interpret meaning from sentence context. For example, in this excerpt from Chapter 5, it’s not immediately clear what is being reabsorbed, “This filtrate, which includes glucose, then reabsorbs in another part of the kidney.” Is it the glucose, the filtrate, or both that is reabsorbed? Or take this example, “If the solute levels increase beyond a certain range, a hormone releases that slows water loss.” It seems that what the authors intended to convey is that a hormone is released that slows water loss, and this may be perfectly obvious to a well-informed reader. However, this may be a student’s first exposure to such concepts; in such an instance, word choice and grammar leaves one to draw one’s own conclusions. Thus, we found sentence syntax and structure could be improved in places.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text includes examples of diverse organisms from around the world. There are few images of people in the text. While images in general represent different races, inclusion particularly of scientists from different groups could be improved. Use of simpler language and less jargon would make the text more accessible to students from different backgrounds. Likewise, more inclusive wording could be used with respect to gender. Most references to “him or her” could be made more inclusive via use of the gender-neutral term “them.” Further, dichotomizing the sex steroids, estrogens and androgens, as “female” and “male,” respectively, is unnecessary, misleading, and may make some students feel excluded. Therefore, the physiology section could be edited to recognize that sex steroids are not the domain of one sex specifically, as both estrogens and androgens play important roles in all humans and animals, regardless of sex or gender.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This review was collaboratively written by Dr. Heidi Sleister and Dr. Debora Christensen.","created_at":"2021-12-30T09:20:27.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-30T09:20:27.000-06:00"},{"id":34385,"first_name":"Laurie","last_name":"Lawson","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This online textbook covers most chapters for the biology 101 and 102 courses taught at TCC.  There is a comprehensive table of contents, index, and \"Key Terms\" page for each section.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content viewed appears to be accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text, while far from being obsolete, probably needs an update as it was finished in 2018.  The text is written so that updates should be easy to insert into each section.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This textbook has learning objectives at the beginning of each section.  Topics are explained in a clear and concise manner.  Difficult terms are defined in a \"Key Terms\" section.  This text also contains chapter summaries, review questions, and critical thinking questions.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This text is consistent and organized throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters are broken down into easy-to-assign modules.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics presented are organized in a logical manner with topics building on previous sections.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice any interface issues, distortion of images, or anything that might confuse a student.  All chapters are organized into headings and subheadings that are easy to navigate with the tool bar on the left hand side of the interface.  Images are detailed and appealing to the reader.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any grammatical issues while skimming the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive.  Images use a variety of skin tones in the peripheral nervous system and human pregnancy and birth sections.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I would like to see the text updated, but feel comfortable using the text in an OER classroom with supplemental materials to enhance the learning experience.  I enjoyed the Links to Learning and Career Connections sections.  The former links students to videos, animations, and primary literature while the latter highlights different careers that apply to the section discussed in the text.","created_at":"2023-01-30T12:22:41.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-01-30T12:22:41.000-06:00"},{"id":34424,"first_name":"Urbi","last_name":"Ghosh","position":"Science, Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Bunker Hill Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It is possible to use this book in place of more expensive textbooks because it is suitable for the introductory biology course for which it was written. The book included biological themes beginning at the cellular level and progressing all the way up to the community level in accordance with a conventional structure.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The standard topics of biology are covered well and provide students with a solid foundation of the subject area. Each chapter has a number of useful key terms and definitions, a chapter summary, as well as review questions for the students.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Clark's Biology 2e (OER) is clear and uses simple language, the topics are present with correct and up-to-date information, and include pertinent visual aids such as diagrams, pictures, and photographs. I think all these factors can enhance the learning experience and increase students' subject-matter comprehension. However, The themes of epigenetics, genomic research, non-coding RNA, and CRISPR-Cas gene editing were not discussed and need to be perhaps added on with additional course materials.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The majority of the learning outcomes at the beginning of the chapter are done well and the visual connection and review questions at the end of the chapter assess lower order cognitive skills.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The material is presented in a logical and consistent manner to facilitate effective learning and understanding. As a well-structured biology textbook, this book begins with a clear and short introduction to the subject, followed by a comprehensive explanation of essential subjects and concepts in a logical progression. Students should be able to build upon their knowledge and comprehension as they proceed through the course.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is well done. The material is provided in a clear and succinct manner, a well-organized book with subheadings and appropriate level of reading smaller sections. The organismal themes are oriented toward animal function and structure (which can be found in the majority of the book), with only a cursory coverage of plant structure and function (similar to what is found in the majority of biology textbooks).","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Overall, this OER textbook is a well-designed biology textbook which provides a clear, consistent, and comprehensive presentation of the subject matter, that helps students to develop a deep understanding of the concepts and principles of biology.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"A well-organized textbook interface is provided. This is important because it  provides a framework for learning, allowing students to comprehend how the material links to the larger subject of study. This can contribute to the development of a feeling of coherence and purpose, so making the learning experience more meaningful and engaging.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There just were not enough instances for me to make a suitable comment in this area for the OER Biology textbook by Clark et al.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, This OER textbook is a well-designed biology textbook that gives a clear, consistent, and thorough presentation of the subject matter, so assisting students in developing a solid grasp of the concepts and principles of biology.","created_at":"2023-02-24T11:07:53.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-02-24T11:07:53.000-06:00"},{"id":34549,"first_name":"Rick","last_name":"Roberts","position":"Associate Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Grace College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"In comparison with other General Biology textbooks, most topics are covered at the same level of depth, although some areas don't have quite the same level of detail (for instance, regarding transport of water/minerals/nutrients in the plant body).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"All information reviewed was accurate to current scientific status, overall impressive, and very adequate for a 1st year majors textbook.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The level of detail presented matches well with a 1st year college majors biology textbook.  It introduces the general topics well, and provides some insight into careers and current evolutionary theory to link the topics to the real world.  Scientific examples are well chosen and applicable.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Concepts are presented in a clear, well organized manner, and well-reinforced not only with illustrations, but with numerous links to outside videos and websites.   Only issue encountered was that some of the links do not function properly in the pdf version of the textbook (but do function correctly in the online version hosted at openstaxc.org site).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The writing style is consistent and appropriate throughout, using proper-level academic vocabulary and clear writing.  The organization style and use of resources is also consistent throughout the different sections.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Chapter selection is very reasonable and follows the pattern seen in other General Biology for Majors textbooks.  The chapter and sub-chapter headings in general are well-focused, but","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The content organization reflects the general organization of other 1st year majors biology texts, and serves to provide a framework for those transitioning from a publisher's text.  The modular nature of the chapters allows easy re-organization overall.  Some chapters seemed to cover more content, and might be better off subdivided.  For instance, plant form and physiology as one chapter is subdivided into several chapters in other texts.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In the pdf version, some of the activity links do not properly function (they work correctly when the text is used online).  Content itself is generally clear, although some pages in the pdf are mostly blank, with the figure on the next page (isn't as conducive to reading the pdf text).  Links to figures are functional and helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Of all the content reviewed, no grammatical errors were noted, it has been carefully edited and the writing communicates well at a collegiate academic level.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"As a biology text, a large majority of the content is not focused on cultural topics, but on the diversity of life forms and their characteristics.  No examples of cultural insensitivity were observed, and photographs of people (primarily scientists) showed diversity of gender and ethnicity. To try to specifically include cultural diversity in a life science textbook would seem forced, and suggest an agenda beyond biology instruction by the authors.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"One of the strengths of the text are the links to learning (outside internet resources) and the sub-articles focusing on connections to everyday life and to specific topics.  These increase the readability of the text.  The chapters in the book include key terms, chapter summaries, and questions (both basic and critical thinking questions) with selected answers in the back.  These are very helpful in assessing understanding of the student as they read the text.  I see this is a strong text for 1st year majors covering General Biology; the material is adequate for 2 semesters (one more general in nature, the other more focused on human anatomy and physiology).","created_at":"2023-05-11T15:46:30.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-05-11T15:46:30.000-05:00"},{"id":34657,"first_name":"Jaira","last_name":"Ferreira de Vasconcellos","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is comparable to other General Biology textbooks with most topics presented in a similar manner and with comparable level of complexity. It is a solid textbook that can be used in the classroom in lieu of other paid textbooks.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content was accurate and updated up to the year published.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook is comparable to other General Biology textbooks with relevant and current topics and examples. As usual with textbooks, longevity is widely dependent on the scientific advances in the field, and supplementing the textbook with recent and updated materials is most likely needed to cover some of the topics.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and concepts are explained well, consistent with the General Biology level of the textbook. In general, it provides adequate context for the content and is written in a clear manner. The “visual connection” sections with a figure summarizing some of the previously described content followed by a question can be very helpful for students to engage with the material. In addition, the “career connection” sections expose students to a range of careers with a broad interdisciplinary context, which can be very informative and stimulate career-related discussions in the classroom. Finally, chapters have a list of key terms with definitions, a summary and review questions, which altogether are very useful resources for the students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Both terminology and framework are consistent throughout the textbook among different chapters. Overall, it is a well-structured General Biology textbook and chapters follow the same structure and flow of information.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Content is well-divided in modules that can be assigned and/or read in small segments, which facilitates learning.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics are presented in a logical manner comparable to other General Biology textbooks. The textbook is overall well-organized, clear and concise.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Interface is well-presented and no significant issues were detected. The “evolution connection” and “link to learning” sections are of interest and add to broadening and relating the content presented in each chapter. In addition, the textbook has a good balance of text, figures, tables and summaries that support the overall learning experience.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were observed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is appropriate and has not been observed to be culturally insensitive. However, as other textbooks in the field, there is not a particular focus on culturally-relevant topics.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a solid General Biology textbook, comparable to other paid textbooks in the field. Chapters are consistent and include solid learning objectives, text explanation, good figures and tables as well as sections to relate the knowledge to evolution and careers in the field. Review questions include both straightforward and critical thinking questions, supporting solid learning of the material.","created_at":"2023-08-18T16:59:01.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-08-18T16:59:01.000-05:00"},{"id":34787,"first_name":"Chris","last_name":"Osgood","position":"Assoc Professor","institution_name":"Old Dominion University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"excellent coverage for our 100 and 200 level courses. I think we could use the Biol2e online text to serve multiple courses","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"the quality of the editing and review seem to be quite good. the most recent volume is 2022 which is adequate for my particular course (Biol 293, Cell Bio)","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"biology moves fast and no textbook is truly up to date. the textbook would have to be supplemented with contemporary literature","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"the text is well-written and sufficient for most topics","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"yes, each chapter is set up in the same basic organization and format","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"yes, the various chapters can be assembled in several ways without losing continuity or understanding","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"biologists may quibble, but the chapters can be rearranged if an instructor so chooses","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not encountered these issue","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"well-written","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I don't know how to respond given the content I'm after but I may be missing something","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"a few missing items that would need to be added from other resources:\n- high-quality videos add an important dimension to student learning. there are free resources that I want to investigate in more depth\na few options: EdX, Harvard online, HHMI\n- I want to have an expanded list of practice questions that help stud1","created_at":"2023-12-11T20:24:43.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-12-11T20:24:43.000-06:00"},{"id":35441,"first_name":"Hikmet","last_name":"Nural-Guvener","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Paradise Valley Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"OpenStax Biology 2e is a comprehensive and well-structured textbook that I used for the first 17 chapters in my BIO181 major-level lectures. Each chapter includes clearly defined key terms, chapter summaries, and review questions, which help reinforce student understanding and support active learning.\n\nThe topics are covered with the depth appropriate for lower-division college biology courses, making the book a strong fit for majors-level instruction. The content is also well-aligned with Advanced Placement (AP) Biology standards, making it a suitable resource for dual enrollment or advanced high school courses.\n\nOverall, book provides a solid foundation in core biological concepts, is accessible to students, and supports course objectives effectively.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not found any inaccurate information in the chapters I’ve used. While some content is presented in a simplified manner, this is appropriate for the level of the textbook and works well for entry-level biology courses.\nOne area worth noting is in Chapter 15, where the DNA replication video is quite basic and omits key details, such as the role of primase and the requirement for RNA primers. Including more comprehensive visuals or supplementary videos that cover these components could enhance student understanding of this process.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content appears to be current and scientifically accurate. Given the format of the textbook, updating outdated information can be done timely manner. For example, in the section on DNA sequencing, a video titled Helios High Throughput Sequencing from 16 years ago is used. While it still conveys the basic concepts, it could be replaced or supplemented with a more recent video that better reflects modern next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. Updating multimedia resources like this would further enhance the textbook’s relevance and instructional value. In addition, recent technologies such as gene editing with the Crspr-Cas system could be included in Chapter 17, Biotechnology section.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear, concise, and suitable for general biology courses. It is written in a way that is accessible and easy to read, which is especially helpful since many students struggle with dense or overly technical textbooks. The straightforward language and focused explanations help make the material more approachable and easier to understand.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter follows a predictable format with clear learning objectives, key terms, summaries, and review questions. The language and explanations are consistent in their level of complexity, making the material accessible without sudden shifts in depth or style.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is well-organized and modular, which makes it easy to integrate into a course. The availability of the Canvas cartridge is especially helpful, it allows me to easily assign specific sections of the book that align with individual lectures or course modules.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of content is logical and well-suited for novice learners. I especially appreciated the way Chapter 15 presents the genetic code before transcription, which aligns well with how I structure my own lectures. In my teaching, I emphasize that proteins are the functional elements in the cell, while genes serve as the instructions. This chapter organization supports that perspective by helping students make clear connections between genes and their ultimate function through protein production","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"So far, I have only used the online version and I have had no issues with navigation or accessibility. The interface is user-friendly, loads reliably, and makes jumping between chapters and sections easy. Link to learning, whether it is a video or interactive assignment, worked for me in the chapters I used. Overall, the online platform has provided a smooth and effective experience.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see major grammatical errors with the chapters I used.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I would regard the book as culturally neutral and free from insensitive content.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Biology 2e is a well-organized and comprehensive resource that is easy to understand, with clear illustrations, figures, and tables. It is well-suited for general biology courses and accessible enough to be used in non-major biology courses as well. However, it may lack the depth required for upper-division courses.\nInstructor resources are somewhat limited. While the provided PowerPoint slides are well-organized, they sometimes lack detailed explanations or illustrations. This can be easily addressed by supplementing with visuals and diagrams from the textbook.","created_at":"2025-04-16T13:30:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-04-16T13:30:22.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/biology-2e","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:43:22.000-06:00"},{"id":168,"title":"Concepts of Biology","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2023,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Concepts of Biology is designed for the typical introductory biology course for nonmajors, covering standard scope and sequence requirements. The text includes interesting applications and conveys the major themes of biology, with content that is meaningful and easy to understand. The book is designed to demonstrate biology concepts and to promote scientific literacy.","contributors":[{"id":3504,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Samantha","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Fowler","location":"Clayton State University","background_text":""},{"id":5040,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Rebecca","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Roush","location":"Sandhills Community College","background_text":""},{"id":5041,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"James","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Wise","location":"Hampton University","background_text":""}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":94,"url":"http://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/concepts-of-biology","year":2024,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-04-09T23:26:15.000-05:00","name":"OpenStax"}],"formats":[{"id":128,"type":"Online","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":129,"type":"PDF","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/concepts-biology","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":"978-1-947172-03-6"},{"id":130,"type":"Hardcopy","url":"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1938168119","price":{"cents":2210,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":"978-1-938168-11-6"},{"id":4848,"type":"Audiobook","url":"https://audileo.com/openstax-concepts-of-biology-audiobook/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":58,"reviews":[{"id":137,"first_name":"Tobili","last_name":"Sam-Yellowe","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Cleveland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is aimed at non majors biology students. It presents a full coverage of topics in biology appropriate for students that may not have a previous biology background. A table of contents is provided, key terms are defined at the end of each chapter, a comprehensive index is provided and an appendix is found at the end of the book. Review questions are found at the end of each chapter. Answers to review questions and \"art connection\" questions are also provided. The feature \"Career in Action\" is a nice addition for students who may not know what different biologists do for a living and what types of careers are available for biologists. Unit 5 covering \"Animal Structure and Function\" omits many useful details of organ and organ system structure and function.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The text is generally accurate. There are omissions and errors that may confuse students. In Fig.1.9 the current taxonomic hierarchy as presented may be confusing to non majors and can be replaced with a figure like the one shown in Fig 12.3. In Fig 1.10, it will not be immediately obvious what \"mats\" are with reference to Archaea.\"Extremophiles\" are not defined before its use in Fig.1.10. On page 38, in addition to van der Waals interactions, hydrophobic and other types of electrostatic interactions should be discussed. On page 42, the statement; \"The blood in your veins is slightly alkaline (pH = 7.4).\" is found in the text but \"blood\" is not included in the figure of the pH scale in Fig 2.12. On page 50, no plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids are provided. Also, an introduction of lipids as a type of macromolecule is needed In order for students to understand the relationship between phospholipids and fats. On page 14, for an example of macromolecules, before they are discussed use proteins or carbohydrates instead of nucleic acids to make it easier for students to relate. In Fig 2.17 \"hydrophobic lipids\" is redundant. In Fig 2.23, explain that DNA strands are antiparallel.  In section 3.2, the prokaryotes should be introduced as bacteria and archaea. On page 69, an illustration for the importance of villi as modifications of the plasma membrane is provided abruptly with an example of celiac disease, antibody production to gluten and the resulting damage to villi. Students may not understand the illustration since immunity has not been discussed by this point. In Fig 3.21, the diagram depicting osmosis is misleading due to the height of water shown at a higher level on the right side of the figure. The discussion on energy is very detailed for this level. Figure 9.10 is too complicated and should be replaced by a simpler diagram. In Fig 9.14, the diagram should show replication of DNA (DNA\u0026lt;-\u0026gt;DNA-\u0026gt;RNA-\u0026gt;Protein). Fig 9.19 is misleading. Fig 12.9 is moved up against the \"art connection\" heading. In section 13.1 the characteristics of prokaryotes are discussed and extremophiles are mentioned but no examples are given and the types of environments that support extremophiles are not mentioned. There is no discussion of the archaea. In some figures, the material summarized or the organization of the figure does not convey what is discussed in the text. For example, Fig 13.6 needs to be replaced as the illustration does not clearly show the differences between the cell wall of gram positive and gram negative bacteria. In Fig 15. 4, the bilateral plane of symmetry on the goat cannot be discerned. In Fig 16.14, the figure does not depict the regulation of thyroid hormones clearly. Similarly, in Figs 15.17a and 15.19 the text of the figure legend does not adequately convey what is shown in the figures. In the chapter on the nervous system, the discussion of the peripheral and central nervous system is inadequate. The connection between the autonomic, somatic and sensory systems is not clear. This section will be confusing to the reader without a biology background. Fig 16.4 should show a complete presentation with all aspects of the peripheral system. Fig 17.8 uses histograms to depict the kinetics of an immune response. A graph showing the lag period followed by primary and secondary responses, with the  increase in magnitude of the anamnestic response, is easier for students to understand. In section 19.2, discussion of animal behavior including animal altruism is not included in the chapter.\r\nOn page 561, indicate that the phosphorus cycle is sedimentary. Discussion of epistasis is unclear. Similarly, discussion of the Hardy Weinberg equilibrium is unclear. In the discussion of eudicots, provide a brief explanation of the new name adoption from the older usage of dicots and provide examples of plants in this category. In the section discussing non placental and placental mammals, provide an explanation of the differences before discussing examples of animals in the two groups.\r\n\r\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text is relevant as new data is included in the sections on \"Biology in Action\". Unit 5 presents a very condensed coverage of organs and organ systems structure and function. Periodic revisions for this unit will be needed as much detail was left out of the text.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing is clear and engaging for students. The examples used are practical and students can easily relate to the examples. Jargon and technical terminology are used in proper context. In earlier chapters (4-10), the writing in some sections is more detailed and not easily \"accessible\" compared to other sections. A revision of the text should correct this. Having all the chapters in one file is a bit challenging when trying to refer to earlier chapters or access later chapters. The pages on the computer screen freeze and one has to close out and reopen the text. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":" There is internal consistency for terminology but not for accessibility.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity is appropriate. Sections can be used independently.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Organization of content topics is appropriate for a general biology text for non majors. Chapters 1-15 are organized as individual chapters, each with sections. Chapters 16-18, are also organized into sections and placed under unit 5, Similarly, chapters 19-21 are divided into sections and placed in unit 6. Units 1-4 are not identified. The table of contents needs to be revised to indicate the organization of the first 15 chapters within the 4 units. There are many blank pages in the text and a lot of white space around figures.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The color contrast in many of the figures is distracting. The labeling is also difficult to read in many of the figures. In particular, many of the \"art connection\" figures are difficult to read. The font either has shadows, is blurry or the labels are crowded on the figure. Examples include Figs 3.7, 3.22, 4.15, 5.7, 6.4, 6.9, 7.2, 10.7, 11.7, 11.14, 12. 5, 12.9, 13.6, 13.12, 14.26, 14.27, 15.3, 15.24, 15.33, 16.2, 16.7, 16.9, 16.10, 15.5, 17.5, 17.6, 17.7, 17.8, 17.17, 18.12, 18.16, 18.17 and 19.11. In Fig 20.6, the interactions depicted in the food web are confusing. Labels are needed on the figure itself to help clarify the hierarchy on the web and to go along with the text of the figure legend. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There are no offensive or insensitive materials in the text.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This is a text that can be used for a non majors biology course. A revision of the text will be useful in order to correct errors, add omitted material and provide figures that are clear and free from distortions and distractions. A revision will also take care of the writing style, making the writing more consistent and balanced throughout the text.","created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":170,"first_name":"Joanna","last_name":"Cregan","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Saint Paul College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am using this book for a non-majors level introduction to biology course that is 1 semester long.  This book covers everything I looked for in regards to content for the semester, and more.  The bigger problem I had was cutting down to fit in a 1 semester course.  \r\n\r\nThe index is easy to use and each chapter has its own glossary.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Although I have found a couple small errors they have not been a problem and were already listed in the errata you can find with the book.  I feel that the general content of the book is accurate and that the number of typo type errors so far is no different then what I have found textbooks from major publishers.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I was surprised to find that I have actually learned some relevant details in this book.  Either new information or a new way of looking at something that I had not previously encountered.  \r\n\r\nIt seems to be up to date on current research and biotechnology.  In this class I am looking to give the students a basic foundation of knowledge on things like cloning and genetic engineering so that after this class they can use that knowledge to help them understand news events and discoveries as they occur.  The book has this information and provides a good background that is up to date but basic enough that it won't need major revisions all the time.  \r\n\r\nI would foresee being able to continue to use this version of the book for more then a year or two, with some occasional updates as needed depending on what research advances are made.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall I think the book is clearly written.  Occasionally I think it tries to put a bit too much detail into short paragraphs or short chapters and I am often telling students they may not need that specific term or section since they are struggling with just the basics.  This is a common issue with all science textbooks and may be more of an issue of different instructors wanted to emphasize different details and thus the books need to include it all!\r\n\r\nI actually have taken ways of explaining or relating something from this text and found it helpful in my majors level biology class.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I have not had any issues with consistency.   Chapter lay outs and content follows a set pattern (Art connection questions, glossary at end, chapter summary, chapter review questions, etc.).","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"I am doing this a lot with this text.  Using just some sections of a chapter etc.  It is working fairly well and can be done. \r\n\r\n The only problem I have with this is that in the printed text the introduction does not have a section number.  So chapter 2, introduction.  BUT in the web version of the book this is listed at chapter 2 -1 Introduction.  The next section of the printed version is 2.1 but online is would be 2-2.   I quickly found out I needed to use section names because some students had the printed version and others the web and they were getting confused.  The web version also lists the contents by unit and not chapter and this can be a bit tricky for students at first as well.\r\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I feel like each chapter and the chapter/unit orders overall are logical and the flow is good.  No issues.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I have accessed the book on my phone, on a normal desktop computer, and I have a printed bound copy.    The interfaces all have worked for me and charts, images, and links all work from all of these.\r\n\r\nThe only problem is the numbering system not matching between the web version and the printed version as I discussed in the modularity section.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not see any grammatical errors that have stood out.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I have not found any issues here.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I appreciate the inclusion of the links to different animation and videos.  You can use a QR scanner or type in a link if you have the printed book.  Using the online book you can just click the link directly.  These really have helped to bring this book to higher level for students.  I also like the Art connection questions and end of chapter questions in general.\r\n\r\nNotes for instructors:  This book has PowerPoint slides of the major figures from each chapter.  I use these to then create my PowerPoint presentations and this works well.  There are also learningpod.com quizzes that the student can take if they wish.  Although I wish the learningpod had a larger question bank for them it is still useful.  This book does not come with its own quiz or exam question back for instructors to use.  That would be a great future addition.\r\n\r\nMy students have been very happy with this book and the open source model.  If you are unsure about it, I encourage you to give it a try!","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":172,"first_name":"Ann","last_name":"Mills","position":"Instructor, Biology","institution_name":"Minnesota West Community and Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers the appropriate topics for a nonmajors biology course.  The table of contents is through and includes a suitable list of topics to be covered.  There is a glossary at the end of each chapter which is a nice addition as students can access it more readily than if it were at the end of the text, the glossary for each chapter appears to be complete.  Each chapter starts with chapter objectives which will help to focus students attention on the important concepts within each chapter.  Each chapter also includes a summary and review questions for the chapter; all of which seem to be complete and appropriate.  The index has multiple entries for many of the words within the text (i.e., tertiary consumer and Tertiary consumer)  tertiary consumer should be listed once with all page numbers that the term can be found on.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content appears to be accurate, error free and unbiased.  There are some topics that are not covered in much detail while others are covered in great detail (Ch 4 and 5).  Although this may be frustrating for some instructors, the book is essentially error free and is to be used as a guide.  Individual instructors can provide additional details in areas where they feel the book is lacking and minimize areas where they feel the book has provided too much detail.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is up to date.  The use of career in action and evolution in action boxes is relevant and provides recency to the information in the text.  In addition, the use of these specialized areas will make it easier to update that information in the future.  This is important especially in nonmajors biology as students sometimes struggle to see the relevance to their lives.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is presents information clearly and concisely while at the same time written in a student friendly language.  The use of hyperlinked You Tube videos  that are placed at the end of sections provides additional context and clarification of concepts discussed within the text.  Diagrams are clear and well labeled making them easy to look at and understand which will help students to understand concepts presented in the reading.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The PDF version is very consistent.  However, the online version and the PDF version do not align.  The online version does not have page numbers included making it difficult to assign reading or look at diagrams in class.  The diagrams are larger and cleared in the PDF version as compared to the online version of the text.  I would like to see both versions look exactly the same to minimize confusion for students.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"As long as student use the PDF or print versions of the text the content and diagrams/photos can be easily chunked and assigned.  The online version of the text presents some challenges as there are no page numbers or clear markings for start and end of chapters.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is good as it mirrors most other nonmajors textbooks in the presentation and organization of topics.  Topics can be used as presented in the table of contents or can be used as stand alone chapters or modules.  In addition, the order of chapters can be rearranged as the instructor sees fit.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Again, the PDF version does not seem to have any interface issues.  However, the online version has a number of interface issues.  There are no page numbers in the online version of the text and the diagrams are quite small making them difficult to be clearly seen at time (i.e.. fig 3.6 looks great in the PDF version but is not nearly as clear and easy to read in the online version).  In short, the PDF version is more appealing to the eye and easier to read than the online version.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammar errors were noted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook was not culturally insensitive or offensive.  The use of examples is appropriate and inclusive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"There are some ancillary materials available.  These currently include editable PPT slides (for instructors only), Wiley online learning homework assignments (this material is currently being pilot tested by some instructors) and SimBio which is an online lab simulation.  The SimBio labs must be purchased separately (89.00 for 15 labs).  The variety of topics for the SimBio labs is limited, according to my count, there are 12 lab activities addressing ecology/environmental science topics, 6 that cover cell biology, 1 on plants and 1 on action potentials in nerve cells.\r\nOverall, this could be a good moneysaving option for instructors and students in their nonmajors biology courses if it meets the needs of the instructor, student and the college.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":173,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Duerst","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Southeast Minnesota Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text has a wide breathe of coverage in the field of biology. The units in the book cover everything from cell biology, to ecology and many topics in between. It is likely that I was just too excited about the content, but I consistently found myself wishing that the book went into more detail. When I assigned some vocabulary assignments, the students in my class found that the glossary was comprehensive enough to allow them to complete most of the assignment without reading the chapter. The index was well put together and quite useful.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The major ideas and concepts in the book were accurate. After teaching through the entire text with my students, I did not find major conceptual errors. However, I did find multiple small errors (e.g. 37 deg F is the same as 37 deg C). There was no bias that I detected in the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The relevance of the book is quite high, as the \"Career Application\" sections help the students connect the content to the real world. The use of QR codes that link to web animations also allows this book to be highly connected, even if a student is using a printed version. Thankfully, this is an introductory level biology text, an the information present in it is not likely to drastically change over the next decade. If there does need to be an edit, sections each chapter is broken down into will allow for precise targeted edits to be made.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The clarity of the book was high at the expense of detail. The concepts that were in the book were covered in such a way that a lay person with about a 10th grade reading level should be easily able to comprehend the meanings. There was a vocabulary list at the end of each chapter which did an excellent job of highlight technical jargon that may have been confusing for my students.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The level of detail used in the terminology was consistent throughout the text. The units varied in the amount of content they covered, but that was to be expected considered how broad or relatively new specific fields are.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text was exceedingly modular which was beneficial to my students that may have forgotten a key concept from the unit of cells when we were covering the unit on evolution. While the text did not self reference, it would take the time explain a key concepts. Each chapter was broken down into sections and subsections, which made it easy for be to give reading assignments to my students (e.g instead of micromanaging by giving them page numbers, I could tell them to, \"read the section on meiosis\".)","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of this biology book was both logical and clear. It mirrors the organization that is in all other biology texts I have reviewed in that it begins with the small scale, and ends with the large scale.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The figures that are included are referenced in the text, and also included stand alone captions. The figures themselves are not as visually appealing as the figures I have seen in more expensive texts, but anticipated that in light of the open source nature of the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammar errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There was nothing in the text that I could interpret and insensitive to a specific people group.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"On a whole, I thought this was a well done book with a fantastic price. With ever increasing cost barriers in higher education, I am very excited to have a legitimate and cost effective alternative to the traditional text. Many students in my classes find that traditional texts cost about half of what their tuition does, which has always struck me as an injustice. I have already recommended this text to my department and we are implementing it college wide.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":183,"first_name":"Trevor","last_name":"Johnson","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Ridgewater College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Concepts of Biology was written for non-major Biology students.  The authors do an excellent job writing at an Introductory Biology level, for a very broad audience.  The Table of Contents is descriptive and the flow from one topic to the next is very intuitive and easy to navigate.  Chapter Review questions are included at the bottom of each of the sections.  The Review Questions not only quiz the students on the text, but also the graphs and tables included in the chapter.  There is not a Glossary at the end of the book, however, the vocabulary words for each section are defined at the end of each of the chapters.  The book also includes an Appendix, with a Periodic Table, Geologic Time Scales and Metric Conversion Chart.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate and unbiased.  The book is up to date and very well researched.  There are virtually no errors.  Figure 9.3 is a diagram of a DNA molecule.  The DNA molecule should contain the sugar Deoxyribose, not Ribose.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book was relevant and up to date.  It will be several years, before the book needs to be updated.  It should be fairly easy to add new information into this book.  More interactive links would be helpful.  Excellent Biology Concept in Action sections.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is clearly written, engaging, and very concise.  Too concise in some areas.  In Figure 8.6, it states that the Parents carried the recessive allele.  It would be helpful for the reader to see the word heterozygous and to show the genotypes.  Likewise, in Chapter 8, section 1 Mendel's Experiment, it would have been easier for the reader to understand the Pea Plant Experiment, if Punnett Squares would have been included, to show the P, F1, and F2 crosses.\r\nTechnical terminology is in bold and defined.  The Glossary at the end of the chapter provides a great recap of the vocabulary words.  Many of the quiz questions at the end of the chapter test the reader on their understanding of the Technical Terminology used within the chapter.\r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in both terminology and framework.  The book reads as though there is only one author, rather than 3.  No difference in writing from one chapter/unit to the next.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The Chapters are short and extremely modular.  Chapters and Sections are very well labeled and easy to find. You could easily assign students, individual sections/chapters from this book.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters are well organized, follow the same structure and flow well.  The order of the chapters, as well as the different units in the book are organized similar to other Biology textbooks.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I predominantly used the online version, which was very easy to navigate.  The text, figures, and links were all very clear.  I only briefly looked over the pdf version of the book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not notice that the book was culturally insensitive.  ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Concepts of Biology is a very good textbook.  I plan to have students start reading sections/chapters next semester and I will seek their feedback, for future adoption in my non-majors Biology course.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":184,"first_name":"Bram","last_name":"Middeldorp","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Minneapolis Community and Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Before reviewing the book I would like to make the following comments.\r\nAfter teaching Introductory Biology for 15 years, having created many course notes and PowerPoint presentations based on the 3 textbooks used over the years plus many other biology related books, articles from scientific journals and news papers, I wondered if a textbook for my course was still necessary. Wouldn't the notes and PowerPoints that I posted in the course’s website, be enough? They do contain everything I want to teach my students. They also contain much of what I want to introduce to those students who are interested in more than the mandatory material, many of whom are interested in becoming a major in Biology. What has stopped me from abandoning the textbook is the somewhat haphazard way my notes are written and organized. If time were available I would organize my notes and PowerPoint presentations into a nicely flowing text presented in a logical sequence of topics. In other words, write my own book for Introductory Biology, containing the topics that I think are of importance and presented at a level of understanding that will match the needs of my students. A book that would be available for free to my students, the same way that my notes and PowerPoints are.\r\n\r\nThe appearance of open source textbooks may eliminate the necessity of organizing my own notes into a complete text. An open source textbook would still allow me to base my lectures and other class activities on my own notes, which often are brief explanations of key terms and summaries of concepts, while at the same time offering my students a complete text. in book format. \r\n\r\nMy participation in this workshop was based on the following question. Is there an open source textbook that covers the topics of my course and that will be good enough for my student to fall back on? I decided to pick Concepts of Biology to find an answer to that question. I soon started to incorporate parts of another book, Biology, as I was looking for answers to questions left by the Concepts book. The Concepts of Biology is aimed at non-majors, while Biology is aimed at the biology majors.Both books are OpenStax College publications.\r\nMy review of the books was in particular aimed at the chapters of both books that I cover in my course. For Concepts of Biology I did review all chapters.\r\n \r\nNow Comprehensiveness.\r\nConcepts of Biology is designed for a single-semester introduction to biology course for non-science majors. The book has about 600 pages of text  split over 6 Units, which cover the basic topics one can find in many biology textbooks. \r\nUnit 1: Cellular Foundation of Life (chemistry, cells, respiration and photosynthesis)\r\nUnit 2: Cell Division and Genetics (cell cycle, mitosis, meiosis, Mendel)\r\nUnit 3: Molecular Bioloy and Biotechnology (DNA, Central Dogma, biotech)\r\nUnit 4: Evolution and Diversity of Life (mechanisms of evolution, phylogeny, diversity of bacteria, fungi, protists, plants and animals)\r\nUnit 5: Animal Structure and Function (contents actually cover human biology: anatomy, physiology, diseases and immunity, reproduction and development)\r\nUnit 6: Ecology (population and community ecology, ecosystems, biosphere, conservation biology)\r\n\r\nThe amount of material covered by this book is in my opinion too much for non-major students to comprehend in one semester. The modularity of the text allows to chose those chapters needed for a specific course. The units can be used on their own. My course has an emphasis on Genetics, Evolution, and Diversity of Life (with some physiology and ecology thrown in when appropriate). My review will focus on those units in more detail. \r\nHere first some remarks on the Units not used in my course.\r\nUnit 1 is well written, in a matter of fact way, to the point. The illustrations in the text are clear and supportive. Topics that are treated are the ones one would find in any biology book. I am always amazed at the amount of terminology and concepts students are supposed to comprehend in a short amount of time. The book does a nice job in explaining many of them (examples are the illustrations on the workings on enzymes, catabolic and anabolic pathways), but still, then there is suddenly something like NADH, without introduction. There is something of a catch 22 in studying biology (and maybe any discipline): one cannot fully comprehend most topics in biology until one has studied it all. Where does one start? \r\nUnit 5 is named Animal Structure and Function. I consider myself a Plant biologist and was somewhat disturbed by the idea that an intro to bio book has an entire unit dedicated to animal biology and not one to plant biology. This concern, a lack of attention to plants in biology, is shared by the entire plant biology community. This feeling disappeared after I read this Unit. The unit is misnamed. It is all about humans. A better title would be: Human Biology. A unit like this in an introductory class can be justified as many non-majors might be particularly interested in the workings of their own body. This unit plus units 1, 2, and 3 would work well in a Human Biology course. The text is written in a straightforward matter of fact way as well (by a health specialist?). A part is dedicated to viruses and the diseases they cause in humans. It is the only part in which viruses are discussed in the book (they are absent in the unit of life's diversity, Unit 4).\r\nUnit 6 is on Ecology. This unit is an excellent introduction to principle concepts of ecology; ecosystems and its components and processes ; and conservation biology. The illustrations are up-to-date. This unit would work well in an Environmental Science course to introduce students to the principles of ecology and conservation.\r\n\r\nMore detail on Units 2, 3 and 4:\r\nChapter 6: Reproduction at the cellular level.\r\nThe chapter discusses chromosome terminology, the cell cycle, mitosis, cell division in bacteria, oncogenes and tumor suppression genes. Several terms are used but not introduced: centromere, centrosomes, centrioles, mitotic spindle, microtubules. The Evolution in Action of this chapter goes into detail on the structure of the mitotic spindle. This part will be hard to understand for non-majors. \r\nI decided to check the OpenStax Biology for majors textbook to see how that handled the terms not introduced in the Concepts to Biology book. A step I was to take for all the chapters of these units that follow. Chapter 10 of Biology does explain the terms centromere and others missing in Concepts.The explanations of the workings of regulatory molecules like cyclin, would go too far for non-majors. I can tell them to skip those paragraphs.\r\n\r\nChapter 7 has a nice introduction to reproduction before continuing with meiosis and all its aspects. Mutations are discussed.  Chapter 11 of Biology for majors discusses meiosis in a somewhat similar fashion, but treats meiotic errors in a separate chapter, Biology Chapter 13.\r\n\r\nChapter 8 of Concepts discusses Mendel's life and Mendelian genetics: monohybrid and dihybrid crosses, plus some exceptions to the rules. Chapter 12 of Biology for majors does the same but includes some extras about the basics of probability and the forked line method for trihybrid crosses. These topics are not discussed in my Intro course. Chapter 13 of Biology gives some nice examples  of inherited disorders in humans plus nondisjunction and mutations. These topics are discussed in my Intro course. I would need to add those topics because they are lacking in chapter 8 of the Concepts book. Instead of Chapter 8 of Concepts, I could use chapters 12 and 13 of Biology and skip the paragraphs that go into too much detail for my students.\r\n\r\nChapter 9 of Concepts: Molecular Biology. This chapter covers both the structure of DNA and the Central Dogma. The chapter does refer to the 3' and 5' ends of the DNA strands. What is missing is an emphasis on Rosalind Franklin's work, good illustration to sho","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Most of the content seems accurate. I discovered a few mistakes. See Comprehensiveness.\r\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most of the text will be relevant for some time. Updates might be needed within a few years on the systematics of protists Some evo-devo content will be needed soon. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"In general the text is written in a way that most students will understand. At times, terms appear in the text without introduction, for instance the centromere; centrosomes; centrioles; the mitotic spindle and microtubules (in chapter 6). Their role in the cell cycle is hardly explained as well. \r\nA few other inaccuracies are mentioned in my Comprehensiveness part. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent.\r\nThe writing styles suggest that different authors were used for the different units. Units 1, 5 and 6 are written in a more matter-of-fact way than the other ones.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity is good. At times a self-reference would be advisable, in particular when not the entire text is used in  a course. Example: microtubules are mentioned in chapter 6 but there is no explanation on what they are. Reference to chapter 3 would have helped.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"In general the text is presented in a logical order. A difference in the order in which topics are discussed can be a mater of taste. By reading chapters from both Concepts in Biology and Biology (for majors), I noticed that both books follow different orders of topics on a regular basis. The order in lectures might be different again each semester. \r\nI did not have problems with the organization.\r\nOne exception: viruses should be part of chapter 13 too.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not encounter any problems with the interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not offensive in any way. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I started the review of this book Concepts in Biology to determine if I could use it for my Intro to Biology course. My course has an emphasis on Genetics, Evolution and Diversity. Topics like Cell Biology, Physiology and Human Biology are parts of other courses in my school. I soon found that Concepts of Biology stays at the surface of many topics more than I do in my course. I started to include reviewing the comparable chapters of Biology (OpenStax, a book for biology majors). The majors book does treat many topics at a level I do in my non-majors course. At times it goes beyond of what I can expect from my non-major students. Still, I find the way relevant topics are treated in the majors book far more interesting than the short treatment in the Concepts book. \r\nIt is at times difficult to find balance between what can be comprehended in a short amount of time and the limited pre-knowledge of students that do not major in the field. At the same time, more complex concepts are hard to understand without going into some detail. In those cases, it might be better to avoid those concepts altogether. I tend to go into detail in these cases, but avoid asking too complicated questions on them during exams. \r\nThe dilemma posed on me by these two books is: use the non-majors book and include my own text where extra text is needed, or: use the majors book and eliminate text not needed. I will chose the majors book here. This book has more and nice illustrations as a bonus. I will evaluate that choice after the next semester.  \r\nThe Concepts book is a simplified version of many of the chapters of the majors book (it also does not cover all the topics of many other chapters of the majors book). One could argue if this approach, a non-majors course as a simplified version of a majors course, is the one we should follow. Several non-major books approach the topic of biology differently. They emphasize biological issues in society in biology for non-majors, such as health, biological conservation, the environment. They explain many biological processes like the cell cycle or physiology at a very superficial level. This has the danger of reducing a science course to a series of anecdotes, where a thorough introduction to the workings of science, with all its need for detail, should be preferred. \r\nConcepts of Biology is a short and simplified version of the Biology for majors. \r\n\r\nBoth books have some nice features: selected topics are taken a step further in:\r\nEvolution in Action: evolution as we recognized it as happening right now.\r\nCareer in Action: presentations of careers in the biological sciences.\r\nBiology in Action: biological concepts in everyday life.\r\nArt Connection: figures related to the text with questions to be answered by students to apply what they have learned. Nice discussion options for class.\r\nConcepts in Action: online activities and animations.\r\nI like these extras.\r\n","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":189,"first_name":"Brittany","last_name":"Ziegler","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Minnesota State University Mankato","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I think for the most part the textbook is complete. There are handful of times where I think additional information could be added to supplement the content and make it more relevant for non-majors. For instance, the chapters on body systems could include additional information on diseases and disorders. There are numerous times when I think the textbook may be too comprehensive for a non-majors introductory biology course.  The textbook provides an effective glossary both at the end of each chapter in the form of key terms at and the end of the textbook. The textbook also provides objectives and practice questions for students to use. Typically, the introduction to the chapters help to explain the overall purpose of the chapter or why certain information is being included or why it is important. The textbook contains more information than can be effectively covered in a semester and more depth in areas than I would go into, however that helps to provide flexibility for instructors since the content is there if certain instructors want to delve into content.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"While reviewing this textbook, I did not come across any information that was not accurate, contained errors or was biased. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Although, I do not think the textbook is currently out of date but I think the book could become out of date more quickly than other texts. The textbook does not contain as much “cutting-edge” or new innovations in the fields presented as other textbooks. I am not in a position to comment on how easily or difficult it will be to make changes or updates. Aside from content, the images in the textbook already appear to be older than and not as updated as those in other textbooks. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is lucid and at an appropriate reading level. I think the chapters would be easy to read and approachable for students based on the prose. The beginning of the chapters provides effective explanations of why topics are being discussed and the importance of learning the topics. The technical terminology can be overwhelming and unnecessary for a non-major introductory biology textbook. The only reading difficulty I can foresee for students deals with the heaviness of terms. This is also related to the comprehensiveness of the textbook. I think it is possible sometimes that in an effort to be comprehensive and include relevant information we sometimes lose clarity. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not find any errors in internal consistency in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"In some instances I think that certain chapters and sub-units should be included in a different order than what is presented. I think for some sub-units, depending on how you appropriate your course, it may be difficult or disruptive for students while reading the material since the instructor may want to include only portions of content from multiple sub-units or chapters. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"My comments on modularity are related to the organization/structure/flow. There were a handful of times when I did not think the organization or flow of the units/chapters seemed appropriate. However, that can be true with all textbooks and the text does still provide the opportunity for the instructor to be flexible in what is included during the course. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text for me is free of significant interface issues. I didn’t find any significant navigation problems, distortion of images/charts or any display features that would distract or confuse the reader. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any significant grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not find any text that was culturally insensitive or offensive however, I think that text could be more inclusive. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":191,"first_name":"Bethann","last_name":"Lavoie","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Minnesota State University Mankato","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"A non-majors, shorter text cannot comprehensively cover all biology concepts.  The book includes all topics covered in my non-majors course although supplementation may be needed (scientific method, human evolution, phylogenetic trees/cladograms, circulatory system musculo-skeletal system).  The text had key terms defined at the end of each chapter only; there was no glossary.  An index was present.  ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content was written accurately although the instructor using the text may need to extend definitions of terms to make them more comprehensive within a single sentence.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Finding topics and terms is straightforward so updating should be efficient.  Updates will need to occur since biology knowledge is always growing.  Careers related to biology and examples related to life are easy to find using separate boxes or headings.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Explanations sometimes use additional vocabulary that is not defined and may be difficult for a non-majors student.  Terms are often defined throughout a paragraph; the one-sentence definition of the term is sometimes missing key pieces of the definition that are usually present later in the paragraph.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The same terms are repeated and applied throughout the relevant chapters and sections of the text.  The framework is consistent since text, figures, links to careers, and everyday applications to life are spread throughout each chapter.\r\n","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The subheadings are appropriate for the amount of text underneath.  The text could easily be assigned by chapter or chapter and highest-level subheading.  Chapter outlines should include many levels of subheadings so the students and instructor can find or assign smaller sections of text.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The text uses a traditional flow of topics found in biology texts and courses.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Good.  Navigation problems and distracting features were not present in the PDF and online versions.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar is adequate.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Offensive text was not found during the review.  The examples presented in the text include biology careers, diseases, and the importance of concepts to humans in general.  Students may encounter a few of these situations during their lives, making those few situations culturally relevant to students.  The text does not specifically use different cultures, races, and backgrounds in examples.  Without the perspective of a variety of non-majors biology students, cultural relevance is difficult to gauge.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":212,"first_name":"Heather","last_name":"Rissler","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Riverland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Concepts of Biology is comprehensive in its scope for an introductory biology textbook with topics ranging from molecules to ecosystems. The textbook content progress from a discussion of the molecular and cellular building blocks of life, including a comprehensive discussion of cell structure and function. Current applications are addressed in the section on biotechnology. The topic of evolution is followed by a discussion on biodiversity and ecology. Anatomy and physiology of animals is also included. The sequence of topics is comparable to most general/introductory biology textbooks.\r\nThe brief summaries provided for key topics can be beneficial in keeping students focused on the main ideas and themes (and each section in the textbook includes a glossary and embedded questions to check understanding). Some sections could be expanded, though, including the section on regulation of gene expression. This section includes a brief comparison of prokaryotic and eukaryotic mechanisms for regulating gene expression but could be expanded to include more comprehensive examples.\r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the content to be accurate, including figures and did not notice an bias in writing or topic coverage.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content in the textbook is up-to-date. The section on biotechnology, for example, contains a number of examples of applications of recombinant DNA technologies. This is a section that will require updating as technologies progress, but such changes would be easy to implement within the current infrastructure of the textbook.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I do find that the writing is brief and in many sections that is fine and would actually help students focus on key ideas and themes. Overall I would say that the brevity may require instructors to supplement with additional readings (depending on the scope and nature of their individual courses). \r\nThe content is adequate and consistent. The use of glossaries and questions to help readers gauge understanding are present for each section and questions often accompany figures. Recurring sections such as ‘Evolution in Action’ help tie core themes throughout the textbook and relate the content to current topics in science.\r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found the framework and terminology to be consistent. The use of recurring sections ('Evolution in Action', 'Career in Action', and 'Biology in Action') was consistent and engaging for readers. I appreciated the consistent use of glossaries for each section and the addition of questions to help readers gauge their comprehension.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is well organized. Each major module is broken down into a number of sub-topics. The navigation using the online version of the textbook was nice as each major module breaks down into links for the various sub-topics. You can navigate by clicking 'next' after reading a section or by selecting individual sub-topics. I would find this useful as an instructor when assigning readings to my students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization and flow is comparable to most introductory biology textbooks. The sequence of information is logical starting with a discussion of chemistry and cells and a discussion of evolution that sets the stage for an exploration of biodiversity and ecology.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found navigation to be user friendly. I did find images difficult to view in the PDF version, but the online version of the textbook had clear images and was easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't notice any major grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find the textbook to be insensitive or offensive. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I enjoyed the format and content of the textbook and would highly consider adopting the textbook for use. I may supplement with additional readings but I do that routinely when using traditional paper versions of introductory biology textbooks. I feel that this textbook is equivalent to many of the books I have used and that it would fit the needs of instructors and students in an introductory biology class.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":226,"first_name":"Irving","last_name":"Allen","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Virginia Tech","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this textbook offers a nice balance between the different topics and explains very complex biological phenomena in a comprehensive, yet not intimidating manner for non-biology majors. The textbook is well designed for students with limited biology background. The book is well organized and the table of contents is through to allow students to quickly view the topics covered. The key terms and review questions at the end of each chapter are excellent. Students also have access to the answers to the review questions; however, these answers are a bit difficult to read in the paragraph format and should be organized as a list. The “Concepts in Action” links were also very helpful to reinforce the material and prove additional information. The “Career in Action” section is a very nice addition to place the content into perspective and enlighten the target audience about the different types of careers that are available. ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the text is accurate. There are many areas throughout the textbook were the authors appear to have sacrificed some accuracy or omitted information for brevity. These omissions were likely an attempt to improve the “readability” of the text for the target audience of non-major biology students. In many cases, this issue could be resolved though modifications to the text. For example, defining technical terms prior to first use, adding additional introductory/background information prior to introducing a complex topic, and taking care to use the simplest, most accurate language possible would reduce some of the potential confusion. In several cases, the figures shown do not accurately reflect the material being presented and appear to be simply “filler” images. When figures are shown, the authors should be sure to include enough information in the text to assist students in putting the figure into context and relating the figure to the text. It would be advisable to select images that better reflect the content of the chapter, rather than simply adding figures for the sake of having a graphic in the Chapter.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook contains current information and up-dated material. As with any science textbook, periodic revisions will be necessary for many of the units. The condensed nature of the material will may reduce the relevance/longevity over time as major paradigms change some of the foundational concepts. But, this argument could be made for any science textbook.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing is well done, with minimal jargon. When jargon is used, it is well defined and the meaning is clear. The material is presented in an engaging manner and should hold the students attention.  I did notice that the level of details seems to fluctuate from chapter to chapter with some chapters more detailed than others. This is a common occurrence with multi-contributor projects.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is quite consistent from Chapter-to-Chapter. In general, the terminology and nomenclature is consistent throughout the book. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The format of the Textbook is highly modular. Each Unit/Chapter could stand alone is independent from the textbook as a whole. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The textbook is well organized and flows in a logical manner. The unit and chapter breakdown was very well done and organized appropriately. There appears to be an excess amount of empty space in many of the chapters that significantly disrupts the flow of the material and was a bit distracting. This may be associated with the figure format, but should be corrected. In many cases, I was not sure if I was at the end of the Chapter or if some part of the text was omitted.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The interfaces were either excellent of dismal. The bar codes linking to the various  “Concepts in Action” were fantastic and an excellent addition to the textbook to add additional information. Likewise, the inclusion of the Chapter Summaries were highly beneficial. The Review Questions and Critical Thinking questions were excellent and very useful to reinforce the content. However, the “Art Connection” figures, in general, were very low resolution and many appeared blurry and difficult to read. The coloration of these figures should also be improved for contrast. At the end of the Chapter, the Art Concept questions were too basic and were not thought provoking.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did identify a few minor grammatical errors, but overall the writing and copy editing are well done. The only issues I noted were minor punctuation issues and a few awkward uses of brackets.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No cultural issues were noted in the textbook.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a well assembled textbook that would be highly appropriate for an introductory biology course for non-majors. There are a few issues with image resolution and the authors have sacrificed some accuracy for the sake of brevity. But, this was only a minor concern.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":283,"first_name":"Sarah","last_name":"Sletten","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Mayville State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers all the material that is generally covered in a non-major's biology course. It is broken down into six units: (1) Cellular Foundation of Life, (2) Cell Division and Genetics, (3) Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, (4) Evolution and Diversity of Life, (5) Animal Structure and Function, and (6) Ecology. Each unit has several chapters covering the major concepts within. It has a clickable Table of Contents that is very user friendly and quickly moves readers through the text to their desired location without scrolling. There is also a Glossary provided at the end of each chapter with key terms as well as a document containing the Glossary entries for all chapters a separate document that students can download.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As far as I can tell, content in the text is accurate and unbiased. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content in the text is current. There are a few pictures that do not load every now-and-then, but there is alternative text provided for each image so readers know what the image is supposed to show. There are several links provided throughout the text to outside activities and resources, and the ones that I have tried have all been working links.\r\n\r\nBiology content is pretty well-understood, so the text exhibits longevity. The biotechnology chapter introduces different technologies and how they work without getting too specific in a way that it may become quickly outdated. Again, this is a non-major's text, so the molecular technologies content is brief.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The language used in the text is appropriate and easy to read. There are Glossaries provided at the end of each chapter with key terms and definitions. Terms are clearly described in the text as well as in the Glossary. Verbiage is appropriate for college students who are not science majors. Examples are often given to clarify a definition or concept.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terminology is consistent throughout the text. All sections within chapters follow the same format with text and figures, links to outside activities and/or resources, and review questions with answers. Every section has the same general look and flow.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is VERY easy to divide into smaller sections for assigned readings as each section has its own web address. Links for each section can be posted for students. Once at any of the sections of the book, students can access the Contents at the top of the page to migrate to any other section of the book. Additionally, most of the sections have downloadable PDF files of just that section that can be easily disseminated to students.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The units, chapters, and sections are organized similar to all publisher-created biology texts I have seen and used. I feel the content, often images, in each section, however, can be a little haphazard. For the most part each section flows in a logical, clear fashion, but every now-and-then a topic is discussed that is at a much deeper level then needed for a non-major's course, which may discourage students who are trying to understand a topic they have little knowledge or motivation to learn.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text interface does not have any navigation problems that I am aware of. All links that I have tried work, navigation between sections works well and is easy to understand, and all images (only a couple did not load) and graphs are clear and non-distorted. The sides of the text are free from distractions.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors that I am aware of. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive. The examples use non-human organisms.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is an excellent text to use for a non-major's biology course. It has many options for you to incorporate in your course including additional resources from other sites. It also has pre-made PowerPoint presentations for each chapter. The presentations contain all of the images from the chapter and can easily be edited to fit your needs.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":354,"first_name":"Shannon","last_name":"Ansley","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This provides an excellent level of detail for a non-majors biology course.  Only a couple of areas were lacking (e.g. a very brief overview of membrane structure, and no mention of niche theory when discussing competition).  Discussion of protists and fungi was from the perspective of their relevance to humans rather than a breakdown of their taxonomy, etc., but I think that's appropriate for a non-majors course.  There is a glossary of terms at the end of each chapter, and it has a clickable index.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found one inaccuracy:  atomic mass is not the same as mass number, despite what the book says on p.33.  That being said, the hard-copy textbook that I currently use makes that mistake as well as several crucial other errors, so this OpenStax book ranks higher in accuracy.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text uses a combination of tried-and-true classical examples of the kind seen in almost every biology textbook (e.g. sickle cell anemia and other genetic disorders) and more updated examples that younger students may be more familiar with or find more relevant.  It appears that updates would be easy to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This was an easy read--a nice conversational style that isn't dry or boring to read.  Terms were explained clearly and concisely, and plenty of clarifying examples were given.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This text is consistent, both in the way it is laid out and in the terminology that is used.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter's sections have multiple subheadings, making the information easy to digest in small chunks.  Sections are not overly long.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This text is organized very well.  It is written in such a way that one section flows logically into the next section, both within a chapter and between chapters.  Each chapter is organized in the same way, making the text easier to navigate as students move through the text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The only issue that I noted was that because of the placement of some figures, there were a few pages that had one or two lines of text on them, and then the rest of the page was white space, before the figure would appear on the next page.  I feel that the spacing could have been managed better to avoid the wasted space.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical or spelling errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Many of the examples were the old standards.  It would be nice to see an example of a genetic mutation other than sickle cell anemia (the go-to example of all biology texts!), or at least a more in-depth discussion about how different ethnic groups have different probabilities of certain genetic disorders.  Otherwise, the examples seemed to be adequately diverse.  There is a great discussion of the value of science in chapter 1.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"There are lots of figures--not always the most sophisticated diagrams but they are functional and easy to read.  There are also links to animations, simulations, and videos, so that students can engage with the material in more ways than just reading it.  The authors also included attention-grabbing boxes titled \"careers in action\", \"evolution in action\", etc., to give more real-world context to the concepts being covered.  \n\nOverall, this text is as good, if not better, than the one I am currently using to teach my course.  It would be suitable for any non-majors biology course.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":510,"first_name":"Brenda","last_name":"Leady","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Toledo","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides an excellent overview of biology.  From a basic chemistry to ecology, it's all there.  The level of coverage varies somewhat.  I found the cellular respiration material to intense but the human physiology material very light.  There is a glossary of terms at the end of each chapter and a comprehensive index at the end of the book.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any information I thought was inaccurate, in error or biased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is currently up-to-date.  As with any science book, updates will be needed as our knowledge progresses.  However, at a non-majors level this is not as crucial as a majors intro or upper level majors course.  The digital nature of the text should make updates easy.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clearly written.  Terms are clearly defined.  The level of terminology varies from chapter to chapter probably due to different authorship.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The framework of the chapters are very consistent.  The writing style and depth of coverage is not as consistent.  The chapter on cellular respiration is quite detailed for a non-majors course.  On the other hand, the chapter on human physiology covers only the bare essentials.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text can easily be used as independent chapters.  I jump around from one chapter to another in teaching concepts like nutrition in my course.  Students do not find that they need to read other chapters to understand the assigned chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text follows a similar outline of material as other textbooks.  If you have used other non-majors textbooks, this will be a comfortable transition.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text did not have any interface issues that I am aware of.  I've tried many of the links and they all worked for me.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I do not find the text culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"To me the real value of this text is the Creative Commons license.  I can take this text and edit it to make it fit my course.  Other publishers offer to select individual chapters or include your material for a price.  With this text, I can do all that to any extent I wish for free.  I used the text as is for two semesters.  Now I am providing a \"reading assignment\" that students can download based on my edits of this material.  I value the freedom and my students love the price.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":598,"first_name":"Nathan","last_name":"Hovekamp","position":"Instructor of Biology","institution_name":"Central Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Concepts of Biology is an effectively comprehensive textbook for the non-major. It covers molecular and cellular biology, genetics and DNA, evolution and diversity, animal structure and function, and ecology. A good example of its inclusion of the appropriate level of detail is provided by chapters 4 \u0026amp; 5 on cellular metabolism. These can be difficult topics when one gets too deep into the weeds, but this text does a good job of providing enough detail to flesh out the concepts while keeping primarily to the bigger significance of energy capture, conversions, and release. Another example is provided by chapters 6 \u0026amp; 7 which provide a carefully considered and appropriately detailed discussion of the different types of cell division. \n\nThere are some areas where some reconsideration in regard to comprehensiveness might improve the text. The absence of a discussion on the origin and history of life on earth was surprising and could be included in chapter 11 or 12 - including moving the geological time scale there from appendix A3. The section on the diversity of angiosperms, toward the end of chapter 14, was given somewhat short shrift. In chapter 20 in the section on biogeochemical cycles: at this level, there may be limited value in including phosphorus and sulfur cycles in addition to the others.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of the text was generally free of inaccuracies and bias. In the legend to figure 7.4, the cell illustrated at metaphase I actually has a chromosome number of n=4, not n=2 as indicated.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content reflects current thinking and important issues in biology. For example, in chapter 11, section 11.5 is a very strong, relevant, and interesting discussion on \"Common Misconceptions about Evolution.\" In chapters 1 and 12 reference is made to domains, as taxa broader than kingdoms. Chapter 13 contains a great treatment on \"The Antibiotic Crisis.\" The discussion in chapter 19 on the one-child policy in China may need updating, given recent developments there.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Writing is generally clear and unambiguous. Figures are appropriately detailed without being too busy, nicely illustrated, and accompanied by legends with just the right amount of explanation without duplicating content in the text.\n\nSome suggestions on clarity:\nFigure 2.15: illustrate the monosaccharides in their ring forms rather than straight-chain forms.\nSection 3.5 on passive transport could be organized better.\nChapter 9 could use a simple figure illustrating prokaryotic gene regulation (in addition to the eukaryotic one provided).\nFigure 14.2: the symbols for adult gametophyte and adult sporophyte could be more clear.\nChapter 16: the discussion of the digestive system would be enhanced at this level by the inclusion of the terms macro- and micronutrients.\nUnit 5, chapters 16-18 on different body systems only focuses on human a\u0026amp;p (except for reproduction, where comparative information across phyla is included). This unit might be enhanced by the inclusion of at least brief comparative information across phyla in regard to the other body systems (though this is touched upon in chapter 15 on animal diversity).\nAppendix A is redundant; the periodic table of elements is already included in chapter 2.\nAppendix A2 is confusing and ineffective, and redundant of appendix A3.\nAppendix A3, the geological time scale should be enlarged and should clearly identify \"era,\" \"period,\" and \"epoch\" divisions - and should be moved to chapter 11 or 12.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent throughout in terms of terminology and organization.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is organized into 6 units, broken into 21 chapters. Chapters are broken into between 2 to 6 sections, listed up front in a chapter outline. Each chapter section has a short list of outcomes at the beginning. Key terms are defined at the end of each chapter. There is a chapter summary at the end of each chapter. There are review and critical thinking questions at the end of each chapter. This modularity provides an effective organization and consistent alignment without disrupting flow.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Topics are covered in a logical order. Content is organized into 21 chapters grouped into 6 units. (The unit-level organization is presented in the table of contents but not evident in the body of the text.) The order of topics makes sense sequentially: from subcellular and cellular structure and function to cell division and DNA to evolution to diversity/taxonomic survey of life to animal body systems to ecology. Units 2 \u0026amp; 3 could be combined into a single unit - perhaps something like, \"The Continuity of Life.\"","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text has an effective interface that results in ease of use for the reader.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is free of errors in grammar.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Very nice, comprehensive, accurate, relevant, clear, consistent, organized, well-written text! Thank you for the opportunity to review it.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":777,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"Manzella","position":"Postdoctoral Researcher","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book was surprisingly comprehensive.  Never using an open textbook, prior to Concepts of Biology, I had anticipated a truncated and therefore non-comprehensive textbook. However, I believe that all major concepts were covered.  I primarily focused on the microbiology and ecology sections.  While the depth of coverage is some sections is lacking, by which I mean things aren't covered ad nauseum, this could easily be supplemented in the classroom.  \n\nMany microbiology textbooks spend far too much time focusing on every phylogenetic group, while this book chooses not to do so.  I believe this is beneficial to avoid memorization.  Focus on specific groups during class time, if you wish to.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I believe the content withing this book is accurate and error-free.  ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content within this textbook is relevant and will be long-lasting, while lacking in the discussion of recent discoveries in each field.  Whether this is a strategy by the authors or not, I cannot tell.  This will increase the longevity of the text while putting the pressure on the instructor(s) to locate and present recent work in the field.  Perhaps a small section at the end of each chapter addressing this would be helpful.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"From what I have read, this book is quite clear.  The use of jargon is a necessity in a lot of chapters, but these words are explained within the text in most cases and there is also a section at the end of each chapter for definitions.  Well done.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I believe the work within the textbook is consistent, I noticed little in terms of changing framework by chapter or section.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I believe the modularity of this book is sufficient. Chapters themselves are modules and each is subdivided into several sections.  ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Based on my reading of this textbook I believe the flow of organization is clear. However, as an instructor, it is possible that I am making connections between materials that would be lost on students. Until using this textbook in a real-world situation with students, I would be hesitant to make a declaration regarding the flow of each chapter.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"\"Concepts of Biology\" appears to be free of interface issues.  I did not take time to verify that each hyperlink within the text was accurate, but the links I clicked to access online multi-media seemed to function.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"During my reading I noticed few to no distracting grammatical errors within the text. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I believe this textbook represents a standard biology textbook in terms of the cultural relevance.  Evolution is discussed within this textbook, so that may be insensitive to some students based on their religious ideas and relationship to their scientific studies.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The use of multimedia components helps to break up the text and engage students.\n\nAt the end of each chapter there are questions to assess understanding.  However, some questions are true/false and are mere memorization. This, while necessary in quick review questions, aren't particularly engaging.  Luckily, there are \"critical thinking problems\" within each chapter that can help students think a bit deeper.\n\n\"By the end of this section\" is an asset because it tells students what they should focus on.  Some of them were to \"understand...\" - which is difficult for students to prove. \n\nWithin Chapter 1 the text addresses the difference between theories and hypotheses. Within Chapter 11, the misconceptions regarding these two terms are explained in terms of the theory of evolution.  I believe a note (within Chapter 1) directing students to Chapter 11, or including the misconceptions in Chapter 1, would be helpful.\n\nSnippets of \"appropriate jobs\" are interjected in each chapter.  This, while a bit unconventional, provides a framework for students asking \"when will I use this outside of class?\".\n\nWithin this textbook there is not much in the way of actual data to interpret or used as examples. This is not a large detriment, as long as the instructor takes time to provide students with case-studies and/or opportunities to interpret and create plots. ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":835,"first_name":"Susan","last_name":"Spencer","position":"Faculty","institution_name":"Mt Hood Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, the text is nicely comprehensive. There are a few areas of weakness, such as the following:\nThe ecology section does not begin with an overview of ecology, which I believe is a weakness. \nI would like to see a general description of the parts of a plant at the beginning of the section on plants (Chpt 14) \nI would like to see answers to the questions (\"Art Connection\" and end of chapter \"Review Questions\") available, but perhaps that is in the instructor support materials. I have not had a chance to take a look at those yet. \n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text appears accurate and unbiased, I did not note any inaccuracies.  The lack of bias is significant considering that this material touches on many culturally sensitive issues. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The examples used seem quite relevant and applicable. While current and up to date, they should still be relevant for a significant time.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The material is clear and concise. At times it was in a format different from what I am accustomed to seeing, which took some adaptation and additional thought. That does not mean it would be a detriment to students, who typically do not have preconceived ideas about content. Chpt 19, for example, is not in a format which I am familiar with and would take some adjusting to on my part.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text appears to be quite consistent internally in terms of terminology and framework. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the text is good. It should be quite practical to assign smaller reading assignments which will fit and complement the whole. For courses that do not cover the entire contents of the book in one term, this is a nice advantage. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"the organization, structure, and flow of the material topics is logical. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had few problems with navigation and the images/charts and other display features loaded cleanly and without issue. All the links which I tried opened easily and without issue. I like the external links a lot. Sending students, for example, to the USDA Forest Service site and similar locations will stimulate them to continue exploring and learning on their own. \nOne down side is that in order to view the images for the review questions, one needs to click on a link. If a student has printed the materials, this will not work for them. However, I am guessing that the printed version of this text would include the images as well. \n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar is accurate and consistent, I noticed no errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any of the material to be culturally insensitive or offensive and I doubt my students would either. Excellent selection of examples.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I look forward to exploring the instructor support materials. That has been a major impediment in the past to my adoption of an OER. ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":859,"first_name":"Lyn","last_name":"Countryman","position":"Professor","institution_name":"University of Northern Iowa","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers the important topics found in a general biology textbook.  I teach an introductory biology course and this textbook covers the critical topics with clarity and detail.  I was impressed by the text's presentation of topics and the ease with which one can find important concepts in the chapter by chapter glossary.  Many of my students are incoming freshmen and they will find this book refreshing and understandable.  Historical contexts are given when needed and tied closely to the concepts to help the reader gain an understanding of scientific principles. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and understandable.  I found no content inconsistencies.  The authors provide the detail when detail is needed and clearly articulate the explanations of the concepts. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date and covers current biodiversity issues and problems.  The information is organized such that updates will easily be accomplished.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Besides for its comprehensiveness the next best aspect of this text is its clarity.  My freshman students will not find this a difficult read.  The scientific concepts and terminology are presented with just enough detail to make it understandable and not overwhelming. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter is structured the same way.  Students will know what to expect and can easily follow the links to visual representations of the biological concepts. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is split into easily read sections.  The text's design allows me to schedule students readings around my class activities and experiments.  To reorganize this book to fit your class can be done with ease with how the text is organized. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical fashion.   Each chapter has an organizing introduction and the topics flow from this organization.  Each chapter fits together seamlessly. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The texts illiustrations are clear, the web links and supporting materials provide addtional support and are free of any interface issues. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no grammatical errors","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Material was presented in culturally sensitive ways and presented non-biased representations in the artwork, web links, and illustrations. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am excited to use this text in my class and to modify it to fit my class. ","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":910,"first_name":"Ai","last_name":"Wen","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"University of Northern Iowa","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, I found this textbook covers the basic topics and concepts you can find in a classic biology textbook; it also provides information from recent publications pertaining to biomedicine and climate issues which can be interesting to non-major students. I am planning to use this book next semester, and I think it will be a good textbook for me to outline my lectures, and for students to read relevant chapters before they come to lectures. The online version is especially handy because of the search function, as well as the links to outside information sources. The links to some hand-on modules seem very interesting and will be easily used to develop assignment questions.\nI think for a non-major biology class, it is essential to use stories, controversies and novel technological development to attract students so they can find biology is actually relevant to their everyday lives, and overcome some students’ science-phobia. The “concepts in action” and “career in action” modules in this textbook provides interesting material for students to understand how biology is linked to social science, epidemiology etc. Although, I think for instructors who want to cover more in-depth information on certain chapters (such as climate change in the “Treats to Biodiversity” section), this textbook may not be sufficient and some additional reading material is necessary. This is true for other non-major biology textbooks (not open access).","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found the textbook to be accurate on the major concepts and current development in many fields of biology. There are many controversial issues in biology that different instructors might find they do not agree with the information provided by this textbook (especially those sections to do with taxonomy and phylogeny), but I did not find major conflicts. I do have several minor issues (after reading Unit 4,5,6): \nSection 12.1 “Taxonomy is the science of naming and grouping…… A hierarchical system has levels and each group at one of the levels includes groups at the next lowest level, so that at the lowest level each member belongs to a series of nested groups”. Shouldn’t the “lowest” be “highest” instead? I guess it depends on whether the authors consider Domain as the lowest or the highest level of taxonomy. I always consider Domain as the highest level and therefore each group at one of the levels includes groups at the next highest level. I found this paragraph a little confusing. Maybe it can be clarified by referring to the figure and have a better definition of what “lowest” and “highest” is.\nSection 12.2 in “Molecular Comparisons”: …To determine the relationships between very different species such as Eukarya and Archaea…” I recommend change it to “very different taxa”\nSection 12.2 Figure 4. Lancelet shouldn’t be included in the clade Vertebrata\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Information in this textbook stays relatively up-to-date. \nAlthough there are a few places where I think the authors should have provided references for the readers to know where the information is from and how recent the sources are. For example, in chapter 13.3 about Protista, the textbook describes a six-Supergroup classification system in Protista (Figure 3). Since the phylogeny and classification of Protista is a very controversial topic (as the textbook also mentioned), it is important for the readers to know where and when this classification system was developed, and whether there are alternative systems use (as most other textbooks are using a system with five Supergroups). Another similar example is in chapter 13.4 when the authors talk about the classification of fungi, the old and new classification system were both introduced but not clearly cited. If the textbook will be updated by authors and other contributors, it is important to know where the current text is based on.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Most of the textbook is well written with clear and precise language. \nHowever, I do find sometimes the information is too descriptive and not in-depth enough. For example, in the introduction of chapter 20, the textbook provides an example of an ecosystem. It introduces the oak-pine barren as a nutrient-poor, fire frequent ecosystem, and talked about what researchers study in such ecosystems (the movement of resources). The text ends here, and if I were a student who is reading the textbook, I would like to continue to read more information about this ecosystem and how the Karner blue butterfly and wild lupine (shown in the pictures) have adapted to it, which is a very nice example to show student that not only nutrient rich ecosystems are important, but even ecosystems with restricted resources can support unique biodiversity. Similarly, in the introduction of chapter 12, the textbook uses a bee and an Echinacea flower as an example to demonstrate a bee and a flower can be related. I assume the authors were suggesting the co-evolution of Echinacea and pollinators and how phylogenetically flowers became diverse, but I am not sure (they might be referring to the fact that both of them are in Domain Eukarya), and nowhere could students find answers to this example. \nOther minor issues:\nChapter 13.4 Fungal Diversity: This section talks about an older, four major groups classification system (which were listed and shown in Figure 5), but the textbook also indicates a fifth division (a polyphyletic, unrelated fungus group) and a sixth group (which does not fit with any previous groups). The last two groups were not very clearly named and I think it is very confusing. I recommend revise the text to lay out the four traditional groups, and then introduce the two new groups (with names indicated). ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is consistent in terms of taxonomy and biological terminology. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This textbook can be easily divided into sections and used independently. Some of the later chapters, such as the Evolution and Diversity of Life and Animal Structure and Function, do use information from earlier cell and genetics related chapters (such as what is ribosomal RNA). But I think in the online version, the search box is very useful for students and instructors to locate the definition of unfamiliar terms. Students should be able to read these later chapters even if the instructor skips the molecular biology and cell biology sections. This is especially helpful if the instructor is teaching a non-major class not aiming to cover the entire scope of biology, but only focusing on conservation biology, global change biology, etc. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"1.\tThe information arrangement in this book follows a structure that is commonly adapted by biology textbooks, especially books for non-majors. In the first chapter, the book starts with providing definition of “life”, and introduces the levels of biological terms and the concept of taxonomy. It also introduces different foci of biology studies and how it is related to other areas in science. I think for instructors who may want to skip some chapters to go to a specific topic in biology, this first chapter provides a functional overarching introduction of the book.\nThe book then divided into cell biology, molecular biology, evolution/diversity, animal structure/function, ecology/conservation biology chapters, which again is a very typical outline for non-major biology books. My non-major class follows the same structure so it works well for me. \n2.\tI find the “Summary” at the beginning of each chapter very helpful for students to understand the layout of information in each chapter. \n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I mostly used the online version of this textbook to do this review, and I found the links to images and outside websites in this textbook function very well.\nOne issue I have encountered is that the online version of the textbook mostly uses gradually reduced fonts of titles to distinguish the different levels of information within a chapter, and the difference between these fonts are not very obvious. Sometimes I get confused whether I am reading text pertaining to a new topic, or it is still within the previous section. For example, in section 13.4, the textbook lists Fungal Diversity, Pathogenic Fungi, Plant Parasites and Pathogens, Animal and Human Parasites and Pathogens and Beneficial Fungi. I assume the layout of information is \nFungal Diversity\n    Pathogenic Fungi\n\tPlant Parasites and Pathogens\n\tAnimal and Human Parasites and Pathogens\n    Beneficial Fungi\nBut it is very hard to tell while reading the webpage because the fonts of these titles are hard to distinguish.\nAnother example is in chapter 13.1, the Beneficial Prokaryotes have the following topics: Prokaryotes, and Food and Beverages; Using Prokaryotes to Clean up Our Planet: Bioremediation; and Prokaryotes in and on the Body. The last topic’s title should have the same font as the former two topics, but currently it has a smaller font, which makes it seem like the last topic is nesting in the “Using Prokaryotes to Clean up Our Planet” section.\nI recommend in addition to gradually reduced fonts, the authors can consider to use other ways (such as different colors, shades, italicized fonts or bold letters) to better distinguish the information nested within a specific topic.\n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any cultural insensitive or offensive information","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I believe open access is the future of textbooks. The merit of this textbook is the free access and its flexibility to be modified. And yet it is peer reviewed by many contributors and users. The web based multimedia interface adds a lot of tools that make this an interesting textbook for non-major biology students.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":930,"first_name":"Pamela","last_name":"Thinesen","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Century College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Very comprehensive and good glossary and index, as good as any of the many other texts I've seen. Not sure if index could use some work -- for example, I could not find any reference to respiration, cellular respiration, aerobic respiration; yet, anaerobic respiration is listed.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"One thing that bothers me is Fig 1.11 -- it seems to be telling reader that Carl Woese's phylogenetic tree is accepted as present-day evolutionary groupings.  For example, Eukarya should list Plants, Animals, Fungi, Protista, rather than slime molds, ciliates, flagellates, etc.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content appears to be up-to-date, except for that phylogenetic tree in Ch 1--it's okay that it's the original one from Woese, but there should be an explanation that it's not up-to-date.  I believe necessary updates will be easy to make.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Not sure if it's just the font being so small, but it does have a very wordy, slightly tedious flow to it.  However, the animations that are built in are very good.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I do find that the text is consistent in regard to terminology and organization.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The text is done well in regard to smaller reading sections but still has a very wordy feel to it; perhaps a larger font and more visuals would help.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Excellent organization and flow","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found no navigation problems or distortion of images/charts","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"excellent","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Saw no indication of culturally insensitivity or offensiveness.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"My students have used this text with WileyPlus for about two years now and I can't recall one complaint, whereas there were complaints about every expensive text used before that -- and I've been teaching since 2000.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1087,"first_name":"Paul","last_name":"Verrell","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Washington State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I was motivated to search for an open-access text for my non-majors class in fall 2016 for two reasons.  First, I could not justify a non-major spending around $100 for a book that would be used for one semester.  Second, textbooks in all of the classes I teach are really recommended supplements to the other materials I make available, not required reading.  And so I used OpenStax’s Concepts of Biology, a text intended for non-biology majors.\n\nThis text is quite exhaustive in coverage (a stronger word than comprehensive) – no major areas of the subject are omitted.  This means it contains too much material for a single-semester course.  In addition, I think it covers the majority of topics in more depth than is needed for non-majors.\n\nThese comments need to be put in context.  Almost all non-majors texts available in print also include too much breadth and depth.  Indeed, many seem written for a mixed majors/non-majors audience, although this is seldom stated.  The upside to providing lots of breadth and depth is that the instructor has a lot of material to choose from.  The downside is that students may resent paying for pages they don’t use (not a problem with an Openstax text), and become confused when levels of detail given in lectures, labs, and discussions don’t match those in the text.  Of course, it is the job of the instructor to guide students to achieving an appropriate level of understanding.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text appears to be accurate, error-free, and unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most of the biology relevant to a non-major doesn’t change much over short(ish) periods of time.  And so, for example, the basics of transcription and translation will be the same next year as they are this year.  However, Chapter Ten on biotechnology, will need revision and updating, whether by the authors or instructor.  For example, I find no discussion of how CRISPR/Cas9 will facilitate gene editing, and so revolutionize agriculture and medicine.  I believe it is the instructor’s responsibility to include what may be missing from the text.\n\nOne simple strategy to underscore relevance is to include material from newspapers and other (reliable!)  media in lectures, labs, and discussions.  It is crucial to show non-majors that biology is important to them and to society, and that it moves forward on a truly daily basis.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Biology has its own vocabulary and technical terminology.  This can sometimes lead to confusion – my favorite example is use of the concept of a theory.  The text certainly uses the language of biology, and does so in an appropriate fashion.  Glossaries of terms are included, although I cannot find an index.\n\nIn addition to diagrams, which are well constructed, there are questions that require some critical and synthetic thought scattered through the text.\n\nThe book includes chapter summaries and sample questions (multiple choice and short answer, the latter called Free Response.  These questions are not as numerous as in most of the print books I am familiar with.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The level of consistency of terminology and framework is high.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is organized into six units within which there are multiple chapters.  For example, Chapter Two of Unit One deals with the Chemistry of Life.  Just because students don’t like chemistry is no reason to omit the subject, but this chapter nicely illustrates how parts of the text provide more detail than some may think is necessary.  That said, it does prepare the student for detailed treatments of cellular respiration and photosynthesis to come – if the instructor deems such detailed treatments to be appropriate.\n\nThe ordering of the Units, and that of chapters within units, does not follow the order I use in my class.  For example, I deal with evolution in the first two weeks of the semester, as I believe it to be the lens through which all of biology should be viewed.  The text waits until Unit Four to present Evolution and the Diversity of Life.  However, Units and Chapters can be organized in a way that preserves flow and connectedness as per an instructor's requirements.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There are many stories that can be told about biology, and no one story is necessarily better than any other.  The text tells a story that is different from mine, and so the organization of my class and the text do not match.  The organization of the text is certainly logical and clear – it’s just not how I would organize it.  I don’t consider this to a big problem.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to use, and includes clear and relevant artwork and video clips.  Specific chapters are easily accessible through the Contents function - an index would be nice (I can't find one).\n\nAdditional on-line resources are available to the instructor, including but not limited to test questions and PowerPoint slides (I choose not to use these, but they are just fine).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"If there are any grammatical errors (and I didn’t notice any) then they are minor, as are any typos.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I find nothing insensitive or offensive in terms of gender, ethnicity, and background.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I believe that Concepts of Biology is an excellent text for a non-majors biology class.  It is accessible, nicely up-to-date, and covers relevant topics.  And, of course, it is free unless one chooses to make a donation.\n\nI provided students in my class with a survey to determine their opinions of the book.  Only two of 216 first-year students used the text regularly, with 30% saying that they used it at least occasionally.  This is a disappointingly low number.  While students were not required to complete end-of-section questions, 40% who used the text made use of those questions.  I am pleased by this level of initiative.  \n\nAs expected, most students (59%) found the material in the text to be more detailed than my lectures; most of the remaining students (33%) said that the text and lectures were comparable.  The majority of students found the book at least somewhat connected with my lectures (88%) and at least somewhat useful overall (86%).\n\nI asked about whether the book should be used again.  Most students (64%) said that it should remain as recommended – 16% said it should be required.  Of the remaining students, 10% responded that no text is necessary, and 10% wanted access to a ‘conventional’ book-store text.\n\nMost students gave replies that I expected, for the most part.  The book was judged to be useful and well-connected with my lectures, although more detailed.  The majority view was that the text should be recommended in the future, a position with which I agree.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1143,"first_name":"Lori","last_name":"Lundine","position":"Lead Instructor","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book has a very easily accessible and complete table of contents.  The online book works well in that each chapter title can be clicked on to open a list of the subtitles explaining the topics covered in the sections. \n\nThe information covered in the book is well laid out and covers the all material that should be included in a 100 level biology class.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't find any errors in the books information, nor did the book seem biased in any way.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The material in the book is relevant to anyone who is alive and curious.  The way the book accesses internet information is commendable- making it a very desirable addition to any contemporary students collection. \n\nUpdates to links may be an issue as time passes, and inclusion of varying emergent technologies or careers. However, that last part has always been true of science materials.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I find the lay out impeccable.  It introduces what it is going to talk about then talks about the introduced topics clearly with great graphic support.\n\nThe fluidity of the writing is rarely found at this level.  The vocabulary appendices at the end of each Chapter make it friendly to all students including ELA.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The pattern of Chapter, subtopic, vocabulary, review and questions is consistent and reliable.  A great way for new\"ish\" students to get used to college level reading.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"For the most part, the text is divided nicely with graphics and career information or internet connections. There were a few areas with large blocks of text, but not many.\n\nThe dividing graphics and career information are not disruptive because they highlight subjects that are mentioned in the text.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organizational structure of the book follows a common flow of Biology texts. I thought it was a little off that genetics was discussed before the structure of DNA, RNA and the cell divisions. Those usually help a student comprehend the way the genes separate and recombine during reproduction, thus make for the genetic variances taught.\n\nBut, besides that, the flow was perfect.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I noticed no interface issues.  The internet book worked perfectly and every movie, link and picture worked well. No visible distortions.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I noticed two areas where the sentences didn't flow well. One was written poorly, but that is not bad percentage wise, compared to the whole book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. Biology is universal and doesn't make reference to any particular cultures except for bacterial cultures, and as science is based on fact, there are no ill placed opinions about said bacteria. Just perhaps a few less than positive hypotheses.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I am thrilled about the availability of such a high quality and timely resource for lower level biology students.  It is engaging where sometimes the science can get dry, and relevant for the students because of its direct tie-ins to careers.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1189,"first_name":"Francesca","last_name":"Mellieon-Williams","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Southern University and A\u0026M College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is used for non-majors Biology and I have used it as a textbook replacement for 3 years. It provides a clear and concise survey for the intended audience. Overall, it serves well as a textbook replacement and/or textbook alternative. The table of contents allows you to view the sequential topics in each section. Each chapter includes the following sections: Careers in Action, Section Summary, Art Connection, Multiple Choice, Free Response and Glossary. The Careers in Action is a real-world application of science for non-majors; this provides them a glimpse into the field of science.  Each of the other sections are reinforcement tools for the students after their readings. The Free Response is also a great prompt for class discussions and discussion boards.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate, error-free and unbiased. In some areas, more detail can be added (Chapter 16-Body Systems).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The relevance/longevity is impacted most by the Careers in Action. Those may need to be updated and/or new ones added to keep the field relevant to the readers.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Text is clear and easy to follow for students and faculty. The end of chapter glossary is there to provide clarity of technical terms.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Text is consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easy to read whether the PDF, online or enhanced tablet version. The choice of device does not present any issues to the reader.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical, clear fashion which is similar to the organization of the course I teach. In the Chapter 16, there could be a bit more information on the Body's Systems; currently, I supplement the areas with other resources.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are not any interface issues I am aware of for myself or my students. I have used the PDF as well as the enhanced version on a tablet and no issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar is clear and concise.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"It is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This has been a great resource for students at my institution by providing the content needed to successfully exit their General Biology course requirement. The flexibility of how the student may access/obtain the text is a great value-add. For some being able to print from the PDF or have it accessible to them on their mobile devices or even order a bound-printed copy relives varied levels of stress for them.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1330,"first_name":"Sascha","last_name":"McKeon","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Blue Mountain Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers a wide range of content appropriate to a non-majors level biology course or survey introduction; with the exception of a few content areas such as evolution and diversity of non living and lower organisms, Plant diversity and physiology, and the mammalian sensory system.\n\nFor example, the 3 individual chapters (covering Non-living organisms and prokaryotes together, Protists, and Fungi) in our previous textbook were consolidated into one massive chapter.  The same occurred with the plant content.  What was 5 chapters (evolution \u0026amp; diversity, structure \u0026amp; organization, regulation, and reproduction) was also consolidated into a single (albeit large) chapter.  The 5 senses were completely glanced over in the segment off Body systems.\n\nOn one hand students appreciated have \"less\" reading outside of class, however, the lack of additional coverage in the textbook may have been a contributing factor to student success in the first year of adoption.  Even with the utilization of the same lecture materials pre and post OER adoption and the same exams being proctored.  Students who used the text were under-prepared for the assessments.  \n\nOne could argue depth required in subject matter, specifically in introductory courses, however, across the department, we felt the lack of coverage in these areas was a disservice to our students.  Even though we may have covered the content in lecture, they needed to have additional exposure to the content outside of class to increase their retention of the material.\n\nOur fix:  We remixed and revised the Openstax Concepts of Biology textbook with chapters from the Majors \"Biology\" text (that were trimmed down, removing concepts we thought were beyond the reasonable limits of an introductory course).  In the following year, the student success \"bounced back\" and became comparable to the pre-OER distribution of success.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate, error-free and unbiased.  It is also clearly worded to aid in student understanding.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"With the exception of Chapter 10 (on Biotechnology) the content is up to date and worded to focus on the models of previous scientific processes and the \"big picture\" generalizations, which will aid in the longevity of the text.  As far as Biotechnology goes, that field is rapidly growing due to the advancements in the field, and I could see needing to supplement a paragraph or two within the next 5 years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Text is clearly worded, concepts are focused on major distinctions and terminology is added in a progressive pace, making it easy for students to build upon.  There are also ample examples of concepts which can provide context for student understanding.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The pace and focus of the material is consistent throughout subject matter, this provides student with a regular framework in which to access the material.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Having used this text in a Revise and Remix model, I can attest to the modularity and ease with which we were able to supplement content in a course (and even term) specific manner.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters progress on content appropriately, which enables our year long sequence (over the span of 3 courses) to generally proceed in a linear fashion; with the exception of Unit 6 Ecology being discussed following the unit 4 coverage of plants and plant dynamics.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The books interface and navigation has been seamless for a majority of my interactions.  Additionally, the images/charts are high enough quality, that we were able to offer the students an option to purchase a paperback copy purchased for cost of printing only with no distortion to the graphics, even when we opted for black and white, over color printing.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors have caught my eye.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is written scientifically, without bias, and as a result has no culturally insensitive references.  The text and subject matter is focused on a variety of organisms, continents and only addresses races/ethnicity in the context of historical examples, such as the epidemics that broke out after western settlers made content with Native Americas, who had previously seen no exposure to these pathogens.  Even then, it is matter of fact and tastefully focused on the concept of immunity.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"We have used this text across the entire Biology department for 3 years now, and both students and faculty are happy with it.  It is a valuable resource in content matter, accessibility and scale-ability.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1468,"first_name":"Michelle","last_name":"Donaghy Cannon","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Linn-Benton Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers most topics addressed in non-major 100-level biology survey courses. The one subject area that I teach at the 100-level that is not covered in this book is ‘Plant Structure and Function’.  Therefore, I must use the 200-level version of this text, Openstax Biology for that course.  That is unfortunate because much of the Biology textbook is too detailed and technical for a non-major 10-week course.\n\nNevertheless, this book provides clear and accessible text on the subject areas that it covers. Each chapter provides a glossary of key terms and a few review and critical thinking questions.  \n\nOne significant drawback to this book is that wide-ranging and sometimes disparate topics are groups together into a single chapter.  For example, Chapter 13: Diversity of Microbes, Fungi, and Protists comprise a single chapter so that members of each domain/kingdom are provided very little coverage. This is the case for much of the book’s subject areas. ‘Population and Community Ecology’ also are grouped into a single chapter, which means neither is covered particularly well. \n\nThis lack of coverage means that not all topics that are introduced are given enough text space and/or supporting figures for students to understand them. Chapter 16, The Body’s Systems covers 6 major topics areas of human A\u0026amp;P. Because this book should not be used as a substitute for a dedicated A\u0026amp;P textbook, that is not too much of a problem. However, some topics probably should not have been broached in this textbook. In sections 16.5 and 16.6, muscle contractions and neuron action potentials are briefly described. Yet, neither of the descriptions of these complex processes are supported by images. Decent, Creative Commons images do exist for these processes because I use the images from the Openstax ‘Biology’ in my 100-level course. The books share many of the same illustrations so I don’t know why these were omitted from this textbook. If it deemed that these processes are too complex for non-major biology courses, then students would be better served by not having the topics covered at all than trying to puzzle out how depolarization works or how sarcomeres shorten in skeletal muscles without an illustration. There is a video embedded within this section that does describe the process but very few students utilize these links. Fortunately, the immune system is given its own chapter in this book and provides a good basic overview of the components.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not encountered serious issues in the accuracy or bias of topics that I cover. The brevity makes some topics difficult to understand. Broken links are probably the most significant accuracy issues comes from the extensive use of links to outside learning resources. Even those that point to resources located on the Openstax site sometimes do not work or are not supported. However, the website has a good Errata section that you can submit errors and broken links to. These appeared to be addressed relatively quickly and editors provide a table in which the status of the reported errors or broken link is available. I have checked this table when I find a link that does not work to see if it has been reported.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As an instructor of non-major biology classes, I am particularly concerned with the take-home messages that students will carry with them long after they leave my classroom.  This textbook provides many good examples of concepts and processes that are relevant to non-major biology students. The section on Genetic Engineering (Chapter 10, Bioengineering) provides a section on the application of genetic engineering and GMOs, a topic that students have many misconceptions about.  Some updates are needed; for example, there is a brief overview of the one-child policy in China, which needs to be updated. The paragraph in the book can be a good introduction that encourages discussion on why this policy changed.\n\nHowever, the brevity of the text means that a lot of concepts are introduced but not explained enough for students to understand their relevance.  For example, the process and consequences of eutrophication and ocean acidification could be expanded, and while I believe that my role is fleshing out these topics is critical, these topics are so important and relevant that they should get better coverage in the textbook. Ocean acidification is not covered in Chapter 21, Conservation and Biodiversity under the heading of Climate Change. In fact, I could find not find the term ocean acidification in the most recent online version of the site (06/17).  One of the chief strengths of this book is that is editable so can be easily updated. The downside is that it is not clear to students who purchase used versions of the hard copy that changes have been made. The Openstax website provides excellent documentation of changes that have been made to the textbook, but instructors must help students understand how this textbook works so that students are not frustrated. I use a hard copy that is a few years old so I am careful to consult the online version and update my PDF versions on a regular basis.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The clarity of the prose is excellent and is written at a level that is appropriate for lower-division undergraduate students. It is very difficult to explain complex terms and concepts to a non-major audience and many of these students do not have strong reading comprehension skills. \n\nAs I noted above in the Comprehensiveness section, adding a few more illustrations that support the text would be useful.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book had  many contributors, but it is consistent in both layout and prose. That is important because we cover most of the chapters in this book in our non-majors biology series. Importantly, formatting is consistent throughout the book in all versions.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of this books works well for me because it is easy to assign reading by sections. The sections can be read in isolation but it is easy to assign one section in another chapter that will provide context.\n\nIt is important that if you prefer using a hard copy of the book that you assign reading by section rather than by page number, which has no meaning to online readers and may be incorrect for students whose print version came out later or earlier than your version.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This textbook is organized in the same hierarchical way other introductory biology books are organized (atoms --\u0026gt; biosphere). Because we organize our biology series in the same way, this organization works well.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface of the book works well and I understood how to navigate the online version quickly.  Some students have a difficult time negotiating the online version of the book.  About half of the students in my classes who do not fully use the book point to their difficulty navigating it.  This apparently is because each section (e.g., 10.2) is a separate page.  This should not be a problem as it is easy to move to the previous or next sections by clicking on the navigation buttons. The search function works well with the caveat that you need to hit the enter button to execute the search. Partial words or phrases are fine as long as they are not misspelled.  These are the kinds of tips that students need to understand to fully utilize the book. It is worth the time to show students how to navigate the book rather than assume that they will figure it out. \n\nSome of the images are not crisp enough in the hard copy of the book but they are readable. The photos are generally good quality and informative.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is well-written and generally error-free. Any errors are easily reportable to the Openstax website.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I have not found evidence of culturally insensitive or offensive material in this book.  I would recommend that the book use more examples that help students understand and appreciate the biological significance of the diversity of human traits (e.g., the evolution of lactose tolerance).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I have used this textbook or the Openstax Biology textbook for several terms. I like these books and students are grateful for access to a free textbook. However, we need to understand how students are using these textbooks - or in many cases, not using them. In classes where I have surveyed textbook utilization, between a third and a half of students do not use the textbook or use it very little.  The reason that they give the most often is that they prefer to read a hard copy of the book and/or have difficulty navigating the online or PDF versions. A few have technical issues and cannot access the book with older computers. \n\nThis issue appears easily rectified by providing a hard copy of the textbook for a nominal cost, which Openstax has done admirably. We stock this textbook in the college bookstore to make it as accessible as possible. I also require the use the online Sapling Learning support system to encourage students to engage with the textbook.   \n\nThe problem is that the siren song of free means that most students will not purchase the textbook if they can access it for free, even if they are unwilling or unable to read an onscreen version.  There is only so much that we can do in this situation but it is important for students and instructors alike to be aware of it. I was an enthusiastic adopter of this technology and it was not until I surveyed the students that I understood the extent of this problem. Much of the value of this textbook is virtually ignored by most students, particularly the embedded links to supporting resources. Almost none of my students access these links, even when I tell them how useful they will be to illustrate difficult concepts.  In fact, many students automatically google for information (much of it incorrect or incomplete) rather than use their textbook.  \n\nIf we want students to use these resources, we need to be very clear that 1) the textbook is an important learning resource, and 2) they are accountable for learning the material. We need to make hard copies available in college bookstores and on reserve at the library. We also must take the time in class to demonstrate how to fully utilize the features of the book.  As instructors who were not immersed in technology in our formative years, we often assume that our students are more technically savvy than they are. Most importantly, we need to help students recognize the kind of learners they are so they can use strategies that increase their engagement with these resources and their success in our classes.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1477,"first_name":"Grace","last_name":"Murray","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers most ideas, however not always fully.  Already, within the first 6 chapters, I have noticed many small, yet still important concepts that are not discussed.  For instance:\nHydrolysis and dehydration reactions are not discussed.  The wording is used in a few places, but there is no defining section describing water's role in chemical bonds, which is relevant in many further concepts in the book.\nOther important concepts that are missing, or not fully included, are Salts/electrolytes and Redox reactions.  Also ATP/ADP are barely covered.  These are crucial concepts necessary to the understanding of following concepts.\n\nIt is understood that this is a book for non-majors, however, this is not quite comprehensive enough for a college-level non-majors biology course.  \n\nI am pleased to see a glossary of terms after each chapter.  This is very useful for students.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not noticed any errors, or blatantly incorrect information.   The only small inaccuracy I found is that electrolyes dissolve in water.  Salts dissolve in water, releasing electrolytes (ions).  These do not further dissolve.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This textbook is basic enough that the information can remain relevant for many years. Most of this information is general concepts which haven't changed, nor are likely to change for many years.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"I think the clarity is great.  It stays easy to read and comprehend for a non-majors level.   The only problem I see is use of words such as hydrolysis/dehydration and oxidation/reduction, with no formal discussion defining these words. The context they are used in is not enough to derive an understanding of the words.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I have noticed no issues in terms of consistency and framework.  There is a nice flow to the information.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"All chapters are well divided into small concept chunks with appropriate subheadings.  This makes it easy to direct students to what to read, verses what can be skipped, as well as allowing students to properly chunk notes taken from reading.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics have a logical and meaningful flow, which is very well organized.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"On the computers and devises I have used, I have noted no problems with interface.  I know that my students are viewing the text in many forms, including tablets and smartphones, from which I have heard of no problems.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have yet to see a grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I feel that there are many references and examples to biological situations, none of which I have noted any insensitivity or offensiveness. Most don't lend themselves to inclusiveness issues.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall the book is well-done, and a blessing to be able to provide to students for free.  I feel it just needs a bit more information added to it to round it out fully, and make it appropriate for a college level biology course.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1532,"first_name":"Matthew","last_name":"Fisher","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Oregon Coast Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Concepts of Biology is perhaps the most comprehensive introductory textbook that I have encountered. Every topic that you would expect in a general biology textbook is present, from chemistry to ecology. I liked that the text included topics sometimes missed in other texts, such as biotechnology and physiology. While the text is designed to be a pared down version intended for non-majors, it is still fairly lengthy. If you download the text as a PDF it is 621 pages (although some of that is empty space due to formatting issues).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no inaccurate information. To be best of my knowledge, the content is factual and objective.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This textbook has up-to-date information. An example would be the discussion of protists. Some textbooks still refer to this group as a kingdom but this text deftly handles the revisions in taxonomy that are occurring without providing too much information (information that is is likely to change in the near future as taxonomic revisions continue).","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Overall, the textbook adequately explains the content and provides sufficient supplementary figures. However, there are some major problems in the beginning portions of the text that are hard to overlook. When compared to traditional textbooks, these are major short-comings and that is why I give the text a \"3\" for this category. \n\nFor example, in chapter 2 there are several examples of jargon being used without proper explanation. These include the use of \"polymer\", a term that is repeatedly used but never explained. Also, in the same chapter they never bother to explain what an organic molecule is! During the discussion of phospholipids and steroids, no figures are presented to assist in the explanation. I have never seen a textbook that doesn't provide a diagram to help explain the amphipathic nature of phospholipids. This chapter in particular could have used a lot more figures (for example, they attempt to explain things like pleated sheets without the use of illustrations). In addition, steroids are simply described as having a \"ring structure,\" which of course could also be used to describe sugars. There are a few other instances similar to this, but they are all found in Unit 1. \n\nIf I were to adopt this textbook for my class, I would absolutely have to fix these problems first.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Overall, the writing, formatting, and style are consistent from chapter to chapter, despite the various authors. However, as noted in my comments for the \"Clarity\" section, there were significant problems that only arose in Unit 1. The only other issue that I noticed was that the number of review questions at the end of each section widely varied. For equal amounts of content, sometimes there would only be 1 or 2 review questions, and other times perhaps 6 or 7.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook appropriately separates the content into units of reasonable length. A positive feature of this text is that you don't have to scroll for days to reach the end of each unit. From firsthand experience, I know that students appreciate that.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall, the textbook does a great job of organizing the content. Personally, I feel that the chapters on DNA and gene expression should occur before the units on genetics, but most textbooks don't organize it that way so I did not let it affect my evaluation of this text. However, in Unit 1 (again) I was left scratching my head. The text doesn't introduce the term \"cellular respiration\" until after its discussion on glycolysis. The text fails to contextualize why glycolysis is important and the different ways in which it is used. The text goes on to explain the citric acid cycle and oxidative phosphorylation, but again fails to explicitly tie all of the processes together under the umbrella of \"cellular respiration\". \n\nI was also perplexed as to why waxes were included with steroids in the same subheading. Waxes are much more similar to fats than steroids. Lastly, a subsection titled \"facilitated transport\" was included in the section on passive transport, suggesting to the reader that it is not also important (vital, in fact) for active transport.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Overall, the interface is excellent. I gave the text a rating of 4 because a few figures had text that was very small and hard to read compared to the main text. See figure 7 in section 1.1, for example.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Overall, the grammar was excellent. However, in Unit 1, the author(s) really struggled with topic sentences. For example, the topic sentence for the first paragraph in a subsection on hydrogen bonds reads, \"Ionic and covalent bonds are strong bonds that require considerable energy to break.\" It's not until the 4th sentence that hydrogen bonds are actually mentioned!","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"With regard to photographs/portraits of people, the text shows almost exclusively white men. The only two pictures used for the \"Careers in Action\" section were white men. Of the pictures/portraits were they explicitly highlighted scientists, all were white males except for one which included a white female. This may be the only textbook that I have seen that has not included a picture of Rosalind Franklin when discussing DNA, doing so would have balanced the scales. Overall, this textbook was done a poor job of highlighting people of color and women. They should specifically highlight scientists that fit these descriptions, in addition to showing pictures of racially diverse people in the \"Careers in Action\" section.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a strong textbook and has many positive attributes. If the corrections to Unit 1 were made and the text included a more racially and gender-balanced focus, then it would be superior to traditional textbooks.  \n\nOne final note: the addition of review questions at the end of each module are great, in theory, but almost all of the multiple choice questions require only simple recall from students. Including questions higher up on Bloom's taxonomy would demonstrate to students that they are expected to synthesize, apply, and otherwise critically think about the material.","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1792,"first_name":"Dale","last_name":"Holen","position":"Associate Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Penn State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":" I compared it to my current text and it does cover the requisite areas that should be found in a non-majors biology text. At times the material is glossed over however. For instance in the Glycolysis section there is are three short paragraphs describing this metabolic pathway and the corresponding figure mis-represents what actually happens. I agree that most non-majors don't need to understand the intricacies of this pathway but I think it unwise to represent it as a simple two-step process. There is beauty in complexity. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"It seems that way. The non-majors course I teach is Genetics, Ecology and Evolution. For each of the sections in the Openstax book there is a general covering of the most of the material and the material covered is accurate. However, there is a general paucity in detail for much of it and in some cases information that I feel is relevant is missing. For instance in the non-Mendelian genetics section there is no mention of pleiotropy nor environmental effects. There are other examples where relevant material, in my opinion, was left out. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"It appears to be up-to-date. However I saw no reference to Prion diseases and it's not referenced in the index. Unfortunately, the section on viruses in included within the chapter on The Immune System and Disease rather than being a stand-alone chapter.  In the evolution section there was nothing in regards to human evolution. There was one picture comparing a human and ape skull indicating their relatedness but it's in the chapter on Diversity of Life. I think it's a mistake to leave that out.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I found it easy to read; however, I found that in many areas there was too brief a description, which I believe would make the material difficult for the student to completely understand. That also applies to many of the figures which I didn't think were adequately explained by the caption. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":" The text and jargon seems consistent throughout. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sections are relatively short with adequate subheadings. The font could be a little larger. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics flow in an appropriate sequence ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"All images were clear and I had no navigation problems.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't observe any grammar issues. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not observe any problems in this area. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Because it's a free downloadable book for students I was excited to review it for possible use in my non-majors course. I was less excited after the review. Many sections seem to lack overall detail and there was relevant information excluded.  And I didn't find the illustrations overall engaging. In some cases additional figures / illustrations should have been added for clarity, e.g. the discussion on transformation, transduction and conjugation by bacteria. However, having said that, the missing information can be provided by the instructor in the classroom as well as a more comprehensive explanation if needed. I personally wouldn't adopt this if this was an option as a hard-copy text book. but as a freebee for students I might consider it. I'm still debating. \n","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1908,"first_name":"Haydn","last_name":"Rubelmann","position":"Visiting Instructor","institution_name":"University of South Florida","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The main concepts in an all-encompassing Biology Non-Majors course are present. However, many concepts are only present as 1 or 2 paragraphs at most, and not every concept has figures associated with it.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any inaccuracies within the text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Within the Biotechnology section, they should include Crispr - which has already been added to most major Biology texts. As far as longevity, Biology books themselves change frequently, and the text will need to be updated as such.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is so concise, clarity is hardly an issue. Everything is straightforward and written simply. If anything, I would prefer more information and examples on the topics presented.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is extremely consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Everything is where it should be. It would be very easy to move from section to section as needed, omitting certain modules for time constraints or when altering the course towards certain subjects. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I am used to animal structure and function (systems biology) following at the end of a non-majors book, rather than having it before the ecology section. It is nice to introduce the students to all of the life on the planet, and then follow it with how they interact. After that is when systems biology can be discussed.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"It was very easy to use online. I like that there are end of chapter questions, and with a click of the button you can see the correct answer. However, the answer should not only show the multiple choice letter, but also a brief description of why the answer is correct. I think this would be helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Within the human population chapter, I did not find anything offensive. It almost appeared that the authors avoided discussing any policies of human populations that were intended to curb exponential growth (China's one child policy, India's educational stances). Anyhow, the chapters were written well and shouldn't cause offense to anyone.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I think the book is sufficient in teaching a non-majors Biology course. However, each topic is written so concisely, that I feel students may be inclined to feel as if they are reading a dictionary or encyclopedia. I would need to use outside material for the course to engage the students in order to motivate them to learn the course material. There are rarely any stories or attention grabbing anecdotes to stimulate student's interests. Similarly, the questions at the end of each section are knowledge-based low-level Bloom's which can be answered with a quick scroll up, as each section is given on one single page.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1947,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Ripley Stueckle","position":"Teaching Associate Professor","institution_name":"West Virginia University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text follows the standard general biology topic areas in the typical order.  There is a table of contents but no comprehensive glossary at the end.  Definitions for terms are presented at the end of each chapter.  In terms of the comprehensiveness of the text itself, some areas are too detailed while others are lacking.  For instance, there is a bunch of information on gene regulation that isn’t usually covered at the introductory, non-majors level but then there is a very small bit about climate change and acid rain and chemical pollution/toxicity are completely omitted.  Likewise, I was confused why the text spends a page addressing food chains when it then states that food chains are too simplistic and in reality food webs are more accurate.  I’m sure this extensive devotion to food chains would be equally confusing and misleading to my students.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The majority of the content is accurate but there are some significant points in which I found errors.  Starting in the first chapter, the text separates regulation and homeostatis as two separate characteristics of life.  In truth, these are the same. Then, the fact that life is cellular is omitted.  In the same chapter, the example of a control is inaccurate.  The example focuses on a freshwater pond to grow algae.  The text states that adding salt is a control but adding any compound is still adding a variable.  Later, in the Mendelian inheritance section, there is no mention that human traits do not strictly follow Mendelian patterns.  There is a picture of albinism but no text to explain that many human conditions/traits largely follow Mendelian patterns so we use this type of inheritance to predict but that they are actually polygenic.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is a reference text with mostly content provided.  Considering the lack of application and examples, the text will have extended relevance.  My concern is the lack of interest in the text.  These non-major introductory classes are taught with application and real-world events as the focus.  The text completely omits these attention grabbing examples.  Many of these situations such as global climate change, genetic conditions, cancer, etc. are relevant but not highlighted in the text.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Overall, the text is concise and straightforward.  Revision is warranted in some places.  For instance, the way the sentence is written on page 60, it sounds like only bacteria have a cell wall when the authors meant that only bacteria have a cell wall made of peptidoglycan which differs from the composition of plant cells.\n\nWhile the voice of the text is clear and concise, I don’t think it is friendly or inviting to the targeted audience.  The prose is written as a reference with content strictly presented.  I believe my non-major introductory students would have a hard time staying interested in the text.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The different topics felt like they were written by different authors and then the chapters assembled.  For instance, some chapters started with an interesting, real world example as an introduction while other chapters just started with material.  The same tone throughout would be beneficial.  ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The section titles and headings are appropriate modules.  But the sections are large.  Some of the major headings should be their own sections.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The order of topic presentation is typical of introductory biology textbooks. However, it makes more sense to present DNA replication before mitosis and meiosis since DNA replication occurs before these division processes.  Also, when you read the text itself, the organization is confusing.  The cell chapter was particularly troublesome.  There is a section titled eurkaryotes and the plasma membrane, cytoplasm and ribosomes are presented here.  None of these are organelles and all of these are structures found in prokaryotic cells too.  Also, this text presents the nucleus in the endomembrane system which is inaccurate.\n\n","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"Many of the figures have poor quality.  It appears that they were copied at low resolution and the text in the figure is blurry.  Many pages are large sections of empty space because of the placement of figures.  The art connections are the only useful figures.  The other figures are just placeholders that could be overlooked.  Students prefer to scan the figure and figure legends for content.  But there are none in this text.  All of the information has to come from the text itself.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no distracting grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is generic and thus is relevant to all.  In fact, there are very few pictures or references to humans and instead, other organisms are the focus.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"This book is written as a reference textbook with the concepts themselves covered but not in any context to relevant, real world examples.  The lack of attention-grabbing figures with detailed descriptions and the generic prose would easily loose the attention of my students.  Again, this would be a useful reference book but not a good source for non-major, introductory students to read and understand on their own.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2233,"first_name":"Rochelle","last_name":"Nelson","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Queensborough Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all areas and ideas of the subject appropriately. The text is written in a manner that is easy for nonmajors to understand. The texts provide a detailed table of contents with Appendix A, B, and C. However, the text is lacking a glossary which would provide easy access to the definition of terms without forcing the student to guess which chapter they would find a said term in. In Chapter 1, the author should consider including information on the evolution/progression of science, a brief history of science. The author should consider adding information on the states of matter and phase changes. This would help connect the topic of science even more closely to the student's everyday life. Chapters 9.5 and all of chapter 10 is too detailed for this level of learning.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content contains some minor errors which can easily be fixed by an unbiased editor.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is relevant as the majority of it is covered in nonmajor biology courses. However, the text is missing the take-home examples which is very necessary for this level of learning. Students need examples of the concepts which can be related to their everyday life. The text is also missing information on human evolution, a big topic in biology. Also, one of the current hot topics in genetics is the crispr cas9 technology, this book does not introduce or address this technology, other books which includes this and other topics could make this text obsolete.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a manner which makes it a very fluid, straightforward read. The authors could, however, try harder to further simplify the text by adding more examples. The lack of intimidating jargon, without the loss of content makes the text appropriately (but not perfectly) geared towards its intended nonmajor audience.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"In terms of content difficulty, the authors are relatively consistent. However, some chapters are more detailed than others, some chapters have more or no examples. This adds an unnecessary level of confusion to the text as well as confusion to the teaching style of the text. More consistency should be added to the number and difficulty? level of the review questions found at the end of each section.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The text is readily divisible into smaller reading sections, however, some sections are much larger than others and therefore? sometimes read as their own chapters.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented in a logical fashion which mimics the organization of any biology course for majors and nonmajors alike.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The interface needs some editing. Page breaks are not appropriately applied. For instance, on pdf page 11, the \"About Our Team\" section flows into pdf page 12, two authors name dangle randomly on the top section of this page which then randomly begins the \"Learning Resources\" section. A page break should have been used after the authors' name. Image quality is lacking. For example, Figure 1.7 which depicts a DNA molecule could be sharper/higher resolution.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text does not contain many/any distracting grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"The text should reference an equal amount of minority scientists/and portraits of people as it does Caucasians. Along the same lines, the authors should reference an equal amount of female scientists/and portraits of people as it does males. Luckily, the text mostly references non-human organisms, therefore decreasing the chances of it being insensitive or offensive to any particular group. But the disproportionate examples of one group versus the other can still be readily seen.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"The authors have created the beginnings of a very strong text for nonmajors. However, the authors should continue editing this text as it can be more enlightening and connected to the real world experience of its intended readers.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2266,"first_name":"Laurie","last_name":"Mauger","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Southern Utah University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text book covers all the topics that I typically cover in my non-majors course. There are some topics that are lacking depth, but those are easily addressed during lecture periods to ensure my students have a grasp on the relevant topics. The layout and organization of the chapters makes it easy on students to understand the concepts.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not noticed any inaccuracies in the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content in the text is up-to-date. Any necessary updates are easy to make. I liked how, as an instructor, I could add material that I felt was relevant.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing in the text is easy to understand. I have used this text for a couple of semesters and students were able to understand the writing of the text. It is written in a manner that is accessible to nonmajors.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is broken down into appropriate sections that highlight key facts on a topic.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"All topics are presented in a clear and logical manner.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I have not noticed any cultural insensitivities in the the text.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, I would highly recommend this text for a nonmajors biology course. It is approachable and provides good background information to provide context to this type of course.","created_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2268,"first_name":"Joyce","last_name":"Kaplan","position":"Faculty","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covered most areas fully, but for a non-majors text shortchanges climate change information and has more detail than needed in areas of molecular biology.  Subchapters have glossaries but the overall text should have a glossary that would refer students to the location of terms within the text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the content to be accurate, generally error-free and unbiased.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"This text is presented in a very straighforward manner, but uses few examples and case studies to make the material relevant to the life of a non-major biology student.  The use of video links and occasional career option descriptions is useful, but I feel the presentation in this text would not maintain the interest of the typical non-science student in a meaningful way.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in very accessible, clear language that would be easy for non-majors biology students to understand and generally provides adequate context for technical terminology used.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The text is not consistent throughout in the length and depth of coverage between different chapters and sub-chapters, which seem to have been written by authors with various ideas about the depth of topic coverage needed for non-majors biology students.  There is a similar disparity in the number of review questions and glossary between sub-chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modularity of the text is excellent and provides a great method to assign various combinations of topics within the non-majors biology course.  There is definitely more material included in this book than I would expect to be included in a non-majors course (more like the amount for a majors text), however faculty will have the option of which portions to include and exclude by the ease of assigning specific reading modules.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in the typical organization of a biology textbook and are structured well.  The modular design allows for any reorganization desired by faculty.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface display and navigation were clear throughout but more relevant diagrams and photos that would capture the imagination of the non-majors student, keep their interest in the material, and help them relate the topics to their lives would be beneficial to learning.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were observed.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text was not found to be culturally offensive.  However attempts at cultural relevance seemed to be lacking, including diverse photos (these were not even included in the career example sections!) and examples to make the material relevant to a wider array of students.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2424,"first_name":"Amanda","last_name":"Adams","position":"Instructor of Biological Sciences","institution_name":"Fort Hays State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this open educational resource (OER) provides the foundation for everything that I need for my non-majors Biology course. The content covered is comprehensive and appropriate for a first-year non-majors Biology course. The flow of information is pretty standard compared to other textbooks. It","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate, error-free, and unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is up-to-date and straightforward.\r\nThere are a couple current hot topics that are clearly lacking the text. It would be nice for these to be added in future versions. Instructors will have to supplement in the meantime:\r\n1) There is nothing about immunizations (and that there is no research supporting that they lead to autism) in Ch. 17: The Immune System and Disease.\r\n2) Biotechnology: would like to see more information about how understanding the human genome has helped us understand human evolution.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall the text is \"lucid\", but much of the language is dry and a bit too high level for my first-year students. I anticipate students having a hard time engaging with the text.\r\nThere are many sections with huge blocks of text that appear daunting and will discourage students from reading (e.g., pg 432).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terminology appears consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is very easy to divide, with easy to identify subheadings, into smaller sections for assigning to students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization is standard for a textbook of this type and follows a logical flow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The clickable Table of Contents and Index in the PDF are very helpful for navigation.\r\nThe key terms at the end of each chapter are nice, but I would prefer to have a glossary at the end, where it would be easier to locate vocabulary if a student forgets a term in a later chapter. The clickable Index does make it easy to look up a term and quickly navigate to the definition.\r\nAll of the images and figures are clear and easy to read.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not found any grammatical errors, but I have found a couple typos so far (e.g., Fig. # reference on pg. 25). ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I have not found anything culturally insensitive, but it also isn't exactly inclusive. The overall dryness of the material and it lacking real-world connections leave out places where students can connect to the material. While this plays it safe and doesn't exclude anyone, it also doesn't include anyone either.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The beauty of these OERs is that everything that is lacking can be created, but this takes time and effort that many instructors don't have. This is a great resource, but definitely is not the only thing that can be used to present this information to students. It still needs development to improve engagement for students,  and supplemental resources to support educators.\r\nI have not started using the text and am switching from McGraw-Hill’s Mader \u0026 Windelspecht \"Essentials of Biology\" to an OER. I had several students comment that they really liked the “Connections” boxes in Essentials and these are some of the things that still need to be developed/added to the book. I would like to see more connections in the text of how these general topics connect to current events.. Including more “real world” connections, such as case studies and examples, would improve the textbook significantly. \r\nI am not impressed by the evolution chapter, especially the short section on natural selection (pg. 255) is not very accessible for this level course. This is one of the most challenging topics for my students. I would prefer to see more development of the concepts of micro- vs. macroevolution.\r\nMy favorite features are: Concepts in Action QR codes to link to animations, Careers in Action, and Evolution in Action sections. These sections add better connections for non-majors to relate to. The “art connections” have some great figures, but this title is confusing. I suppose a flow chart could be appreciated as art. Some of the tables have excellent summaries of information (e.g., Table 3.1, pg 72). The questions at the end of the chapter are great too. I really like the level of detail included in Ch. 16: The Body’s Systems. This is an appropriate level for the course.\r\nInstructor Resources: PowerPoints, Test Bank, Answer Guide\r\nExcellent to have these resources developed! \r\nAll of the chapters have at least a one multiple-choice test question. It would be nice to see some short answer and essay questions included as well.\r\nPowerPoint slides are a useful source for images from the textbook. \r\nThe major resource that would be of real value would be active learning activities to pair with the text. This is one of the major advantages of a textbook from a Publisher, access to resources that are already developed. Hopefully this can be added in the near future.","created_at":"2018-11-29T17:27:50.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-29T17:27:50.000-06:00"},{"id":2461,"first_name":"Dan","last_name":"Ropek","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Columbia Gorge Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive, in that it surveys biology from pre-life conditions (chemistry) to ecosystems. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"While very accurate in general, there were some small but glaring errors: e.g. \"Human skin tissue\". With the sheer volume of information, some errors are to be expected.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The science is relevant but would benefit from increasing current content regarding climate change. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"By covering the wide swath of biology, there is not always a perfect balance between terminology and lucid explanation. \r\n","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The tone is consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sectional approach are optimal for modularity. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a traditional, logical fashion.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The text graphics would benefit from being scanned at a higher resolution, since they are often used as part of a classroom large-screen presentation. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Not to a notable degree.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No notable cultural insensitivity.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"No.","created_at":"2018-12-13T16:45:35.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-12-13T16:45:35.000-06:00"},{"id":2533,"first_name":"Maria","last_name":"Entezari","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"LAGCC","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers all different topics that I need for the non-majors Biology course. The content is suitable for students who don’t have the background knowledge of Biology and easy enough to be understood by non-majors’ students.  The learning resources are useful. The “Concepts in Action” and “Careers in Action” and “Key term” are the great too. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found most of the contents accurate. There are few minor errors.\r\n\r\n","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The main and basic topics that non-major students should learn in an introductory Biology course are up to date. However, there are some new topics related to Genetics and Biotechnology are missing. Adding supplements could be useful for these missing parts since these parts are important concepts which could be related to students daily lives. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The contents are very fluent and understandable for first-year students or students who don't have a previous background in Biology. Having the key terms at the end of each chapter also is very helpful for students at the introductory levels. The conceptual examples make even the topics more clear and understandable. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The format of the presented topics and using the terminologies are very consistent. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"All chapters are divided appropriately by the subheading into the smaller concept parts. This is a good feature since you can omit the parts that are too detailed and emphasize on the concepts that students should learn. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters are very organized and the contents in each chapter are logic and organized as well which makes the smooth transition between the concepts in each chapter and from one chapter to the other ones.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not found any difficulty in uploading the pdf and viewing the contents online. The \"concepts in Action: parts are easily accessible. The access to the end chapters' questions is easily accessible too. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not seen ant errors and the contents are clear concise. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There is no any cultural bias in throughout the textbook. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I think this book is very good for being customized and being used for different levels of Biology courses.","created_at":"2019-01-15T22:07:39.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-01-15T22:07:39.000-06:00"},{"id":2631,"first_name":"Binaya","last_name":"Adhikari","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Longwood University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"It has a good representation of major biology topics for an introductory nonmajors biology. But I think having an entire unit for animal structure and function is too much. Interesting and relevant topics from this unit would be incorporated with the framework of other units without needing to create an additional unit. In other cases, it could include some more key content. For example, in scientific methods, it would be great to include terms such as dependent and independent variables; blinded and double-blinded studies etc. The index and glossary are fine.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found no major issues regarding accuracy. However, things can be made clearer. For example, in The Plant Kingdom Introduction, instead of “The process of photosynthesis uses chlorophyll, which is located in organelles called chloroplasts” it could be made clearer by saying that “…uses chlorophyll and other light-absorbing pigments”. Other than such cases, I found no intentional biases. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Although there is no major issue with the relevance and longevity some information could be updated. For example, there are about 4000,000 species of plants than 3000,000 species used in the book according to a newer report released by Kew, which says “excluding algae, mosses, liverworts, and hornworts, there are 390,900 species of plants, of which approximately 369,400 are flowering. If mosses, liverworts, and hornworts are added a number of plant species would be even higher. Such updates can be made in other groups of organisms as well. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Yes, the text is clear enough and technical terms are defined or explained. The key terms that are introduced in a chapter are in bold which is very helpful for students but I feel like some more words could be bolded. Students first look into such terms when studying. Examples are relevant and figures are helpful. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terminologies used in the text are consistent from the beginning to the end. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Overall, I liked the modularity of the text. I liked the pdf version of the text better. However, some sections have quite a bit of text. Adding subheadings could be very helpful especially for non-majors. In some cases, the amount of information was not well balanced. For example, some of the biomes are overly detailed as compared to others. Although they have different biodiversity, they are not more or less interesting or important.    ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The units and chapters are organized logically other than the unit “Animal Structure and Function”, which looks odd in the middle of the book and is not consistent with the rest of the structure. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not find any issue with navigation, text, image/charts, and other features. Images/charts are clear and are of good quality, size, and format. There are no distractions or confusions. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any obvious grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not notice an obvious issue with culturally insensitive or offensiveness.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Chapter reviews, review questions, and critical thinking questions are helpful but they are little too few in number and varieties. To improve the text further, concept checker activities could be added after important topics. To make the content text even more interesting, contemporary issues or cases could be added after important topics. ","created_at":"2019-03-06T20:35:12.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-06T20:35:12.000-06:00"},{"id":2718,"first_name":"Alex","last_name":"Shupinski","position":"Teaching Assistant","institution_name":"University of Nebraska - Lincoln","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook has the topics in an order that allows students to build on their knowledge in a way that connects the concept to the previous ones.  The concepts are broken down into sections where further detail is addressed allowing for deeper comprehension and less confusion.  This allows the students to focus on certain details addressed in the class while reading the text without being overwhelmed.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and detailed. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook addressed some really relevant issues concerning conservation and preservation of biodiversity that a general biology course should cover and address.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Although I found some topics were a bit advanced in terminology  when breaking down concepts, overall it was well-written.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework and set up of the textbook is consistent throughout the book using questions and chapter summaries to help guide students in their learning.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As mentioned above, the textbook is divided up enough that a class can be uniquely taught, focusing on a unique set of topics using this textbook. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The structure gradually moves from a micro view of biology to a macro view and separates animals and plants to allow for a division of that learning.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook has not demonstrated any issues with the interface or images in the book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were found. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This is a textbook that is relevant for all students. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-03-31T14:52:40.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-31T14:52:40.000-05:00"},{"id":2736,"first_name":"Timothy","last_name":"Rohrbach","position":"Assistant Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Richard Bland College of William \u0026 Mary","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The topics presented are the traditional biological topics covered in a first-year general biology course. The depth of each topic is appropriate for a non-major biology course. I appreciate the learning objectives listed at the beginning of each section along with the open-ended critical thinking questions in the chapter reviews. The index is very useful and each Unit contains a glossary for relevant terms. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and I did not discover any glaring inaccuracies or bias information. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":" The authors do a decent job of making the content relevant to students. The \"Career Connection\" sections are a nice bridge between the textbook information and real-world experiences. Ultimately, I believe having a few more examples of real-world science connections would make for a stronger impact on students not majoring in biology.   ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall the language used is very clear and appropriate. One item that would increase clarity is having more images to help visually explain the information. For example, I think it would be beneficial to have potential energy graphs demonstrating the difference between exergonic \u0026 endergonic reactions. Currently this section has no illustrations accompanying the written explanation.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There is great consistency in the textbook. The layout and terminology used is consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The scientific information is presented in a logical manner for a general biology course. Within the the Units, each section has clear learning objectives to prepare students for the upcoming reading. Each Unit has a nice review with accompanying questions.  ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the topics flows from a small microscopic lens to a large macroscopic focus. This approach is very similar to traditional biology textbooks from publishers such as Pearson. At the end of each chapter there is a review with multiple choice and short answer questions. Several end of the chapter questions require looking at images. Unfortunately the images are not present but instead, a hyperlink is provided that directs students back to the text. It would be nice to have the actual picture present and not a hyperlink.  ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Overall, the interface is easy to use and easy to navigate. I appreciate having the table of contents as a side-bar for the online version. The hyperlinks embedded in the text are useful. \"The Concepts in Action\" contain excellent supplemental videos to help students visualize the concepts.  A few hyperlinks did direct me to nonfunctional videos/websites. Additionally, I do wish that hyperlinks were opened in a new tab. Opening the hyperlinks in a new tab would allow for students to easily compare the textbook information with the accompanying link.  The image to text ratio could be better. Fortunately we can enlarge objects on our electronic devices. However, it would be nice if the native version of the image was larger and more proportional to the text. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The textbook is well written and I did not find any grammatical errors.  ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any bias, offensive or culturally insensitive information in the textbook.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":" Overall I believe this a great OER textbook. I am very excited to use it in my general biology course.  ","created_at":"2019-04-05T15:25:21.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-05T15:25:21.000-05:00"},{"id":2821,"first_name":"Amanda","last_name":"Brammer","position":"Associate Professor ","institution_name":"Northshore Technical Community College (NTCC)","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Concepts of Biology contains a wealth of information on biology and covers every topic that a general book should.  It contains an extensive table of contents, which is organized by unit, by chapter, and by section within each chapter.   This makes it easy to find the relevant material.  Each chapter has a list of vocabulary terms and their definitions.  The book also contains an excellent index of key terms at the end of the book.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I read most of the chapters in the book and could not find any significant errors in content.  I paid particular attention to the chapters that fall under my area of expertise and found them very well written and error-free.  The book is unbiased and presents the material accurately and fairly.  ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content in Concepts of Biology is up-to-date and I feel that the unavoidable necessity for updates will be fairly easy to complete.  The text is a general biology book so it shouldn’t need to be updated too often.  Since this is a 2013 edition, I assume it will be updated within the next few years.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Concepts of Biology is very easy to read and understand.  I feel that it is very well written and interesting.  One of the few criticisms I have of the book is that it contains a lot of information for a non-majors book.  I have read most of the significant non-majors and mixed majors books available from traditional publishers, and this book has much more information than any of them.  This does not affect my choice to use this book in my non-majors courses because I choose which information to include and which to leave out in my courses.  However, some instructors might find the book daunting for a non-majors text.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I could not find any significant inconsistencies in the Concepts of Biology book in either terminology or in framework.  ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"One of the few criticisms that I have of the book is that some of the chapters are too long.  For example, all of the animals are covered in one very long chapter.  Perhaps it would be better to split the material up into a chapter on invertebrates and a chapter on vertebrates (many other biology books present the material this way).  However, even though some chapters are very long, the book contains many subheadings that help to organize the material and make it more manageable.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"One of my favorite things about the Concepts of Biology book is its organization.  I like the order in which the chapters are covered.  The book contains an extensive table of contents, which is organized into units, chapters and chapter sections and is very easy to navigate.  ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Concepts of Biology is easy to obtain with just a few clicks of a mouse.  I did not have any issues with interface issues or display features for the book.  The images and charts are pleasing and informative, however, it would be nice if the number of visuals could be increased in future editions.  I find that students like the visuals and it helps to keep their attention.  The only issue with navigation that I found is that several of the URL’s  in the “Concept in Action” sections of the book didn’t work.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I could not find any significant grammatical errors in the Concepts of Biology book.  It appears to have been very well proof-read in all aspects.  ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Concepts of Biology is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.  Since it is a biology book, there are not a lot of pictures of humans, but the ones that are in the book are culturally and ethnically diverse.  The topics that could be considered controversial are broached in a sensitive manner to all.  \r\n\r\n","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I have chosen to implement Concepts of Biology into my non-majors courses at Northshore Technical Community College.  I believe the book is very well written, easy to access and an excellent choice for my courses.  I am a proponent of OER resources and I know this book will be available to my students from day one at no cost.  I am excited to see how this choice will impact my students.  ","created_at":"2019-04-22T21:21:02.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-22T21:21:02.000-05:00"},{"id":2829,"first_name":"Karen","last_name":"Arbuckle","position":"Instructor of Biological Sciences","institution_name":"University of Arkansas Cossatot","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I have been using this OER textbook for my online and traditional biology classes for several years now. I am very pleased with the comprehensiveness of the materials provided in the book. This book meets all of our class outcomes and objectives.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have yet to find any inaccuracies in this book. It is very well written and reviewed.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Even over the last several years I've found that all the material (as well as presentation of the material) is still relevant.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"To be honest, this text book excels in clarity more so then any of the textbooks we used to use from big name publishers. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terminology and framework are consist throughout the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Since I'm using this for a one semester biology class, I only use certain chapters. I set my classes up into weekly modules and have found that this textbook meets this need very well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I prefer the chapter arrangement of this book to previous books I've used.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have never had any problems with the book's interface. The students have found it quite easy to use too. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I haven't found any grammatical errors withing the book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I have found the textbook to be very culturally inclusive. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-04-24T11:52:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-24T11:52:38.000-05:00"},{"id":2837,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Price","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"East Tennessee State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"All major concepts covered in introductory non-majors Biology courses, plus some, are covered here. I like that key terms are presented at the end of individual chapters in which they are introduced and relevant. There is also an effective index at the end of the book.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any obvious errors or biases.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Topics are presented in a general enough way that frequent changes in certain areas, such as phylogenies, should not pose much of a problem.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I feel that the language used in this book is far more accessible to non-majors Biology students than most of the other textbooks out there. Students would find that this flows more easily and there are fewer pauses and halts to interpret true meaning.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I saw no area of obvious inconsistency.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Most of the text is divides well and broken up with figures and images, but there are a few places with blocks of text that are a little to large and possibly overwhelming in appearance to students. Those could be easily addressed and broken up with a couple of small additional images for context. Also, some of the sections begin with photos that have long captions that must be read to understand the significance of the photos. I feel that it would be more effective to either move those down a little and subsequent to a brief introductory paragraph, or make the caption much more brief and less complicated.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I really like the order and organization of topics within this book.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No problem with navigation; very straightforward and user friendly. I like that subtopics drop down when clicking on major topics instead of filling up the screen with everything, which would be aesthetically unpleasing and visually overwhelming. All links to images and charts worked.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors that I noticed. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not detect or notice and offensive or culturally insensitive material. Mentions of race and ethnicity were presented in a neutral and unbiased fashion.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am highly likely to adopt portions of this textbook into my non-majors online Biology courses this coming academic year. I am fond of the connections here between the academic material and current events and practical applications for today's non-majors, and many textbooks overlook the importance of establishing these relationships for students. ","created_at":"2019-04-25T13:24:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-25T13:24:07.000-05:00"},{"id":2923,"first_name":"Wendy","last_name":"Ryan","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Kuztown University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive and covers all topics typically covered in an introductory biology course.  The active links will make it easy for students to use, and while there is no comprehensive glossary, key terms are defined at the end of each chapter","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I didn't thoroughly assess the entire text, but the information presented appears to be reasonably accurate.  Tonicity and osmolarity are not correctly defined or used, but unfortunately this isn't an uncommon occurrence. I checked a few of my other pet peeves and didn't find any additional issues.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text appears to represent a good balance between new research and fundamental principles. It also seems as if much of the cutting edge content is set apart in some sort of feature or active link, which should make it reasonably straightforward to incorporate new results and ideas.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the explanations to be clear.  Technical terminology is used when needed, but also includes contextual and descriptive text that would make it easier to understand.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I didn't find any substantial or disruptive changes in moving between chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I like this aspect of the text, particularly since I'm not planning on using the entire text for a one semester non-majors biology course.  The organization follows a logical order, but the chapters are sufficiently focused and self-contained to make it easy to select a subset of the available chapters and then potentially use them \"out of order\".  This compartmentalization continues at the level of the chapters, again making it  easy to select content appropriate for a particular audience or course.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The material is well organized, within the framework of the text and also within chapters.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I had no issues with the in-text links or links to external resources.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I didn't thoroughly vet the entirety of the text, but I encountered no issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn't really find any particularly cultural references within this text.  It seems as if there may have been a particular effort to avoid this by not including any (or many?) images of actual people.  In the sections on body systems most of the figures are diagrams or art renderings of representative structures..","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-05-17T14:46:25.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-11-09T09:52:47.000-06:00"},{"id":2960,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Rudge","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Western Michigan University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Concepts of Biology provides a comprehensive overview of all topics that would typically be taught in an introductory biology course, from the molecular and cellular basis of life, to the structure and function of the human body, ecology and evolution. Unlike competitors, this text includes an overview of the diversity present in animals plants, and to a lesser extent, fungi. Indeed, I’m inclined to think the text as a whole goes into more detail and covers more topics than are typically possible in a one semester biology course for non-majors, but the overall organization of the book does provide instructors with the opportunity to ignore whole sections. The text also has sections devoted to discussing issues that are the object of widespread public concern, such as bioconservation. The index is helpful in that students are not merely directed to a page number where the topic might be mentioned, but rather the section where the topic is initially introduced and defined, so it functions also as a glossary. Each chapter also contains key terms that are defined in easy to understand language.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"One of the standard problems associated with introductory texts is that in the hope of simplifying the material for students (or some other motivation) a topic/concept is defined in a way that technically is inaccurate. For instance, the textbook I currently use refers to evolution “the ability of organisms to collectively evolve” as a property of living things. I certainly appreciate the desire to have the topic of evolution be front and center, but I worry that included as part of a definition of the characteristics of life the author is perpetuating a misconception that organisms, not populations evolve. Likewise, it claims organic compounds are molecules that contain carbon bounded to other elements. No, carbon dioxide is not an organic compound. Thankfully the present textbook commits neither of these errors. As someone trained in history and philosophy of science, I focused specifically on the section devoted to the process of science. I do think the authors missed an opportunity in connection with their discussion of “the scientific method” to draw explicit attention to the fact that not all science is done in a particular order, that what scientists share in terms of methodology is more appropriately referred to as a family resemblance rather than a list of discrete steps to be done in a particular order. A mere assurance that scientific reasoning at the end of the discussion is more complicated not sufficient. I’m also really bothered by the penchant of this treatment, and also the textbook I am currently using, to use non-scientific examples to illustrate the method of science. Figuring out why your toaster doesn’t work (or how to bake the best cookie) are examples of engineering problems, i.e. applied science. The connection to theory and the idea that the results will contribute to some larger explanatory base are completely lost when using such examples. I realize the authors want readers to appreciate that at a fundamental level, scientists are simply systematically using critical reasoning in a way that we all use in all contexts. But there is a world of difference between claiming the type of reasoning we use to figure out why a toaster is not working is the same sort of reasoning scientists use, on the one hand; and what I fear most students will take from this example.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text does a fairly good job of systematically attempting to connect each topic of discussion to issues potential students will care about, so that the science per se is not presented in an overly abstract way. While biology (and other sciences) are currently undergoing revolutionary changes particularly with reference to the scope of our understanding, I rather doubt an instructor of an introductory course in biology will find the material presented here as dated.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Of the aspects of the book I’ve been asked to comment on, this seems to be the most difficult to ascertain in that it really depends upon the level of student one teaches and the learning objectives of the course. I have to share that in my opinion the explanations provided in this book are at an appropriate level for non-majors.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Throughout the book has a straightforward organization that will facilitate learning by students. Terms are used consistently throughout the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"As mentioned above, I think one advantage of this book is that it has adopted a modular approach to topics, which allows the instructor to pick and choose which topics will be included without having to worry that the student must have read the preceding section to make sense of a given reading. So, for instance, one might decide to have students read one of the sections under Chapter 10 Biotechnology and not worry about assigning only the introduction and the section on genomics and proteomics.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book provides a traditional organization of topics, nature of science, molecular and chemical basis of life, cell biology, cell reproduction and genetics, molecular biology, evolution, animal structure and function, and finally ecology. I typically like to have students study ecology (interactions among organisms and their surroundings over short periods of time) prior to studying evolution, which I portray as the long term consequences of these interactions occurring longer periods of time with reference to shifting gene frequencies. But I see no reason why I couldn’t continue to do this with this book.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I personally prefer a paper copy to the electronic environment, but I have to admit this was quite easy to navigate and I did like the use of occasional animations to explain difficult concepts. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"The history in this book is pretty standard, brief and somewhat simplistic in its interpretation. For instance, there is a missed opportunity in Section 9.1 to discuss the historical role gender issues have played in the portrayal of the history of research on the structure of DNA with reference to Rosalind Franklin’s important, yet neglected role in the discovery. She is mentioned, but only as the source of x-ray crystallography photographs and data. In general, this textbook does not have a discussion of cultural issues and consequently anyone identifying a discussion of science and culture as a learning objective would need to supplement the text.  This is not a text that would overtly encourage students to question the stereotype that for the most part, science is the playground of wealthy white male geniuses living in the past. There is nothing in the textbook that is overtly insensitive, but what the text does not say speaks volumes.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"No.","created_at":"2019-05-30T10:56:30.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-05-30T10:56:30.000-05:00"},{"id":3029,"first_name":"Jessalyn","last_name":"Sabin","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Minnesota State","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all of the major areas in basic biology: the chemistry of life, cell respiration, photosynthesis, cell structure, genetics, evolution, cell division, biotechnology, species diversity, body systems, and ecology. The concepts are described at the appropriate depth for an introductory biology course, such as Human Biology. Each chapter contains references, appropriately defined key terminology, a chapter summary, and content review questions. Supplementary images and diagrams are comprehensive, as well, and reflect and enhance the textual content.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the content to be accurate to the degree that we cover materials in a non-majors course. There are items that are simplified slightly, but this is the case in all introductory texts. I feel comfortable with the accuracy. I did not find any glaring errors or biases in the content. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The topics are up-to-date, and they would be easy for an instructor to supplement with cutting edge information. At this level of coursework, much of the information does not change at a rapid rate. The Career Connections sections are great ways to get students thinking about how this information can tie into a profession in \"real life\".  The Chapter 10: Biotechnology section may need to expand as CRISPR and other technologies become more integral to our understanding of genetics in the future. Human population change is well addressed, and this material is presented in a compelling way. It does show the intersection of policy, human behavior, and biology. I wish that more information had been presented in the animal diversity sections (15.6 in particular) regarding how humans fit into the scheme of biodiversity. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is very clear and easy to read. Terminology is listed alphabetically and defined in the \"Key Terms\" section of the chapter. It would be nice if the key terms were hyperlinked from the in-text highlight to the \"Key Terms\" section. This would make it slightly easier for students to navigate looking up those terms. Explanations for complicated jargon is provided in text, often with illustrative examples.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Terms are used similarly across chapters and contexts. The design of each chapter is consistent, and the flow of ideas is similar in each chapter and subsection. The choice in chapter arrangement is logical, as well. Concepts introduced in earlier chapters (ie: DNA role, structure, location), is consistently used in later chapters to ground and frame new ideas.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I love the modularity of the text. It feels less intimidating to read the online version when it is broken down into digestible sections for non-majors students. It would have helped to have even more images scattered throughout, but overall there are not many large swaths of text. There is some self-referential content, but only as much as to be expected when revisiting concepts later on in the text. There is not a lot of disruption in the flow of each section, which is great for clarity and ease of use. I much prefer this text layout to many of the commercial texts I have used in the past.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in each chapter are separated out by section, then each section is organized by headings that relate to specific concepts. This ties into the learning outcome goals that are stated at the beginning of the chapter, and the same order is followed throughout. I found the organization to be intuitive and clear. The table of contents in the web-version side bar is an easy way to logically order the material. It is easy for readers to quickly find the content that they are looking for. The search function is also incredibly useful for students looking for a specific topic or an earlier lesson.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Text arrangement is smooth and easy to follow, images and charts are clear. I did follow one link in chapter 2, which is supposed to take the reader to a U.S. Geological Service Water Science webpage. Instead, I was directed to some file index. Once clicking the first linked item, I was able to find my way to the website, but the navigation could have been more smooth. Other links that I tried were fine. Some of the passive transport videos that were linked in chapter 3 were a little clunky in the animation, but most others were great.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not pick up on major grammatical errors in this textbook.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not find the text inherently culturally insensitive or offensive. However, the text would have benefited from some auxiliary content that showed women and people of color in the sciences. In 2.3, the sickle cell anemia content could have included more about what racial backgrounds are likely to be impacted, based on historic geographic relationships with malaria. Someone else mentioned in their review that Rosalin Franklin's true contribution to the understanding of DNA structure was very limited in the DNA discussion. There were very few images of human bodies in this text, though many of the illustrations in chapter 16 depicted very \"peachy\" toned skin, which reflects as Caucasian.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook will be sufficient for an introductory, basic biology course. I would feel comfortable using the material as presented. The material is easy to keep up-to-date, which is great when building case studies and other learning materials off of the text.","created_at":"2019-06-30T17:24:30.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-06-30T17:24:30.000-05:00"},{"id":3409,"first_name":"Amanda","last_name":"Rumore","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Randolph College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is the perfect amount of content for an introductory, non-majors biology course, especially those taught in a condensed, single-semester format. All of the major units are covered without excessive detail and organized in a logical sequence from microscopic to macroscopic level (Cell Structure/Function --\u003e Genetics/Molecular Biology --\u003e Evolution and Diversity of Species --\u003eAnimal Biology --\u003e Ecology). ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I did not come across any profoundly inaccurate statements but found many topics are oversimplified. This is not a concern as long as the instructor adds complexity where s/he feels is necessary. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text focuses more on fundamental principles but adds new research into just about each section. Usually there is not enough content within the text on these newer topics and gaps would need to be filled in by the instructor. \r\n\r\n","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Vocabulary is suitably defined throughout the text and topics are kept well separated by headings to provide natural breakpoints in content. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each section is relatively the same length and appropriately longer or shorter when necessary. There is a consistent “voice” throughout which makes reading consecutive sections much easier on the reader. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sections are organized in a logical manner and allow for the instructor to nicely “package” the sections in which s/he intend to use in class. It is easy to select the desired content by chapter and sub-section.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is well organized and flows with a uniform tone throughout. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not run into any broken links. I never had issues accessing the materials and the sidebar/drop-down menus were very helpful. The search function was easy to use and very reliable. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"None that I came across at this time. ","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"There are not many cultural or historical references. Mendel, Watson/Crick/Franklin, and Darwin are the only scientists described in more detail than an image description. The text fails to provide examples that break the stereotypical pattern of scientists and does not introduce students to scientists from different cultures. There is no reference to even general research ethics or examples of current bioethical concerns.  ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"A good choice for a non-major or survey course in Introductory Biology. I just used it for the first time this past semester and plan to continue using it in future iterations of the course. ","created_at":"2019-12-19T20:40:04.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-19T20:40:04.000-06:00"},{"id":4046,"first_name":"Kristin","last_name":"Osborne","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Massachusetts Maritime Academy","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook surveys the essential topics of biology in the appropriate amount of detail for non-biology major undergraduates.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, error-free, and without bias.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Examples highlighting scientific advances pertaining to the subject matter are included in each chapter. They were chosen \r\nfor their relevance and can be easily updated. I particularly liked the \"careers in action\" highlights to provide connections between the subject matter and real-world importance from a career perspective. It provides a new appreciation for learning the material and emphasizes its importance in the context of undergraduate education.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written clearly and concepts are well-articulated.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terminology and framework of the text is consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is easily divisible by chapter and major headings within chapters, if desired.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook has excellent organization and presents material in a clear, logical format. There is an outline of major headings at the start of each chapter, providing a roadmap for the reader.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No interface issues were encountered with images, charts, or other display features. All QR codes tested were active, relevant, and accurate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"None were identified.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"None were identified.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This textbook provides a comprehensive survey of biology concepts and principles suited to teaching first-year, non-biology undergraduates. It is well-organized and the material presented is clear, relevant, and accurate. I appreciate the inclusion of QR codes which directs students to complementary materials, thus supporting other modes of learning. The supporting materials for instructors are of excellent quality. The critical thinking questions at the end of each chapter can serve as interesting writing prompts and/or discussion starters. I look forward to offering this textbook to my General Biology students in the future as a high-quality, no-cost option.","created_at":"2020-06-23T13:23:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-23T13:23:15.000-05:00"},{"id":4121,"first_name":"Kristen","last_name":"Kane","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Mount Wachusett Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"There wasn't really an area of my introductory biology course that wasn't covered in this text.  Very thorough.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't find any mistakes as I was looking through the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I think that much of the content of this text will not change, but it would be easy to update sections as needed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I think that it is very helpful to have the key terms not only listed but defined.  The search feature is really helpful for quickly looking up terms as well.  This text is well written for its audience and is not overly wordy, which students appreciate.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each unit follows the same framework for each unit which is helpful for students to be able to easily navigate the text.  Terminology seems to be consistent throughout, often initially defining a term and then broadening that definition as necessary.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"There are some sections with larger chunks of texts that could be broken up to create more white space but overall I think it would be easy to assign various chunks of material for reading.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This text is organized in much the same order as most introductory biology texts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No issues navigating and images appeared clear.  The links were all functional and helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No glaring errors except that I noticed Sun was capitalized in section 1.1.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I didn't notice anything culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I really liked this text and would definitely consider its adoption for my course.  The embedded links and animations are helpful.  I'd love to see a link to an interactive periodic table added.  The Career Connections sections are great as students are often unsure what they want to do within the field and these give some good ideas.  One thing that I was disappointed about was that there were no answers anywhere for any of the questions.  The Visual Connections questions, in particular, should be answered somewhere so that students can check for comprehension.  Overall, well done!","created_at":"2020-06-28T20:10:24.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-28T20:10:24.000-05:00"},{"id":4326,"first_name":"Collin","last_name":"MacLeod","position":"Biology instructor","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"All concepts typically covered in an introductory biology course are thoroughly and concisely covered.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The accuracy of this textbook is unimpeachable.  The textbook does a great job of accurately explaining the science of life for a nonmajors course.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Concepts of biology will be up to date for many years to come and students who thoroughly study the book will have a well rounded introduction to the science of life as it pertains to current issues facing our society.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book clearly explains each concept.  It assumes the reader knows little about biology, introduces them to the concepts with a minimum of unnecessary jargon, and is well supported with visual aids.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"From chapter to chapter there is a similar degree of depth and breadth.   Each chapter is organized in well labeled sections, and each chapter ends with a summary of key concepts as well as review questions.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is divided into sections so an instructor could easily assign only some of the sections for a given chapter.  For example, chapter  4 is divided into 5 different sections, each of which has a numerical heading as well as a title.  Ex: 4.2 Glycolysis.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook follows the order of a typical introductory biology textbook.   Substituting this book for another requires little adjustment.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book includes hyperlinks to videos, and all of them worked at the time I wrote this review.  The images never failed to load, and the book can be ordered in print form as well for around $20.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in this textbook.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Concepts of biology makes meaningful cultural connections when pertinent and is suitable for a diverse student body.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Concepts of biology is a great textbook for a nonmajors biology course and instructors should adopt this course as opposed to more expensive options that offer little if any additional value.","created_at":"2020-08-17T12:49:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-17T12:49:22.000-05:00"},{"id":4651,"first_name":"Adele","last_name":"Doperalski","position":"Senior Professorial Lecturer","institution_name":"American University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is a good survey of important biological concepts that are appropriate for non-major undergraduates.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, error-free and unbiased.  The content is in a simplified form, but that allows instructors to add detail where they see fit for their course customization.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Most of the information covered is well established biological concepts and will not change.  If changes do need to be made or updates needed, the topics are presented in a way that these changes/updates will be easy fixes.  The biotechnology chapter should be updated to include CRISPR as well as some of the new forms of vaccines that we are seeing emerge.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbooks is clearly written.  Bolded terms  with a key words list at the end of each chapter help highlight important terminology in the field that non-majors should be familiar with.  With those words highlighted, the textbook does a good job of limiting unnecessary jargon that does not help with understanding.  The figures and links to videos help with understanding.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Chapter organization is consistent throughout the textbook which makes for easy, quick navigation.  The subject of each chapter is examined at the same depth of knowledge which again allows for instructor flexibility in adding their own details to in class information delivery.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This textbook is easily divided into chapters with subheadings for smaller sections.  It is easy to pinpoint the exact the reading to assign for students for each topic.  The text, in most places, is not large intimidating chunks and nicely broken up with figures or videos although there are a few sections of long text blocks that could be broken up.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics flow in a logical fashion.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This text is easy to use and navigate.  All links to external videos worked and loaded quickly.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are no obvious grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any culturally insensitive or offensive language in this textbook.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a great textbook for a non-majors introductory biology course.  I find it hard to assign an expensive textbook to students who won't use it again so having this OER option is wonderful.  I would like to see answers to the questions at the end of the chapters so that students can self-assess their knowledge as well as a few sections that highlight the contributions of a diverse set of scientists to the field of biology.","created_at":"2021-02-26T08:46:35.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-02-26T08:46:35.000-06:00"},{"id":4689,"first_name":"Kent","last_name":"Cubbage","position":"Biology Professor","institution_name":"Aiken Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all of the major and germane concepts associated with a two semester non-majors course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Information is accurate, with no apparent errors. There is no bias of any kind.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Relevant, well-established biological concepts useful for any knowledge base. Some newer biotechnology advances should be added.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is clearly written. Clear and concise. Very readable for a non-major.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Depth and breadth is consistent throughout the chapters. Well organized and well labeled sections.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into manageable, readable sections. Headings are labeled well.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Text is organized in fashion similar to textbooks of its type. Therefore the flow is solid.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Images and tables are presented in a way that properly supports the text. No obvious navigation issues of note.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Error-free from a grammatical standpoint.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Text is inclusive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-03-11T10:18:56.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-03-11T10:18:56.000-06:00"},{"id":4976,"first_name":"Joseph","last_name":"Harari","position":"Adjunct Instructor","institution_name":"North Shore Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Highly comprehensive for a two-semester intro to biology course.  Almost every topic that would be taught in BIO1-BIO2 is covered extensively. Animal behavior could be a topic to add for future editions.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content is objective, accurate, and I could not detect any errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Highly relevant and up to date in terms of content. Career suggestions are relevant for today. Biotechnology techniques mentioned are commonly employed in modern labs.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Text is easy to understand and read. Flows nicely for students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Everything is laid out consistently with the same format throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Text is well broken down into individual modules that are suitable for reading assignments and frequent stopping points.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics are presented in a logical manner that are consistent with the structure of most biology courses","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface was very clear and not distracting to the reader.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors detected. A few extra spaces here and there should be deleted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No culturally insensitive content was recognized.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I think this book would be an excellent resource for a one-year introductory biology course. It covers all of the fundamental principles of biology and includes QR codes to several videos, activities, and websites that engage the student throughout. The authors' language is friendly and inviting, enticing the reader to continue. The only aspect that could be improved is imagery and figures, which can sometimes seem rudimentary and inconsistently illustrated.","created_at":"2021-05-24T15:24:56.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-24T15:24:56.000-05:00"},{"id":5000,"first_name":"Kai","last_name":"Blaisdell","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"St. Mary's College of California","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Concepts of Biology includes almost everything that I would normally include in a one-semester General Biology course. In Chapter 5, I found the coverage of environmental adaptations in photosynthesis to lack depth, and I included another resource to add more detail to my course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"One instructor resource is a list of errata that can be downloaded as a pdf; errors that have been found by users and updated. The list is short, and errors appear to have been corrected. I encountered no inaccuracies that affected my class.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Generally content and terminology are up to date. For example, I am pleased that the Citric Acid Cycle is not called by the older convention of “Krebs Cycle”. However the genetic engineering content could be updated. In Chapter 10 there is a link to a video about genetic engineering that was created in 2003, eighteen years ago. A simple explanation of CRISPR gene editing is needed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Concepts of Biology is very clearly written, with a consistent layout that is easy to navigate. Each section opens with clearly stated learning objectives that I modify and add to my own teaching materials. Each chapter has an alphabetical list of key terms. Each section of a chapter is a good length and clearly written. The entire book can be searched for a particular word or phrase – there must be an exact match. For example, “genetic engineer” yields no results, while “genetic engineering” is found in two chapters.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is consistent both internally and with most conventions in the Biology Discipline. Chapter organization and writing style are consistent among all sections.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I am particularly pleased with the sections of the text. Bite-sized sections can be assigned to accompany lecture, video, practice questions, and in-class lecture or lab activities.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Sections and Chapters are organized in a manner similar to most mainstream Biology textbooks. The organization is such that it would be easy to include or omit entire sections. I can quickly find any topic through the Table of Contents.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The first thing that I notice is the sleek, responsive, intuitive user interface of OpenStax; it is easy to navigate the table of contents to open a specific section of each chapter. Pearson has a similar but less responsive interface for its eBooks. Many of the images are just okay; some are fairly hard to see. Many images are quite nice, and I have used them in my teaching materials when teaching with a non-OER text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Generally I have not found grammatical errors. The text sometimes treats the word “data” as plural and other times as singular. The phrases “This data” and “these data” are both used.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This text could be improved by highlighting and showing images of a larger proportion of non-white, non-male researchers. Most researchers who are highlighted are historical, white, and male. As for non-scientists, examples appear to be culturally sensitive. The book has avoided some missteps common in other texts; for example Concepts of Biology thankfully does not focus on human populations in its explanation of life tables.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The cost of STEM textbooks is a true barrier for many students; a substantial number of students will not buy the textbook, will share with a peer, settle for an older edition, and at the start of the semester many ask whether the textbook truly is needed for class. Then a number of students do not obtain their textbook until after the class has begun. This dynamic is detrimental to their learning.\r\nStudents who are not STEM majors may see a Biology textbook cost as an even greater barrier; why pay big money for a textbook that they will use for one semester, and then never need again?  Offering an open education resource textbook is therefore an appealing option that also assures that all students will have access to the course textbook. There are some pretty nice, expensive, biology textbooks for nonmajors’ General Biology. I have used two non-OER texts that are quite popular, and I was concerned that making the switch to an open education resource would be a downgrade for student experience.  \r\nMy philosophy for my nonmajors students is that all students and I will learn from each other and walk away with an increased understanding of a number of topics in biology. Understanding biology and the process of science can help us confidently analyze biology-related headlines in the mainstream news, and can enable us to advocate for our selves, families, friends, and communities in biology-related decisions. If a textbook is free and online, students will have access to this resource during class and for the foreseeable future; this extended availability aligns with my teaching philosophy. \r\nInstructor resources are provided: PowerPoint slides, Microsoft Word test banks, and in-depth answers for practice questions. There are course cartridges for Canvas and Blackboard. There are links to other resources that have been created by the instructor community. Students can access practice questions with suggested answers. Students can choose to work with the textbook in a browser, as a pdf, or even order a hard copy for a low price. \r\nOne thing that I particularly like for students about the OpenStax platform is that other quality textbooks are centrally available in the same platform. For example, if a student is researching a particular topic in depth for a paper or presentation, I can direct them to a relevant section of OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology or Microbiology. \r\nMy conclusion is that requiring OpenStax Concepts of Biology instead of a more expensive alternative for a nonmajors’ Biology course provides an overall improvement for student learning.","created_at":"2021-05-28T12:31:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-28T12:31:38.000-05:00"},{"id":33883,"first_name":"May","last_name":"Coulson","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"City Colleges of Chicago","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Most of the chapters and information are sufficient for a basic non-majors biology course- I think the links with QR codes are appropriate for the tech savy student and still basic enough giving the specific website (URL) for those non-traditional students at community colleges","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I think most of the material is accurate as can be, however being an open resource instructors have other options to supplement the materials if they choose to use this particular text source as their text book for the course.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I think the connection to current event and other aspects that highlight applications to real world examples that a non major or even a majors student, who is not quite sure what field of Biology or science they want to pursue is helpful since Biology is NOT just about studying cells.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I think most of the content lay out is very clear for students to follow- again instructors may supplement and/or change the layout of the materials, for example I discuss photosynthesis before discussing cellular respiration in my general Biology courses.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I think for the most part the layout and way of organization of the materials is fairly consistent, I like the end of chapter glossary as well as questions that also include critical thinking questions to help students focus on the terminology as well as apply them to more thought engaging type of critical thinking types of assessments","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes, I think each section of the topics are divided in an easy enough format. This appears to be similar to most publisher textbook layouts that I have used over many years","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization is fine\r\nagain instructors may supplement and/or change the layout of the materials, for example I discuss photosynthesis before discussing cellular respiration in my general Biology courses.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Most of the figures, tables and graphs are very basic- free content, however depending on the institution if using this OER text as supplemental or perhaps instructor can supplement with other figures, tables, video etc.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"No comment","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall I think this is a great basic biology text book, comparable to publisher (textbooks that cost more).","created_at":"2022-05-27T16:58:23.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-05-27T16:58:23.000-05:00"},{"id":33954,"first_name":"Evan","last_name":"Fiedler","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is exceptionally organized. There are 6 essential units with content divided into 21 chapters. Prior to the content, there is an explanation of the use of the digital highlighter for students to make virtual notes.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Historically, evolution has been a hot topic in biology where there may be biased content. Not in this textbook, the evidence is presented (from fossils to homologous structures), and the key mechanisms of the process of speciation.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is being updated to current relevant changes in science. Including the coronavirus in the chapter on immunity (which opens with viruses as the topic), is evidence that this is achieved. I teach genetics as well, and the textbook includes a very thorough chapter on Genetic Engineering.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The sentences are well-written with key terms and concepts in bold. In addition, there are illustrations, video links, and questions to check for understanding.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Yes, the explanations gradually bring you into the content with relevant studies or historical events/facts, and then introduce terms and concepts.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes, from the Table of Contents, any chapter and/or subsection can be accessed with one click-of-a-button. And each subsection, has the content that you would expect in a collegiate-level textbook.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Yes, the book is organized to align with College Biology being taught in two semesters. The units on chemistry, cells, respiration, photosynthesis, and biotechnology, precede the units on diversity of life.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Yes, the textbook includes images/charts/graphs on almost every page; the clarity is excellent and the illustrations are relevant.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar appears flawless, and the authors make an effort to include sentences that are concise as well as informative.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text focuses on representations of life in the natural world. There does not appear to be any culturally insensitive material. Even in the section describing population growth, the explanations are unbiased, and the moral dilemma with a one-child policy is explained without criticism of China as a country. As a matter of fact, it is shared that several citizens of China still have more than one child.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am really impressed with the thorough, up-to-date, relevant content in this textbook. It would be an excellent choice for General Biology courses.","created_at":"2022-07-18T11:27:05.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-07-18T11:27:05.000-05:00"},{"id":33967,"first_name":"Zhihan","last_name":"Carpenter","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all the major topics for an introductory biology course. The QR code makes it easy for tech-savvy students to access supplemental materials that provide them helps outside the classroom. The glossary is easy to navigate.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of the textbook is accurate. Some concepts are simplified but it is still level-appropriate for an introductory course.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content of the book is up-to-date. The text is written in a way that necessary updates will be relatively easy to be added, such as \"Genetic Engineering\" in chapter 10 Biotechnology.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written clearly and is easy to understand. The key terms and the chapter summary at the end of each chapter provide alternative explanations for major concepts.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent overall in terms of the formatting and the structure of each chapter. Some chapters are more developed than others in terms of the level of detail of the topics, but it is acceptable.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The content of the book is divided into six units, with three to five chapters within each unit of study. Each chapter begins with an introduction and ends with a summary followed by review and critical thinking questions. In the middle of each chapter, the text is easily divisible into shorter reading portions.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the book are clearly presented. The contents are very organized. Special content \"Careers in Action\" is helpful to students in making connections between concepts learned in class and the real world.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is easy to read online. The images are informative and clear.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book has no major grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is written based on science and is culturally sensitive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is an excellent book for an introductory biology course. It is easy for students to access online for free. For some students, paper based books are preferred. It would be reaching out to more students if a print version is accessible for free. Thank you.","created_at":"2022-07-30T15:34:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-07-30T15:34:39.000-05:00"},{"id":34170,"first_name":"Michellei","last_name":"Fisher","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Leeward Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book provides a comprehensive foundational overview of biological concepts suitable for 100 level introductory biology courses. It is broken down into six units which cover diverse topics from cellular division and genetics to population dynamics.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Although concepts are simplified as an introductory text, content is accurate and error-free. To my knowledge, I have not encountered any typos or major grammatical errors, broken hyperlinks/image files, or conceptual content errors in this textbook.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content is up to date and covers major changes in the field of biology within the last 15 years including genetic cloning, genetically-modified organisms, and a modern approach to taxonomy. However, recent notable biotechnological breakthroughs are not discussed (i.e., CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing).","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Text is written in an approachable manner that retains its technical accuracy. There are graphics and metaphors throughout which help illustrate more abstract concepts- instructors are provided these as .jpgs in the \"Instructor Resources\". The chapters are manageable for students and can be ready on average in about one hour.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Text is very consistent throughout, especially where employing more modern approaches to phylogeny and taxonomy. The chapter structures are consistent and at the end of each chapter, there is a list of key terms, a chapter summary, and review questions.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is broken down into six units and 21 chapters that easily lend itself to a modular format. I find that one chapter per module (about one week of work) works best for students in terms of content digestion, although if chapters are short I may assign two to a module. Chapters are not overly self-referential, and can be reorganized easily for course needs.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The layout of the book is intuitive- it begins with biochemistry and the cellular unit, working through tissues/organisms and genetics to end with a discussion of population ecology. This format ensures students have the foundational understanding of the cell before discussing items of higher organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This book is exceptionally well formatted - I have not encountered any display or interface issues to date and haven't received any complaints from students.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not encountered any major grammatical or spelling errors in this book.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This book is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way and makes efforts to include multi-cultural names in questions and examples. However, I feel that the book would have benefitted from inclusion of some additional cultural examples or interpretations of the concepts presented in the book.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Notably, the book includes free instructor resources like a quiz question bank (organized by chapter), pre-made PowerPoint slides, and other course materials I've found helpful. Students are also able to download the pdf directly rather than being limited to viewing it within an internet browser like some other OER texts. Overall, I can't recommend this book enough for the quality content and exceptional formatting.","created_at":"2022-11-20T13:49:33.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-11-20T13:49:33.000-06:00"},{"id":34629,"first_name":"Rebekkah","last_name":"Vail","position":"Biology adjunct professor","institution_name":"University of Saint Francis","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook has all of the units we typically cover in BIOL 122.  It is written for college non-biology majors and actually has more information than we can utilize in a single semester class.  It is easy to link to the syllabus and Canvas and has additional information if students need to look deeper.  The Table of Contents has easy to use links.  This book does not have enough information on human evolution, tissues, or the integumentary system (all in the syllabus and lab for BIOL 122) as the CK-12 College Human Biology textbook does.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Thus far, I have not found any inaccuracies.  Content is factual, well diagramed and easy to read.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Because this is a digital book, it can easily be updated as information changes.  It is also easy (and cheap) to order a hard copy of the book.  This book does not have the interesting case studies at the beginning of chapters like the CK-12 College Human Biology text has.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"While this book is written in an easy-to-read way with bold-faced terms, they are not hyper-linked to provide more information.  There are no embedded videos that may give students more information like the CK-12 College Human Biology text has.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"This book can be used out of sequence with vocabulary terms in bold.  But this book does not have hyperlinks that refer a student back to previous information like the CK-12 College Human Biology text has.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each section can be used as a stand-alone reading assignment.  Relevant information can easily be linked to syllabus and Canvas like CK-12 College Human Biology text has.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Like the CK-12 College Human Biology text, this text also has an easily organized, sub-headed table of contents.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not found any bad links, charts or diagrams that do not display, etc.  It also has a highlighting tool that allows students to condense important information.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This book has more diagrams and photos of Caucasian people than of people of color.  It is not culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"While Open Stax Concepts of Biology is an acceptable book to use with my BIOL 122 students, I would to prefer to use CK-12 College Human Biology.  https://flexbooks.ck12.org/cbook/ck-12-college-human-biology-flexbook-2.0/ \nThis was not one of the choices on the drop-down menu, so I could not review it, but I did a side-by-side review of both books.","created_at":"2023-07-10T15:05:27.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-07-10T15:05:27.000-05:00"},{"id":35396,"first_name":"Kathryn","last_name":"Sinclair Fenter","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It covers all of the basic biological concepts typically covered in the first year of non-major biology coursework. It has a reasonable depth of material for non-majors and the index and glossary are effective.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The scientific information in the book is accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book is kept up to date, last updated in 2023. The basic biological concepts are kept broad enough to not have to be updated constantly but remain accurate to the time.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The phrasing of the text is straightforward. Special terminology is in bold and is defined in the text as well as in a key terms section at the end of the chapter. At the start of each section, it provides a few learning objectives to focus the reader and at the end, it contains a chapter summary, which is effective and concise for each chapter.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter has the same sections and are laid out similarly. The framework is consistent throughout the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The sections are well separated and follow the typical progression of a basic biology course. Each subsection can be clicked on for direct access and none are excessively long. It is easy to assign one section of the reading based on the material being covered.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization follows the logical progression of a basic biology course, where each concept helps to build on the previous material. It is easy to teach the course in the same order as the book, though some areas could also be swapped, depending how the course is taught.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Tables and images show correctly in the text. Navigation links lead to the correct sections.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar is correct in this textbook. There are occasional minor mistakes, but nothing distracting.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find the text culturally insensitive in any way. It is inclusive in the genetics portion with different examples of genetic patterns and sex-linked characteristics. It also includes representation in the pictures of humans throughout the book.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2025-01-27T14:38:40.000-06:00","updated_at":"2025-01-27T14:38:40.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/concepts-of-biology","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:42:48.000-06:00"},{"id":169,"title":"Anatomy and Physiology","edition_statement":"2e","volume":null,"copyright_year":2021,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Anatomy and Physiology 2e is developed to meet the scope and sequence for a two-semester human anatomy and physiology course for life science and allied health majors. The book is organized by body systems. The revision focuses on inclusive and equitable instruction and includes new student support. Illustrations have been extensively revised to be clearer and more inclusive. The web-based version of Anatomy and Physiology 2e also features links to surgical videos, histology, and interactive diagrams. Please learn more about the changes by previewing the preface.","contributors":[{"id":2752,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"J. Gordon","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Betts","location":"Tyler, Texas","background_text":"J. Gordon Betts, Tyler Junior College"},{"id":5042,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Kelly","middle_name":"A.","last_name":"Young","location":"Long Beach, Califronia","background_text":"Kelly A. Young, California State University, Long Beach"},{"id":5043,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"James","middle_name":"A","last_name":"Wise","location":"Hampton, Virginia","background_text":"James A. Wise, Hampton University"}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":91,"url":"http://openstaxcollege.org/textbooks/anatomy-and-physiology","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"OpenStax"}],"formats":[{"id":120,"type":"Online","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":121,"type":"PDF","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology-2e","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":4853,"type":"Audiobook","url":"https://audileo.com/openstax-anatomy-physiology-2e-audiobook/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":85,"reviews":[{"id":147,"first_name":"Ari","last_name":"Berkowitz","position":"Professor of Biology","institution_name":"University of Oklahoma","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"     Of course, this textbook should properly be compared to commercial Human Anatomy \u0026amp; Physiology textbooks. I am unable to make that comparison, as I have been teaching Human Physiology using commercial Human Physiology textbooks, so I will have to compare it to Human Physiology textbooks instead. \r\n     Much of the text (especially the first half, approximately) emphasizes anatomy (understandably) and terminology (including physiological terminology); there are also sections on development and clinical symptoms and tests. All of this comes at the cost of explaining normal physiological mechanisms in more depth. Terms are often bolded, even terms that may be unnecessary, which will tend to encourage students to spend a large chunk of their study time memorizing these terms. \r\n     It might help to delete unnecessary terminology and add more detailed text descriptions of physiological events.  The sections on development could probably be deleted also, as development is a separable topic that really requires an entire course of its own to understand adequately.\r\n     The later chapters, on the immune system, respiration, digestion, and the kidneys, however, focus more on physiological mechanisms than anatomy and terminology and include cellular and molecular mechanisms relatively well, in addition to anatomy.\r\n     There are also some important omissions. The section on heart electrical signaling does not explain how pacemaker cells generate a pacemaker potential (primarily because it doesn’t mention funny channels). The explanations of resting potentials and action potentials do not go into enough depth for naive students to understand why each type of ion moves across the membrane in the direction it does.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The vast majority of the text is accurate. Nonetheless, there are more inaccurate statements in roughly the first half of the textbook (including general molecular and cellular mechanisms in the body and the nervous, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems) than I have seen in the commercial Human Physiology textbooks I have used or reviewed. The chapters on the immune system, respiration, digestion, and the kidneys, however, have few or no inaccuracies.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The clinical examples provide relevance and are often up-to-date.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is usually clear, though there are some grammatical errors, spelling errors, awkward phrases, or repeated phrases in the early chapters. The use of terminology, though, is sometimes excessive.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The book reads like the chapters were written by different authors, particularly the early chapters vs. the later chapters. Sometimes, different terms are used for the same process (e.g., both \"reabsorption\" and \"absorption\" are used for the same process in the nephrons). Some chapters are more modular than others.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"     The chapters are mostly short and relatively modular. In some cases, this means there is redundancy between chapters, but such redundancy goes along with making chapters more modular, which may allow instructors more flexibility in using this textbook. \r\n","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"     The order of the chapters is mostly logical and conventional. Sometimes it is better than the typical Human Physiology textbook, for example, by having the immune system directly follow the cardiovascular system. \r\n    Occasionally, the order is unconventional and perhaps problematic. In particular, the discussion of muscles before the nervous system means that muscle electrical responses need to be explained before resting potentials and action potentials have been thoroughly explained in the context of the nervous system; the book effectively begins the nervous system description within the muscle chapter, but this discussion of electrical signaling is very brief and would not be sufficient for an average student to come to understand these challenging processes adequately. The nervous system section describes resting potentials, but without explaining electrochemical gradients, equilibrium potentials, or the Nernst equation, which will make it difficult for students to understand why the ions move in the direction they do during an action potential.\r\n     Similarly, discussing skeletal muscle fiber types without having yet explained glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation will probably be confusing to students. The discussion of hemoglobin in the cardiovascular chapter doesn’t mention the modulation of hemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen by binding of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and H+ ions, or the effect of temperature, which are all important for oxygen delivery to the tissues that need it. These issues are addressed much later, in the chapter on respiration, but they should be addressed when hemoglobin is first discussed in the cardiovascular chapter. ATP and cellular respiration is discussed in detail nearly at the end of the textbook, after many chapters have discussed use of ATP and glucose, aerobic vs. anaerobic respiration, and use of by-products of glycolysis, which seems backwards. Finally, the discussion of how much body water is in which compartments and an introduction to osmosis, hydrostatic pressure, key ions, etc. near the end of the textbook is also a bizarre placement. Of course, one could rearrange the chapter order, but this might create additional, unforeseen problems.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Some illustrations took awhile to load, but other than that, I didn't notice any interface issues.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There were a few grammatical errors, which is more than would be found in a commercial human physiology textbook.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not notice anything that was culturally insensitive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"     The illustrations include many engaging and relevant photos. It would help if there were more diagrams that illustrate the chains (often loops) of physiological events (especially in the earlier chapters), so that the reader gets a better sense of the progressions of cause and effect and how amounts of substances or rates of processes are regulated. Such diagrams are numerous in commercial human physiology textbooks.\r\n      “Critical thinking” questions at end of each chapter are sometimes quite imaginative but other times ask students to describe a structure or process they have just read about, which is more likely to promote memorization than critical thinking. \r\n","created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":148,"first_name":"Heather","last_name":"Ketchum","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Oklahoma","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Please keep in mind that I am only reviewing the physiology portion of this book and hence my comments only reflect that content.\r\n\r\nExtremely comprehensive!  The only reason I did not give this book the highest rating on comprehensiveness is that I prefer to have a separate chapter for cell to cell communication.  It was difficult for me to locate information on second messenger systems, for example, as it was embedded within chapters on various organ systems.  I prefer to teach the ways in which cells communicate (i.e. target cell responses) before I dwell into organ systems.  \r\n\r\nThe list of terms in the glossary was also very comprehensive.  There were times I was searching for a term and assumed that it would not be in the glossary, but it was!  \r\n\r\nThere is even a chapter on neurological exams!  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Since I teach Human Physiology and not Anatomy, I cannot reflect on the accuracy of the anatomy portion of this book.  I found the physiology content to be very accurate,  I carefully reviewed each chapter relevant to physiology in this book and do not recall finding any errors in the physiology content.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"To my knowledge, the physiology content of the openstax book is current.  I can say with 100% certainty that the openstax book has more clinical application than most physiology books I have ever reviewed.  \r\n\r\nLike most disciplines research leads to new discoveries.  It should not be difficult to add recent discoveries into this book.   How these updates are completed is dependent on what the update is, physiological or clinical.  For example, if there are updates in cardiac physiology, specifically, the pacemaker and cardiac action potentials, this information would need to be added to the text.  On the other hand, if the update is of clinical significance, a video link would be sufficient and completed with very little effort.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is clearly written and very concise.  For certain topics, I would have preferred more elaboration over conciseness.  I used this book in my  Fall 2014 Human Physiology course.  I often had students tell me that they found the reading to be difficult to follow.  These students typically followed up this comment with \"but I'm not that good of a reader, either.\"  Clearly, this is anecdotal.  I do not view such comments from students as necessarily bad, but rather a reflection on reading skills.  Rarely, did I have a junior, senior, or non-traditional student comment on clarity of this book.   ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terms were used consistently within text, but there is room for improvement when it comes to the figures. The text would refer to a bolded term and then in parenthesis provide a synonym for that name.  On several occasions, one figure would use the synonym and another image would use the bolded term in labeling structures.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Absolutely. I had no concerns with modularity in this book.  ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"For an Anatomy and Physiology book, the order of content makes sense.  However, from just a physiological perspective, I would prefer to teach skeletal muscle physiology after the chapters on the nervous system.  For example, it is difficult for students to understand the role of the motor neuron in skeletal muscle physiology when they have yet to learn about a motor neuron and action potentials.  When I used this book in my Human Physiology course, I re-ordered the chapters to reflect this with very little difficulty.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I saw no issues with interface with this book.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Grammar was sufficient, except the usage of contractions.  This may be the first book I have seen that makes use of contractions.  I prefer not to have contractions in writing, especially formal writing like this book.  ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This book does a great job at including images and line drawings of people from a variety of races.  This may be the first physiology book that I have reviewed that takes these sensitive issues into account!  Great job!","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"From a physiological perspective, I could only ask that this book include an overview chapter on how cells communicate (i.e. paracrine signaling, neurotransmitters, hormones, second messengers, etc).  Overall, this book is extremely comprehensive, informative, and well-written.\r\n\r\nOne last comment on figures.  I do not believe we were asked about images/figures.  There was at least one or two occasions per chapter where I wished there was a figure to accompany the text.  I understand that the figures used are open source and in a science discipline these are hard to come by, but perhaps for future updates, additional figures could be added for those  difficult concepts that are currently lacking a figure.  ","created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":158,"first_name":"Kathleen","last_name":"Little","position":"Associate Professor, Exercise Physiology","institution_name":"Cleveland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is extremely comprehensive and comparable to other leading Anatomy \u0026amp; Physiology texts in the current market in terms of its coverage of levels of organization (i.e. chemical, cellular, tissue) and the anatomy \u0026amp; physiology of each system (i.e. musculoskeletal, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, respiratory, digestive, metabolism \u0026amp; nutrition, urinary, fluid,electrolyte \u0026amp; acid-base balance, reproductive, fetal development, \u0026amp; genetics). Each chapter provides objectives, key terms in bold, glossary with definitions, review of key points, review questions, and critical thinking questions. Images, figures, and tables are well-constructed, clear, and effective in illustrating important concepts. I am especially impressed with the variety of interactive links in the online version such as virtual slides, micrographs, and video clips of medical diagnostic technologies, surgeries, etc. Where relevant, many chapters include other pedagogical features such as homeostatic imbalances, specific disorders/diseases, aging effects, career connections, and everyday connections (i.e. second hand smoke). In addition, there is a comprehensive table of contents and index.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the content to be accurate, error-free, and unbiased. I did find one small omission in the PDF version. In Chapter 24 - Metabolism \u0026amp; Nutrition, the glycolysis equation is missing on page 1104.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date and should remain relevant indefinitely, since anatomy and physiology does not really change. New diseases, new information about physiological processes and current diseases, and clinical applications (i.e. clinical diagnosis \u0026amp; treatment; medical technology; careers in medicine/allied health; etc.) can easily be incorporated, especially using the interactive links.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the text to be extremely clear and easy to navigate. Key terms are bolded and each chapter has a glossary of terms with definitions.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found the text to be extremely consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text can be used in its entirety, or just as easily, an instructor can assign specific sections/chapters to meet the needs of a particular course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion starting with levels of organization (i.e. chemical, cellular, tissue) and then proceeding to each system (i.e. musculoskeletal, nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular, lymphatic, immune, respiratory, digestive, metabolism \u0026amp; nutrition, urinary, fluid,electrolyte \u0026amp; acid-base balance, reproductive, fetal development, \u0026amp; genetics).","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found the text to be extremely clear and easy to navigate. Images, figures, tables, and interactive links (online version) are well-constructed, clear, and effective in illustrating important concepts. The only reason I rated this as a 4 is that the PDF version has no page numbers. This is problematic from a navigation standpoint for users who desire a print copy, especially since the table of contents and index both have page numbers.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"While I did not read the entire text word-for-word (over 1300 pages!), in a careful perusal of each page, I found no spelling or grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found the text to be culturally relevant and inclusive in general, and specifically in the examples of clinical conditions/diseases which affect some races/ethnicities more so than others.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I am extremely impressed with this text and commend the authors (i.e. 10 senior; 103 contributing) and editorial team in providing such a comprehensive text to students at no cost. As noted in comment #1, it is comparable to other leading Anatomy \u0026amp; Physiology texts in the current market which cost over $200. As well as the free online and PDF versions, a color print copy is available for a relatively nominal fee of $53.23. In addition, PowerPoint slides of all illustrations are provided to instructors who adopt the text.","created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":160,"first_name":"Eli","last_name":"Bridge","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Oklahoma","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"With regard to anatomy the book is quite comprehensive. There are some core physiological concepts--mostly molecular level phenomena--that are less well developed in the text (see open commentary)","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no inaccuracies","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I would recommend some brief coverage of genomics and RNAseq. These methods will be major diagnostic tools in the near future and are quite relevant to students reading this text.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Excellent.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Excellent, but perhaps with a few minor quibbles on terminology.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Good, but modularity is difficult to achieve with physiology. The subject matter is kind of interdependent. Still I don't think students would be totally lost if they started reading in the middle. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The progression is logical in terms of the physical organization of the human body. However, I think I would have addressed more general concepts, like second messenger systems, membrane transport, and action potentials in the initial sections rather than going straight from levels of organization to anatomy.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No problems.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Good. Some minor redundancy noted. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Seems fine. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This review is from the perspective of a comparative physiology instructor. I do not attempt here to offer a comprehensive assessment of the quality of the text with respect to it intended purpose (i.e. instruction of human anatomy and physiology. Rather, my main concern is how I might exploit this free resource as a source of information for a course that examines the physiology of vertebrates from a comparative and evolutionary perspective. Although this course attempts to expose students to the major anatomical features and functions of human bodies, it is also concerned with questions about how particular features arose and why they are often so complex. I did not expect this textbook to fulfill all of my needs. Discussions of malpighian tubules and non-tidal breathing systems would be out of place in a text entitled “Human Anatomy and Physiology.” However, I did hope to find selections or perhaps even large chunks of the book that could fill the needs currently met by the rather expensive textbooks I currently recommend (but do not require) that my students read. To be clear, I did not expect this text to be a perfect fit. I do not emphasize anatomy in my course, so I did not expect to use the trove of anatomical information and terminology in the book. Moreover, in comparative anatomy we look to non-human systems to understand evolutionary adaptations and limits on physiological systems. \r\nAlso, I should admit that I did not read all 1300+  pages of this book. I skimmed through the first few chapters, read a few chapters closely, and searched the text for information on a few key topics. The following account provides some general impressions of the textbook along with my thoughts on how well suited it is as a text coopted to a comparative physiology class. \r\n\tI’ve got to say that the introductory chapter did not blow me away. The first actual  sentence in the text is,  “Though you may approach a course in anatomy and physiology strictly as a requirement for your field of study, the knowledge you gain in this course will serve you well in many aspects of your life.” I doubt any of us instructors walk into the classroom, and say something like “OK, we’re all here because of course requirements so let’s get this over with.” That’s an exaggeration of what this first sentence implies, but all the same at the beginning of a course begins, I try to generates some genuine enthusiasm by showing students fascinating images, discussing unanswered questions, and telling real-life discovery stories. Perhaps it is beyond the purview of a textbook to do so, but it would be nice to pique the students’ curiosity in those first few paragraphs and images. \r\nThe writing style is informal, but not what I would call conversational. There are a rare few textbooks that employ a conversational style of writing that really helps (in my opinion) keep one engaged. This text is not one of them, but the writing is clear and efficient for the most part.\r\nThe emphasis is clearly on the anatomical end of things, which might make for some confusion early on, if one’s classroom schedule closely follows the presentation of information in the book.  Although the book begins with introductory text about the molecular and cellular underpinnings of physiology, it then dives into major aspects of the anatomy before the functional groundwork for the structures is established. For example, muscle function and contraction mechanisms come before an introduction to action potentials, which of course serve as the trigger for muscle contraction. Perhaps more striking is that second messenger systems are not explained at all independent of other concepts. The text covers their relevance to the nervous system and hormonal systems as a sort of side-tracked way (…by the way, here’s how that signal gets transduced inside the cell…) Perhaps this is a strength, as it keeps the concept of second messengers from becoming too abstract, but I think it leaves students wondering why these complex systems arose (e.g. for signal amplification). Having read through every mention of “second messenger” in the text, it is clear that this book will not serve as primary reading source for this important aspect of physiology. \r\n\r\nSeveral of these core physiological concepts also get only a very brief mention, such as membrane physiology (i.e. electro-chemical gradients), and receptors and agonists. These brief treatments would seem to be a good means of introducing the concepts, but for my course at least, I will need to find other sources (perhaps physiologyweb.com) as a reference for the more advanced concepts like the Nerst Equation and nicotinic receptor binding sites.\r\n\r\nAmong the chapters I read closely, I noted a few instances where some tighter correspondence between the figures and the text could be beneficial. For example, \r\nthe vasa recta is not labeled on figures but is mentioned several times in the text. The same is true for bile canaliculi. One other instance: granular cells are not labeled in figures or defined. They are, I think, the same as juxtaglomerular cells, which are illustrated and defined, but the terminology is not clear. I also noticed that the text contains a few redundancies (e.g. Page 488 makes redundant statements about pharmaceudicals and the blood brain barrier.). I would chalk this up along with a few occasional changes in terminology use to having so many contributing authors, and I imagine these issues will get ironed out in short order as the text evolves. \r\nHaving looked back on my writing thus far, it would seem I have written a somewhat negative review. However, I should state that my general impression of the text is quite positive. I was particularly struck by the quality and clarity of the art work. The figures strike a nice balance of simplicity and detail, and I will definitely be using them for lectures and study guides. The art is on par with if not better than that of the commercially produced textbooks I’m familiar with and there appears to be no shortages of figures. In fact, a full page of text with no figures appears to be a rarity.\r\n\r\nThe text is brisk and understandable, with plain English chapter titles and subheadings that will be of great benefit to students who are new to the material. I didn’t do any investigation into the recommended web-links and other special text boxes that permeate each chapter, but those I did read seemed like they would also help a lot of student with crucial information about career options and particular medical disordes. I will definitely be using this text as part of my comparative physiology class in the future. But, as expected, I will have to use other sources as well.  \r\n","created_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2015-01-12T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":169,"first_name":"Elizabeth","last_name":"Mayers","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Central Lakes College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is very comprehensive.   The table of contents breaks down each chapter by section, so that you can easily see at the beginning of the book the detailed topics covered throughout, as well as listing page numbers.  The glossary is done very efficiently, by listing several pages of key terms at the end of each chapter.  The topics covered by this text are in the same order as other major Anatomy and Physiology textbooks on the market, making the transition to a new text easier for the instructor in my opinion.  The topics are covered in a comprehensive manner, and are equal to any other major Anatomy and Physiology text on the market today.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Although I have not read all 1100 pages as of yet, it appears that this text is very accurate.  I do not see any major errors in figures, the text itself or review questions.  This text is unbiased in it's teaching on the scientific study of Anatomy and Physiology.  The text however does lean toward a style of writing which convinces the student of the importance of understanding Anatomy and Physiology.  I believe this is important for students in this subject, because it is often health students (at the beginning of their career) who will take this course.  They may hear from others that it is a tough subject and important knowledge, but often they feel that it will not be important to them in their everyday job in the future.  This text includes many highlighted boxes throughout called \"Everyday Connection\".  This is important for students at this level to be able to start connecting the topics that they learn with a better personal understanding of their own physiology (i.e. body temperature control), and also learn about new research fields that may affect them (i.e. stem cell research).  ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This text was recently published and so the information is up-to-date.  The arrangement of the book is also made in such a way that making updates would not be too difficult.  Most of the new or more changeable information seems to be placed within interactive links and highlighted boxes throughout the text.  This would make it easier for the OpenStax publishers and authors to update the book with the latest advances in research within physiology.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The clarity of writing is on par and at the same level as any other major Anatomy and Physiology textbook on the market today.  The main topics and terms are highlighted and discussed  in a comprehensive yet straightforward manner throughout the text.  The additional or \"nice-to-know\" information is highlighted separate from the main text in boxes throughout the chapter.  All of the writing throughout is accessible to students, and appropriate for the course level.  Figures throughout the text are extremely clear, and I am ecstatic to see that finally a publisher has scaled back on the writing all over the figures.  I believe that the figures in this text are far more clear and accessible to students than any other Anatomy text on the market today.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The consistency of this book is very good throughout.  Each chapter is well organized and I like the structure.  Each chapter begins with not only and introduction but also lists the chapter objectives, which are maybe more important for the instructor, but it is nice to have.  Each chapter is broken down into smaller sections, helping to break down the content into more manageable pieces for the student.  The terminology is consistent throughout the book as well and it is also summarized in a glossary of terms at the end of each chapter, which helps the student in studying the terms.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This Anatomy and Physiology text is broken down well and each chapter is organized according to measurable chapter objectives.  The chapter objectives correspond well to each chapter section as well, making it easy to teach this text in a modular format according to how the instructor feels is best to present the information to their students.  Each chapter section is not overwhelming in the amount of material, but at the same time covers each objective fully.  ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics covered by this text are in the same order as other major Anatomy and Physiology textbooks on the market, making the transition to a new text easier for the instructor in my opinion.  These topics cover a logical order and are in the order that makes it easy to follow the course outline for a typical two semester Anatomy and Physiology course.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This textbook is available in several different formats including a print version (for a small fee) as well as a pdf, epub file or html file.  The print version may be useful for many students that like to have a copy at their desk while they look through a PowerPoint or file on the computer at the same time.  It is easy to navigate through due to it's comprehensive table of contents. Each section of the chapter is listed with a page number.  The online files seem to have easy navigation, once you get used to the format.  The .pdf file has tabs along the left side of the screen that are easy to navigate through to skip from one chapter section to the next.  The interactive links are listed in the printed version, and accessible for all students.  They are web addresses that are easy to get to, and show animations and videos related to the topic on that page of text.  There are many more interactive links in this text than what I have seen in other similar Anatomy and Physiology texts.  I believe this allows for the text itself to be more straightforward and much less \"busy\" with information.  When the student feels they are ready they can easily open the link to see a video or animation to help them understand each topic better.  This text is much less distracting and confusing in my opinion than other major anatomy textbooks on the market today.   It seems to be written with the student in mind, and puts the major focus on the main topics and chapter objectives.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This text has figures and examples which include all races, genders and ages throughout.  For example the reproductive system chapter covers both the male and female anatomy and physiology comprehensively.  It also includes extra information of disorders more specific to either male or female anatomy.  At the end of the chapter their is a section which discusses puberty and lists many of the factors (besides genetics) that can play a role in affecting the development of the reproductive system.   I believe this allows for a more comprehensive understanding  of the way each individual's body can develop with slight differentiation. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall I am very impressed with this textbook.  This book is formatted with the student in mind, understanding that they need to have less distractions in order to first learn the material.   From an instructor's perspective as well the support staff was easy to work with and responded to my emails very quickly.  The instructor only materials for this book are also a bonus.  The PowerPoints are very basic, but this I feel allows you to input your own teaching style into the course while adding the figures from the text.  This book would be wonderful for any two semester anatomy and physiology course, but also could be used one or a few chapters at a time to supplement another Biology course as well.  ","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":200,"first_name":"Kristine ","last_name":"Squillace Stenlund","position":"Biology Faculty","institution_name":"Dakota County Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this text is comprehensive when compared to other textbooks used in an biology : anatomy and physiology course.  The first few chapters are extensive reviews of what I would consider fundamental knowledge my students should have picked up in general biology prerequisite courses.  However, many textbooks will cover similar chapters in the beginning.  The chapters I would start my course focus on would begin at chapter 4 (tissues).  Because of the paper format (one column instead of 2 in traditional textbooks) of the text relating figures to written material is difficult at times when the figure mentioned in found a page or two later.  The organization seems similar to the process I use when teaching the 11 systems of the body.  The glossary is nicely found at the end of the chapters instead of scrolling all the way to the end of the text.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, the information presented is accurate and seems unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"There are new interesting comments along the way that even I have not read before.   The interlinks are ok but I think there could be more up to date animations.  The written material is straight forward making it easier to find material.  However, the format may not make this easy.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The overall written material is clear.  However, there are many visual figures that should be added for students to grasp a clear understanding of the material.  For example, more histology images should be added when discussing tissues!  Drawings are great but students really struggle with the \"real picture\" images.  This is something this textbook seriously lacks in the epithelial section.  The interactive links to quizzes is GREAT but we would need to require students to do them some how.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Overall consistent throughout the text.  However the format is difficult to connect the written material to the figures due to the scrolling needed!","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The modular piece of this is done just fine.  However, student are drawn to visuals.  I would like to see more images linking the material to current issues to the topics.  Many of the modules lack a visual. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The material is organized.  However, it lacks more visuals and is difficult to navigate due the the constant scrolling as mentioned above.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There is to much scrolling needed due to the format (one column paper style instead of 2 column textbook style).  The figures are often mentioned on separate pages where you have to scroll to the next to see them.  Some readers may have a hard time reading this text seriously due to the paper like presentation.  However, this style may also engage student who otherwise are turned off from the more formal science textbook presentation,  I would like to see more visual images embedded in this text.  The interactive links are nice.  Some may need a more updated look.  As I read more into the later chapters this does get better.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Overall, there are some but few issues here.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"No issues","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"My only real issue is scrolling and more engaging images.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":205,"first_name":"Rahul","last_name":"Kane","position":"Faculty, Biology","institution_name":"Century College.","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is very comprehensive and covers the wide range in Anatomy and Physiology topics. It covers the basics from cell and tissue level to organs and organ systems very well. The diagrams and pictures are clear and appropriately labeled. This could be a great book for an online or hybrid class. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is accurate and unbiased. The text is error free and in-depth. The art-connection diagrams and pictures are appropriate, accurate and labeled legibly and correctly. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book is accurate in content and updated. The content is relevant and adequate. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I really liked the consistency in the language of the book although it is written by multiple authors. The technical terminology is appropriate and adequate enough for students to understand and learn from. The diagrams and pictures are clear and appropriately labeled and titled. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in language, terminology and framework that makes it easy to follow. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is well edited and classified for the content.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book has the same structure as most Anatomy and Physiology books. It is logical and clearly presented content that is easy to follow. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The book was tough to navigate in the online version since it did not allow jumping on a certain page. The pdf was easy to scroll. The images, charts and figured are constant and appropriately laid out. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text in this book does not seem to have any grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is not culturally insensitive. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"It would be great if issues of transgender anatomy, intersex and sexual spectrum were explained from an anatomical and hormonal perspective as a chapter addendum to the reproductive system chapter. \r\nThis is an excellent book overall!","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":232,"first_name":"Theresa","last_name":"Gillian","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Virginia Tech","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text strikes a balance regarding comprehensiveness, providing more details than fundamental A\u0026amp;P texts. The resulting text is lengthy at 1300 pages; however, fine technical points, as discussed in the most comprehensive texts, are avoided. All primary topics typical for a two-semester undergraduate A\u0026amp;P course are addressed.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text is accurate. Inaccuracies can be identified through an online form, and know errata are posted on the text’s website.\r\nOne misleading figure I noted involves negative feedback. The negative feedback figure has a colored arrow connecting the effector to the stimulus. In particular, Figure 1.10b has an arrow from “Sweat glands throughout the body” leading to “Body temperature exceeds 37°C”.  This would indicate, incorrectly, that the sweat glands lead to a higher body temperature.  Figure 17.6 shows an arrow between homeostasis and imbalance, which may lead students to incorrectly believe that homeostasis leads to an imbalance.\r\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book devotes much time to the clinical aspects of A\u0026amp;P providing practical relevance.  \r\n\r\nI attempted to access the links in the text on my phone’s QR reader.  Many of the links did not work. This will frustrate the students and they are likely to disregard the links.  The irony of this feature is that while it is cutting-edge, it becomes dated easily because URL’s of external websites change constantly. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The authors consciously designed the book to facilitate student understanding.  Examples include, the figure explaining serous membranes depicting a fist within an underinflated balloon, the inclusion of mnemonic devices in tables, and using words to help explain synthesis reactions (i.e. note + book = notebook).\r\nThe book was generally clear; however, it could provide more details on subject matter that many students find challenging. For instance, illustrative details of action potential or muscle contraction would improve the clarity of these topics.\r\nOne confusing figure, in particular, is the “Pathways in Calcium Homeostasis” figure on page 236.  I was unsure where to begin.  A few modifications would greatly improve this figure.\r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The format of the book is consistent.  A careful reader may pick up on the different writing styles of the multiple authors, but it is not very noticeable.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Currently, the textbook must be downloaded as one large PDF file. Making the content available a chapter at a time would increase the modularity of the textbook.  \r\nThe textbook is not completely modular, but that is to be expected.  The subject matter builds on itself from chapter to chapter. As students are introduced to concepts or terminology (homeostasis in chapter one, or sodium ions in chapter two), this knowledge can be built upon in subsequent chapters.\r\n","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Figures and accompanying text explanations are generally found on the same page.  As a result, the book contains more empty/blank space than typical, which is refreshing.  \r\nTables are printed on multiple pages, rather than being on one page (table 6.2, 6.5, 9.1, and 13.1).  This occurs even when there is ample space to combine the table into one page \r\nA detailed table of contents would be useful.  Particularly, it would be helpful to include the “Career Connections”.\r\n","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I recommend enlarging some of the figures to make them more readable. Particular attention should be paid to figures of the eyes and muscle diagrams.\r\nI had difficulty navigating such a large .pdf file.  Allowing students to download the book one chapter at a time would help with this issue.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"As far as A\u0026amp;P goes, it is culturally relevant and culturally sensitive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The affordability of the textbook will be appreciated by students making the subject of A\u0026amp;P more accessible.","created_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2015-06-10T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":269,"first_name":"Kayla","last_name":"Brown","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The overview at the beginning of each chapter and direct objectives at the beginning of each section are very well established, but lie in the \"Understanding\" category of Bloom's Taxonomy. The \"Chapter Reviews\" at the end of each chapter are also helpful including brief summaries on individual sections and multiple choice review questions in addition to critical thinking questions to test for understanding and application of the material. It is very effective that the answers to \"End of Chapter Questions\" are listed at the end of the book to allow the students the opportunity to think through the questions and recognize the concepts that they have a firm understanding in, and which they do not yet fully grasp. Additionally, having the function of \"Finding\" a word in the text is a great interactive feature for students who are looking inquisitively into a particular detail or topic subject in which to study. Finally, the advantage of having the ability to include interactive page links throughout the text is extremely helpful for navigating through the online text, mimicking the ability to quickly flip through pages, while not becoming disoriented in the large volume of information. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Several characteristic details are spared which do not change the meaning of the information written, but unfortunately does not disclose some of the truths of the information. (example: Radiograph vs x-ray). Again, this may be a minute point to illuminate in a collaborative anatomy and physiology textbook. When entering into the specifics of the field in anatomy, the exhaustive details result in the separation of mastering the subject matter and superficial understanding from a student perspective. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"More clinical aspects of the anatomy being described would be useful, in addition to the treatments and procedures for such clinical aspects. This would be an easily identifiable way to keep track of the progress of medicine and treatment policies. Most of the anatomy itself may change slightly but for the most part has been identified and is established in Latin/Greek root words. Perhaps at the end of the section some of the terminology that has been changed from eponymous names to anatomical names could be identified (ie: Fallopian tubes = Uterine tube). Additionally this would allow for students of a higher caliber to feed their curiosities on relevant topic matter while not inundating the less developed students. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The clarity of this text is undoubtedly apprehensive. Anatomy is filled with an array of jargon and discipline specific terminology. However, the majority of terms are defined as an easily accessible prose. Key terms are listed at the end of each chapter which help to allude to the important wording of the complex structures and ideas. The use of language and flow of information is highly comprehensive allowing for intrigue in reading the subject matter while still including and highlighting the scientific aspects of the material-without overbearing the reader in copious amounts of vernacular.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework for this text is most congruous with the large volume of information exhibited. \r\nTerminology is clearly defined at the end of each chapter. However, some of the terminology is out of date, for instance including only Eponymous naming of structures rather than the more recently acceptable terminology of anatomical classification and distinction, as stated previously.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The structure of this text is very clearly organized. Multiple sections per chapter allow for the flow of information to be categorized properly and assignment of particular and distinct subject areas for the students, without them having to read 100 pages per lecture. \r\n\r\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"For an anatomical and physiological standpoint, great organization: levels of organization; support and movement; regulation, integration and control; fluid and transport; energy, maintenance, and environmental exchange; human development and the continuity of life. This structure of material building from the basics of physiology through the combination of detail to reach higher levels of organization in the body is very well done. Additionally it is highly correspondent to many other combined anatomy/physiology textbooks in terms of order of material which allows for ease of access to similar information. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Many of the images, while very effective in caricature and animated drawings, are mostly effective for basic understanding and conceptualization of these 3D concepts. Due to the high complexity of the subject matter presented, it may also be advantageous to include actual specimen figures and/or more realistic drawings of the anatomical features being depicted and portrayed. This would help bridge the gap of understanding to comprehension required for higher order thinking and development at the collegiate level. \r\nA large composition of the interactive links leading to interactive videos are inaccessible or no longer viewable, and result in an error. I tried accessing the links from different networks and computer sources and concluded with the same dysfunction. I unfortunately was unable to find additional technological support or alternative avenues in which to utilize this function, which was disappointing. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I am not a trained grammarian and ultimately did not become aware of any major instances of grammatical error that led to informational misunderstanding. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"This text has no bias nor deviation of ethical implications towards cultural influences that may be perceived as malicious or insensitive. Scientifically, there could be increased reference to the different anatomical and/or physiological characteristics of major ethnic groups. This then perhaps couldbe indicated by boxes on the side of the page indicating cultural \"Did you know\" information breaks. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This review is based primarily on the evaluation of an anatomical basic. \r\nStrictly as a physiology and anatomy textbook, this source provides a plethora of information and with a wide degree of detail. Specifically however, for courses that are separated into physiology and anatomy, this textbook would not be sufficient for either subject independently. This could definitely be used as an introductory level, or combined anatomy/physiology course for lower level courses. A specific physiology and anatomy book would be required for higher lever courses focusing on the specifics of the material for a deeper and more analytic and evaluative understanding for the student. That being said, this text would be a great starting point or use of reference for students, particular for those who may have previously never studied physiology or anatomy, to expose themselves to the building blocks and intimate cohesion of the subjects of anatomy and physiology. ","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":319,"first_name":"David","last_name":"Kean","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Iowa","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I thought that the text was very comprehensiveness and I also liked the organization of the text. They did a very good job blending the anatomy with the physiology of the various systems in the body. I feel that would make a very good text for an undergraduate anatomy and physiology class.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text was very accurate with information presented. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Anatomy and physiology does not change much over the years. The content is up to date and should not become irrelevant.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is written clearly. I think that it would be easy for an undergraduate to read that has not been exposed to anatomical and physiological concepts  yet.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The were no issues with consistency in the textbook that I could find.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text makes it easy to set up  a class based on the divisions of the book. One thing that I have found teaching is that if this topic can be sectioned into more manageable amounts for the students they have greater success.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I really liked the organization and the blending of anatomical and physiological subjects. It makes it easier to tie the physiology and anatomy together with each system.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There was no navigation issues noted in the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no grammatical errors noticed in the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"There were no culturally insensitive topics noted in the text..","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Textbook prices for anatomy and physiology texts can be outrageous these days. It's nice to see a quality text that can be used for a class at a much more reasonable cost with no drop off in content or information. There needs to be more alternatives like this in other subjects as well. I look forward to more open textbooks in the future.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":325,"first_name":"Petra ","last_name":"Redinger","position":"Associate Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am comparing this text with two Human Anatomy and Physiology textbooks I have used.  This online text covers all relevant topics for a 200 level Human A \u0026amp; P class. Overall, I found the text comprehensive and easy to read. The book is geared toward novice students to the subject matter, and does a great job conveying complex material to the reader. Difficult concepts or processes are simplified to make the subject matter easier to understand for the reader, but sometimes at the expense of thoroughness. The text covers each subject area appropriately. Images and diagrams are used appropriately to help explain the material, however, more pictures, figures, diagrams, tables, flow charts, and the likes could be used instead of lengthy descriptions, to address different learning styles of readers, and to make it a more interesting read (see example under Clarity section) . The preface reveals that the book is divided into units and subunits. The division into chapters by fundamental A \u0026amp; P texts seems more helpful in organizing the vast amount of information covered, and would greatly improve this online version. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text is mostly accurate and seems unbiased. There is one figure on “Negative Feedback” in the beginning of the text that conveys the wrong and misleading message in that the output of sweat glands seems to further increase body temperature, instead of cooling the body to counteract the stimulus (Figure …). I found it strange that, mostly, figure or table numbers are left out in the text, which makes the wording of sentences sound awkward. For example “Table lists the difference between…”, or “As seen in Figure, cardiac muscle is striated…”. Most figures or tables do have numbers assigned to them, but those numbers are not reflected in the text. However, there are hyperlinks to all figures throughout the text, therefore, when clicking on the “Figure” in the text, the reader is taken to the figure referred to. This, I imagine, would make it hard for an instructor to refer to a specific figure, table or diagram during lecture. If units were divided into chapters, and not subunits, it might be less confusing to everyone. Once readers click on the “Figure” link, they have to scroll back up to the text to resume reading the chapter…. This can be very cumbersome to the reader. Also, it would be helpful to create hyperlinks between different chapters, especially between the chapters on acidosis/alkalosis with previous chapters on the respiratory, digestive, and urinary systems.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book provides good examples of clinical applications to most topics in the text but also by providing links to other online resources. Sometimes, these links do not work. However, even if the authors keep updating the information once a URL is obsolete, it is a good tool for sharing new knowledge in the subject matter, for giving interesting clinical examples, and for sharing the latest news in medical research. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is aimed to provide a clear, easy to read text on the subject matter. A glossary at the end of each section aids in explaining terminology to the novice. Expected learning outcomes are listed in the beginning of each chapter, and practice questions, as well as critical thinking questions are listed at the end of each chapter. As mentioned above, sometimes, the simplified versions of complex pathways or processes are at the expense of thoroughness. However, it focuses well on conveying the knowledge relevant for new students of A \u0026amp; P. Images and diagrams are used appropriately to help explain the material, however, more pictures, figures, diagrams, tables, flow charts, and the likes could be used instead of lengthy descriptions, to address different learning styles of readers, and to make it a more interesting read. One example is the chapter on the action potential in the nervous system, endocrine regulation of the kidney, as well as regulation of fluid volume and composition in the renal system. The explanation of the countercurrent exchange system in the kidney is very simplified, however, a video is provided for further understanding. ‘Everyday connection’ sequences add to the further understanding and application of the material to real life, and are very interesting and relevant.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in terms of formatting. It shows sometimes that different authors worked on different sections of the book, which can be a problem especially when chapters discuss a theme that was already introduced or discussed in a previous section written by a different author. However, these differences are very subtle. Sometimes, there is a missing consistency between images or tables used, for example in the section that covers facial muscles. Hardly any muscles are labeled in the image but are mentioned in the following table. Most tables showing actions, origins, insertions, etc. of muscles have the same order, except for the table on muscles that move the hand, which has a different order and format.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The modularity is fine. Lots of scrolling is necessary if readers decide to not print the whole text. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book seems to sometimes have big blocks of lengthy text, which could be broken up by providing more images, diagrams, flow charts etc. that are individually downloadable or printable. This would break up long sections and help readers understand the material better, and it would allow students to gear the text toward their individual learning styles. It would be easier if each theme would have a chapter, and if figures, tables, etc. were numbered according to their specific chapters, like they are in regular A \u0026amp; P textbooks. It makes it easier for teachers to refer to a specific figure, table, etc.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There are no significant interface issues. What I found most challenging in terms of keeping buoyant in reading this text is the lack of clear numbering and organization, as well as the interconnectivity between different chapters. Especially with an online text, there is an ability of creating links between chapters, to refer back to previous chapters in order to further the understanding of the reader, and to provide a comprehensive guide to the subject matter.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I found that there were few grammar issues in the text. Mostly, I found that it was strange not to have figures etc. labeled in the text, which made sentences sound awkward.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"No issues in terms of insensitivities. More of the interesting examples of what makes us all different could have been used, for example the evolution of skin color, body hair etc., because it makes it more interesting and applicable.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This is a great resource for students of A \u0026amp; P. I think that the text is written well, but I would like to see more visuals, flow charts, diagrams, and other images that facilitate the understanding of the material to the reader, and that address different learning styles of students.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":335,"first_name":"Kay","last_name":"Rezanka","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Central Lakes College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The content contained in \"Anatomy and Physiology\" is broad and would provide an A\u0026amp;P student with a complete picture of the human body’s structure and function.  Instructors will find this text appropriate for a two-semester A\u0026amp;P course.  There are some areas of physiology that were much less comprehensive than expected, but overall this text does a fine job of addressing the foundational details of physiology that instructors would expect their students to master.  There are a variety of excellent homeostatic imbalance areas of the chapters (both the expected ones and many unique ones), as well as many clinical application/everyday connection pieces.  The text also showcases a variety of careers in the “Career Connections” segments. These accessory pieces give students pause to acknowledge that the details of A\u0026amp;P are essential for them to learn for success in many professional fields and for their own personal knowledge. Each chapter also contains review questions with an answer key area at the end of the text. The varieties of supplemental learning resources that interface with the book further enhance the text’s comprehensiveness (pronunciation guide, online homework tools, tutorials, adaptive learning tools, etc.)  Interactive link questions accompany the abundant links and provide ideas for instructors to create assignments or activities associated with the links.  The text occasionally refrains from expanding on physiological details where I would like to see more.  For example, I was surprised to see very little explanation of meiosis in the reproductive system chapter.  It is mentioned in the text but not explained except briefly within the figure title.  Supporting images are not particularly clear in illustrating chromosome arrangement during the phases.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not encounter any inaccuracies in the content beyond those that have been shared through the errata list accessible on the publisher website.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is relevant and has lasting power due to its updatable format and interactive links to external websites that can also be updated easily (but will require regular monitoring of changing websites by the publisher to remain current).  URLs are linked within the PDF for quick access. The images that were chosen should not date themselves easily.  The text uses many eponyms throughout (i.e. Sertoli, Leydig, Langerhans, Henle) but often notes the alternative, more updated terms as well to reflect changing practices in naming.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"By and large, the authors’ explanations are precise and particular.  The writing styles of the various authors are clear, readable, and at an appropriate level.  The text does an excellent job of guiding students in constructing strong anatomical vocabulary by explaining word origins and connecting to everyday language (the mnemonic device table to help learn muscle names is a nice example).  For the most part, challenging topics were well-explained, though often the physiological details were not expanded upon as fully as I would like to see to enhance clarity. There are some areas of physiology where the explanations may be a bit difficult for a typical A\u0026amp;P student to follow without some additional visual support.  For instance, the muscle contraction sequence could benefit from a flow chart/sequencing visual.  This is the first significant physiological sequencing students may encounter if proceeding chapter-to-chapter in this text, and a visual “map” of the sequence would serve as a good model for how to think in sequences and cause/effect relationships moving forward.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The writing style varied noticeably across certain chapters, which is to be expected to some extent with a team of authors.  While some readers may not notice this, it would help students to have a more unified writing style to guide them as they proceed through the text.  Some inconsistencies appear across chapters with terminology or symbolism (partial pressure symbol PCO2 vs. pCO2); use of ion charge as superscripts on some occasions, subscripts on others; with terminology (interpulmonary pressure and intra-alveolar pressure).  The non-critical thinking review questions at the end of each chapter are good but are all multiple choice in style.  Some additional variety of questions would benefit students.  The critical thinking questions vary considerably in style from chapter to chapter (all immune system critical thinking questions are at the “describe” level of cognition).  There are occasional inconsistencies between terms in diagrams and terms in a figure title or within the text (“pyruvate” and “pyruvic acid” in Chapter 10, with no explanation of their differences.)","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Its arrangement makes this text agile for use in its entirety in a two-semester A\u0026amp;P sequence course or more piecemeal in another type of course.  Within each chapter, content is mostly “chunked” well to make it easy for students to stop at natural breaks and re-read before advancing.  While I appreciate that bullet lists are not overused in this text, there are many places throughout where a break in the solid text-upon-text content would be helpful to students in organizing thoughts and seeing the big picture.  Many students will have difficulty focusing on considerable text all at once, especially given the single column layout of text.  For instance, the flow of the action potential sequence explanation felt quite heavy and would benefit from some compartmentalization of events to help students break the sequence into more manageable chunks.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I found the organization of this text to be excellent.  It is similar to other common A\u0026amp;P texts on the market and is logically arranged from system to system.  This structure would make it easier for an instructor to transition from another typical A\u0026amp;P text to this one without having to significantly modify the course layout.  It is nice to see a “key terms” section at the end of each chapter.  The text would benefit in its flow by expanding on its offering of visual support of complex physiology and placing these as close as possible to the text explanation it references (scrolling to find the image or advancing to another page to complete a table is commonly required).  The layout of urinary physiology was a bit awkward to me.  The three main physiological events are not showcased as well as I would like to see to help a student grasp the big physiological picture.  The flow of female reproductive anatomy and physiology was also a bit challenging to follow. Students may lose some of the physiological continuity here as result.  Of course, an instructor can skillfully adjust the flow of this content easily enough to meet his or her style with this text as a reference.\r\n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This resource was easy to navigate in PDF form with the ability to jump from page to page, though considerable scrolling is required.  Text is searchable for key words from within Adobe Reader.  Given the length of this PDF document, it would be ideal if the text page numbers and the PDF numbering of pages could be matched to improve navigability (currently, text page 1 is page 9 in Adobe Reader).  Numbering the cover page of the book as page 1 would resolve this.  There were no distortions of figures or tables that I noticed.  There are areas of the text where line spacing changes from single to space-and-a-half for no apparent reason.  This was a mild distraction.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text has occasional, relatively minor grammar and usage errors but not so many that they interfere with the readability of the text.    ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally sensitive and includes examples that are wide-ranging and not exclusive.  Many drawings are “generic” so any reader can identify with the images.  Varied skin tones are used in some colored drawings.  Photos show different regions and peoples of the world.  Chapter 28 chapter review critical thinking questions include diverse names (and most other chapter questions avoid names altogether and instead note “a patient” or “a person”).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I think this resource has an impressive start at becoming a text of choice for many A\u0026amp;P faculty.  I think an area of greatest potential for improvement is in its use of visual support of content.  I would like to see more continuity between the figures and the text.  Sometimes it seems they are separate entities and don’t “talk to each other” well (different terminology used, for instance).  I would welcome additional diagrams and/or flow charts that supplement the text’s explanation of the most challenging physiological processes (for example, additional renal physiology diagrams).  I was pleased to see many images return to the more simplified, less cluttered style.  There is a nice mix of colored and black and white drawings.  There are also many good attention-getting images (hand gripping, saccadic eye movements, deadly nightshade, etc.)  However, not all illustrations or images were clear and could use improvement in subsequent editions.  For instance, some of the histology images did not showcase the identifying characteristics well at all (unable to see striations in cardiac muscle, barely in skeletal muscle).  The illustration of ovary anatomy is quite “zoomed in” with little else in the image for reference.  Many of the muscle diagrams were rather small, making it difficult to see details.  The text's font size is quite small, and while PDF readers can enlarge, those opting to use a physical text may find this makes for difficult reading.  \r\n\r\n\r\n","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":361,"first_name":"Geeta","last_name":"Kumar","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I compared this text book to two others commercial text books I have used in class. The table of contents covers all the main topics and comparable to other text books on the market. Looking through the individual chapters I found the text went into adequate depth in most areas. As I am teaching Anatomy I cannot only adequately comment on the book strength in Physiology. The illustrations were informative and helped clarify the content. The index and the list of key words at the end of every chapter is useful. The variety of interactive links in the on line version such as virtual slides, and video clips of medical diagnostic technologies, surgeries. The chapters, on the immune system, respiration, digestion, and the kidneys, however, focus more on physiological mechanisms than anatomy and terminology and include cellular and molecular mechanisms.Each chapters layout with objective, key terms and glossary and the critical thinking questions provide a clear picture of the important concepts. The images charts and diagrams were clear and well constructed.\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Looking through several chapters I found the information to be accurate. I found the information presented in this book to be up-to-date, and consistent with the most widely held scientific opinions on the topics. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book is written in a manner that it's content will remain relevant long into the future. The fact that it is open source textbook, allows it to be readily modified or updated by individual instructors. The textbook contains current information and up-dated material. As with any science textbook, periodic revisions will be necessary for many of the units. The textbook also has an assortment of web links that will need to be maintained.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The material is presented in an engaging manner and should hold the student’s attention. There is a nice, seamless transition between sections contributed by different authors. The text in this book is extremely clear, which is great for a first course in A\u0026amp;P. The use of videos that are placed at the end of sections provides additional context and clarification of concepts discussed within the text. Diagrams are clear and well labeled making them easy to look at and understand which will help students to understand concepts presented in the reading. There was a vocabulary list at the end of each chapter which did an excellent job of highlight technical jargon that may have been confusing for students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is quite consistent from Chapter-to-Chapter. In general, the terminology and nomenclature is consistent throughout the book. The framework and terminology are consistent throughout the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Sections of the text could be used to supplement th course material which is useful. The sections are modular. Book organized into chapters with sub section  that make it very easy to move around, or remove small sections if desired with out making the text difficult to read. Sub sections are nicely organized, each starting with objectives, then material  finishing with an interactive link.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Overall the chapter order and organization is logical and structured well. The selection of chapters is appropriate to A\u0026amp;P. The structure of the chapters is well presented visually and the breakdown of content into sub sections makes the book easy to read, as well as creates a good framework for moving through the content.Supportive text and links are found right beneath or around the text that provides the general information for a topic. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text has no interface or navigation issues. I have used other e-books and here I preferred the PDF to the on line version. I used the PDF to review the book. There were no issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Did not notice any grammatical errors","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No cultural issues were noted.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I was surprised by how easy-to-use and thorough this text was. This textbook has many strengths: it is well organized, has a fresh lay-out that is easy to read and offers an excellent summary, section quizzes, references and resources at the end of each chapter. I found the scrolling to be cumbersome  and having used some other excellent text books would like to see better images. ","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":367,"first_name":"Jen","last_name":"Grant","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Stout","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I was pleasantly surprised to find out that this book not only provides a comprehensive treatment of anatomy \u0026amp; physiology but also the fundamental biochemical concepts that underpin these topics. I was particularly pleased at the care taken to illustrate the figures relating to biochemistry.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"I spent a good deal of time reviewing the chapters relating to fundamental chemistry and biochemistry and was particularly pleased to find that these chapters were not only deep as well as accurate, but also discussed the relevance of this information to careers my students may pursue.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content of this text is highly relevant to the course I am teaching right now. The fundamentals of human biology do not change quickly, and the electronic nature of the resource would allow for completion of updates with relative ease.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is standard for a textbook, no surprises there, and there is adequate explanation of concepts and jargon. It would be good for the authors to explore use of metaphors to instruct, or inclusion of enough examples, or perhaps particular examples, in areas where students usually struggle.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There are reasonable smooth transitions between chapters, in terms of the authors' writing style.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It was readily apparent that the textbook is not only organized in a logical way, but it is straightforward to use chapters or sections in an alternative order. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I was impressed with the organization of the chapters, particularly in terms of how organs were organized according to whether their main role was structural, communicating, or metabolic. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have long shied away from electronic resources, mainly due to the clunkiness of the interface. However, this textbook's interface is easy to use and its organization makes sense.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I randomly surveyed many sections of text and did not identify grammar issues.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"I sampled many figures. I noticed that there are fewer pictures of people than in other texts. I did notice that when there were images of patients, the patients were much more likely to be women. I noticed that photos of healthy, active people, particularly in sports, tended to be men. In fact I saw this several times, and the images of active men tended to be marathon runners. I would like the authors to revisit this issue. This makes a difference for me, in terms of how satisfied I am with the text I am using.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":" I look forward to adapting my powerpoint presentation to include slides from this book. Is there a file of figures I could gather materials from? I also really enjoyed the bibliography and greatly appreciated that links could be clicked on. which was also true of the index. Please fix the issue of portraying women as patients and men as healty and enjoying sports.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":384,"first_name":"Jonathan","last_name":"Christie","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book was comprehensive, covering the topics expected in a majors-level A\u0026amp;P book.  It began with basic cell chemistry, progressed to tissues, and then moved through system-by-system coverage of the body.  The breakdown of topics was novel in some cases--for example putting reflexes under \"somatic nerves\" rather than spinal cord as in most books.  Also, I enjoyed seeing special chapters on aging and human genetics.  \n\nThe glossary and index were complete and I didn't see any major omissions.  ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content seemed accurate (I'm not an A\u0026amp;P scholar, so I can't judge every detail).  I didn't see claring errors and noticed no bias.  The only part someone could claim was a bias was the us of U.S. data (for example, to show the prevalence of different blood types).  I'm not sure if this book will be used outside the U.S., but if so, that chart would seem out of place.  ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content was up-to-date and make sense in flow and the way chapters were arranged.  The chapter topics could easilly be changed or updated without affecting the rest of the text.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text was clear and accessible.  I enjoyed how some medical terms were quickly connected to \"everyday\" terms to provide additional relevance to students.  At times, the writing seemed to change from \"majors level\" to \"non-majors level\" in terms of the words and phrasing.  Also, the overall writing tone seemed to change at times between sections and chapters.  Possibly this is due to having multiple authors creating this work.  ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"As mentioned above, the text flow, tone, and phrasing changed several times in the text.  This did affect consistency but unlikely to be noticed by a student over a whole year, just a reviewer reading the whole thing at one time.  \n\nAdditionally, the use of illustrations shows the same changes over the book--some chapters are only diagrams, some use photos, and some use slides.  It would have been nicer if each chapter used the same types of images.  Again, this may be due to authorship.  I can't think of a pedagogical reason to do this.   For specific examples, the Integumentary system does a fantastic job of matching simple illustrations with slide photos of the same structures.  A student could use this text in lab or lecture and gets a \"real life\" view of the structures.  In the chapter on bones, it's only diagrams; no pictures.  Wouldn't a picture of a skull help a student match the diagram with the real thing?  ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I teach both the year-long \"majors\" A\u0026amp;P and the half-year \"intro\" A\u0026amp;P series.  This book's modularity would make it possible for me to use sections for a 100-level course without having to tell students exact pages and sentences to skip to make the content reasonable.  Likewise, I can see chapters and sections that can be rearranged in a different order for a class without affecting what's being taught.  This contrasts with some texts that use an overarching story and by nature, can't be used in a different order that how written.  This modularity makes the book easy to use in different courses, in different ways, for different reasons.  ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I liked how the book's topics were arranged.  I prefer the system-by-system, superficial-to-deep approach.  Although novel to me, I did like the way the nervous system was broken up beyond the usual CNS-PNS-ANS of most books.  I could see this text's way of doing it easier for students to learn and easier for me to teach those difficult concepts.  ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I reviewed the .pdf version and was not aware of any interface problems specifically to tha format.  \n\nA few things did catch my eye but they were more problems with a particular layout on a page rather than the text overall.  For example, the chart for the hormones begins at the end of a page and continues on to the next page.  There was room to put the whole thing on one page, so why not do that?  Students would learn the chart much better if it were in one piece.  Likewise, a few diagrams and pictures were on different pages than when referenced.  Perhaps a little different editing would make the picture appear on the same page as it's discussion.  ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I didn't see any major grammatical errors.  ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I didn't see anything offensive.  As stated before, this book references U.S. data so might be a problem in other countries.  Also, disease listings tend to focus on typical U.S. problems and avoids some of the emergent, tropical disorders that might have relevance to non-European readers.  ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":389,"first_name":"Joel","last_name":"Kaufmann","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text includes all of the subjects generally covered in a year-long lower division undergraduate A\u0026amp;P course. As when comparing any comparable texts, this one did not go into as much depth in some areas but went into more depth in others.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Apart from occasional mistakes the book was accurate ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up to date and its relevance is unlikely to change in the near future since it covers mostly basic scientific concepts.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is definitely not overly wordy which I can appreciate. However, for a student who is unfamiliar with these concepts, more and clearer description of concepts and definition of root words would be useful especially at the beginning. I also feel that a lack of visual representation of processes will make the prose more difficult to conceptualize for the majority of visual learners.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is mostly consistent conceptually and in its use of terminology within and between sections.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook's modularity follows the same order as most of the other texts used in A\u0026amp;P courses targeted towards undergraduates going into nursing and allied health professions. As with any scientific text that builds upon concepts and definitions, this modularity is as adaptable as other texts of its kind.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book follows a similar (and logical) organization to other textbooks of its kind.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text's interface is clear and easily navigable.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The text contains few grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive. I think.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":429,"first_name":"Ann","last_name":"Parsons","position":"Professor","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin - Stout","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive will well-balanced coverage of all organ systems. As with all texts, the authors had to make decisions to pare down the content to make for a manageable text. A hard, but well-done task. The search bar and the list of pages it provides with the ability to link to the locations within the text, make it better than a traditional index. The glossaries are included within each section and will be identified when the term is searched. \nThe book includes very little science behind the information provided in the text.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"There are numerous small, perhaps very small, errors that may make the book unsatisfactory for the very detailed oriented instructor.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"No concerns in this area. The examples provided are not time or situationally bound. The short modular design is well-suited for the contemporary learner and allows for quick revisions to the text.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is written in an easy-to-follow style that allows the student to focus on content. At times the terminology used seemed a bit too loose or sloppy. For example, the term bladder was used without specifying whether it was referring to a specific bladder as in the urinary bladder or the gall bladder.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The layout of the book and each section is very uniform and appealing to the reader.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"For the most part, yes, the sections can be used independent of others. Yet, some of the pages got very long, particularly in Chapter 14 with only three sections covering the entire somatic nervous system. For a text book to provide a cohesive framework for learning sections and information should be cross referenced so that student learning can move to a higher level quickly. Focusing on a modular approach takes away from needing a text book at all and results in a collection of learning modules that are not tied together.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"A very standard organizational plan was used. The modularity of each section distracted from a comprehensive flow.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Each section contained linked information and a question.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors found","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"The text lacked cultural references and thus cultural relevance. Ethnic differences should be discussed. At this level, health professions students need to appreciate that everyone is a bit different even at the molecular, cellular and tissue level.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Section 1.4 doesn’t provide a good differentiation between the function of tight junctions as opposed to adhesion junctions. \nUsed the term bladder specifically without specifying gall bladder or urinary bladder.\nDoesn’t include perforating fibers (Sharpey’s fibers) of the bone.\nSome error is going on with the MC questions at the end of each section. All the choices are labeled, “b”, “d”, “f” and “h”. The correct answers are provided in the traditional “A”, “B”, “C” and “D” format and are accurate.\nDiscussion on membranes, particularly serous membranes is weak and not as accurate as it should be.\nMetabolic Process Location interactive exercise – disagree with many of the answers. For example, the organ responsible for maintaining normal blood glucose levels was identified as the liver.\nSection 4.2: Cells of epithelia are closely connected and are not separated by intracellular material.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":435,"first_name":"Deanna","last_name":"Grimm","position":"Clinical Faculty","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is acceptably comprehensive and covers the material in a clear and concise manner. I am looking at this from a clinical perspective and using the text to review systems related to nursing process and procedures. This text meets my needs and is very easy to read and follow.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"For my purposes the book is quite accurate and relative to clinical applications.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I found the content to be up-to-date. It appears to be written in a way that updates could be easily added should they be necessary.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is written in a very clear and concise manner, yet provides the accurate terms I would expect students to apply in the clinical setting.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"It is evident that there are multiple authors who contributed to the book, however I do not feel this will distract the students too much.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book is well organized in chapters and sub sections. The objectives are clear and the content of each chapter meets the stated objectives which is helpful to both students and instructors.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow of the text is logical and easy to follow. For my purposes of using the text to supplement as a review in the clinical setting I find the book to be exceptional.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I downloaded the text and found it easy to follow and use.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find the text to be culturally insensitive in anyway.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":441,"first_name":"Bhagwant","last_name":"Sindhu","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin Milwaukee","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is extremely comprehensive for an introductory human anatomy and physiology two course sequence.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the book to be generally accurate. One concern that I found was that the Brachial Plexus is generally considered to be made of ventral primary rami of spinal nerves C5-T1, but the book presents it as beginning at C4. Of course, C4 contributes to the brachial plexus but is generally reported as C5-T1.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is up-to-date, and because it is an introductory textbook, it will not become obsolete quickly. The text is written and/or arranged in such a way that necessary updates will be relatively easy and straightforward to implement. I recommend that the textbook be updated every 3-5 years.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The textbook is clear and easy to read. Terminology is well described. It would benefit to include more images and diagrams. Perhaps also have an open-source human atlas. Atlases tend to be quite expensive.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is very modular. It can be very easily used for a two-course sequence. Instructors can use chapters out of sequence to meet their course needs with a little thought upfront.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Generally, the book is well organized, easy to follow, and flows well.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is generally free of significant interface issues. Due to availability as a PDF, it can be easily read on a tablet, although I have not tried reading it on a tablet. Generally, it prints well. One problem with printing it is that in the middle of the chapter many a times half pages are left blank without any reason, which would result in waste of paper.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book appears to be grammatically correct, although the sentence structure sometimes makes the content difficult to understand.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive. However, it does not use of examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I teach courses in musculoskeletal anatomy and neuroscience courses in an Occupational Therapy Program. I would not recommend this book for these courses as they require more advanced textbooks.  However, this book appears to be appropriate for Anatomy and Physiology I and II courses.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":474,"first_name":"Gary","last_name":"Heisermann","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is quite comprehensive - all major topics are covered.  A number of notable and appropriate side topics of interest are included in most chapters.  The glossary and index are very good.  It would help if the detailed list of topics in each chapter (from the Table of Contents) was repeated at the beginning of each chapter.  \n    In addition to traditional chapter topics, there is a unique chapter called \"The Neurological Exam\" that I believe will be both very instructive (applying information from other chapters) and very engaging.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is generally quite accurate and current - this is no trivial accomplishment for a field this complicated.  The book is neutral on most controversial topics presented, with a tendency to tilt toward acceptance of mainstream views (this is not at all unusual).  Generally science textbooks shy away from (or just omit) controversial topics, but authors might do better if they presented controversies as such, and let readers decide.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is up-to-date, and will provide a satisfactory introduction to A\u0026amp;P for a number of years to come.  It is worth noting that the field of A\u0026amp;P is growing in sophistication - especially in the physiology area.  But even in anatomy new discoveries are made from time to time (for example - not found in this book is the \"discovery\" of the clitoris - which was really the discovery in 2009 that the clitoris is a much larger and more important organ than previously thought).","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is generally well written, in clear and simple language.  Technical terms are very numerous (to be expected in an A\u0026amp;P text) but well explained.  A few chapters seem a bit dry compared to the others.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The various chapters are well organized, with artwork, sidebars, and end of chapter questions throughout the book.  The art work is really quite good - and pretty consistent through the various chapters - and again this is very significant given how big of an undertaking it is to make an A\u0026amp;P textbook.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The book could be better in this area.  While it IS modular, up to a point, the total amount of material presented almost begs for more and smaller sections.  Perhaps more graphic headings within the chapters would help, or at least a schematic/graphic outline of the chapter after the chapter introduction.\n\tEach chapter can stand well on it's own, but I think it would be challenging to customize reading assignments for my own needs.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The chapters are arranged in the traditional pattern for this type of textbook, and the order of topics within chapters follows a familiar pattern as well.  Most of the text of a few chapters is mostly just straight text, without much formatting, and this can be a challenge to read and keep track of where you are.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The book navigates well, and all the images appear to be free of technical issues.  Obviously the ability to link from the index to specific topics is nice.  Also the Interactive Links (a type of sidebar) are well integrated into the written text.  The \"Interactive Link Questions\" are a wonderful addition to the set of questions at the end of many of the chapters.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are only a few minor grammatical errors.  However, in a number of cases sentences are rather long and unwieldy, making it more challenging for students to easily \"read for understanding\".  Today's students - including many of the better ones - would not have been considered strong readers a couple of decades ago.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Although many teachers might think that a science textbook does not need to worry about \"cultural relevance\", I am not one of them.  Since this is really a human anatomy and physiology textbook, and most students taking the course are going to work in healthcare (in a multiracial, multicultural country!) more highlighting of human variability is warranted.  I think the book would be stronger if it included aspects of health care discrepancies based on age, race, gender, etc.\n   One example - a wonderful sidebar they might add would be the difference in heart attack symptoms in men and women - and how this was discovered.  It is history, biology, and cultural relevance - in a topic that is likely to be very engaging.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I have been teaching Anatomy and Physiology (A\u0026amp;P) for about 15 years, and have reviewed a number of major textbooks.  Due to the competition between major texts in this field, many A\u0026amp;P texts have fairly complex and sophisticated layouts of text and Figures.  My review comments are in comparison to these textbooks.\n   While it may seem that commercial textbooks are over-formatted, I believe the complexity of the subject (A\u0026amp;P) supports the need/desire for more headings, more bold fonts for key terms, footnotes and/or sidebars, etc.  Most A\u0026amp;P students I have met (at multiple institutions) are very busy both with other courses and with jobs, so a more user-friendly textbook might be considered more of a necessity than a luxury.\n   Having stated all that, this is a very good textbook that I would recommend to people.  A lot of effort has been well spent making this book a very useful resource for Anatomy and Physiology students.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":610,"first_name":"Edward","last_name":"Johnson","position":"Professor of Human Biology","institution_name":"Central Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is divided into six units and 28 chapters. All material reasonable for a college-level human anatomy and physiology textbook is covered in an progressive and well-organized manner. Each chapter begins with a list of objectives, and the chapter content does an excellent job at covering the material verbally and with appropriate video-clips, and sometimes on-line exercises. Each chapter ends with a thorough glossary of terms and then sets of self-testing questions, from multiple choice to critical-thinking (with answers at the end of the textbook) and Interactive Link Questions. The Index at the end of the textbook also is thorough, and the online references relating to material in each chapter also are helpful.","accuracy_rating":1,"accuracy_review":"As with almost any work, there were phrasings that could be misinterpreted, and errors I noticed in text and in images:\n\nChapter 3, page 97 states that smooth ER \"regulates the concentration of cellular Ca++, a function\nextremely important in cells of the nervous system\".  I believe this is misleading. Neuron terminals, where the neurotransmitter is released, do not store calcium (it enters from the ECF through channels). It may be better to use the storage of calcium in the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum in skeletal and cardia muscle cells/fibers as an example.\n\nChapter 4, Fig 4.8 on pg. 142 does not list Epidermis as a stratified squamous epithelium. On page 152, the Pubic Symphysis is not listed as a location of fibrocartilage. Fig 5.16b has a significant error. It shows \"blue\" blood flowing into \"red\" blood. This is backwards. \"Red\" oxygenated systemic blood flows from arteries and arterioles to capillaries, and then the \"blue\" deoxygenated blood flows into and through the veins.\n\nChapter 6. On page 206, it is stated that bones store \"potassium\". Shouldn't that be \"phosphorous\".\n\nChapter 12. Why color Schwann cells red in Fig. 12.12 and then blue in Fig. 12.13. Students benefit from consistency and some may wonder if there are different Schwann cells doing the same thing.\nFig. 12.14 shows ambient temperature \"signals\" (axons) ascending in the ipsilateral spinal cord. This is a significant mistake; The axons ascend in the contralateral spinothalamic tract.\nFi. 12.18 shows an acetylcholine (ACh) channel that is permeable to calcium. I am only aware of ACh channels being permeable to sodium and potassium, so please check this.\nFi. 12.20 shows the Inactivation gate of the voltage-gated channel \"plugging\" the pore \"at rest\". This is incorrect. The Inactivation gate plugs the pore after substantial depolarization (sodium entering through the Activation gate). This is actually stated correctly on page 497.\n\nChapter 13. The text on page 525 and Fig. 13.7 list only four cerebral lobes. There are five. The fifth is the Insula and needs to be added.\n\nChapter 17. Images of the Pancreas in Figures 17.18 and 17.19 show the hormones entering the Splenic artery. I believe they enter the Splenic vein. The images also have arrows in the artery pointing towards the Aorta, which is wrong. If you leave the artery in the images, the blood flows away from the Aorta.\n\nChapter 19. Fig. 19.13 shows three papillary muscles in the Right Ventricle. The Bicuspid valve has two cusps and there are only two papillary muscles.\nFig. 19.20 shows that potassium channels open at +15 mV, whence calcium channels close (which I suspect is correct). The text on page 809 states that this occurs at +5 mV. Please research and correct whichever one is wrong.\n\nChapter 21. Figures 21.2 and 21.7 shows the Adenoid (pharyngeal tonsil) out of place. It is shown off to the side, but it is closer to/at the midline. Also, I believe it is confusing to students to identify the adenoid and then a tonsil inferior to it in Fig. 21.7. Students may conclude that the adenoid is something else, not just another name for a tonsil.\n\nChapter 22. There is a significant error in the text of the \"Disorders of the ...: RSD\" box on page 1020. The end of the 1st paragraph states: \"Blood oxygen levels are low, whereas blood carbon dioxide levels and pH are high\". When carbon dioxide levels are high, pH is low (more hydrogen ions, and thus, acidic).\n\nChapter 27. In the \"Everyday Connection\" on page 1232, it is stated that \"Each of our cells contain approximately 1700 mitochondria\". This statement is inconsistent with the evidence that some cells (maybe osteocytes) can function with a few hundred mitochondria, but other cells (striated muscle and neurons) need thousands.\n\nChapter 28. At the very end of the text, Turner Syndrome is mentioned as a (female) chromosomal disorder. Why isn't Klinefelter Syndrome, a \"male\" disorder, which may affect as many as one of every five hundred males, not mentioned?","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"I make every attempt to keep up with any new findings in the area of human biology. I believe that this text is written to align with long-standing understanding of human anatomy and physiology, while incorporating new findings throughout. I suspect that being an online text, updates can be made periodically.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"As a textbook, I found the prose easy to read, with a style that draws the reader/student in. Technical phraseology was minimized, and when used, very good \"laymen\" explanations were supplied.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Every chapter was organized in a consistent manner, which should help students learn where to quickly find what thy are seeking in any chapter. The overall framework throughout the text was terrific, with readable text, great tables and figures, and quick access to very good online topics relevant to the material.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Dividing the content into six units is appropriate for how to study the human body. Each of the 28 chapters are well organized into sections, with each section starting with a set of goals. The text, figures, tables and links are well-placed within the sections. The ends of the chapters with a glossary and question-sets also are consistent and appropriate.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I believe I addressed this earlier (like question 6). The topics are most-definitely presented in a logical fashion and are written and depicted in a manner that should help almost any student learn the subject.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Except for errors I noticed in a few images/figures, there were no interface issues that I had any issue with. Considering the technology is relatively new to my academic tenure, that is significant. I cannot image that most younger students would have any problem interfacing with this textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not detect any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The material in this textbook describes humans, from human cells to tissues, organs, systems and development. I did not see any example where the text or images were culturally insensitive or where I think anyone would find the material offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I applaud those with the vision to create an excellent free online textbook for students throughout the world who want to (or need to) learn about human biology, and for anyone else who is curious about how we are put together and function. Thank you!","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":827,"first_name":"Gerrit","last_name":"Bouma","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all main areas of physiology in a suitable manner. The outline is very good and the overall organization of the different units is well structured and makes sense. The table of contents and glossary are appropriate, and the obvious advantage of using the “find” function online is a great.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text in this ebook is unbiased and accurate. The figures are appropriate and very helpful.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text is up to date and relevant. For example, the Bisphenol A section in “Everyday Connection”, Chapter 7 Endocrine system is timely and well-written. However, the recent important role of the bone hormone osteocalcin in pancreas and testis physiology could and should be included, but will be a relatively straightforward update.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well written, without an excess of jargon. The terminology is clear and appropriate.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This textbook is very consistent in overall outline, structure, terminology, and has a very appropriate and solid flow of topics in physiology.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is divided in 6 units, and each unit containing between 2 and 7 chapters. The units are logical and well-suited for this textbook. The chapters each start with clearly stated learning objectives, and are broken down in easy to read sections. Finally, chapters contain special emphasis sections called “Homeostatic Imbalances”, “Disorders”, “Diseases”, “Aging”, “Career Connections”, “Everyday Connections”, and “Interactive Links”. Especially the “Interactive Links” are extremely useful and a tremendous asset to this textbook.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"This textbook is very well organized and as indicated above the different units, chapters, and sections within chapters are presented in a logical fashion. The chapter review and review questions at the end of each chapter are very good and useful. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This online textbook is easy to navigate through and the interactive links work well. The images are appropriate and of good quality.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar in this textbook is good, and the text is easy to read. No errors were apparent.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text uses appropriate examples without any bias to races, ethnicities and backgrounds, and is not culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a great online Anatomy \u0026amp; Physiology textbook with broad coverage, and the interactive links add a tremendous amount resource and information. The featured text included in the emphasis sections “Homeostatic Imbalances”, “Disorders”, “Diseases”, “Aging”, “Career Connections”, and “Everyday Connections” are a great addition and will be of interest to students.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1122,"first_name":"Diane","last_name":"Weaver","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Rogue Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is quite comprehensive, with detailed subject matter on several levels, including various formats for student use and the ability for instructors to customize to their level of instruction. The index does a good job of presenting the Unit topic with subsequent Chapters, each color coded to assist in evaluating content quickly. Chapters begin with a brief list of expectations then provide opportunities not only of text but support with illustrations, examples and interactive links. At the end of each unit is a glossary of Key Terms relating to that unit, a Chapter Review, Review Questions and Critical Thinking Questions, all providing comprehensive review options. Having the glossary connected to the unit enables easy reference and to refresh memory of content. The Chapter Review is detailed enough to support responses to the question section that follows. In addition, answers are provided in the back of the book, making it possible, but not too convenient, to check responses.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"There were no inaccuracies noted, nor were there any typographical errors. Information provided seemed factual without personal opinions. (However, I did not read every word in the book!)","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content seems up-to-date and relevant to today and the needs of the medical field at this point. The nice attribute of Open STAX is that the instructor can add and delete content as relevance changes and other areas come to the forefront. It should not be difficult to change various inserts, such as the Career Connection and the Interactive Links, as these and others are highlighted and boxed within the full text.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This book is very detailed and does use terminology that may be difficult for some to comprehend, depending on level of exposure and intended use. The explanations are detailed, appear accurate and provide depth to the subject presented. Much of the text is backed up with illustrations, examples or interactive links. The vocabulary is advanced in some areas presuming previous knowledge in the sciences (i.e. chemistry, biology).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is well presented from the Preface explaining the open learning concept through the index that provides ease in finding information with an easy to follow outline. Each chapter follows the outline and includes sections with repetitive content and summary sections. Very well organized and easy to follow.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Unit titles are divided by body system action (i.e. Support and Movement) rather than system name (skeletal), making introduction more well rounded and inclusive. In addition, disease examples are included as part of the system chapter, rather than being grouped as afterthoughts separate from function. Interactive links are spread through each unit providing an alternative method of exploration and learning. \nVery well organized and thought out information per section with good presentation flow. While providing detailed information on a topic the reader is also provided options for expanded learning opportunities. Each of the sections provided could easily be updated, expanded, deleted or moved as the instructor customizes their class.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Very well organized with good flow for instructor and student. Demonstrates consistency and is easy to follow.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There were no issues noted with interface as all illustrations and information provided came across clearly without distortion or confusion.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were noted in review of this text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There are no inappropriate references to culturally sensitive issues noted in the text. The Interactive Links and Career Connections were well presented and relevant.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"While this book was very detailed with a more advanced vocabulary than beginning medical classes might be used to, it was well organized, well written, and offered various options for learning. With the ability for instructors to customize presentation this all provides a good option for a variety of class levels.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1144,"first_name":"Paula","last_name":"Croonquist","position":"Biology Faculty","institution_name":"Anoka Ramsey Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is very comprehensive including all the traditional chapters in systems' approach of anatomy and physiology instruction with each chapter clearly divided into cohesive topics that coherently describe the structural components and characteristics of each body system's organs followed by the function/physiological process/es of each organ within the system. The Table of context/index is clear and effective and so is the glossary!","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I have reviewed each chapter superficially but specifically reviewed carefully Chapter 21: The Lymphatic and immune System as immunological process/innate and adaptive responses are not easy for sophomore level students and many textbooks oversimplify the process of T cell activation, etc making the explanations so simplistic that they are borderline innacurate. I felt the explanation of a T cell receptor and MHC complexes was great and accurate. There is not enough genetic explanation on how we end up with millions of specific TCR bearing cells but that is not the scope of a sophomore level anatomy and physiology course. Overall, it was very accurate and with enough detail.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I believe the chapters are up to date for the most part, as long as there is a way to ensure periodic updates, it should not be too difficult to do them.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"This book is written with great clarity, in chapter 21 immunological jargon is critical to understand the interplay and cross talk of different innate and specific/adaptive cell types. I felt it was accessible to students at this level.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terminology and structure/framework is very consistent which was great to see as I imagined it can be challenging in an OER\u0026gt;","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This book is very much like a non OER when it comes to modularity, its index lends itself to those modules and subtopics that make reading transitions between related topics easy to the reader.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Again its organization/flow is typical of traditional anatomy and physiology textbook at the 2000 level.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I surfed through the whole interface and did not find it difficult to load (specially images or figures). This was great!","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did found one grammatical errors in chapter 21 but that was it.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I would say with confidence that is not insensitive or offensive culturally in any way. Not sure if it uses examples across races/ethnicities but certainly it is not offensive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I was pleasantly surprised with the accuracy of the chapter dealing with Immunology as it is particular confusing for students at the level. In addition, it is easy and clear to read and navigation was not slow (online version) or frustrating in any way. I would be willing to try it in my course.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1178,"first_name":"Addie","last_name":"Dickson","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Bossier Parish Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"I am comparing this open source textbook to another widely used, commercially available text.  Compared to that, OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology is not quite as comprehensive.  All major subject areas are covered (i.e. cells, bones, muscles, nervous system, etc.), but molecular details of many physiological processes are left out or poorly covered.  There is more molecular \u0026amp; mechanistic detail in some chapters rather than others (or on some topics rather than others), perhaps reflecting the multiple authors of this book.  All necessary broad A\u0026amp;P topics are covered though.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content of this text is by and large accurate.  Again, I'm comparing it to a widely used text from a highly reputable publisher.  Yes, I have found a few errors in the OpenStax text.  But I have also found similar numbers and types of errors in the commercially available text.  I do not find the OpenStax text biased in any way that I have noticed.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I find the OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology text to have appropriate relevance and longevity.  It is not written in such a way that would require major edits to update it.  The text relates well to the current generation of users by providing lots of embedded links.  However, not all of these links are still working.  Perhaps removing web links in a future edition would increase longevity of the text.  Textbox insets could easily be used to highlight applied concepts rather than web links.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Compared to the other commercially available text I have used, OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology is more accessible to my students (community college) because of its clarity.  The book does not overuse jargon at all.  My students find this to be very helpful and find the prose to be easy to read and comprehend.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I have not noted any problems with this text book's consistency.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This textbook's modularity is fine.  The text is easily divided into units and chapters that can be grouped together appropriately for effective instruction and testing.  The text is broken down with enough subheadings to give students breaks between topics while reading so the students do not get bogged down by the bulk and amount of material presented.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization and flow of this text is one of my complaints about it.  Several of my colleagues have the same complaint.  The other commercially available text that I have used for Anatomy and Physiology was organized better.  For the overall text, I don't have a problem with the organization of the units/chapters, except for Unit 3: Regulation, Integration, and Control.  Chapter 12-15 could be organized better in my opinion.  Chapter 12 describes nervous tissue, Chapter 13 describes the anatomy of the nervous system, Chapter 14 describes the somatic nervous system, and Chapter 15 describes the autonomic nervous system.  To me, this organization just doesn't make sense and confuses students.  I have chosen to teach this material as \"topics\" rather than chapters, and have organized the information into (1) nervous tissue \u0026amp; physiology, (2) the brain, and (3) the spinal cord.  I think it is much more effective to structure the material this way for my students.  On a separate note, I also find problems with the organization of material within each chapter in this textbook.  The flow of information is often off and better reorganized and presented in a different way.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"As previously mentioned, the text contains old web links that are no longer active.  I have not noted any distortion of images on different devices, but I have noted that images are not available in high enough resolution for adding edits or enlarging in PowerPoint.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have noted the occasional grammatical error, but nothing more than any other published text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any issues with this text book's cultural relevance, although to be honest, I was not reading it with a keen eye for cultural relevance but more for course content.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"There is another major issue that I had with this text that was not previously covered in this review form: the text book's images (both the amount of images and their quality).  Compared with the other commercially available text I have used, the images in OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology are not adequate for effective instruction.  First, there are simply not enough images to adequately convey difficult topics to students.  For every one image in OpenStax A\u0026amp;P, I feel like we need about 5 more (at least).  Second, the quality of the images that are available is lacking.  Many are not detailed enough to provide students with adequate information for studying.  Also, for instructional purposes, the images are not of high enough resolution for optimal use within PowerPoint.","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1350,"first_name":"Haifei","last_name":"Shi","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is comprehensive, covered with all organ systems and major topics. It also includes some side topics in many chapters. Additionally, inclusion of chapters of neurological exam and fetal development is unique and impressive. The materials included could be used to teach lower college-level human anatomy and physiology courses.  \n\nAlthough it covers many clinical-related information, not much mechanistic science at cellular or molecular levels is included in some of chapters.  One example is about hemoglobin dissociation curve shift. The effects of cellular metabolite BPG is not mentioned, and comparison between myoglobin and hemoglobin is not discussed. Another example is action potential initiation is covered but its propagation is not discussed, and pacemaker potential is not covered.  In other chapters, such as the immune system, cellular and molecular mechanisms are covered. \n\nThe text also provides extra materials with interactive link, which helps to understand more complicated topics that require higher order thinking. Although most of the contents from the link are clinically related, and do not seem relevant to the materials present in the written text. Additionally, this book also includes a section of career connections that introduce various career opportunities. These extra materials provide students with connection between physiological concepts and everyday life.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In general, most of the contents is accurate. Most figures and diagrams are labeled correctly. Some inaccurate or confusing points exist, however. For example: figures 12.18 and 12.19 illustrate ligand-gated channels, indicated that different types of ions pass the same membrane protein, which is inaccurate and could be misleading. The publisher website has an online errata list for reporting inaccuracy, thus the accuracy will be improved overtime.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The information is mostly up-to-date and consistent with the mainstream opinions in the fields. This book also includes information that is relevant to everyday life, clinical application, and health professional careers, which is discussed through \"Everyday Connection\", interactive linked materials and critical thinking questions. In contrast, research methods and discoveries are not as much as emphasized. It is relatively easy to implement new discoveries using links.  The cutting-edge research related information is also relevant to many students’ careers. The online version is suitable for frequent updating and revising, and thus should last long.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"In general, the materials are written in a clear manner, which makes it easy to read. Many concepts are explained in a simplified manner without going to depth, thus this text could be used for test review as well. The glossary and index are very good. Some terminology are not specified or misused, and some sentences (for example, body temperature regulation part) are misleading.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Overall format and most structures are labeled consistently, at least within the same unit and chapter. Writing style varies since the textbook is written by multiple authors. Some of the same terminology are discussed using multiple different names, and some of the same structures are pictured using different colors. Such inconsistencies mostly is minor, but could be distracting.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The online version of the textbook has modularity in units and chapters, but pdf version is download as one piece. It would be nice to offer an option for sectional downloading. The sequence of the chapters are in a similar order as most other anatomy and physiology textbooks. It should not be hard for instructors to adapt this textbook and use sections of the book.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Units and chapters are organized well. The book start with general and fundamental knowledge, followed by individual systems, similar as most physiology textbooks. \nEach chapter begins with objectives, key terms, and glossary, flow to key points, review questions, and then to critical thinking questions and link questions, requiring increasing depth of understanding. The glossaries included within each section can be identified when the term is searched. Figures, tables and videos are also well-organized. Overall, materials is organized in a progressive manner.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface is clear and its layout is organized well. The interactive links provide additional information and questions, which is a plus. \n\nI prefer to use a printout hardcopy, so that I can refer to the diagrams and text at same time without scrolling back and forth, and when there is no or bad internet connection. The pdf version does not have page numbers, which makes it hard to find relevant materials listed in the table of contents and index. Figures and tables are not referred well in the text. On some pages of the printed copy, however, some of images and text are not on the same page, whereas on other pages there is a chunk of blank space.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"This book contains a few minor grammatical errors. Some sentences are not concise and could be confusing, but wouldn’t mislead or interfere with learning.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The topics of anatomy and physiology would apply to many species, including humans. It is not uncommon that cultural and ethnic information is missing in a textbook at this level. This book is culturally sensitive. Some diseases that affect certain gender, ages, races or ethnicities are discussed, and some images and drawings of people of different races are included.  Students and instructors especially in health professions would appreciate these examples that include a diversity of gender, racial and ethnic background.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This textbook include topics from both anatomy and physiology. Overall it is a great teaching and learning resource. Most departments and institutions teach these two subject separately, so that they would only use part of this book wherever materials are appropriate. This book simplifies some difficult concepts and makes them easier to understand, but sometimes this text lacks depth and it is not as thorough as some other textbooks.  Additionally, this textbook is better be used for introductory physiology undergraduate courses or for applied science courses, but not for major biology courses, as it does not include much research contents.  Furthermore, inclusion of a question bank would be ideal for instructors.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1393,"first_name":"Hui","last_name":"Wang","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I have used part of chapters of this book for an introduction course. For my purpose, it is very comprehensive. Due to time limitation, I have to skip some sections. As an electronics book, it is easy to identify the content.  It seems this is not a book for an introduction course, especially for engineering students. The instructor has to tailor it.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Some time, I have to search around to confirm if the definition is right, especially there are many other books with different statements. But overall, it is pretty accurate. But for figures, I usually do not use those with the book, since better ones could be found on Web. One of the drawback is there is no animation.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"One big advantage of open book is that the book could be updated very quickly. If there is any obsolete knowledge, the book should be open for updating by anyone after approval. For this book, I did not see this advantage","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"4.\tOverall the content is easily understood, but some time the text is very tedious, which could be described easily with an animation.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Overall consistent throughout the text","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"I do not think the book has any advantages over traditional books on modularity, although it can be done very efficiently through an E book. The content could be classified for courses at different levels.  An instructor could pick modules based on their purposes, and then distribute to students.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book is presented in a logical way, but not sure if that is important. If the book is based on modular design. The structure should be flexible.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is straightforward.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Did not notice that.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"We do see naked people over there. For this case, a few figures could be provided based on different cultures.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This is a good start point for freeing students from expensive traditional books and this is the trend to go. We really appreciate this. Future improvements could focus on flexibility and better presentation, such as animation. In addition, on-line question banks should be provided to the instructor.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1472,"first_name":"Shauna","last_name":"McNulty","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Umpqua Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The comprehensiveness of this work is comparable to other anatomy and physiology texts that are geared toward undergraduate coursework. The table of contents is effective and provides a nice linked design to the various sections within the work.  In addition, there is a nice glossary with listed terms appearing at the end of each chapter.  The text offers a good overview of each system with the basics of anatomy and physiology covered.  There is also a review section with questions at the end of each chapter that offers questions for the students to test their comprehension.  This is most appropriate for introductory courses, as it lacks some of the detail you may find in more advanced texts.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The text appeared to be unbiased and fairly balanced with both anatomy and physiology.  I did not notice any issues with accuracy, and there were few grammatical and editing errors.  Some chapters, such as the skeletal system, are more geared toward the anatomy, but this is consistent with other publisher's books.  If a more in-depth discussion of the physiology is warranted, then a separate text or resource may be needed.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content appears to be up-to-date. The chapters contain clinical sections that connect the concepts to current medical technology, procedures, and pathologies.  There are in-text links that tie the chapter content to outside websites that offer additional resources, which is a nice way to supplement the chapter.  In addition, there is a brief section devoted to development within many chapters.  Chapters are often not as detailed as comparable standard format texts, but are still appropriate for the introductory student. I believe that this text is relevant and has good short-term longevity, though medical advances and website changes will require future editing.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text reads easily and uses clear and concise language.  Complex terminology is explained coherently and concepts are often paired with a relevant image.  The images themselves are effective, but not quite as detailed and/or useful as the standard format texts that I have encountered.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The structure of the text appears consistent and uniform from chapter to chapter, which helps with overall clarity and guidance for the reader.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text's modularity is good and it is easy to navigate the subsections of each chapter.  This is another point of commonality between this text and standard format texts.  Subheadings are clear and easy for the reader to navigate.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of the text is similar to other textbooks and it proceeds in a logical fashion from the chemical and cellular level to the major systems of the body.  The structure of each chapter is also similar, as the text is punctuated by clinical anecdotes and descriptions where appropriate and many conclude with developmental aspects of growth and formation of the system.  The flow of each chapter is also logical and readable.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface of the book was good overall.  The text often links to outside resources and videos that help the reader visualize and understand important concepts.  I did notice that some of the links were outdated, or no longer linked to the stated content.  An example is the section on the microanatomy of bone.  It links back to an Openstax page that no longer contains the video.  Many of the links to university and college sites were excellent and provided nice views of slides, videos, etc.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The text had few grammatical errors and they were fairly easy to overlook and didn't hinder the readability of the chapter.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text appears culturally relevant and I did not come across any sections that were offensive or insensitive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall this is a nice introductory text that covers the basics of anatomy and physiology with clarity.  The in-text links also allow the instructor to pull additional resources to supplement the information found in each chapter. The images are the major drawback, as they are often not as clear and detailed as comparable textbooks, but the price could easily outweigh any reservations on the part of an instructor looking to adopt this text.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1535,"first_name":"Jedd","last_name":"Billing","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"University of the West of England","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers the main systems, with a focus on defining terms and describing and illustrating anatomy. Physiology is provided, but in less detail. Overall, I believe this text is well-suited to provide students with an introduction to anatomy and physiology suitable to a year 1 module within a Higher Education programme. \n\nOf particular use to health care professionals was the inclusion of pathophysiology and occasional discussion of relevant conditions and treatments. For example, within the cardiovascular system section description of CPR and cardiac tamponade was included, helping students to begin applying their knowledge to professional practice.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Although I have not read every single page of the text, the vast majority of the text appears to be relevant and accurate. Language appears objective and professional, and there is a focus on promoting the importance of anatomy and physiology to health care professionals, which is a significant strength for use of the book within a healthcare programme.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"As previously stated, the book presents content relevant to the subjects covered. The text is relatively recent and all content reviewed appears to be up-to-date. Continuation of achieving this is made easily achievable by the online method of delivery. Videos and images have also largely been used effectively to support and break-up sections of text.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is written clearly and concisely, with sections being easy to read to understand. The text is clearly structured and body systems have grouped logically. Anatomical and physiological terminology is highlighted and defined sufficiently.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Throughout the text, language is consistently professional and academic. It is easy to understand for the reader and the formatting and structure is maintained throughout. This helps enable the reader to become familiar with the focus and direction of the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text has been structured well into logical sections, based on function. This helps the reader combine and relate knowledge of separate systems to gain an understanding of how the body functions as a whole. Within each section, learning outcomes have been well-utilised to provide focus and direction.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The formatting of the structure of each section is maintained throughout, helping to provide consistency for the reader. I like how the body systems have been grouped to structure the text as it enables the reader to consider how systems work together to provide a homeostasis.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate and clear, effective illustrations are included to support descriptions and break-up large sections of text. Video links have been included to provide an additional learning platform, all of which have loaded successfully and quickly during the review.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were noted during the review. Language is consistently professional and academic. it is also clear and easy to understand, helping to prevent a potential barrier to learning.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text includes information and figure relating to a range of ages, races and genders. It is particularly useful for health care students as it also occasionally considers how theory relates to their practice.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I am impressed with the standard of this text and feel it is well-suited to introductory Anatomy and Physiology modules completed within the first year of Higher Education study within healthcare programmes. The text is structured logically, helping enable the reader to combine their understanding of separate systems to create an understanding of how the human body functions as a whole. The content focuses on anatomy more than physiology, but is adequate for an introductory module.","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1716,"first_name":"Cynthia","last_name":"Savage","position":"KNH Instructor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides a comprehensive review of Anatomy and Physiology in 6 Units:  Levels of Organization, Support and Movement, Regulation, Integration and Control, Fluids and Transport, Energy Maintenance and Environmental Exchange,  and Human Development and the Continuity of Life.  Each Chapter has a Table of Contents, Chapter Objectives and a Glossary.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is well-written and contains accurate, research based material.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content of the book is current and is organized.  The topic is one that that will not quickly change or become outdated.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a clear and coherent style.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is very consistent in that each chapter begins with chapter objectives,offers appropriate figures for visual understanding, provides Interactive links for students to watch videos or animations.  Each chapter ends with key terms, a chapter review, interactive link questions, review questions and critical thinking questions.  ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text  is easily and readily divisible. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is very organized and structured.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are no interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text has good grammar.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text is culturally relevant.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Well done.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1747,"first_name":"David","last_name":"McLeod ","position":"Asst. Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers the topics of human anatomy and human physiology relatively comprehensively.  As in any combined text (or class), it would be nearly impossible to provide in-depth coverage of either topic.  Instead, I found that this text covered the basics of both subjects adequately and could be used for an introductory undergraduate A\u0026amp;P course.  I would imagine that anyone teaching separate anatomy and physiology courses would find this books treatment of the body only partially sufficient.  That said, there was a surprising amount of detail included in certain sections (e.g., descriptions of some musculature) whereas others were less so (e.g., no images of the radial nerve in the arm beyond the brachial plexus figure).","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Generally accurate, though there are errors within (e.g., fig. 11.28, the upper right image is labeled as a \"dorsal\" view, when it is, in fact, palmar).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"a textbook for Anatomy is unlikely to ever become obsolete.  Understanding of physiology may change with time, but even that is likely to have reached a reasonable level of stasis.  Any well written anatomy/physiology book should stand the test of time.  This book has no glaring issues that would cause it to fall into irrelevancy.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is adequately written.  I did find that there is a fair bit of redundancy between certain sections (e.g., topics like reflexes come up multiple times).  This may have been intentional, using repetition to drive home a particular point or connect topics between sections and chapters.  It may have also been an artifact of multiple authors.  The text is easily read and should present the undergraduate reader with few (if any) issues.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I do like the structure of each chapter which is consistently reflected throughout the book.  The end of chapter summaries, glossaries, and review questions is well constructed and maintained throughout the book.  Image quality is consistent throughout each chapter.  ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I teach in an institution which has separate anatomy and physiology courses.  Like many combined A\u0026amp;P texts (even those promising the opportunity for customization), I would find it too difficult and time consuming to manipulate the sections of this text to fit my course in anatomy.  That said, I would have little hesitation in recommending this title for a combined course at the undergraduate level.  This text would work well for a course that uses models (and possibly pro-sections) for the teaching of anatomy.  It would be inadequate for a course that utilizes cadavers.  This is especially true for musculoskeletal and nervous system topics which would benefit greatly from additional illustrations and photographs of cadaveric materials (if catering to an anatomy-only model program).","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Topics are reasonably well organized.  I would suggest significant changes if trying to adapt it to my own gross anatomy course, but my course is not necessarily the primary target of this text.  Given that I do not teach a combined course I can only comment that the organization of the text seems logical enough.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found no significant interface issues.  I intentionally reviewed the low quality text to see how \"rough\" it would be.  There were some images that were completely sharp, and others that were difficult to really see clearly.  I was surprised by the discrepancy (I had assumed that all art would be prepared to the same standards).  I also found a significant amount of shadowing in the images in the low resolution version (viz., in illustrations with white background and text there was some hazy shadowing surrounding text boxes and leader lines. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No noteworthy errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Given that we look much the same beneath the epidermis, I found the text appropriate in its portrayal of the body.  Images represented both males and females and photographs included subjects from various ethnic backgrounds.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I had hoped that the ability to customize this text would permit its use in an anatomy-only course.  I was disappointed (but not surprised) to find that though most of the topics and concepts that I teach are covered here, it would take far too much effort to customize the text for my gross anatomy course.  ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1797,"first_name":"Mary","last_name":"Kananen","position":"Assistant Teaching Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Penn State Altoona","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers the material for an introductory  two semester A and P class. The chapter organization allows for a flexible sequence of material. It could easily be used for an  1 semester introductory physiology class or a 1 semester introduction to  anatomy class. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"As I reviewed the chapters I did not find any major errors and found the text readable.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"At this level the content will have a good longevity . This book has the fundamentals needed to teach an introductory  course. I can add updated material to my course easily without changing textbooks.   ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"It is a readable text. Terminology is an important component of anatomy so terminology is required.  Definitions are accessible within the chapters.  Diagrams are simple but very effective. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"It works well","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It looks very flexible. I think I could make it work for several classes.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Logical, I might use it in a slightly different order but I do not have a problem assigning chapters out of order. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The images and charts are  fine. A few of the hyperlinks did not work or sent me to the wrong website. It do not see that as a problem. The page numbers were off by 10 pages in the PDF.  Once I figured it out, it was not a problem. I just adjusted my search page number. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any significant  errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"It seemed appropriate. The content is universal to all humans. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This appears to be a functional text that would be a economical alternative to our current text. \n","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1813,"first_name":"Cindy","last_name":"Adams","position":"Instructor/Advisor, Nutritional Sciences","institution_name":"Penn State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This open Anatomy and Physiology (A\u0026amp;P) textbook is just as comprehensive as one of the most widely-used standard textbooks in this field written by Marieb \u0026amp; Hoehn. This one is organized a bit differently, but all of the important concepts from the standard one are present with a different, more student-centered focus.\n\nThis textbook even goes beyond the standard texts in this field with an innovative, highly career-relevant chapter entitled \"The Neurological Exam.\" This chapter engages the student in scenarios that allow them to apply what they are learning to real-world problems or cases.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"While the book reads well, it was troubling to find some obvious mistakes in the random sections I chose to review. It may need to be proof-read in its entirety to ensure overall accuracy. \n\nThe most troubling mistakes that I found were:\n\nFigure 23.3 on page 1088 is labelled \"Accessory Organ Section\" but instead shows the histology of the GI tract and should be labelled as such.  This is a huge mistake since accessory digestive organs are called Accessory because they are NOT part of the GI tract at all.\n\npg. 1198 - \"Vitamins are not stored in the body, so they must be obtained from the diet or synthesized from precursors available in the diet.\"  This sentence is wrong in two ways. First, the liver stores a 1-2 year supply of Vitamin A and 1-4 month's supply of Vitamins D \u0026amp; B12.  Secondly, vitamins cannot be synthesized by our bodies at all which makes them essential parts of our diets.\n\n\nTypos found:\n\nExp from table on page 1153: \n    (Insulin) \"causes cells in muscle, adipose tissue, and liver to take up glucose from the blood\n    and store it in the liver and muscle as glucagon; its effect is the opposite of glucagon;\" - It should have said that        glucose is stored as glycogen, not glucagon. This sort of typo could obviously be confusing for students, especially those learning this material for the first time.\n\nI will be sending these and any other problems I note to the authors as they request in the Preface.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text goes out of its way to reference current research that may impact various aspects of the material. The fact that the authors are themselves teachers makes me feel like they will be making changes as they recognize the need for them in their students' reactions to the material.\n\nThe Neurological Exam chapter seems to be the most vulnerable to changes in the short term as medical norms evolve more quickly than physiological research.\n\nThe only figures/photos that jumped out at me as easily dated were the one related to tatoos and piercings of the skin.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The sections I read, for the most part were clear and in some cases much more understandable than the comparable paper textbook to which I was comparing this online text. \n\nGood Examples of Clarity within this book:\n\n1) Redox Reaction section (p. 1154) provides a brief (2 paragraph) but very clear summary of how redox reactions create energy\n\n2) The OpenStax videos that I viewed clearly demonstrated the process or topic at hand.\n\n\n\nExamples of Possible Clarity problems:\n\nLast paragraph on page 44 says \"the most common form of carbon's mass number is 12.\"  is a bit misleading.  It should instead say that \"the most common form of carbon found in our world has a mass number of 12.\"  It is important to know that there are variations of each element in the world (called isotopes).  However the mass number is used simply to label and track the isotopes while this section makes it sound like that is the most important aspect. Could confuse students new to basic chemistry. \n\nIn this sentence: \"Polysaccharides serve as energy storage (e.g., starch and glycogen) and as structural\ncomponents (e.g., chitin in insects and cellulose in plants)\" it would have been more clear to say (e.g. starch in plants and glycogen in animals). This addition would also make it more consistent with the structural uses of CHOs listed in the same sentence.\n\nFigure 24.5 on page 1158 mentions the terms \"exergonic\" and \"endergonic\" reactions without any further explanation or link to what these terms mean.\n\nKhan video chosen for Glycolysis (Interactive link at top of pg. 1163) was a bit fast and potentially confusing to students because of it's lack of clarity. The text version explanation below this link was much better at clarifying this central process.\n\nIn general, I felt that the \"Interactive Links\" (i.e. outside videos) were not as clearly illustrative of the topic at hand as were the OpenStax ones. There seems to be a need to create more OpenStax videos that more clearly integrate with the text.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The authors state that they designed this textbook to promote scientific literacy and they have succeeded. I especially liked the \"Everyday Connection,\" \"Homeostatic Imbalances\" and \"Career Connections\" sections. However, all of the features were not consistently included in every chapter. Perhaps this text is still a work in progress?","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each unit and the chapters within each unit can stand alone without phrases like \"in the last chapter...\"  This makes it easier for instructors to pick and choose the body systems they want to cover and then present them to their students in the order that makes the most sense to them without confusing the students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book chapters are organized into units by the overall functions necessary to support life. It helps students create a general schema of the overall purpose of each body system and how they work together to maintain homeostasis and growth.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Figures not sized to be on same page as associated text within the PDF.  The figures themselves are legible, but the excessive white space is a bit distracting and adds to the overall length of the document. \n\nThe online version flows well without this type of distraction.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Photos included a variety of races and I particularly liked Figure 5.8 Skin Pigmentation in the Integumentary System Chapter. It nicely illustrated what I have long had to explain to my students about the mechanisms of skin color.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The overall conversational style of the book is exemplified by the following phrase:\n\n\"An important part of this course is to understand the nervous system. This can be especially challenging because you need to learn about the nervous system using your own nervous system.\"\n\nEach chapter opens with a quote to challenge the students.  My favorite one is “If the human brain were simple enough for us to understand, we would be too simple to understand it.”\n\nOverall, I found it much more engaging than most A\u0026amp;P textbooks.\n","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1893,"first_name":"Matthew","last_name":"Goff","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Virginia Western Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all of the information that would be typically required for an introductory human anatomy and physiology course. Similar to most other textbooks geared towards an introductory anatomy/physiology course, this book begins with the basic terminology, then switches to the molecular and chemical level, followed by tissues, and then progressing through each organ system. Besides being similar to other textbooks in its arrangement, the content is comparable to many published textbooks. I would prefer to have more microscopic images of tissues, and different image views of muscles and joints. Having the chapters broken down into smaller sections that include summaries and questions for the students are all beneficial.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content within seems to be concise and accurate. Again, this book is geared more towards an introductory human anatomy and physiology, therefore, it is evenly balanced between anatomy and physiology. If one was teaching a higher-level course, then supplemental material would be required for a more in-depth perspective. There were a few grammatical errors which is not uncommon to find.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content does seem to be up-to-date. Even though medical and scientific advances may lead to changes from time to time within the text, this should only be minor adjustments. Having the additional links to websites and videos scattered throughout the text also assists in the relevance/longevity of the information. As new advances are made within science and the medical field, the text can easily be modified to account for these advances and incorporate new links/videos to keep the information up-to-date.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a manner that should be easily understood by an undergraduate student. The information is presented in a clear and concise manner that follows the natural progression through anatomy and physiology similar to many other textbooks. There were many images that were excellent at conveying the information, however, there were some that I’ve seen done much better in other texts. Therefore, one might need to use supplemental images and animations to get some points across.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent in its arrangement. Each section is followed by summaries, student questions, and definitions that are all helpful to the student.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into sections that are easy to follow and navigate through. The text contains units that are divided into chapters that are further divided into sections. This makes the arrangement of the course more manageable for both the instructor and the student. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Similar to most other textbooks geared towards an introductory anatomy/physiology course, this book begins with the basic terminology, then starts with the organizational hierarchy at the molecular and chemical level, followed by tissues, and then progressing through each organ system describing that anatomical and physiological perspective of each. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The text does contain a number of graphics as well as website links and videos. Many of the links were excellent resources for students, however, some of the links were outdated.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The text did contain some grammatical errors, but not on a consistent basis.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text conveys the information in a very straightforward manner and I did not find anything to be offensive or insulting. The information presented in the text is for and representative of a wide range of age and race, as well as both genders. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1911,"first_name":"Stacie","last_name":"Deaver","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Virginia Western Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this book is comparable to many of the commercially available textbooks on the market and would suffice for an introductory level anatomy and physiology class. I did find it lacking in detail in a few areas, primarily in the detail of the images and figure legends. There were also chapters, such as the reproductive system that went into less detail regarding physiology, so I would not recommend it an upper level A/P course. I did appreciate the glossary at the end of each chapter, making it easy for students to reference material and reducing the \"search\" for terms through a giant glossary at the end of the book. The table of contents and index were perfectly adequate and did a good job of providing the necessary information.  I also appreciated the wide variety of resources provided, such as the practice questions, \"aging and the...\" readings, and career connections/everyday connections, to round out the learning experience.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content was accurate, up-to-date, and unbiased in the presentation of materials. It reads in a very neutral tone that emphasized the presentation of information that has been well-researched. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The written content was up-to-date and will stay relevant for the foreseeable future. The inclusion of the career connections/everyday connections/\"aging and the\" topics will allow the authors to easily update the material as these fields change and allow them the flexibility to adapt to any emerging fields. However, I found many of the interactive links to be somewhat outdated (from the late 2000s or early 2010s) and would have liked to see those updated with more current videos.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text was clear and coherent, but at times was almost too simplistic in prose. There were times where I would have liked to see a little more technical terminology used in order to get students used to integrating it into their vernacular. Due to the complex nature of some of the topics, the oversimplification of prose (not to be confused with content), may make it more difficult for students to synthesize and apply the information, since they will not be used to seeing it in those terms. I appreciated that each chapter can stand alone and concepts are reviewed, so students do not have to \"refer to chapter...\"  for content. The other issue with clarity that I have is that the images and figures did not seem to have the same level of detail as the book, compared to other commercially published books, making them less effective in my mind. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This text was extremely consistent in it's framework and set-up. I greatly appreciated the learning objectives being presented at the beginning of each chapter and then throughout the chapter. I also liked that each chapter has a similar flow, providing consistency for students in their learning. The authors were consistent in their use of terminology throughout the book and made referencing terminology easy. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text is very modular and it is easy to identify and work with individual units of material. The table of contents breaks out units in easy to identify topics that contain related content for ease of use. Individual chapters and subsections within chapters are of appropriate length and attempt to balance written content with figures and interactive components. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"This text follows a similar flow and organization of many of the commercially available texts on the market. Topics are presented in a clear, logical manner that helps the reader move from one topic to the next. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I reviewed the PDF version, so I cannot speak to the online version, but I found several problems that may affect readability and interaction with the text. For the sections I reviewed, there were several either broken links or links that no longer had the identified content, resulting in frustration on the readers part. There were also times where the page breaks did not match up with images or cut text in an awkward reading location. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There were no major grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"There were no images or topics that I would identify as culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a well-developed OER resource for an introductory level Anatomy and Physiology course. The content is sufficient for a 100 or 200 level class and it is a relatively easy to read compared to similar commercially available texts.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2101,"first_name":"Mark","last_name":"Garbrecht","position":"Associate Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"By and large I found the text to be comprehensive in nature for an undergraduate A and P book. Each organ system was addressed in good detail. There were a few areas where a bit more detail could have been provided (eye anatomy; function of some brain structures such as the cerebellum, etc.). The extensive inclusion of case studies and insets certainly helped focus your energy on what is most important. The glossary and main topic summaries are excellent and provide a rapid review when coming back to a chapter. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Overall, I found to book to be accurate and without any glaring inaccuracies. I did not detect significant bias towards a viewpoint (scientific, political, or otherwise). ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I would consider this book to have an extended lifespan of relevancy. Our overall understanding of BASIC human anatomy and physiology does not proceed all that quickly at least at the level of a freshman/sophomore undergraduate course. The areas that could/should be updated would be the interactive links and disease case study insets. However, these could be quickly and efficiently modified without need to extensively modify the overall content of the text. I was particularly impressed with the number and variety interactive links, disease/disorder insets, and case studies. These really are helpful in making the students both understand what they are learning and also WHY it is important that they learn it.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Overall I found the book to be clearly written and accessible to an undergraduate audience. The book avoids being unnecessarily dense and laden with impractical jargon. The verbiage used in the book is of the type a new nursing/allied health student would be expected to use in practice and future coursework. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Consistency was fine. There were a few occasions where terminology of the text and terminology used in labeling images was not consistent. That being said, it would not be cause for major confusion and was isolated in nature. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I did enjoy the modular nature of the text and the fact that any of the paragrahs/sections were not overly long which can lead to a student \"dozing off\" mid chapter. My only complaint was that in several chapters there tended to be what seemed like an extended section of text without any accompanying figures or illustrations to draw your attention to for clarification. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Overall the book felt to flow properly. Development leads into structure leads into function. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In general I had no problems interacting with the book. The links to the interactive animations or modules all worked flawlessly. Some of the figures were not quite a clear as I had hoped. A bit more resolution would be appreciated in some figures. Additionally, some figures seemed to be a bit small for my taste and could be a bit muddled with extensive labeling. That being said, I could still navigate the figures and understand what was trying to be conveyed. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not identify any glaring grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find the book to contain any offensive material. When specific cultures, races, or ethnic backgrounds were mentioned it was to highlight matters of biological significance and importance. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall I was quite impressed with the quality of the book. I have reviewed other \"open source\" books and found them to contain inadequate detail and often felt disjointed due to having authors with dramatically different writing styles write different chapters. Some other books also utilized sub par illustrations. This book used quite good illustrations and I quite enjoyed the interactive videos and case studies to highlight the significance of what you should be learning. The summaries and question bank at the end of each chapter allowed you to review what you should have learned and provided a quick review should you need to return to a chapter. In general I feel that a student in one of my classes would succeed with this book as easily as with a $400 hardcover text.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2112,"first_name":"Sultan","last_name":"Jenkins","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"LaGuardia Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook does cover the important concepts in Anatomy and Physiology.  I do appreciate a glossary being at the end of each chapter, instead of the usual entire glossary at the end of the textbook.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Since the basic concepts of Anatomy and Physiology are covered and the knowledge of the human body is pretty comprehensive, I don't foresee the textbook becoming irrelevant any time soon.  It's longevity is pretty much stable.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text was clear and coherent, but at times was almost too simplistic.  I would have liked to have seen a little more technical terminology used in order to get students used to integrating it into their normal speech.  ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The authors were consistent in their use of terminology throughout the textbook, and made referencing terminology not difficult.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This text is very modular and it is easy to identify and work with individual units of material. The table of contents breaks out units in easy to identify topics that contain related content for ease of use. I would recommend putting in some learning objectives before each chapter subsection.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"This text follows a similar flow and organization of many of the commercially available texts on the market.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There are several problems that may affect readability and interaction with the text. Such as broken links that no longer had the identified content.  ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any major grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There were no images or topics that I would identify as culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I would highly recommend this book for an introductory (basic) level A\u0026amp;P course.","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2155,"first_name":"Tamara","last_name":"Davault","position":"Biology Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Texas of the Permian Basin","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all the systems of the body.  The table of contents if very detailed and the glossary allows for the reader to link directly to portions the text that discuss the vocabulary term.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The information provided in the text is accurate.  The authors wrote the content in an interesting way.  They use several analogies and visual language to help the reader follow along.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book is up-to-date.  I particularly enjoy the links to youtube videos and career connections placed in the chapters.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The authors of this book use very visual language.  This is important for a course like this one.  It allows the reader to paint a picture in their minds of the concepts being covered and also use life experiences as examples.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text does a good job using anatomical terminology.  They even make a point to refer the reader back to previous chapters to reinforce concepts.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is sectioned out appropriately.  Readers can scan the chapters to easily find specific topics.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters are organized into units in a logical fashion.  The various systems of the body are grouped together so the reader can see the connection they have in the human body plan.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text was easy to navigate.  The chapters are well organized and there are relevant figures and videos mixed into the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no major grammatical errors in this book.  The authors of the book did use very visual language and so there were times when the text was very wordy.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book contains several inserts about potential careers and articles discussing current concerns about the various topics covered in the book.  They are informative and interesting reads.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I plan on using this text as a supplemental reading source for my students.  It is full of interactive figures, side articles and great images.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2251,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Evens","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"St. Cloud Technical and Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The OER text book adequately covers physiologic and anatomical concepts, addressing specific points with the depth and breath students need to understand the processes and continue to build, apply and master their knowledge in this discipline.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"As in any course for this comment it depends on the delivery method, objectives and outcomes that are to be achieved, however from what my particular areas of focus are on I found accuracy and clear methods of conveying the materials.  I would prefer more detailed illustrations and images, as in A\u0026amp;P a great deal of understanding the anatomy is visual, and for the physiologic pieces if they can see a clear visual path it is easier to grasp the materials.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Comparing this text to any A\u0026amp;P publisher book the layout of materials are similar flow, arrangement and current medical advances.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The clarity and flow are well done.  It is delivered in an easily digestible manner.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is arranged in a way that is easily understandable and predictable from unit to unit and chapter to chapter, so the reader will be able to find the materials they need to master.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The books units have been divided up into smaller sections and topics that are going to be readily incorporated into course subject delivery and coverage.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow of this book is very comparable to publisher organization and flow of A\u0026amp;P book to A\u0026amp;P book.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Reading the OER online was very functional and compatible with the system I was working with.  I do wish  the online version had page numbers readily available to reference students to instead of having to have the students download the PDF.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Grammar was very digestible, not to simple and to convoluted for one to read and understand the materials.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The cultural aspects were made in a relevant format to A\u0026amp;P with society.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I personally plan and am excited to start incorporating this OER material in SPR of 2019.  My only concern is finding the images needed to convey the Anatomy in a clear manner to my students.  With the help of colleagues who are utilizing OER's now I feel confident I will be able to find the materials I need.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2256,"first_name":"Joyce","last_name":"Kaplan","position":"Faculty","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is slightly less in depth than the typical pre allied health A\u0026amp;P textbook but does a better job covering many topics in a manner that is accessible to more students including ease of reading and video connections.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book appears to provide accurate coverage of all necessary A\u0026amp;P topic materials.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The newest updates to topics that I observed seemed to be from 2012.  Statistics and evolving medicine need to be constantly updated, so I hope that one of the advantages of OER materials will be the ability for more frequent updating and additions of new materials and insights as they become available for students in fast evolving fields.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"A\u0026amp;P is complex topic material and I believe this text is written in as accessible a manner as possible with plenty of accompanying helpful diagrams and photos throughout.  The links to the videos are expecially useful to today's students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is fairly consistent in the type of terminology, display, and methods used for conveying material between chapters so it should be easy for students to follow throughout the course.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The contents and organization of the course into appropriate modules that can be EASILY assigned and accessed by students through the table of contents is one of the great assets of this text!  Faculty and students alike would greatly benefit from this method of organization when using the online modules.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The contents, topics, and organization of the text are extremely clear and well-designed and is one of the great assets of this text!","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text interface and all images are very clear.  No navigational problems were encountered.  The image denoting a \"video\" could be a better selection throughout.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were observed.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"While the text did not appear offensive, and there was definitely an attempt to use people from a variety of backgrounds in photos.  However addressing more current issues of insensitivity such as biological gender not addressed.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2259,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Mraz-Craig","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Southern Utah University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I found the text to be comprehensive, covering the same topics of information as other Anatomy \u0026amp; Physiology textbooks I have seen, and in approximately the same order (smallest levels to larger levels of organization). There is not a section I feel is missing, and I am happy with the overall level of detail given in the text. The table of contents is clearly organized. However, I do think Chapter 16 is oddly inconsistent with the rest of the textbook. Why is there a chapter on neurological exams, but no other such chapters for other systems? Does it need to be its own chapter, or can it be incorporated into the nervous system chapters for consistency? As an instructor, you can of course just omit the chapter or cut/paste what you want of that chapter into other chapters. Also, many of the chapters end with a development section, except for urinary and digestive. Again from a consistency standpoint, I would have liked to see these included here. The Pedagogical Foundation and Features I think are a great addition to the content of this textbook, and will be beneficial to the students.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have yet to find any inaccuracies in the content. There are some areas where I would have liked a little more detail (i.e., physiology of muscle contraction), but it would be easy to add in extra information. I have seen extra information that I do not currently teach in my classes (i.e., certain muscles), but I have not found a structure I would teach about to be missing or in the wrong place.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The basic content in the textbook will not change over time as science progresses, so I believe this textbook has longevity. However, the interactive links will have to be checked and potentially updated as time passes. For example, I wonder if links to YouTube videos will always be accurate, and what will happen if the video is removed from YouTube in the future. I imagine it would be too difficult to have an OpenStax Youtube channel with all the videos for each textbook, but that might help guarantee the videos stay accessible. Otherwise, the content would be easy to update or add to in the future to keep pace with scientific discovery.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in as clear a way as a scientific textbook can be. There is a LOT of terminology that, for the most part, is explained adequately. It also helps that these terms are bolded to call attention to them, and that there are lists of key terms at the ends of chapters to give students an easy to access list along with definitions of terms they should know.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I found the textbook to be consistent throughout. Each section is really its own separate entity, so there is not a much overlap between chapters that would lend to inconsistency. The text from chapter to chapter is easy to read, so I do not detect any sort of inconsistency in voice or areas the students should struggle with more based on the sentence phrasing.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"A PDF editor can easily be used to separate chapters/sections of this textbook. You can also easily edit the text and figure placement as well. The chapters/sections themselves are pretty self-contained, so you can also reorder them or leave things out completely that you do not teach.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The table of contents, as well as the chapters themselves, are clearly organized and formatted in an easy to read way. The links in the table of contents that will allow you to jump to the start of each chapter are good to have. Students would not struggle to find their way around this book. The chapters themselves are formatted well with headings and are easy to view. It is not difficult to find what you are looking for. There seems to be excessive white space when there are images too large for the current page where the text ends. I would have liked to see the elimination of this extra space. Students tend to stress when they see a book having such a large page number count, so getting rid of the white space would make it less intimidating. I love the tables throughout the textbook, as they summarize important information in a clear and concise way for the reader. The end of chapter resources are great for students to use for review, so I am happy to see those included. The index is extensive and also allows you to jump to the page(s) where the terms are located, which is a plus to using this textbook.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Figures are extremely important to me when choosing a textbook. I am happy to see in this textbook that the figures are nice and clear when you zoom in on them. They are also of good quality and accuracy; I have not been wishing to have a different image that what is provided in the text. A lot of free content out there tends to have cartoon-like figures that are not entirely accurate, but the figures included in this textbook I am extremely happy with (i.e., the skeletal and muscular system figures). They are or are very near the same quality as what you would get in a textbook you would pay for. The links to animations and videos are also nice to have for students. When I clicked on the web URL to view the animation on metabolic processes (pdf p.25), it opened and played just fine (you will need Adobe Flash enabled). However, when I used my barcode scanner to scan the QR code, it did not open the animation on my phone (it looks like it is the wrong web address compared to the URL link listed). The next QR code and URL link on text p. 22 opened the YouTube video just fine on both computer and phone. The interactive micrographs are a definite plus to using this textbook, I think they are awesome. Students struggle so much when it comes to the tissues, so having more potential practice images that they can zoom in on to great detail will be really helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I tried my best to find grammatical errors, but alas, I came across none!","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"From what I have seen, general Anatomy \u0026amp; Physiology textbooks do not include examples of differences in races/ethnicities, and this OpenStax textbook does not either. I think including this information (i.e. differences in hair, bone structure) would be a benefit, and make more students feel included. I found nothing within the textbook to be offensive or insensitive, though I would have thought the section on inheritance would have included information on how XX and XY are not the only aspects that genetically can make your sex be male or female.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of this textbook. I found it to be very thorough and well organized. I look forward to adapting it to use in my courses!","created_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-08-02T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2423,"first_name":"Medhavi","last_name":"Ambardar","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Fort Hays State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this textbook covers all of the areas I would expect an A\u0026P text to cover. It is comparable in many ways to the other popular texts out there. There are some areas in which I would have liked to see more detail. One such place is in the chapter on the endocrine system. There is a little information on receptors, but not much, and I would like to see more information in the sections for each hormone. I would still use this book in a class because it's not lacking to a point where it is unusable, just a bit less detailed than other books. Some of the chapters have videos that accompany the topics, which is great. I love to use videos to help teach processes that have a lot of moving parts (e.g., muscle contraction, neurotransmitter release, etc.).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"So far, I am pleased with the level of accuracy of this book. Again, it is comparable to other texts and I would not hesitate to assign it to students.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I feel that the content is both relevant and long-lasting. The information seems up to date with current understanding of these topics, and there are many chapters with boxes that go in-depth a little bit more on the current state of knowledge on certain topics. I appreciate that the book has many examples that are relevant to a person's everyday life (in my experience, making something relevant can be a great way to explain concepts and processes). My only (minor) concern is with the lifespan of the external links, such as YouTube videos or other websites. They are great resources and it's so easy to connect to them from the text, so it would be a shame if those links ever become broken.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is incredibly clearly written. It is concise and easy to follow. I also appreciate that there is a decent amount of white space between lines of text, making it very easy on the eyes. I think that this is important to note because ultimately I want students to read the text, and I think if it is easy to understand and easy to look at, they will be more likely to read it.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book seems consistent among chapters in terms of depth. There is of course variation in section length, but that is to be expected.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"One thing I really like about this book is that it is very easy to read different sections. I think this book really shines in this area because the sections are easy to digest and understand, and are largely self-contained (i.e., you don't have to refer back to another section that you didn't read to understand the current section). Some of the sections are quite short, so multiple short sections can be read/processed at a time.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think the book is very well organized. It is similar to other books, starting with basics of anatomy, levels of organization of life, histology, then working into support structures, processes that maintain homeostasis, etc. It is arranged as one would expect for an A\u0026P textbook.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I think the interface is very good. I have not experienced any problems with images (in fact, I quite like the images), links within chapters, or links from the table of contents to a particular section.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There have been no grammatical errors that I have seen so far. In general, I think the writing is concise and easy to understand.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"While the book is not overtly offensive, it is not very diverse in its portrayal of people. So far, I have seen primarily white people in figures in which a person is shown. I feel it is important to have a diverse representation of people in an A\u0026P textbook. Being represented in textbooks can be validating for students from underrepresented minorities. Also, because many of the students in an A\u0026P class are pursuing careers in the health sciences, normalizing diversity in the classroom and in textbooks may be one way to address the very real bias that occurs in patient treatment. In addition, it would be great if this book were more inclusive beyond binary chromosomal sex (XX and XY). Again, it is comparable to other A\u0026P textbooks in this aspect. I really don't think you will find a an A\u0026P text that is more diverse than this one, but just because it is currently the norm, does not mean that is has to stay that way.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I am pleased with this textbook. It is similar in many ways to other A\u0026P texts, which makes me feel confident about adopting this text for my classes.","created_at":"2018-11-29T17:10:05.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-29T17:10:05.000-06:00"},{"id":2528,"first_name":"Sultan","last_name":"Jenkins","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"LAGCC","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers all of the major concepts in A\u0026P, in addition to relating the concepts to real-world application.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"There are some grammatical errors, but very few.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Chapter 28 The Development and Inheritance needs a little more up-to-date information such as the Human Genome Project and Gene Therapy in medicine.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing a little heavy, especially for a student whose first-language is not English.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Very consistent with other A\u0026P textbooks.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modulartiy is consistent with other A\u0026P textbooks.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Well organized.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Free of significant interface issues.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"A few grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Not culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a sufficient textbook to learn Human A\u0026P.","created_at":"2019-01-15T07:05:04.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-01-15T07:05:04.000-06:00"},{"id":2597,"first_name":"Melissa","last_name":"Kelley","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Western Oregon University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book thoroughly covers the standard topics for Anatomy and physiology. It covers the major organ systems, and lays out the topics in a familiar and logical way.  The chapter glossaries are nice, and the index is good, though I think a glossary for the whole textbook might be useful. There are just a few areas covered that I don't feel are sufficiently detailed, such as the ducts in the male reproductive system. While many of the semen-producing glands are mentioned, the role of the urethra in semen transport is not clearly mentioned, which is a strange thing not to include.  I really like that many of the chapters had information about diseases and disorders of the body, though there are a few places where I was surprised a disorder wasn't covered. For instance, in the digestion chapter, I think discussion of gallstones in the gallbladder section would be great, as many students are familiar with this health problem. This choice to include disorders for some sections but not others doesn't harm the accuracy of the text, but I think a little more consistency with discussing disorders would improve this text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"There are a few sections that will need regular updating to stay accurate (discussion of stem cells in kidney disease, or some of the career connections) but otherwise this is relevant content that will remain relevant. Anatomy and physiology doesn't change very rapidly, and the updates I mentioned above will be easy to implement.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I think the text is clear in how it is presented and laid out. The writing is understandable, and though A\u0026P is notorious for having a lot of specific vocabulary, the text does a good job of explaining vocabulary meaning. Also, the end-of-chapter glossaries are nice.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is generally consistent with its formatting and approach to topics. As mentioned in other parts of my review, there are a few places where there is some inconsistency, namely that some sections would benefit from additional figures, and that the choice to include diseases/disorders in some systems but not others, but otherwise this is a consistent text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"In general I think it is broken up into different sections well. The online format of the book is particularly good since different sections are on different pages that are clicked between. There are many pages that are blocks of text without pictures though, which could be a problem for some readers.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Topics are laid out well, in an order that makes sense. For instance, discussion of the 4 tissue types and their characteristics is done before covering each organ system in detail. This text uses a logical, straightforward approach to the order in which topics are discussed.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I think the major flaw of the book is its images. They are accurate, but some of the graphics are small, or would be stronger with brighter colors. The pictures in this book are not as engaging as the figures in many of the traditional A\u0026P textbooks out there, which is unfortunate as A\u0026P is a very visual topic. Some histology slides are also a bit confusing. Histology can be difficult for students to grasp in general, but different histology image choice could make this text stronger in some places. The right picture choice can make a huge difference to student learning and understanding. \r\n\r\nThere are also some places where images should be included but are not. For example, I think the everyday connections/disorders of the...  sections included in different organ systems are a great idea; understanding how a disease disrupts homeostasis can be a helpful way to learn about the organ system's typical function. But many of the diseases covered have no illustrations or photographs of any kind. For instance: kidney disease, effects of secondhand smoke, and infant respiratory distress syndrome would be great places for illustrations to enhance student understanding, but no images are included in these and many other disorders discussed. Also, there are several sections that are a block of text and would benefit from images.\r\n\r\nThere are several places where summary tables are used, which are fine, but would be enhanced by including an illustration to summarize the table (like glomerular filtration rate causes in 25.7).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors of note in this text.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text does not contain noteworthy biases or cultural insensitivity. The figures are lacking in diversity however. This is a problem that many A\u0026P textbooks have, but in anatomy drawings (such as those showing the planes of the body, anatomical terminology, or emphasizing the organ systems) this text defaults to using illustrations of Caucasian people, which I think would be improved with inclusion of ethnically diverse illustrations. The photos used are better in this regard, with more diversity, though I do think more effort to include more women and ethnically diverse photos would improve this text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall this is a good text, and a wonderful resource for people or institutions who need a cheap or free option. The text is accurate, logical, and thorough. The major flaws of the book are its illustrations. some are very good but others are lacking in detail or general appearance. I would consider using this book in a class, especially if some of the illustrations were updated.","created_at":"2019-03-01T13:55:05.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-03-01T13:55:05.000-06:00"},{"id":2672,"first_name":"Cynthia","last_name":"Surmacz","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The Anatomy and Physiology Open textbook was comprehensive, covering topics typically found in an introductory Anatomy and Physiology textbooks on the market. Most Anatomy and Physiology texts follow a fairly traditional order of topics. This open  text followed the same common progression of topics and was organized in a similar manner. The index contains links that take you directly to the corresponding section of the text where the topic is discussed. I thought that this was effective.   There is no glossary per se, but each chapter contains a list of key terms and their definitions.   The text contain extensive sections on embryology and development and some pathology  in each chapter where appropriate. These topics are not covered uniformly in current texts on the market. Some A \u0026 P courses include this information and some do not.  Due to the modular nature of the open text book, an instructor can easily choose to assign these topics or not. Also, the open text has a bit of a clinical bent having an entire chapter on neurological exams and modules on sympathetic/ parasympathetic pharmacology and cancer/ transplantation immunology.  Some content areas that I found lacking were: absence of a genetic code chart, images of slow twitch and fast twitch muscle, images of lever system types, details of cranial nerve distribution, spinal nerve distribution, images of ion movement in action potential initiation and conduction. On the other hand, there were some excellent topics and images that are not in my current traditional text that I thought would be very helpful to students such as:  figure of the Korotfoff sound generation during blood pressure measurement, concentric and eccentric muscle contraction, eye movement, carpal tunnel diagram, a more detailed Wiggers diagram, layers of the pericardial sac, coronary blockage, dark versus light skin, and tables of factors affecting heart rate.  ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found the text to be accurate. There were sections that I found that some details were lacking that are critical to understanding the topic, such as action potential conduction, so these sections may be confusing to students. I did find any biases in the text. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Anatomy and Physiology is a basic  foundation course for health science  and nursing students. The majority of the topics in anatomy, such as bone structure, muscle gross anatomy, and heart structure, are not likely to change. The open text is dated 2012, so some of the physiology and particularly the boxes that highly disease, therapies, and drugs, will likely need to be updated. I do feel that the text is not obsolete, could be updated easily and would be straight-forward to implement. The inclusion of supplemental boxes on diseases, careers, homeostatic imbalances, everyday connections and aging were well-done and add to the relevancy of the text to the student reader.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"On the whole, I thought the text was well written. The level of writing was appropriate for an introductory student in Anatomy and Physiology. The writing level is also similar to other introductory Anatomy and Physiology texts on the market. The open text makes a good effort at introducing and focusing on medical terminology. Key terms appear in bold-faced type. This focus on terminology is important in an Anatomy and Physiology text since there is so much vocabulary to master.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The organization of the chapters was consistent.throughout and followed the same patter of content in modules, followed by pedagogical features. This framework is effective!","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I actually liked the modularity of the open text. It was broken up into chunks that were logical and were accessible to students. The subheadings were appropriate and guided the reader through the chapters. I liked that the figures were right by the text where they were discussed. In a traditional text they may be elsewhere on the page or even on a separated page. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The  content was organized in a similar manner to most traditional text books on the market. This is a fairly standard progression through the body systems. Following the content of each chapter were some very good pedagogical features for students such as key terms, interactive links, chapter review, review questions and critical thinking questions.   These were generally good. The critical thinking questions require students test students' understanding of the content and frequently ask them to explain material, but rarely engage them in applying, analyzing, evaluating or creating information. this is one area where I think improvement is needed--adding questions that are higher up on the Bloom's scale. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found the text to be relatively straight forward to navigate. I did not encounter any issues. I appreciate the modular nature and found it easy to navigate to where I wanted to read. The modules loaded very quickly.  I liked the feature that the index sends you directly to the text where the term is introduced and discussed. The open text lacked some of the bells and whistles that some of the e-texts on the market have. Features such as the ability to highlight, make notes, embedded links to questions, and study tools were lacking. I generally found the the images showed up fine. However, much of the time the images and particularly the labels were too small and I had to keep enlarging them on my screen.  This text contained interactive links to you-tube videos and animation. these ranged in quality from excellent to so-so. Some do not match the quality of those provided by publishers on platforms such as Mastering A and P or Connect. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not identify any grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The open text book in Anatomy and Physiology depicts individuals of various races, ages, cultures, genders, and abilities. I did not find it to culturally insensitive or offensive in any way.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Anatomy in particular is an extremely visual science. I was most apprehensive about the quality of the illustrations prior to reviewing the open text. On the whole, There were fewer images in the open text compared to traditional texts and they were generally simpler in design and construction. Pedgaogically, I consider this to actually be an advantage. Some of the figures in traditional texts, in my opinion, are too stylized and busy to be effective in teaching a novice learner. I was pleasantly surprised by the images. Unlike some of the texts from publishers there is no way to edit or unlabel figures for presentation or testing purposes or any online homework. Overall, I am glad that I reviewed the text and am very intrigued about the possibilities.","created_at":"2019-03-15T10:11:57.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-15T10:11:57.000-05:00"},{"id":2705,"first_name":"Morgan","last_name":"Wilson","position":"Associate Professor, Biology and Environmental Studies","institution_name":"Hollins University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text takes a traditional systems approach to the anatomy and physiological mechanisms of the human body.  In addition, the opening chapters also provide a reductionist approach, laying a strong foundation in the underlying molecular mechanisms necessary to fully understand the structure and function of the 11 major systems.  While it may not be possible to cover all the material presented in this text in a two semester Anatomy and Physiology sequence (or in a focused, one semester physiology course), it provides detailed reference to, and review of, processes students may be expected to know.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In my review, I found not errors in content.  I did not find specific reference or definition of commonly misused terms, such as excretion vs. secretion. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I really liked the interactive links, career connections, every day connections, and text boxes explaining pathophysiology.  Students should find these options impactful and effecting in connecting the material to their day to day lives.  These links should be updated regularly to give students summary exposure to recent literature. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text provides a clear narrative and appropriate presentation of the terminology.  I see both positive and negative aspects to including a glossary at the end of each chapter - while this provides a focused list of terms relevant for each chapter, it may limit a teaching approach to the organization presented.  That said, students should be able to find reference to terms and definitions by using the comprehensive glossary.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"see comment above","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The modularity makes sense","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"yes, chapters and modules are presented in a logical fashion.  While I see the relevance and appropriate placement of cellular metabolism in chapter 24, I also see benefit in this material being presented much earlier, say in Chapter 3. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found no major issues navigating the text.  However, in pdf format, finding the information in chapters simply by scrolling through a large number of pages is a little cumbersome.  While not distorted, I did not find the figures associated with cellular metabolism (particularly glycolysis and the Kreb's cycle) easy for students to fully comprehend. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I encountered no grammatical errors or typos.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"While in many cases the epidermis in figures possessed no color, those where the epidermis is highlighted portray low melanin content (Caucasian). This also seems to be the case in photos and in links.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-03-28T16:46:02.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-28T16:46:02.000-05:00"},{"id":2774,"first_name":"Regenia","last_name":"Campbell","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Emory and Henry College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Covers all topics in detail appropriate for a two semester course. However, some introductory information is missing from later organ systems that may make students feel like they are jumping in the deep end. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No major errors found in the chapters I used for my review.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Could use an update to include some exciting new anatomical findings in the past few years, but does not seem overly outdated in the material presented.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Some chapters make liberal use of jargon without easing students into it. This has been intimidating for some of my students, limiting their ability to access the material.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Material for earlier organ systems provides better introductory material and easier to follow introductions to terms. This framework is not available in chapters covering concepts that students already find difficult (fluid and acid-base balance).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"No issues with assigning just the topic needed. Some sections are organized differently than how I teach them necessitating assignment of page numbers 1-10 and 17-19 (for example), but this is true of all texts.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Follows the general organization used for most systems-based textbooks.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Interface works well. However, care was not taken to format text around images, at times leaving large blank spaces and several pages between text that was interrupted for image insertion. These formatting issues are very distracting to the reader.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"No major grammatical issues in the chapters used for my review.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Images are inclusive of many races and abilities.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-04-12T08:11:45.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-12T08:11:45.000-05:00"},{"id":2814,"first_name":"Didaciane","last_name":"Keys","position":"Department Chair Surgical Technology/Dialysis/Sterile Processing","institution_name":"Southern University Shreveport","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The table of contents indicates that this book covers the standard topics for an A\u0026P text. The text does not have a glossary per se, but has an extensive index of topics and terms that are hyperlinked to the appropriate location in the text or the list of key terms and definitions at the end of each chapter. Students should have no problem locating definitions or specific topics. \r\n\r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"A review of the chapter content and key terms seems to free of any significant errors. No bias was observed.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content is reasonably up to date, but an effort should be made to keep the book up to date with any significantly relevant material about anatomy and pathophysiology. The nature of this e-book makes it possible to update or correct errors easy and quick. Hyperlinks can also be adjusted quickly as necessary and should be keep up to date. Since the book was published in 2016 it’s certainly time to consider a review and possible update.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is written in an understandable form. Explanations are clear and straight forward. Terms are identified and explained and or defined.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent internally and well organized. All hyperlinks tested take the reader to the appropriate location. Use of terms across the text seem to be consistent.\r\n\r\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into a series of blocks covering a specific topic. These blocks are easy to digest and contain hyperlinks to any other needed material. Assignment of readings for a specific topic are easy to make. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization of the text is excellent and follows a logical progression. The use of hyperlinks ties the material together and provides additional support for a particular topic. The order of topics follows a typical logical organization for an A\u0026P text. Objectives at the beginning of each chapter and those internally are excellent and properly constructed. Key terms at the end of each chapter define the terms. The chapter reviews offer a brief recapitulation of the chapter topics. Interactive questions and review questions are appropriate and challenge the knowledge acquired by the students as well as offers the students an indication of where their learning process requires additional work","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text seems to be of any navigation problems. All the links tested worked appropriately. Graphics seem appropriate for each topic and provided high resolution results when enlarged.\r\n\r\n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were observed.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"No insensitive or offensive material was observed in the text. Authors may want to consider using representations of various ethnic groups other than Caucasian, including Asian and African heritage.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"No additional comments.","created_at":"2019-04-21T10:23:17.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-05-06T11:38:19.000-05:00"},{"id":2980,"first_name":"Nancy","last_name":"Djerdjian","position":"Biology Instructor","institution_name":"Anoka-Ramsey Community College (Minnesota State)","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook thoroughly covers the typical topics taught in a systems-based approach to Anatomy \u0026 Physiology. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no errors or bias in content.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Anatomy and physiology doesn’t change very quickly. Of course, as science and medicine continue to advance, changes will need to be made, but they should be easy to implement. This text contains relevant content, most of which should remain relevant for many years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":" This text is written in language appropriate for undergraduate study. It does a good job of explaining terminology well and has an extensive glossary after each chapter. Also, a downloadable pronunciation guide is available in the online student resources.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":" This text exhibits consistent organization throughout - with its formatting, terminology, depth of material, and approach to topics. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I would expect no issues with modularity. The text is well organized into separable sections that can easily be discretely assigned. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This text follows the typical organization used for most systems-based A\u0026P textbooks. Each chapter was well organized, beginning with overall chapter objectives and an introduction. Each chapter section also begins with objectives and contain descriptions of disorders, homeostatic imbalances, interactive links, and everyday connections. At the end of each chapter, the key terms are listed and defined, there is a chapter review, interactive link questions, review questions, and critical thinking questions. Overall, a well-organized textbook.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I felt the interface works well. The only issue I noted dealt with the insertion of images - there were large gaps between the text and many of the images, leaving large white expanses that could be distracting. The images seemed appropriate (except where noted below under the cultural heading) and were high resolution when magnified. The included tables were helpful.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were observed.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Many figures or illustrations used in the book were devoid of any skin color. However, where skin color was depicted, the individual had light skin pigmentation or was pale-skinned. The text used appropriate language when describing dark-skinned vs. pale-skinned integument and light vs. dark skin pigmentation in the integumentary system chapter. The color photos were a bit more diverse. More care could be taken to increase the inclusiveness of this text.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"For instructors curious about ancillary materials, the testable images are all available as well as solutions/answers for the review questions, interactive link questions, and critical thinking questions. The provided PowerPoints are very basic, containing only the images. They are not the typical \"canned\" presentations most commercial textbooks provide. \r\n\r\nI found this text to be quite clinically oriented, as is appropriate for pre-health professional students. Homeostatic imbalances, disorders, diseases, the effects of aging, interactive links, and career connection segments all seemed designed for medically-oriented students. There is even an entire chapter on neurological exams! I believe this focus should help with student buy-in and pique their interest.","created_at":"2019-06-11T15:26:42.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-06-11T15:26:42.000-05:00"},{"id":3545,"first_name":"Nicholas","last_name":"Pollock","position":"Assistant Professor of Instruction","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this text covers the bases for A\u0026P. Each chapter and subsection contains clear and detailed learning objectives, which I really like and think are useful for students to use as a roadmap. I also like how each chapter has a clear summary and glossary of necessary terms, even if some key terms were missing in my opinion. However, some chapters are lacking in some important information, while other chapters go a bit beyond what A\u0026P should go into. Examples: 1) the endocrine system itself is a bit glossed over. There is not discussion of the stress response with glucocorticoids, which surprising, and other hormonal paths and functions are skimped on information. 2) In the reproductive system, ejaculation is not discussed, which is a key process in reproduction. 3) Biochemistry was a bit too much with atomic number, atomic mass, valence shells, etc. Students get this in chemistry and this is not very relevant in A\u0026P. 4) Not much of a need to include DNA replication, transcription, and translation. This is covered in General Biology and most students don't need this for A\u0026P courses.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I found no sources of error or inaccurate information.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"For the most part, relevant with the examples and images. I particularly liked the sections on \"Career Connections\", \"Homeostatic Imbalances\", and \"Everyday Connections\". These help students see the relevance and get them more fascinated in the subject matter. Whole chapters/sections on neurological exams and medical imaging are great additions, and very applicable to those hoping to enter a medical field.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Well written and clear. This text would be good for any A\u0026P lower division or upper division course.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Overall, very consistently written text. However, some key terms are not bolded (e.g., primary and secondary active transport). Also, across body system chapters, some systems are discussed with how they developed, while other systems are ignored. Don't pick and choose, do this for all or none.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Well organized into units, chapters, headings, and sub-headings.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The units, and chapters within each, are logically arranged to follow the anatomical hierarchy of biochemistry to cells to tissues to organ systems. The flow of chapters going from the regulatory systems to systems involved in distribution of nutrients to systems involved in acquiring nutrients and expelling waste products is also good. My only responses would be to:\r\n1) Have the chapters focusing on skeletal and muscular anatomy come before the chapters on bone physiology and muscle physiology, respectively. This would follow the concept of anatomy underlies physiology.\r\n2) The nervous system chapters were a bit convoluted, seemingly going back and forth on topics. For example, focus on neurotransmission in one chapter, CNS structures/processes in another, ANS structures/processes in another, and sensory system in another. You can reference to other chapters within each, but this text sort of jumps around.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Images and tables are clear, accurate, and well suited for the chapters and topics. Some are better than published, pricey textbooks.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Well written and free of errors from what I could tell.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There are plenty of examples that apply to all people. For the topic, it's kind of hard to be exclusive of particular races, ethnicities, etc.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-01-28T13:19:03.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-01-28T13:19:03.000-06:00"},{"id":3615,"first_name":"Nicolette","last_name":"Giasolli","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"The ideas are all presented however, I do not believe the manner in which the material is presented is effective for our student population.  It seems the authors have forgotten what it is like to be a first year A \u0026 P student.  There are an immense amount of terms presented and, especially in the early chapters, the context is either absent or ineffective because the students have not yet been exposed to the necessary concepts to understand the context provided.  I believe this will leave the student wondering what information is the true priority.\r\nThe \"Homeostatic Imbalance\" features in the early chapters also use concepts and terminology which have not yet been introduced; perhaps including those in later chapters would be better for students to truly grasp the value of the example and would be less frustrating to them. \r\n","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any inaccuracies within the text book however, the ALT text is often inaccurate or incomplete.  In early chapters the ALT text describes an image by referring to concepts which have not yet been introduced.  And there are no hyperlinks for visually impaired students to use to research the terms/concepts used.   \r\nAdditionally, the ALT text uses confusing and unnecessary verbiage (i.e. use of colors to describe the image).\r\n","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":" The information of the text is relevant and will probably lend itself to easy updates via the features. ","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"This text introduces many new terms very quickly and provides little if any applicable context.  In an early chapter decompression sickness is introduced to explain generic pressures, in our population this would be wasted because the actual discussion of gas laws, solubility, altitude/atmosphere pressure is not truly investigated until the respiratory chapter.  I believe the multitude of terminology introduced before the material to provide context has been explored will be a source of frustration for students.   \r\nIn some chapters the author(s) jump from topic to topic and fail to make connections until later in the paragraph and/or chapter.  I was frequently left asking myself “Why is this topic being presented here?”  I believe this creates confusion.  \r\n","consistency_rating":1,"consistency_review":"There is very little consistency.  It seems as if chapters were written by different authors.  Some chapters do a good job of presenting material in a slower, easier to assimilate manner, while others ramble.  Some chapters start with a few key terms and build understanding by slowly adding new terms as needed; others try to introduce everything your student ever needed to know and more, in the first few paragraphs.  ","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"I would agree from the table of context that this text can be easily broken into smaller modules.  The issue I have is that concepts and terms are frequently introduced in a hurried fashion in previous segments and then in the appropriate module are not re-introduced or revisited thoroughly.  It does not seem the authors planned well for a single module usage situation and assume that readers have read the previous rapid explanation and are now ready to proceed and use the information proficiently.  \r\nI believe the use of hyperlinks would go a long way to remedying this issue.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The titles are presented in a logical order however, the presentation of the material lacks clarity and continuity.  Please see previous comments.","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"Navigation can be difficult.  The back arrow frequently returns you to the information page and you must begin again.  \r\nThe index is present yet is not easy to toggle to a definition and back to the spot where you stopped reading (hyperlinks could be helpful).  This makes the designed purpose for an index/glossary almost completely inaccessible for visually impaired students.  \r\nFor visually impaired students, the navigation of this text makes this a nearly inaccessible option.  The search function does not allow for easy navigation nor will it allow the reader to quickly navigate back to the point at which they stopped reading.  This in effect renders the index and using other chapters as reference completely useless to a visually impaired student.  I discovered commands to navigate back from the interactive links.  I believe a brief tutorial for visually impaired students outlining how the authors intended for visually impaired students to navigate easily would be very helpful.\r\n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found images to include a variety of ethnicities.  I did not find any offensive language or culturally insensitive text or images.  ","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":"I believe the intent of a good text book is to inspire students to want to learn more about the topic.  There were some good chapters which introduced the content in bite size pieces however, much of the book was frustrating and disappointing.  Our student population is extremely diverse including many students for which English is a second language, many first generation students, and several visually impaired students.  Perhaps in a less diverse population, with students who have been very successful in a traditional classroom, this text would be a more effective tool.  \r\nA great text is an excellent resource, like a well-educated friend, a text which is fire-hoses the student with information, rather than building it slowly, is defeating.  If the tool is frustrating it becomes a distraction.\r\n","created_at":"2020-03-04T20:04:30.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-03-04T20:04:30.000-06:00"},{"id":3665,"first_name":"Neil","last_name":"Detweiler","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Goshen College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I find this book to be similarly comprehensive to the Marieb and Hoehn A\u0026P text, and slightly more comprehensive than the Hole's A\u0026P text. It is more than sufficient for an undergraduate level A\u0026P course. The figures vary in quality and comprehensiveness depending on the chapter. Some chapters deserve more and better figures to illustrate concepts. One figure appears to be copied from another text without citation (see further comments below)","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not observed any inaccuracies in this text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is for the most part, timeless A\u0026P subject matter. I'm sure some of the information will need updating over time, but not more than any other textbook.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well-written and the figures are clear. In many cases the content is presented more clearly in this text than competing texts.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text style, terminology, formatting, etc. is consistent throughout this text as far as I can tell.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This is a great strength of this book, at least for the online e-reader version. You can easily expand the relevant part of the table of contents, find the topic, click on it, and read away. The individual sections do a pretty good job of being stand-alone reads, though there certainly is some building of concepts as you progress through the text, as there should be.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization is good. It follows the organization of most other major A\u0026P textbooks.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Interface is good. My experience is with the e-book version, in which navigation is very intuitive, in my opinion.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I haven't seen any typos.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I haven't kept close track of this, but it looks like most of the anatomical illustrations are of humans of light-toned skin.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Figure 22.11, panel (a) is modified from Figure 22.10 panel C in the Marieb and Hoehn Human Anatomy and Physiology textbook. There appears to be no credit given (and I doubt that Pearson, the publisher of Marieb and Hoehn, would give permission for this figure re-use in the first place). In today's age of issues with plagiarism, this would seem to be a major mistake by the author that produced this chapter. This goes against the spirit of open-access textbooks, and makes me hesitant to recommend this book. I don't know if this is an isolated problem, or if there are other figures in this text that were also taken from other texts.","created_at":"2020-03-19T15:19:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-19T15:19:15.000-05:00"},{"id":3871,"first_name":"Brent","last_name":"Shell","position":"Assistant Teaching Professor","institution_name":"University of Massachusetts Lowell","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all areas you would expect in a systems based approach to A\u0026P that a first year college student would take. Some sections could use a bit more detail, but using this book with content from other OpenStax titles (Biology 2e and Psychology) allows for the creation of a more comprehensive and content rich course. The glossary, navigation, and index make it easy for students and faculty alike to easily navigate to their area of study.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall the content in the book is excellent. The material is unbiased and presents an objective peer reviewed perspective on all topics. Previously, there were errors in some of the images and text, but due to the open source nature of the book nearly all of these have been corrected. Any accuracy related issues exist due to a lack of material on the subject, rather than material that is confusing or incorrect.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The overall organization of the book, and its explanation of core principles and essential building block elements will make it easy to adapt as we learn more about Anatomy and Physiology. The book has sufficient depth to get students interested in the subject enough to read peer reviewed literature on the topic, but isn’t so in depth the peer reviewed literature will make the book outdated quickly.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is easy to understand with some background on the material. A student with previous experience in biology or anatomy will feel comfortable reading through the sections, but a novice to the material will find the terms and jargon a bit much to digest on the first pass through. For students who are new to this topic pairing the book with additional resources to help work through the terminology will go a long way.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent which makes it more approachable to those who are unfamiliar with Anatomy and Physiology, or looking for an easy to digest refresher. This also helps to facilitate the organization of the index which allows for specific topics to be found quickly.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The material presented in the book is easy to reorganize or expand upon due to the compact nature of the presentation of each topic and subtopic. I regularly add pieces from other OpenStax texts (Biology 2e and Psychology) to bolster the knowledge of my students. The modules from those texts are easy to insert within the context of the material of this book.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of this book follows the same layout as most first year Anatomy and Physiology texts which makes transitioning easy for both the instructor and the students. Independent of comparison to other texts, the sequencing of the material makes logical sense in how students would progress through understanding the body.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Website - The left hand navigation makes it easy to navigate through the text, and the index is searchable and has direct links to the desired topics. Everything loads faster than paid publisher alternatives, and I have experienced no noticeable downtime from OpenStax.\r\n\r\nPDF - The PDF is a reasonable size, well rendered, and free of artifacts or other noticeable errors.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Any grammatical errors that I have found through using this book have been corrected. I know of no remaining issues.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text and images make reference to a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. Granted this is infrequent though as most of the text discusses elements of the body and not the whole person.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"A great source to use when creating an introductory Anatomy and Physiology course. Presents material in a way that allows newer students to cut their teeth, and provides enough detail to get them further exploring the topic.","created_at":"2020-05-30T16:06:30.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-30T16:06:30.000-05:00"},{"id":3892,"first_name":"Lawrence","last_name":"Roberge","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Worcester State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"the book is a good review of basic human anatomy \u0026 physiology.  It would required further diagrams and detail to make it enriching for the needs of a nursing student (or pre-med), but it does serve as an excellent primer for the content rich course of anatomy \u0026 physiology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have seen no errors of content, but suggest that updates maybe necessary in the coming decade due to the development of recent research and insight into new organs.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"the content is well written and arrnaged so that updates can be easily made.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text content is details and clear so that students can read as well as review key concepts.  The bold type for key term and gloosary at the end of each chapter make review very straight forward for the student.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent with terms and structural relationships with other topics within the course of anatomy \u0026 physiology study.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text can be broken down into modules for online review and study.,","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Te topics are consistent with Human Anatomy \u0026 Physiology guidelines for content coverage, especially for the needs of allied health students.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"the text does not appear to have significant navigation problems.  With menu on the left hand side, the format makes it easy to jump from one subject to another.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were found in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No culturally insensitive errors were found in the review of this text.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This text offers the instructor a good coverage of content for a one year course.  the format makes it appealing for anatomy \u0026 physiology instructors to use in a classroom format as well as informative for students who undertake a human anatomy \u0026 physiology course.","created_at":"2020-06-01T20:23:06.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-01T20:23:06.000-05:00"},{"id":3961,"first_name":"Lameese","last_name":"Akacem","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"University of Colorado Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text book takes a systems level approach to anatomy and physiology. It is compressive and has chapters dedicated to the major anatomical/physiological system. Each chapter begins with a list of learning objectives. Each section further identifies specific learning objectives. Every chapter ends with a glossary of key terms which are bolded throughout the chapter. Chapters include interactive links (QR codes) that lead students to relevant animations online. Chapters include featured sections on relevant careers, research connections, and applications of the content to everyday life. The chapters are organized in a logical fashion and the textbook is straightforward to navigate.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not come across any errors or biased content.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is standard for anatomy and physiology texts and is up-to-date.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a way that is easy to understand and avoids overuse of technical terms. The glossary is also easy to use and it is helpful that the key terms are summarized at the end of each chapter, not just at the end of the book.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The structure of each chapter is consistent throughout the the text which makes the text book easy to navigate. Key terms are bolded throughout and summarized at the end of each chapter.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"There are a few instances of pages of mostly text however for the most part test is broken up with diagrams/images. The learning objectives that are identified at the beginning of each section are very helpful in assigning specific reading sections depending on what is being covered in class.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is relatively easy to read and chapters a broken down logically. This makes it easy to find what you are looking for.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This textbook is easy to navigate and find what you are looking for due the logical organization of the chapters and the consistent layout throughout each chapter.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text could use more inclusive examples, for ex. scientist spotlights including scientists from diverse backgrounds or diversify the images used in the text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-06-11T16:14:12.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-11T16:14:12.000-05:00"},{"id":4056,"first_name":"Solomon","last_name":"Singer","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Lane Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The Anatomy is remarkably thorough and is an excellent resource. I thoroughly compared the contents to a $180 anatomy textbook for the course, and it was just as comprehensive as the expensive Pearson text. In fact, it had some minor details which even the paid textbook did not have, such as some deeper explanations (or more clear explanations) of some of the body systems and anatomy structures. Overall, an excellent resource for teaching anatomy.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As far as I could tell, everything was correct. I did not see any errors, typos, or incorrect information.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Anatomy and Physiology is best taught together, as they are somewhat inseparable disciplines. Unfortunately, the current class structure utilizes a separate and horribly written Clinical Anatomy, by Voll, Wesker, (3rd ed) which not only confused the students, it made the material haphazard and superficial. Much material was absent from the text, which I supplemented with the much better written Open Source A\u0026P text. A separate physiology book was used, which was much better (Human Physiology, From Cells to Systems, 9th ed. Sherwood, Cengage Learning). However, the structure and content closely followed the OE anatomy and physiology text, and since both are included, it should just be one single FREE book used.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clear, well written content.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I could not see any issues with discrepancies or contradictions. All material flows well, and is much better than many textbooks which you need to pay for.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modules were clearly laid out, and there was good flow of content and ideas.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Organization was more by material than by relevance. It would be nice for updated versions to focus more on relevant systems in order of learning, perhaps by the school. The chapters were organized in a slightly different order than the material that was covered.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Delivery is good, but loading time was lengthy on slightly slower internet connection, and several students complained about the minute or two needed to download a chapter for viewing. A step-wise reading pattern of download may help (such as web pages which only load what you are looking at).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Well written. No errors were noticeable.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book took a culturally-sensitive approach to the material, and examples of multi-cultural anatomy was presented. No offensive content was observed.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a well-written, extensive resource which is an excellent presentation of anatomy and physiology. Some of the content surpassed some of the paid textbooks in depth, and consistently was more concise and well-written than many other textbooks on the subject.","created_at":"2020-06-23T15:47:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-23T15:47:38.000-05:00"},{"id":4097,"first_name":"Dennis","last_name":"Delfert","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Central Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is set up like most anatomy and physiology texts in terms of the topics covered and the relative order of those topics. The index made it easy to search for topics.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The material for each topic was presented using appropriate terminology and descriptions.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The topics were presented with up to date clinical situations that illustrate the importance of physiological processes.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is straightforward and easy to read. There is a handy list of key terms and definitions after each chapter. Video animations are embedded in the chapter material which enhances the learning experience. The critical thinking questions are appropriate for evaluating the depth of learning.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The level of depth and amount of material covered for each topic are consistent throughout the text.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is nicely subdivided into modules. A suggestion would be to add more tables where appropriate to summarize the information.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Overall, the text is very organized. The learning objectives are clearly stated and should connect well with the course objectives for most instructors of A\u0026P.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no difficulties accessing the chapter and module links or the embedded video links.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not run across any grammatical errors. Well done!!","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"In general, I did not feel that there was any cultural bias associated with some of the people photos associated with the introduction to various chapter. However, an attempt to include additional ethnic groups could demonstrate more inclusiveness.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Overall, I was very pleased with the organization, content, illustrations, and learning assessment of this online text. I would certainly consider using it for an introductory A\u0026P course.","created_at":"2020-06-26T16:30:25.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-26T16:30:25.000-05:00"},{"id":4293,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Harrell","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Community College of Aurora","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"There were times when I wish there was more depth on a topic/homeostatic process and other times when I wanted less information (technology used clinically).  This is a comment I make about every textbook though, and I would image most professors would as well.  However, the specific topics that fit into each category (more/less information), we would likely disagree about.  None of the topics I wanted more/less information about are the major topics of the course so this is not a massive problem.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"All content seemed accurate.  I would like to see updates on some terminology to reflect structures named after location instead of who is given credit for discovering it.  For example, glomerular capsule tells the student the capsule is around the glomerulus, Bowmen’s capsule does not, as we don’t have a structure called the Bowmen in the kidney.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I didn't find any issues.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book was clear to read for me.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I didn't find any errors.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is easy to read, there are enough heading and subheadings to help students track content.  I really liked how there are interactive links throughout the textbook and found that helpful for students.  The microscopy images were nice and clear, however there were times when I wanted more histological images to go with the cartoon images.  I like to have both in textbook.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well organized.   For some of the more complicated processes I like a numbered/bulleted/flow chart of the steps.  This way I can walk students through how the process works and we can more easily have a conversation about order of events.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The part of the book that I struggled with were the images.  They were hard/impossible to read on my laptop, unless I zoomed way it and then it was hard to read the surrounding text.  Looking at the images on a screen (zoomed into 150%) made it better from some, but still wasn’t clear enough for others (muscles for example).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't find any errors","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find any issues beyond how structures are named.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall this is a fine textbook.  If looking to teach an online class or fit budgetary needs I don’t think this is a poor choice.  However, I still want a more robust book, especially with the images.  I am eager to follow the development of this text and others like it.","created_at":"2020-08-08T17:15:20.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-08-08T17:15:20.000-05:00"},{"id":4373,"first_name":"Kelsey","last_name":"Murray","position":"PhD Student/Instructor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive and provides a good foundation for anatomy and physiology. It has the same structure for each chapter, providing the learning objectives at the start. The additional resources at the end of each chapter helps provided support to the students, with a list of key terms, a chapter review, the interactive links, follow-up questions and critical thinking question all help add provide comprehension support to the chapter reading. The bonus resources for students is very beneficial such as the zip file that provides audio recording of correct production of key terms helps provide understanding to the technical terms used throughout the text and a guide to writing notes will help identify key concepts from each chapter.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Text content remained accurate and bias free.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is up-to-date and relevant to anatomy and physiology that any updates would be minor and simple to add if needed.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is specific enough to learn new concepts, but not overwhelming or riddled with excessive technical jargon.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework of the text was consistent through all sections from the preface, chapter to chapter, to the index.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easy to read and the divided in a logical manner. The text provided appropriate titles for large themes and labeled subsections to keep the text from becoming overwhelming to the reader.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is organized and flow seamlessly from one topic to the next.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate and locate specific topics quickly. The links worked properly. The figures/tables displayed properly.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text did not demonstrate any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is culturally sensitive to the material, and examples of multi-cultural anatomy is presented. The text could have included more cultural/diversity examples from real-world experiences.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This anatomy and physiology textbook is an ideal resource for an introduction to A\u0026P and a resource for my advance courses. I am looking forward using this text in my future courses.","created_at":"2020-11-06T08:20:50.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-11-06T08:20:50.000-06:00"},{"id":4595,"first_name":"Carly","last_name":"Jordan","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"The George Washington University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"All of the expected units for a thorough anatomy \u0026 physiology course are included, and the table of contents and index are clear. The search feature on the online version is very helpful.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find any inaccuracies in the text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is extremely relevant and mostly unchanging. Updates should be easy to implement into existing chapters.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing overall is clear, though more context could sometimes be provided for jargon. Depending on student level and prior reading, this may not be much of a problem, but for first year students or non-STEM majors, it can be challenging.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The structure of each chapter and their features are consistent throughout the textbook.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book has good modularity. I have assigned components of this text in different courses, used partial chapters, and assigned chapters out of order, and it has generally worked well. Within chapters, it is easy to subdivide reading assignments, and I have not found it to be overly self-referential.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Well organized text. The order of topics within chapters is clear, and the units of chapters have been put together in a logical way.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not experienced any interface issues when using this text. I have noted that the quality and resolution of the images has improved over the past few years.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Overall the text is well written, and I have not noticed grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text does use examples that include a variety of racial and ethnic backgrounds, and I did not find anything offensive in the chapters I've read. It could be more inclusive of people with different body types and abilities.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The text could be more inclusive of sexual and gender minorities in the examples given and language used. To be fair, this text is the best that I've seen with regard to conflation of sex and gender, which is rampant in most texts and very minimal in this one, but it could be further improved to better include trans and nonbinary people.","created_at":"2021-01-26T14:06:08.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-26T14:06:08.000-06:00"},{"id":4638,"first_name":"Eric","last_name":"Green","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Salt Lake Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, I found this text to be very comprehensive. There are some differences between the terminology and approaches compared to what I am used to, but there were no significant gaps that I could see.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"A couple of things that might be different from other books are the way movements are described in skeletal muscle function, and the description of functional organization of the nervous system. However, I found all the text to be accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text used up-to-date terminology, in every instance I examined.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Clarity of the prose is excellent. I think the organization gets in the way of clarity a bit. (See below). The figures are mostly clear, but a little basic in places.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text has very good consistency.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"I personally prefer more of a bullet-point style for textbooks, especially when I consider this as a modular book that can be modified for course use. I think more of a bullet-point style would facilitate cutting and editing.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"In a few places, I felt that the learning objectives didn’t encompass everything that was in the section.  This made me fell a little bit like text may have been added to try to improve coverage. But it also made me feel it was hard to see where it was going. So I think it could be better if it was just chopped up more, into smaller digestible pieces. (That is, more sub-sections, not more numbered sections).","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Very good interface. But having the Openstax banner and offer to order a print copy at the bottom of every page (in the online version) was a bit distracting.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no grammar errors that I noticed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This seemed appropriate to me.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I think this text is very good.  It has excellent writing and excellent coverage.  Somewhat improved figures and more modular organization would be an improvement in my opinion.","created_at":"2021-02-23T11:40:27.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-02-23T11:40:27.000-06:00"},{"id":4673,"first_name":"T","last_name":"Rahman","position":"Adjunct lecturer","institution_name":"New York City College of Technology","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall the text book is good when compare to other text book . OpenStax text book all the chapter is organized ,and some diagram is good for students. This book is very comprehensive. I compare the text book with other commercial text but OpenStax is very helpful for A\u0026P student. It is free of cost that means idea is excellent for students specially pandemic time.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content is good but need to more organized and make a good power point slide .","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"All the chapter is up to date and clinical co-relation . Medical terminology and pathophysiology is good .","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Book presentation is good but need to more clarify the topics . It is easy to use . Complex terminology was explain with image but need to more details.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Chapter to chapter description helps to overall guidance to students.  Each terminology need to explain more details.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Need to good power point presentation and end  of the chapter recall information.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"yes the topic is logical and up to date information.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"This book visual diagram and picture was good but need to more clear.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Not really","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"No cultural intensive or offensive in any way.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Need to clear diagram, make a good power point presentation, end of the chapter summary and recall information.","created_at":"2021-03-03T19:19:45.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-03-03T19:19:45.000-06:00"},{"id":4682,"first_name":"Jeff","last_name":"Beer","position":"chair \u0026 professor","institution_name":"Manchester University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The units listed in this text were very informative. They covered all content at for the level of text. Felt the descriptions and content was more than enough for the level of education for a course with this text. The background information for a text at this level can be a bit complicated but felt they did it at the level needed. Content areas are specific and detailed for the educational level.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I felt this text with content was very accurate with no bias. The information was specific for the content areas and for any student using this text. Content was great overview for the areas of interest and flowed in a sense that made content easy to understand throughout the book. I did not feel there was any bias with the content, units or flow of information for this text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content seems to be 100% relevant for the level of text shown. Content seems to be up to date and specific to the areas of interest in the units. The content in the book is over areas of interest and content that has been constant for quite some time. The up to date content needed for evolution for this text has been updated from what I can see.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Text information is very clear and concise in each unit with no confusion on the area of interest.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Information seems to be consistent with other texts and chapters in the book. The content is consistent in the field of anatomy and physiology when it comes to the level of education.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"After reading the text I felt the several chapters listed had great detailed information that was cut up into a great number. Felt there were chapters with content that flowed well and had no problems with transition from one chapter to the next.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Book was extremely organized in content and chapters. Feel the transition of information is similar to other texts and will let students succeed.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I felt the information flow was great and did not slow the read down at all. Felt navigation was easy with reading and looking for information.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see anything that alarmed me with the grammatical content.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I read and saw no culturally insensitive information in this text. Felt it was similar to other texts and did not show any bias or offensive content.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I feel this is a great book with content and flow for any student. This information is great for any student looking at anatomy and physiology.","created_at":"2021-03-07T22:04:35.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-03-07T22:04:35.000-06:00"},{"id":4793,"first_name":"Azmia","last_name":"Javed","position":"Instructor Anatomy and Physiology","institution_name":"College of DuPage","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is very comprehensive and covers a wide array of human anatomy and physiology concepts required for two- or four-years colleges. The topics are organized in sections which are aligned with levels of organization. The content list is very clear and user friendly. The layout of each chapter is clear and supplemented by helpful video links. The chapter summary and key terms are very helpful for review point of view.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"As much as I could review, the content is accurate and written in clear and understandable language. There are enough details for each topic for students to develop concepts without being stressed by too many finer details.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text is relevant and covers the contemporary information. There are multiple video links connected to YouTube that must be refreshed after some time. As YouTube changes happen all the time that may mess up with the links.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The manual is clearly written and provides adequate explanation of extensive anatomical terminology. An easily accessible list of key terms at the end of each chapter with definitions helps it further.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This textbook is consistent in terms of layout and content organization. The major units are organized with a uniform layout throughout the book that can easily be followed.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It is simple to modify (I use PDF editor) and certain sections and chapters can be put aside or combined together to tailor to your needs.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is well organized and user-friendly. The content table is clearly organized and links for each section are helpful. You can easily open the chapter or topic by few clicks instead of long scrolling up and down.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There are no interface issues in this textbook, as all the links for videos and animations I tried, are in working order. The images/charts and tables are clear and detailed. Few areas could have better images like “protein synthesis”, more detailed and clear images could have worked well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn’t come across any noticeable grammatical error.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found nothing within the textbook to be offensive or insensitive from cultural aspects. There isn’t any section referring to racial or ethnical discrepancies.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Comments:  \r\nI am pleased to see a quality textbook for “Anatomy and Physiology” in OER. The text is organized in a way that is conducive to the two semester A\u0026P courses. Especially, when it is supplemented with instructor’s as well as student’s resources. It can save a lot of money for our students without compromising their learning.","created_at":"2021-04-19T14:13:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-19T14:13:22.000-05:00"},{"id":4804,"first_name":"Anna","last_name":"Glowinski","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Trine University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book has a very comprehensive list of learning objectives for each chapter. This is then further broken down into learning objectives for each lesson of each chapter. This is very useful for me since I use daily learning targets in class as well as on our course LMS page. There is a glossary for key terms after each chapter, rather than at the end of the book. I haven't yet used this book in class, but I could see where that would make it a little more difficult for a student to use a glossary for a term that was not used in a particular chapter. Overall, the book seems to provide a comprehensive overview of anatomy and physiology that will be useful for teaching a 100 level college class.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not noticed any issues with the accuracy of the information provided in this book.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text appears to be sectioned well, such that updates will be easy to add.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"New terms are highlighted in bold to help students identify new vocabulary and the text appears easy to understand.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text in consistent in its organization. There is an introduction to every chapter where all the the learning objectives are laid out. Each lesson within a chapter has learning targets that are designed to help the student reach the chapter learning objectives. All terminology is bolded and then a list of key terms is provided at the end of each chapter. Between chapters, the organization appears to be the same which is helpful for both learners and educators.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The Moodle cartridge that comes with this textbook makes it very easy to break this book up into many different modules to easily assign different parts to students at different points during the course.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics in this text appear to be presented in a logical, clear fashion. There are some topics that I wouldn't have thought would be in an introductory anatomy and physiology course text, but overall the topics in this text are relevant and in a logical order.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have yet to notice any significant interface issues. This book comes with a Moodle package with is very useful since Moodle is our LMS.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I have not noticed any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text uses examples that are inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-04-20T13:19:09.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-04-20T13:19:09.000-05:00"},{"id":4877,"first_name":"Brian","last_name":"Logan","position":"Dean of Health Sciences, AP instructor","institution_name":"Aiken Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is an excellent resource for teaching our pre-nursing and pre allied health students. It satisfies all of our objectives.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Appears to be accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Anatomy and Physiology doesn't change much.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very clear.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"It's consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Easy to digest.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This text is organized in the typical AP style. Basic terminology, cells , tissues then body systems.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No noticeable grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Appears to be diverse.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I like this textbook. We've been using it for the past year in our pre-nursing and pre-allied health AP courses.","created_at":"2021-05-03T16:14:48.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-03T16:14:48.000-05:00"},{"id":4896,"first_name":"Jonathan","last_name":"Dyhr","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all of the key topics in Anatomy and Physiology. It is not as comprehensive as other standard A\u0026P texts, particularly in the anatomy chapters. There are two caveats I would make to this. First, many other standard A\u0026P texts also have companion Lab Manuals. These lab manuals often provide much more detail on anatomical organization and terminology, effectively acting as supplements. Second, I believe that this a stylistic choice. I personally find that the detailed anatomical chapters distract students from the key concepts. While a subset of students are able to effectively parse the material to focus on the fundamental concepts, others get lost in the details. \r\n\r\nI find it refreshing that this textbook tends to focus on the critical concepts without getting bogged down in minutia. I would summarize this book as a good presentation of the core material and concepts of A\u0026P, but not a comprehensive reference.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not observe any errors in my review. Furthermore, the online format makes it easy to submit feedback and for errors to be corrected.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book follows a pretty standard sequence for Anatomy and Physiology textbooks. The material is organized such a way that it can be easily updated, but I do not believe that will be necessary for the most sections. Real-world examples, concept applications and case studies are included in boxes and side bars that are very easy to expand, remove or alter without requiring significant revision to the text.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall, I think the book does a good job presenting the material, although it is somewhat chapter specific. For instance, the muscle chapter introduction/learning objectives section uses a lot of detailed terminology that is discussed almost immediately and defined (or refined) across multiple paragraphs. This may make the chapter hard to follow for the novice. That being said, the introductions for each chapter provide good motivation for the material and ease the transitions into different topics. I also find the writing easy to follow, with the material presented with prose that is easy to read and not too technical. There are times when terms are introduced, but seem to not be completely defined until later, or are not in bold-face when initially defined. The definitions at the end of the chapter sometimes have more or less detail than when the terms are defined in the text.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The flow of writing throughout the textbook is not entirely consistent across the book. There are some chapters or unit organizations that don't have the most logical flow / organization or where the links between chapters are a little weaker than they could be. An example of this would be in the Nervous System chapters. I like the inclusion of the Neurological Exam chapter, as I think this is an excellent framework for integrating concepts presented across the nervous system chapters. However, the way the material is presented in this chapter is not always strongly integrated or clearly linked to the material from the earlier chapters.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The authors make a clear effort to make the chapters modular and mostly succeed. However, I think that evaluating the book on this criteria is somewhat misguided. Given that the material in A\u0026P builds on previous information, there is only so much modularity that is possible. For instance, it is impossible to effectively present muscle and nervous system physiology without repeating the same concepts (e.g. the action potential). This results in some redundancy and lack of detail in the presentation of certain concepts in at least one of the chapters. \r\n\r\nAnother example would be that the material in the basic chemistry and cellular and molecular biology chapters are critical for the rest of the material. In many cases, there are links that are provided to the early chapters, but in other cases the material is not linked. For instance, when desmosomes are mentioned in the cardiac muscle chapter it would be nice to have a reference back to where they are initially introduces (in the epithelial tissues chapter).  \r\n\r\nThese concerns are somewhat mitigated by the ability to easily search the text, but having to search the text will disrupt the continuity of the reading experience.\r\n\r\nThere are ways that this could be addressed, for instance having an action potential chapter that is referenced by both muscle and nervous system chapters, but this would disrupt the organization and potentially introduce more confusion.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think the organization is good and follows a relatively standard sequence within the field. I would personally make some different organizational choices, such as introducing nervous system physiology (e.g. action potentials) before muscle cell physiology. That being said, I understand and respect the reason for the existing sequencing and it certainly fits the overall topic organization followed in the text. Also, since it is an Open Educational Resource I am able to reorganize and/or remix it if I so desire.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I find the navigation very straightforward and effective.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"There has been a clear effort by the authors to integrate more diversity into the images in the book. I think there is potential for more representation (e.g. in the photographs), but that clear efforts are being made to improve on this front.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I find this book is very well targeted for introductory A\u0026P sequences. It covers the material in a way that focuses on important principles without going into too much detail. Given the incredible breadth of material covered in A\u0026P, this can be very useful for student that are learning the material for the first time. That being said, the lack of depth in some areas makes it difficult to adapt or apply to upper-level A\u0026P classes (which is not necessarily the target audience, but I think it is worth noting).","created_at":"2021-05-07T11:42:41.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-26T16:09:57.000-05:00"},{"id":4944,"first_name":"Angela","last_name":"Bojrab","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Trine University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers all the areas needed for a complete anatomy and physiology course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"So far I have found no errors yet while reviewing the book.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content of this book is well written and in a logical sequence.  I think it is going to pair nicely with my course.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Easy to understand and great examples and graphics used to help explain the concepts that are needed to be understood.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Book has a nice consistency to it and flows well from concept to concept.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I like how you can use various chunks of the chapter and not have to use all the parts to be able to get your points across.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think the way this book is formatted it makes a lot of sense and has a very clear defined patter it follows making the reader understand what is going on.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have had no issues with navigational errors or image issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Well written with no mistakes that I can find at this time.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I find the book covers all sorts of subjects and even relates it to various ethnicities.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a great source for Anatomy and Physiology students.  I can see the uses for this book for many types of Anatomy and Physiology courses from single semester to full year courses.  I really like how nicely it pairs with the LMS system we use.  I look forward to using this book more.","created_at":"2021-05-19T14:02:16.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-19T14:02:16.000-05:00"},{"id":4997,"first_name":"Salvatore","last_name":"Gammaro","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Massasoit Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"This seems to cover most material when compared to other popular college textbooks.  I usually say that all A\u0026P textbooks have the same material, but they are just different \"art books\".  There are certain aspects that are notable in this book.  Namely, a good explanations of medications of the Autonomic N.S. (15.4) and a great use of applying the Neural Exam (16).  However, the diagrams in this book were nothing exceptional when compared to other books, in fact, a bit poorer than other books.  Certain things that were missing, but should have been added were some images (i.e.:  No images for Areolar \u0026 Bone histology (4.3)) and no mention of Dense Elastic C.T.  There should be a diagram for thyroid hormone synthesis (17.4).  Just paragraphs of text only on this subject will surely be harder for students to comprehend.  Anther subject that was lacking with diagrams are the different reflexes (15.4).  Again, a picture is worth a thousand words... No picture here though.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Seems to be error-free and unbiased of what I reviewed in it.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Good use of medical conditions throughout this book and seems to be up-to-date.  However, these medical applications need to ALWAYS be reviewed annually as things change.  More images of medical conditions should be placed in the book as opposed to just reading text, especially for skin disorders (5.4).","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text does flow nicely, but again, it would be good to add in a diagram or 2 to help visualize the more complex material read (i.e.:  reflexes (14.3) and thyroid hormone synthesis (17.4) to name a couple).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Seems to use the same terminology throughout the book.","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"Some sections are manageable and broken into nice smaller \"chunks\" for students to gauge themselves (i.e.:  Endocrinology (17)).  However, certain other subjects are WAY too large of a \"chunk\" to manage.  Lymphatics and Immunology (21) is one of the toughest subjects in A\u0026P to comprehend, let alone teach.  Each section in this subject tends to scroll down \"forever\".  Students will be overwhelmed with material.  Male A\u0026P (27.1) and Female A\u0026P (27.2) are also one section each and there is WAY too much in each section.  Endocrinology is broken down nicely and then the Reproductive system is far from it, in terms of organization.  Sensory Perception (14.1) is another subject that should be broken down into smaller sections.","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"I like the way this book is organized, but again, nothing special as it goes through the same order of body system as other common college A\u0026P books (i.e.:  Martini; Marieb; etc.).  Also, as noted in Modularity (above), some sections (i.e.:  Immunology (21), Reproduction (27), etc.) are just too long and should be broken down into smaller \"chunks\" for students to manage and absorb.  This should be considered especially in creating a book for Online Learning.  Too much scrolling will make students anxious and feel overwhelmed.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have not seen failures of charts, figures, etc. in my review of this book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not witness any grammatical errors in my review of this book.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"There was nothing \"offensive\" that I saw.  However, it is quite obvious that the publisher is adding in color diversity to the full body images.  This should be consistent though in each related section of figures.  It will make the learning for the reader easier to visualize and remember by using the most conducive colors to learn from.  The publisher should be more concerned of labels and their lines being easily readable.  For instance, Figures 1.4. and 1.5 should all be the same color as they are related to the same concept.  It should be consistent.  Figure 1.3 has the word \"medial\" in black letters and placed on a background that is dark brown.  Why not have white letters on a dark background or black letters on a light background?  Black label lines over a dark background is not conducive to learning, but more of a struggle to buy a pair of glasses.  Also, in the Respiratory Anatomy, there are too many reds and pinks in the diagrams (Figures 22.7, 22.8 \u0026 22.10).  Students are to LEARN from these diagrams the easiest way possible.  It should be something that is NOT difficult to see.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"Overall, I am not a big fan of this book.  There are other A\u0026P textbooks that are much better than this one and much easier for students to learn from.  Although this book seems to cover most of the TEXT material that other common college A\u0026P books have, this book does NOT have much aesthetically pleasing diagrams and images to correspond with the text.  This makes for a more difficult time for students to absorb an already challenging subject.  There are other books much better than this one.","created_at":"2021-05-27T12:47:20.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-27T12:47:20.000-05:00"},{"id":5061,"first_name":"Tina","last_name":"Ramme","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Massachusetts Bay Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook provides good foundational content using a systems approach to for Anatomy and Physiology . There is consistency throughout the book and within each chapter. Each section has learning objectives listed. Support materials are also available to students at the end of each chapter. These include interactive links for further study, chapter reviews, and other content. There could be further mention of homeostasis.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook provides accurate content. Each topic was presented with relevant terminology and accurate descriptions.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is current and relevant to Anatomy and Physiology. There were very good microscopy images. However, it’s helpful to have both histological and artistic images  available. Current clinical connections were included in each topic area to provide relevancy to the content. Learning objectives are clearly stated and should be universal for most instructors","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text demonstrates clarity. It is straightforward and easy to comprehend. The video animations located within the content and glossary of key terms after each chapter are also very helpful for comprehension.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There is consistent framework throughout the textbook, from the preface to the index and from chapter to chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easy to read and organized into modules. The material content is developed into appropriate sections and subsections and were labeled clearly. The links found throughout the book were very relevant and contribute to learning comprehension for students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This textbook is easy to navigate and well-organized in a systems approach to A \u0026 P. The flow of the text is very smooth. Additional charts, tables, or bulleted steps could be helpful for understanding complex processes, but there are very good supplementary learning resources embedded in the content.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book is easy to navigate, topics and information is readily located, links were operational, figures/tables were displayed easily, but images were small and sometimes difficult to view.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no observable grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text demonstrated cultural relevancy and multi-cultural anatomy is presented within the content.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This Anatomy and Physiology textbook is a reasonable, cost-effective option for students. The organization, content, support materials, links, and learning assessment were very good. I look forward to including it in my classroom.","created_at":"2021-06-08T17:55:56.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-08T17:55:56.000-05:00"},{"id":5154,"first_name":"Paul","last_name":"Meyers","position":"Adjunct Professor","institution_name":"Massachusetts Department of Higher Education","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all the pertinent systems of the body in a comprehensive and palatable matter. The textbook also does an excellent job of relating the anatomy and physiology to the student in practical, medical, and real-life healthcare situations. The continuity between the chapters is excellent.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have a doctorate degree in healthcare and have been teaching anatomy \u0026 physiology for over 15 years. I reviewed each chapter of the book with accuracy in mind. The textbook is accurate and concise in all chapters.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook brings the reader into the world of A \u0026 P through not only the anatomy and physiology but also through real-life connections of how this information is used in the daily lives of healthcare workers. There is also interactive videos which can be easily accessed on a cell phone. Wonderful addition to textbooks.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Clarity, was perhaps my favorite part of the book.  To teach my students I go to great lengths to present information clearly without all the excess detail that seems to seep its way into textbooks.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is developed and laid out similarly to all other A \u0026 P textbooks. I found the language utilized in the book to be easily read by most students. Some science books or an impossible read for undergraduate student but this one does flow nicely and will keep the student engaged.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This textbook breaks down each area of the human anatomy and physiology quite nicely. Each chapter has well packaged, easily consumable, sections of the most important information regarding that particular body system.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook flows nicely, not atypical for in A \u0026 P text. The best part of the textbook is how the usable real life situations are introduced and the accessible videos. The student can read a section, comprehend, and then apply the information.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found no problems with the texts interface or links.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"None","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not offensive in any way. There are no historical references to races that would be inappropriate or microaggressive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The quality of this textbook is excellent. My students are spending over $300 for a textbook similar to this. I am delighted that this excellent quality textbook is available to students for free.","created_at":"2021-06-28T08:55:08.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-28T08:55:08.000-05:00"},{"id":33528,"first_name":"Jorge","last_name":"Canchola","position":"Lecturer II","institution_name":"University of Texas Rio Grande Valley","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers all the required topics for a two-semester anatomy and physiology course.  The sequence of units and chapters flow in a logical manner.  The index is adequate, however it is missing some terms/concepts.  For example, mitosis is included but not meiosis.  There isn't a glossary but a key terms section at the end of each chapter.   It is easier to search for terms in a glossary at the end of the textbook.  However, the \"Search this book\" search box makes it convenient to look up a term.   Topics are appropriate for a 2000 level course.  These would be freshmen and sophomores taking this as their first science course.  Although the topics are simple to understand, there are some which require more elaboration as some students may be missing a general biology background.   The images, figures and tables are easy to understand and logically placed.  However, since anatomy and physiology is a visual heavy course, there should be more additions.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I find the content to be accurate and unbiased.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This textbook is up to date as anatomy and physiology do not come across major changes year-to-year.  Perhaps the figures of diagnostic tests will be changed for new medical technology that becomes available.  However, the gold standard exams and laboratory values are already included in the book.  An important consideration is that  links to external sources and videos should still be active in the future.  Over the years YouTube videos may be taken down.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Learning outcomes are listed at the start of each chapter.  Explanations are clear and easy to understand.  Tables and figures are used to clarify terms and concepts.  Alternate terms for cells and structures are included.  For example, it is stated that another name for Leydig cells are interstitial cells because of their location in the testes.  It would be helpful to students if answers to Review and Critical Thinking questions were made available at the end of each chapter.  Although the book does not go deep into explaining some topics, it is an opportunity for the instructor to add to the information in their notes/lectures.  It is also a good idea to use videos to complement the explanations in the text.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Throughout the text there are gray boxes that feature videos, diseases and clinical connections which help students learn by connecting topics to real-life situations.  There is a good balance of figures, tables and pictures.   Some figures would benefit from more color since they are mainly black, white and gray.  Most tables are complete, however some offer vague summaries of terms/concepts (for example, the Summary of Ventilation Regulation table does not clearly summarize the functions of each respiratory system component).  Some features, such as development of the lymphatic and digestive systems are missing and are present for other chapters.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Sections are well organized with proper units, chapters and subsections.  Some pages are longer than others and having to scroll down a long page of test is off putting.  This may not be due to the explanations being longer, however there are more gray box discussion for some sections.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Topics are organized in a logical fashion.  The first three sections (Levels of Organization, Support and Movement, and Regulation, Integration and Control) can be covered in the first semester of a two-semester course.  Adding more images to this this textbook would help students find the text they are looking for as many students in anatomy and physiology are visual learners.   However, figures and tables are labeled with a number.  It would help if subsections of each chapter were identified with numbers, for example Ch. 14.1 covers Sensory Receptors and Ch. 14.2 covers Sensory Modality, etc.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface works well.  Although images are not distorted, the size of images are not consistent.  Some figures are very large in the page while others are small making the structures and labels hard to read.  An example of small figures that should be made larger are the external and internal heart structures.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar is not a concern.  Singular and plural forms of terms are included, for example \"corpus cavernosum (plural = corpora cavernosa).\"","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not insensitive or offensive.  Improvements could be made by adding a discussion on biological gender and chosen gender in the section on the reproductive system.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook is an excellent alternative to a high-price publisher textbook.  It covers the same topics and in the same sequence.  Improving figures and tables would really help this book compete with those other books.  If the instructor can pair it with an online homework system (and there are some from McGraw-Hill, Macmillan and VisibleBody for a cost to students), students can benefit from a well-rounded pairing of text, lecture/instructor-provided materials and homework assignments.","created_at":"2021-12-13T00:30:53.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-13T00:30:53.000-06:00"},{"id":33862,"first_name":"Matthew","last_name":"Hopf","position":"Associate Professor of KInesiology","institution_name":"University of Saint Francis","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book contains everything one would expect for a introductory A\u0026P text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Upon review the information is accurate and free of errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text appears to be relevant and up to date.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The terminology used is appropriate for this level of textbook.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent of its use of terminology as well as the level of terminology used.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is arranged in a student friendly manner.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"For this level of textbook the organization is appropriate.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is free of issues and obstacles for the student.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors were not found.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text was not found to be offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-05-17T14:43:53.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-05-17T14:43:53.000-05:00"},{"id":34050,"first_name":"Sydny","last_name":"VanderVeen-Borrayo","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin - Superior","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all the material covered in any traditional anatomy \u0026 physiology two-semester course. The material is organized in a logical format, starting with basic cell function and working into tissues and different organ systems. The index is accurate and correctly links to each chapter/section when using both the online and PDF versions of the textbook. This is a nice convenience.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text is accurate to the content of human anatomy and physiology and appears to be unbiased in its representation.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text is up-to-date as of 2022 and includes more inclusive imaging. However, there is no way to modify the text if new information becomes available before the next edition.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Some terms and phrases are difficult to understand. Some descriptions and analogies can be a little confusing. Overall, the text is written in a manner appropriate for this level of instruction but may need clarification from the instructor.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terminology is consistent throughout the book and includes alternate names for structures in the body (e.g., \"atrioventricular bundle\" and \"bundle of His\"). While a nice variety of imagery is included (graphs, models, donor structures, etc.), the sizing of the images is not consistent. If using the PDF, some images may be too small for students to see effectively.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is very well-organized and broken into bite-size pieces. Each section includes 1-3 images with a good variety of image sources and representations.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is organized in a logical format following a standard two-semester anatomy \u0026 physiology course structure. The material is broken down into organized chunks allowing for easy readability and comprehension.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook seems to be free from interface issues. There are interactive links included throughout the text linking to interactive quizzes and games, providing additional learning opportunities.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are very few, if any, significant grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"In the updated edition of the text, the authors worked to make the imagery more inclusive. As a result, this is one of the only human sciences books I've found that includes anatomical images of people of all backgrounds. More human sciences material should follow what was done here.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text is a great alternative to a higher price anatomy \u0026 physiology text often required of students. It covers the same material in the same general format as the higher-cost publications. The text includes practice quizzes and critical thinking questions throughout. It also includes links to interactive learning material to provide additional learning opportunities for students. This book would still likely need to be paired with a lab and is only suitable for a lecture course on its own.","created_at":"2022-09-19T09:58:26.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-09-19T09:58:26.000-05:00"},{"id":34054,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Chason","position":"Massage therapy program director, adjunct instructor","institution_name":"Spartanburg Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The content is thorough with a good balance of overview/summary vs. detailed explanations, and the summary section at the end of each chapter is a great feature for both student and instructor. The chapter-specific glossary of key words is especially helpful.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content seems to be error-free.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Fascia is increasingly included as a body system but is not herein and is not give much discussion. Inclusion of links to the emerging science of fascial properties, functions, human fascial dissections, etc. would be helpful.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text itself is clearly written and provides key words in bold.  The chapter-specific glossary of key words is especially helpful. The artwork is clear and the authors’ approach to minimize distracting colors or structures makes for effective graphics.  Selected pathologies presented for each system enhance understanding of system function, while inclusion of how aging effects each system is especially enlightening. Another highlight is the inclusion of many practical applications and real-life connections to the anatomic or physiological concepts being described, making the material more memorable.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"No inconsistencies were noted.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The materials provided are highly customizable to meet diverse course needs.  The ability to reorganize relevant parts and print a low-cost text when desired is especially useful.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"It’s organization by body system is typical and very logical.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The added elements, thoughtful design, and interactive links make it an exceptional resource. Some links were broken.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were  noted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The  intentional use of multi-cultural examples and pictures should be relevant to a diverse audience.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-09-20T10:25:01.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-09-20T10:25:01.000-05:00"},{"id":34177,"first_name":"Andrew","last_name":"Best","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers all topics required for a college Anatomy and Physiology course in a logical sequence. Each entry in the index hyperlinks to sections in the text. My only constructive criticism regarding comprehensiveness- and this applies to most AP and related textbooks- is that a brief treatment of ultimate explanations would aid student understanding, at least for anatomical and physiological systems in which humans are especially unique. An evolutionary context and compartive anatomical overview of humans vs. nonhuman primates provides a basis for better understanding of, for example, the human brain and metabolism.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No errors observed.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The core A+P canon that the text focuses on is unlikely to become out of date anytime soon. Inclusion of more \"cutting edge\" hypotheses and discoveries could aid student comprehension but may increase the need for more frequent revision.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Important or new terms are highlighted and defined. I've found the text to be accessible to a range of non-first-year biology students.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter has a similar structure and the text reads as one consistent work.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapter organization is appropriate for assigning homework readings.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook sequence is appropriate. While I do not follow the textbook sequence entirely, each chapter is relatively stand-alone and can be presented out-of-order without extensive need for scaffolding and introduction of new concepts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is easy to use. The chapter bar on the left can be removed, creating more space for viewing the chapter text. A search bar is permanently affixed to the top header.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical issues observed.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Due to the nature of the topic, and this textbook's focus on core concepts rather than applications, the text feels (to me) culturally neutral.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This textbook is a great option to provide students. I don't feel that there's any tradeoff in quality for adoption of this freely-accessible text.","created_at":"2022-11-22T07:51:21.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-11-22T07:51:21.000-06:00"},{"id":34182,"first_name":"Kimberly","last_name":"Huey","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Drake University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The Index is comprehensive and includes links to the appropriate location in the text.\r\nThe Chapters on the Cardiovascular (CV) system were of higher quality and more comprehensive than the Muscle tissue chapter and the number and clarity of the figures was superior in CV.  As examples, in the Muscle chapter comprehensiveness was lacking in the discussion of excitation-contraction coupling, description of the zones of the sarcomere and proteins in the sarcomere, the force-frequency relationship, and muscle fiber types. However, an instructor could add these details. There were numerous helpful tables in the CV sections; however, there were no tables in Muscle tissue and in several cases would add clarity and break up large blocks of text. It would be helpful to have the following tables:  Comparison of muscle fiber types and types of muscle.  Some of the figures also lacked important details such as 10.8 and 10.16.  While the number of figures, tables, was greater in the CV chapters, there were some omissions such as a graph of the Frank-Starling curve and shifts in the curve with changes in contractility. This is considered one of the hallmark figures of CV physiology and it is difficult for students to understand this relationship without a graph.  The Key terms section more accurate and comprehensive than Muscle tissue.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Similar to comprehensiveness, the accuracy of the CV chapters is better than the Muscle Chapter.  In the Muscle Chapter there are several instances of lack of important details that leads to inaccuracies.  For example, the description of eccentric contraction and treppe.  Treppe is part of the force-frequency relationship and in this case, it appears to be an independent process. There is also inconsistency in the use of the term muscle alone as compared to cardiac, skeletal, or smooth muscle.  This chapter is mainly about skeletal muscle and sometimes the term skeletal muscle is used while in other cases simply muscle.  While it is generally obvious, there should be more consistency.  An example of inaccuracy in the CV chapters is the statement that HR increases to 150 bpm in young, heathy individuals while in many cases HR rises to 180-200 bpm or near maximal HR as discussed in the subsequent section.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"For a comprehensive A and P text, the material is up to date as the basic material has not changed significantly in recent years.  The boxes on medical technology or diseases may need to be updated more frequently.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Overall, the writing style is clear and understandable and in most cases the material is presented in an easy-to-understand manner.  In some cases, the lack of significant details improves clarity, but at the expense of important material.  Clarity would be greater for students if answers were provided to the questions at the end of each chapter.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent with respect to writing style, organization of the different chapters.  However, the level of comprehensiveness, number/quality of figures, and tables does vary among topics.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Several sections were quite long, particularly in the Cardiovascular chapters, but in many cases the text was broken up with Figures, Tables, Application blocks, or links to videos.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This text covers all the major systems in a typical anatomy and physiology course and the sequence and organization is similar to traditional texts.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface was excellent in the online version, and it was easy to move among chapters and the sections within each chapter.  he pdf version was also easy to navigate with all the quick links to the chapters and subchapters. All the links I tested were still active.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find more than a few grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find anything insensitive or offensive in the text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text covers all the major systems in a typical anatomy and physiology course and the sequence is similar to traditional texts.  The level of detail is generally appropriate for an undergraduate level anatomy and physiology course; however, this may not be consistent across all systems.  This review covered the overall format of the text but focused on Physiology (since Anatomy is a separate course and instructor at our university) and specifically on Chapter 10 Muscle Tissue and Chapters 19-20 The Cardiovascular System: The Heart and Blood Vessels/Circulation.  All chapters include learning objectives, key terms (bolded in the text), chapter review, and various types of questions.  The answers to the questions were not provided thus the student could not receive immediate feedback.  It would be up to the instructor to provide a key. The Key terms section was lacking sufficient detail in several cases and several incorrect (or incomplete) definitions.","created_at":"2022-11-22T15:39:23.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-11-22T15:39:23.000-06:00"},{"id":34225,"first_name":"Nirakar","last_name":"Sahoo","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Texas Rio Grande Valley","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all the topics in anatomy and physiology that are necessary for a regular undergraduate degree. These topics range from the structure and function of individual cells to the many systems of the body. Each chapter gives a summary of the most important principles and contains illustrative tools, such as diagrams, charts, and pictures to better explain the material. In addition, an online review guide that features supplementary information and practice questions is included as a supplement to the textbook. The glossary that is relevant to each chapter is beneficial, and it will be especially helpful for students who are not familiar with the terminology. The index is clearly arranged and offers a synopsis of the anatomy, physiology, and diseases discussed in each individual chapter. This book is comprehensive and covers all of the fundamental facts one needs to know to have a solid foundation in anatomy and physiology. Because it covers so much information, students are practically assured of picking up all of the essential concepts and knowledge for their class from the textbook.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The texts presented in the textbook are accurate and free of any blunders or mistakes. The information is laid out in an organized and systematic fashion, which makes it easier to comprehend. The text seems to take a neutral stance and does not promote any particular point of view. Since the content has been appropriately referenced, students can trust this resource.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content in this book is up-to-date with the current state of knowledge in anatomy and physiology. In addition, the textbook includes the latest research examples to illustrate key concepts, facilitating student comprehension. To maintain the textbook's credibility, accuracy, and applicability for future students, however, it will be necessary to incorporate new data and research.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The texts are written in an easy-to-understand manner that facilitates comprehension. The text also has a large variety of figures and charts, which help to explain the topic being discussed. Keywords and their definitions are highlighted and defined when they are either important or unique.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text presents information in a consistent fashion. The organization of the chapters and the flow of material are logical and easy to follow.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is divided into individual chapters organized in a coherent way that makes sense in terms of the book's overall structure. The material is structured in an easy-to-understand fashion, and the text's transition from one chapter to the next is seamless.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook sequence is organized in a way that is straightforward and thorough. It is well organized and follows a logical progression, covering all the important aspects of anatomy and physiology. The students can swiftly access the information they need based on their class objectives and the course.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"This textbook has an easy-to-navigate and time-saving user interface. It is simple to search using keywords and subjects and easy to navigate to the glossary and index. In addition, drawings, graphs, and tables are contained within the book, all of which contribute to a better understanding of the subject matter.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"None noticed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The content of the textbook is culturally relevant. Throughout the book, examples are given to help students comprehend the breadth of human anatomy and physiology and create links between those examples and real-world scenarios. This facilitates students understanding and retention of the subject matter. This also assists students in comprehending how their knowledge may be useful to everyday life.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"In conclusion, the Anatomy and Physiology Open Textbook by OpenStax is an indispensable resource for any student studying this difficult topic. Not only does it provide a comprehensive overview of human anatomy, but it also contains illustrations, drawings, and slides to assist students visualize the material. Additionally, it is organized in a way that facilitates navigation. This free textbook is an excellent resource for anatomy and physiology students due to its well-defined structure, logical organization, and detailed explanations of intricate concepts.","created_at":"2022-12-02T16:17:26.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-12-02T16:17:26.000-06:00"},{"id":34593,"first_name":"Mira","last_name":"Kolodkin","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"City Colleges of Chicago","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers most chapters that one would expect in A\u0026P with sufficient detail. The electrophysiology sections could do a better job of connecting channel activity to cellular processes but an instructor can fill in the blanks for students.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I checked several of the most difficult sections and did not find any issue with accuracy.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Information is up-to-date and pathologies chosen are appropriate for undergraduate-level A\u0026P.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Everything written is clear. The book chooses brevity at times when a little more detail or examples would be helpful to students. More pictures would be helpful in addendum to the text, as well.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in terminology and framework throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is easy to navigate. Sub-headings are clear, and the search bar helps find detailed content as needed.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book's organization is in alignment with most standard paid A\u0026P textbooks on the market.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is clear. All images are visible.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors visible during my readings of the book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book uses diverse examples in health on part with what one would find in a paid textbook.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"In my opinion, this book is strong as a stand-alone classroom resource. Unfortunately, the associated PowerPoints do not include text or challenge questions so should only used by the strongest of instructors.","created_at":"2023-06-05T11:43:50.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-06-05T11:43:50.000-05:00"},{"id":34604,"first_name":"Adebowale","last_name":"Ogunjirin","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Gallaudet University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book encompasses a variety of topics similar to what you would find in a textbook sold commercially. Additionally, it provides relatable examples that students can easily understand.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I can confirm that the book is accurate, as I did not encounter any issues with its accuracy.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The examples provided are applicable even in our fast-changing world and are relevant to the context.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written in a way that is understandable for humans, but some phrases could still be simplified.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each section of the textbook is consistent in its content and structure.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is well-organized into distinct modules.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook's organization is suitable and follows the format of commercially available A\u0026P textbooks.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"For the most part, the interface is fitting, and the images are appropriate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text was found to be free of grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book provides a variety of health-related examples and avoids offensive content. Additionally, it demonstrates sensitivity towards issues of race.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"By hyperlinking vocabulary to its original meaning, the textbook can assist in improving the recall of several vocabulary meanings. This feature is particularly useful for anatomy students who may find it tedious to constantly go back and forth to recall vocabulary meanings.","created_at":"2023-06-13T05:05:16.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-06-13T05:05:16.000-05:00"},{"id":34786,"first_name":"Beatriz","last_name":"Castro","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Purdue University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook extensively explores anatomy and physiology topics designed for students undertaking a two-semester course. It is crafted for majors in biology and health-related fields like nursing, pharmacy, and pre-med, providing crucial foundational knowledge in this domain.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The information is accure and impartial.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Since it imparts fundamental knowledge in physiology and anatomy, the book's content will remain relevant for numerous years. The sections dedicated to applications, such as everyday connections or end-of-chapter questions linking concepts to the real world, can be readily updated in the future if necessary.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I appreciate the textbook's use of clear and accessible language that makes it easily understandable for everyone, even without prior background knowledge. It employs simple language to simplify complex processes, enhancing comprehension. The inclusion of appropriate technical terminology is used judiciously without overloading the reader.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text maintains internal consistency, aligning chapter objectives, content (organized into subdivisions), and concluding each chapter with key terms, a chapter review, engaging interactive link questions, and thought-provoking critical thinking questions. While the multiple-choice format dominates the review questions, diversifying the question formats and incorporating more knowledge-check points throughout the text could be beneficial. Despite a greater emphasis on applying knowledge rather than testing it, this approach encourages student engagement with the content.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is divided into subchapters, and each subchapter is further broken down into concise sections.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The content in the text is organized in a clear and logical manner.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The interface and text formatting are suitable. Perhaps, the font size for labeling pictures could be increased for better visibility.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I observed no grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook includes images that represent a diverse range of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I find this textbook and its accompanying resources, including interactive link questions, PowerPoint slides, testable images, and the instructor answer guide, to be highly beneficial. \nThe simplicity of the book's pictures focuses on essential details without excessive labeling, preventing distraction or overwhelming students with too much information. \n\nThis textbook can serve as a \"pre-reading\" assignment before class because the concepts are presented in a straightforward manner, eliminating the need for extensive prior knowledge to comprehend the text. This sets it apart from more complex books that cover an excess of material, that serve well as reference materials but often leave students feeling overwhelmed by intricate ideas and an extensive array of medical or anatomical terminology, leading to more frustration than active engagement with the material. This approach promotes a more in-depth analysis of the topics in class, enriched by supplementary visuals and learning activities.","created_at":"2023-12-11T16:21:58.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-12-11T16:21:58.000-06:00"},{"id":34902,"first_name":"Chris","last_name":"Aiken","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Smith College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"In general I think that the book is very well done and is comprehensive in its scope.  However, there are two areas that I think it could be improved on.  The first has to do with the connective tissue/fascial system.  Although there is a brief discussion of the fascia in the micro description of the muscle fibers, there is no overview of the importance of the fascia both as a force transmission system (i.e. biotensegrity), but also as the medium for haptic perception and interception.  Also, in the attachment description of muscles it does not make clear that the muscles attach to tendons (it's says this elsewhere, but not when the orgin and attachments are described.  This is a common error.  \r\n\r\nAlso, in the description of muscle function there's no description of muscle function.  Perhaps that's outside the scope of this book, but it would seem that some description of types of muscle contractions, phasic/tonic, etc would be helpful.\r\n\r\nOf the two comments, the former is far more important.  The fascia is everywhere in the current physiology research.  This is an oversight.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"See above","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I think with the addition of the fascia section it could last for awhile.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I think the book is very well written and the videos are a nice addition.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The logic of the book is consistent and easy to follow.  I like the questions at the end.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"See my comment above.  Other than that, it's good.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I found it easy to follow.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no problems navigating the book.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not encountered grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I liked how the authors attempted to make the anatomical bodies diverse.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2024-02-26T07:35:47.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-02-26T07:35:47.000-06:00"},{"id":35033,"first_name":"Alex","last_name":"Zuo","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Texas Rio Grande Valley","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook offers a comprehensive exploration of A \u0026 P, with a wide array of topics tailored specifically for students embarking on a rigorous course. Its content is meticulously designed to cater to the needs of majors of this field, serving as an invaluable resource, equipping students with the deep understanding to navigate the complexities of A\u0026P effectively. The textbook serves as a friendly companion, facilitating a deep grasp of basic concepts essential for success in their future professional careers.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The provided content is accurately reflecting a thorough and unbiased assessment. It has been meticulously collected in a way with clarity and transparency. Each aspect of knowledge points has been carefully scrutinized with precision and integrity. Furthermore, the impartiality of the information underscores its credibility with free from bias without compromising accuracy. Thus, the feature of accuracy and impartiality of textbook are essential attributes that uphold its integrity as a valuable resource for A \u0026 P.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"With its profound focus on key principles in A \u0026 P, the addressed textbook provides fundamental knowledge that will retain relevance for many years to come. The segments addressing practical applications, such as real-world connections and end-of-chapter questions, offer flexibility for future updates if necessary. Additionally, interactive video links accompanying each topic enhance students' comprehension and engagement with the material, ensuring its longevity as a foundational resource for health science students and professionals","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book's clarity is truly commendable, as it effectively conveys complex ideas in an easy manner that is understandable to students with various backgrounds. Particularly, the book achieves this goal by crafting straightforward language that breaks down sophisticated processes into digestible knowledge, thus enhancing comprehension. Moreover, the judicious usage of terms ensures that the reader is adapted to related terminology without feeling overwhelmed by jargon. This balance between technicality and simplicity ensures readability and high-yield value of the book.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book maintains consistency with each chapter situated in alignment with learning objectives. Content is well-organized into an effective way facilitating the comprehension of complex points. Furthermore, the input of key terms, chapter reviews, interactive link questions, and critical thinking prompts improve the learning experience for students. The consistency is also boosted with application of diversifying question formats and including more knowledge-check points throughout the text to enrich the learning process. This wide range of question styles would not only assess comprehension but also foster deeper engagement with the material, encouraging critical thinking among students, and promoting a more holistic understanding of the A \u0026 P content.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Within the structure of the book, each chapter undergoes meticulous organization, subdividing into a series of subchapters that gives a focused exploration of specific themes. These subchapters, in turn, delve further segmentation into concise sections, each serving as a unit of study sessions. This layered strategy of organization makes intricate topics with clarity and coherence.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"While the overall text formatting of the book is well-arranged to facilitate learning, there is room for improvement in the visibility of labeled pictures. Improving the visibility of labeled pictures not only facilitates understanding but also promotes active engagement with the material. When students can easily read and interpret labels within images, they are more likely to actively integrate visual information with textual content, thereby reinforcing their comprehension and retention of key concepts.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"While the current interface of the textbook is effective for g learning, there is an opportunity to enhance the visibility and clarity of labeled pictures.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No obvious grammar errors are observed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The inclusion of diverse images aligns with societal efforts to promote equity and inclusivity in education by presenting individuals from diverse backgrounds in anatomy and physiology.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"By prioritizing clarity and conciseness, overall, the textbook ensures that students can readily digest key concepts without being inundated with unnecessary information, allowing readers with diverse background to focus their attention on the core parts related to each learning objective.","created_at":"2024-05-07T18:39:07.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-05-07T18:39:07.000-05:00"},{"id":35281,"first_name":"Carly","last_name":"Erickson","position":"Liberal Arts Instructor","institution_name":"Alexandria Technical \u0026 Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Very comprehensive.  Excellent resource for 2 semester A and P course.  Would be great to have additional ancillary materials specifically related to a laboratory component.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Very accurate.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Text is relevant and covers the needed information","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"very clear, terms and content is laid out well.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Some sections get more wordy than needed.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Easy to digest","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Similar to many other anatomy text books.  I would prefer a separate special senses chapter rather than mixed in with neuro.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Some links were broken.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors founds","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Nothing offensive, has added diverse images into text.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2024-10-22T13:09:08.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-10-22T13:09:08.000-05:00"},{"id":35340,"first_name":"Elise","last_name":"Ostensson","position":"Assistant Clinical Professor","institution_name":"University of New England","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers all of the core content relating to coursework in anatomy and physiology I \u0026 II. It is well organized, easy to navigate, and states objectives at the beginning of each section. There are chapter reviews that summarize key concepts, and a glossary of terms at the end of each section. A particular strength of this text, for students in allied health professions programs, is the review and critical thinking questions that are often case-based.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is unbiased and accurate. The images and diagrams support the text content.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is relevant, and the corresponding examples provide food for thought for students in the allied health professions.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well written and organized in a linear manner. Easy to follow.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This text is consistent and well organized.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modules/sections are long enough to provide connection between concepts, but not too lengthy.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The text is organized by systems, from basic to more complex.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text material and visuals are well formatted and easy to navigate.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors noted.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text is inclusive of various body types and sizes.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"A great resources for students in the allied health professions programs.","created_at":"2024-12-11T12:25:29.000-06:00","updated_at":"2024-12-11T12:25:29.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/anatomy-and-physiology","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:42:48.000-06:00"},{"id":224,"title":"Introduction to Human Osteology","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2010,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This text was designed for use in the human osteology laboratory classroom. Bones are described to aid in identification of skeletonized remains in either an archaeological or forensic anthropology setting. Basic techniques for siding, aging, sexing, and stature estimation are described. Both images of bone and drawings are included which may be used for study purposes outside of the classroom. The text represents work that has been developed over more than 30 years by its various authors and is meant to present students with the basic analytical tools for the study of human osteology.","contributors":[{"id":3750,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Roberta","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Hall","location":"Oregon State University","background_text":"Roberta Hall, Professor Emeritus, College of Liberal Arts, Oregon State University. PhD Anthropology, University of Oregon."},{"id":3751,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Kenneth","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Beals","location":"Oregon State University","background_text":"Kenneth L. Beals, Professor Emeritus, Anthropology, Oregon State University."},{"id":3752,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Holm","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Neumann","location":null,"background_text":"Dr. Holm Neumann is an orthopedic surgeon in Bend, Oregon. He received his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years."},{"id":3753,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Georg","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Neumann","location":"Indiana University","background_text":"Georg Neumann, assistant professor of zoology (emeritus), Indiana University, Bloomington."},{"id":3754,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Gwyn","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Madden","location":"Grand Valley State University","background_text":"Gwyn Madden received her PhD from University of Nevada. Bioarchaeologist with specialty in osteology, paleopathology, and mummy research. Current research focuses on excavation in Ukraine, analysis of Byzantine period skeletal remains from Jordan, and analysis of three South American mummies housed in Norway; additional research preparing Osteoware data collection system in association with the Smithsonian Institution. She teaches courses on the connection between culture and the physical body as well as general courses in anthropology, archaeology, and physical anthropology."}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":159,"url":"http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/books/4/","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","name":"Grand Valley State University"}],"formats":[{"id":800,"type":"PDF","url":"https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/books/4/","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"3.5","textbook_reviews_count":9,"reviews":[{"id":357,"first_name":"Dr. Michael","last_name":"Gualtieri","position":"Instructor of Anthropology","institution_name":"Portland Community College, Portland, Oregon","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"While the discussions of particular functional-morphological skeletal complexes in the work are quite complete, one possible improvement might be to add, near the end of each section, a few words about the possible evolutionary development of each of these complexes.  It might be of some benefit, for example, to see a discussion of the presumed evolutionary factors \"selecting for\" the limited size of, say, the zygomatic arch in modern humans.  Femur lengthening is another topic of particular import to many species within the genus Homo, and it might enhance our appreciation of the functional modalities of the leg to have such a conversation, however brief.  \n     Clearly, too much detail in this regard would lie well beyond the scope of the present work; but the authors do set the stage for such a discussion on the first page when they briefly allude to the function of bone, and a few brief allusions to prevailing evolutionary scenarios might round out the work.    ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book appears to be very accurate, correctly identifying the salient characteristics of the structural-morphological skeletal complexes within the human body, both in terms of physical detail, and in terms of the relevant terminological nomenclature.  The only area where there appears to be something of a diminution in accuracy is in several of the line drawings of the relevant bone material.  While many of these drawings are passable (and even these might be enhanced with closer attention to line-work emphasizing depth, contour, and angularity of the bones depicted), some of the drawings are extremely sketchy at best.  Let me call particular attention, by way of example, to the drawings of the Humerus, Radius, and Ulna found near the mid-point of the book.  These drawings could definitely benefit from the attention of a professional illustrator, or even from that of an archaeological graduate student who specialized in artifact/bone drawings.  Moreover, it would also have been nice to have seen a drawing of the actual articulation of the Radius/Ulna bones, similar to the drawing of the articulation of the Tibia/Fibula bones found later in the work.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book is clearly of surpassing relevance for anyone with a professional interest in the human skeleton; thus also, the book will doubtless have extreme longevity as a scientific manual.  ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The book is very clear, even if jargon-intensive.  Admittedly, the jargon is a critical part of the didactic exposition of the text, and its mastery is absolutely essential for anyone having a professional interest in human osteology.  That said, I believe the book would benefit immeasurably from the inclusion of a detailed glossary at the end of the work!  (I cannot underscore this point too greatly.)  Furthermore, as part of any such glossary a pronunciation guide should be provided for each term.  Remember, this is an introductory textbook after all, and the pronunciation of some of these terms is not always intuitive, especially when one has not been exposed to these terms in actual conversation. \n     FURTHERMORE:  my most important recommendation for this work is that at least one set of line-drawings, per bone, have all of the relevant terminology affixed thereto, with lines clearly pointing out the particular characteristic or trait in question.  I do recognize that some of these drawings, and/or the photographs themselves, might have been presented as testing templates since they have been left unlabeled, but surely it would be sufficient for the photographs themselves to serve that function, while the line-drawings could be labeled with the relevant terminology.  This single addition, I believe, would greatly enhance the teaching\nexperience of the textbook.   ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent and minimalist throughout.  This is an effective approach insofar as it focuses attention on the detail of the individual bones themselves, as well as their identifiying characteristics and terminological references.  There does seem to be a consistency issue, however, with the way the text articulates with multiple photographs and drawings accompanying the skeletal-complex discussions.  In general, a set of illustrative photographs are placed immediately following the textual discussions of particular bones, and bone characteristics.  These are generally followed by line drawings of the same bones, or bone-complexes.  There are a few examples, however, of photographs not being followed by line drawings; or of some photographs showing most, but not all, of the relevant angles of observation (for instance, there are no posterior photographic views of the cranium, even\nthough very complete photographs of the anterior, lateral, superior, and inferior views of the cranium have been included; a\nposterior view would have illustrated the suture connecting the occipital with the parietals, and thus further complemented the text).  A posterior photograph of the cranium (or any cranium?) should be added for consistency's sake.  One final note:  the headings on the line-drawings do not reproduce the specificity of the headings on the photographs.  This should be rectified and made consistent.  In particular, the anterior, and/or posterior views of the bone(s) in question should be added to each such line-drawing heading, to mirror the photographic headings/descriptions.  Currently, some of the line-drawings merely have headings like: \"Humerus,\" or \"Radius,\" or \"Ulna,\" without specifying whether the view is anterior or posterior.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book is extremely well organized in terms of its modularity.  Once one does finally locate the pages where a new structural-morphological skeletal complex is discussed, then that \"module\" is, in fact, very accessible as a discrete unit.  But as I indicated in the section \"Organization/Flow\" below, the problem, here, is in quickly identifying the location of those major sub-heading transitions.  Please refer to my comments below for further amplification on the problem of the lack of sub-headings.  (Indeed, when I initially looked at the text on-line, I was forced to flip from page to page, navigating by the photographs of particular bones rather than by sub-headings, to actually get my bearings in the work.)  The potential for effective modularity is high, but would be enhanced immeasurably with the addition of sequential page numbers throughout the work, and the inclusion of a working \"Table of Contents\" at the outset.  ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"In general the book is extremely well organized, proceeding from one \"skeletal complex\" to the next (by skeletal complex I refer to the major structural-morphological groupings like the cranium; the post-cranial bones; the arm bones; the leg bones; etc.).  The only difficulty lay in quickly identifying the actual transition between such complexes.  Admittedly, the major headings for the two largest complexes--skull and post-cranial bones--are clearly indicated, but beyond this, i.e., at the sub-heading level, the transition from one complex to the next is not always immediately apparent.  These transitions of course become obvious with a cursory examination of the actual bones listed, but it would greatly assist the introductory student if the sub-heading transitions were also clearly indicated.   For instance, under the major heading:  \"Post-Cranial Bones\"  it would have been helpful to see a well-demarcated sub-heading for \"Arm Bones\", and then subsequently for \"Leg Bones.\"  That did not occur; instead, beneath \"Post-Cranial Bones\" we see an immediate list of morphological terms relevant to the Humerus, then the same for the Radius, and the \nsame for the Ulna.  The sub-heading \"Arm Bones\" would seem to have been appropriate here, and would have enhanced the flow of the work.  The same argument could be made, perhaps with even greater validity, to the transition away from the arm bones (i.e., away from certain images and drawings of the major arm bones found near the end of that section) to the various bones of the leg.  At present, on the page following the final drawing of an ulna, one merely finds a list of characteristics of the Femur, the Patella, the Fibula, and the Tibia.  It would have been nice to have seen the topic of this new section formally stated:  viz. \"The Leg Bones.\"       ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I could not detect any interface issues whatsoever.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are occasional issues of spelling, which I attribute more to typographical mistakes than to any laxity in grammatical excellance.  For instance, on the first page, near the bottom, we find the following sentence:  \"...contains the bone forming cells call osteoblasts.\"  Clearly, \"call\" should be \"called.\"   A few additional spelling errors were detected from time to time.  Otherwise, in terms of overall sentence and paragraph construction, the work is elegant and economical at all times and merits high praise.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"One glaring issue here is the way the work retains the now archaic terminology:  \"fossil man.\"   This terminology is consistently found throughout the work, and really should be changed to a de-genderized presentation such as:  \"fossilized humans.\"  After nearly thirty years of attention to de-genderization issues in our scientific works (and indeed, in our everyday language usage), it comes as a spectacularly noticeable oversight to still find the phrase \"fossil man\" used in a reputable scientific manual such as this.  I recommend immediate attention to this issue, throughout the work.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I immensely enjoyed reading and reviewing this work.  With attention to the few recommendations for improvement that I have made above, I think the work will remain a standard in the field for years to come.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":398,"first_name":"Denise","last_name":"Couch","position":"Anthropology Instructor","institution_name":"Lane Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Book does not include a table of contents.   The areas of coverage for an introductory text are very through and detailed; however, there is no index or glossary.  The topic itself is very technical and many words that would normally occur in a glossary are defined in the text itself, but maybe underline or bolding the terms would make them stand out as important to the reader.  A nice, brief, descriptive text for introductory students.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"It appears to be highly accurate.  The field of human osteology has not changed much as far as bone identification is concerned.  No bias in the text (again, due to the nature of this subject, there is not a lot of room for bias).","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"NO real updating is needed in an osteology text, save for any advances in sex/age estimation and paleopathology are concerndd.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Easy to read, fairly straightforward.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Looks like your standard osteology text, uses appropriate terminology and generally goes from the top of the head down, leaving sex/age estimation for the end.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Yes, very much so.  One could take individual sections of the skeleton and work within this text quite easily.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Presented as a general \"owner's manual\" for the skeleton.  Organized very similar to standard osteology texts.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The only thing would be to add a table of contents.  Also, some of the page numbers are inconsistent.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Well written, scientific voice, but geared toward introductory students.  Human osteology is a very descriptive field, so not alot of room for prose.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Again, the nature of this book does not lend itself to insensitivity -- they have done an excellent job of staying away from ethnic/racial categorization of the skeleton.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Nice, brief little book.  Many illustrations, but it might be nice to have them integrated throughout the book.  Presently, they appear after the narrative.  A table of contents is a must for this type of book and maybe an appendix.","created_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-01-07T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":477,"first_name":"Jonathan","last_name":"Calede","position":"PhD candidate","institution_name":"University of Washington Department of Biology","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is an introductory book. As such, it does a good job of introducing the overall morphology of bones and the vocabulary of human osteology. I think that few edits would greatly improve the comprehensiveness of the book. \n\nTEXT: \nI really liked the presence of particular sections of the text including the paragraph on handling a skull. It would be great to include a similar section for the postcranial skeleton. I also really liked the table of vertebral characteristics. This is very useful for students to learn how to identify isolated vertebrae.  It might be good to mention the homology of the coccyx with caudal vertebrae. \n\nIt would be nice to define a few terms mentioned in the text (e.g., endochondral bone formation). The text mentions that some features of the limb bones can be used to side them but it is not specified how. It would be good to add this information. This was beautifully done for the bones of the wrists and the ankle.\nIt would be useful to mention the homology of the mandible with the dentaries of non-humans. This would help emphasize the great degree of fusion of these bones in humans.\nNumerous muscles are mentioned in the text but their function is not often provided. It would be nice to add such information, even in a very abbreviated form, to help students understand the link between skeleton and musculature.\n\n\nFIGURES:\nAdding labels to existing figures as well as new figures would allow students to study more specific aspects of human bone morphology including foramina, processes, etc that are mentioned in the text but not labeled on figures. It would also be helpful to add anatomical directions to the figures, especially those of isolated elements of the cranium. The book makes a point of mentioning the difference in skull morphology between “biological affinities”, it might therefore be a good idea to mention in the caption of the figures if the “biological affinity” of the material is known (and the sex). A few other figures are missing captions and some captions are incomplete.\n\nA few figures could be added to help with orientation and students’ understanding of the relationships between bones / regions of the skeleton. Thus, I would love to see a diagram or photo to better explain anatomical directions, movement, and the basic morphology of teeth. I would also like a diagram or photo of a fully articulated skeleton, similar to that on the cover, but with the bones labeled. I think that the text would also benefit greatly from the addition of illustrations of the pathological conditions students could encounter, especially since specimens exhibiting these pathologies may not always be available in the lab for first hand observations.\n\nMost importantly, I would like to see a line drawing of the skull with bones labelled. Such drawing could also include labels for foramina and structures. Some elements are illustrated isolated but labelled views of the whole skull would allow students to visualize the relationship among bones and structures and help understand the list of cranial articulations provided. Another drawing with the landmarks used for measuring and the measurements labeled would also be useful. Similarly, I also wish that the features of the bones of the postcranial skeleton would be labeled on the photos/drawings of these elements.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook is very accurate. \n\nThe only think I noticed is the inclusion of the sacrum in the pelvic girdle, which can be a little bit confusing. I would move it to the section on the axial skeleton.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This introductory textbook is up-to-date. This knowledge is unlikely to change. The osteology of humans has been studied for a very long time and is a well established. This textbook will need little updating.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is well written. Anatomical descriptions are often fairly dry. This textbook is easy to read. I liked the many lists and bulleted section of the text. They do not drown the information in a narrative and are easy to reference. \n\nThere are some terms throughout the text that are not defined but probably should be (e.g., sexual dimorphism and pituitary gland).","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"There are a few words that are not spelled consistently (e.g.,  “postcranium”) but nothing major or that affects comprehension.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text can very easily divided into different sections. It is always hard to isolated the different parts of the human skeleton from one another because of the relationships between the different parts of the body. However, it would be easy to use this textbook in tackling isolated components of the skeleton.\n\nIt would be even easier if a table of content and an index were provided.\nThe book could also use some more bold font, underlining, etc. to structure the text and make easier the differentiation between its different sections..","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I wish the figures would be numbered and referenced in the text to better connect the text, lists … with the figures and also allow the index to reference the figures. Many figures lack a scale. It would be beneficial to give students an idea of the size of bones. Though some bones may be familiar to students (size of the skull for example), others may be more difficult (e.g., podials).\n\nI also wish the list of “anatomical features” was changed to bolded or highlighted terms throughout the text so that they are put into context. Bolded terms could then be further defined at the end of the book. \n\nPutting the figures of the male and female skulls next to one another would enable easier comparisons, even if the figures end up smaller. The addition of line drawings are very useful.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There are no major issues with the interface of the textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There are very few typos in the text that do not affect comprehension.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The topic of this book is not particularly culturally sensitive. The authors do not incorporate obsolete and unsupported ethnic, racial, and discriminatory categorizations of the skeleton that have been published in the past.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a really helpful book that provides a good succinct introduction to the osteology of humans. A few edits (table of contents, index, labelled and comprehensive figures) would make this textbook a very valuable tool for human osteology courses.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":751,"first_name":"Naomi","last_name":"Brandenfels","position":"Adjunct Faculty- Anthropology","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"As a short introduction this book is excellent and comprehensive. There is an easy readability to the language despite the difficulty students who are new to the subject might have with the technical terms. The attention to determining biological sex and assessing age at death was accurate, easy to understand, and applicable to my human evolution curriculum. Although not a guide to pre-modern hominin skeletal elements, this textbook occasionally mentions other bipedal fossils as comparative and informative. The age of death was clear and accessible. The estimation of age at death was actually tabled well and my feeling is that is will be easily understood and remembered. The determination of sex was actually more detailed than I normally use for my 100 and 200-level classes, but I did not think that this deterred from the usefulness of this text. A glossary of terms would not be unheard of but could be crafted as an addendum by the user.   ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I had no issues with the accuracy of this book. I feel extremely confident in the information as presented. There are some very minor typos, but only a few. I was impressed with the quality of the photographs and the many angles that were depicted of each element. I was less impressed with the line drawings- some were okay and others were less than optimal. Although I did just criticize the drawings, I will say that some of the drawings of fragments of cranial materials have a great potential as a teaching guide. Also, some of the detailed information about the shape of a foremen or direction of blood vessels is incredibly useful because in real life burial recovery situations sometimes all you have are fragments. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I can't see this information changing much at all anytime soon. Furthermore, in this format it is portable, and the photographs are  clear, with multiple angles, that I think it could be easily navigated and consulted in a field work situation, i.e. archaeological monitoring.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The textual part of the book was written in a clear voice, and the photographs that were here were also very informative as many angles were shown. The line drawings and diagrams could be more easy to understand -- perhaps more attention in labeling of characteristics that were discussed in the narrative is definitely in order. In many places, I wanted to search out open access images to see if I could find something that I could use to demonstrate the description as stated in in words to accompany the text. More pictures, more diagrams with labels and scale would make this book better.\n\nThe captions under the photographs were sometimes confusing. Particularly problematic is the use of the words 'left' and 'right' below two angles of the same element. When the caption said left or right it was referring to the directions in the photograph but could easily be mistaken to infer that each view was actually the left or the right side of the human skeleton. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The terminology is consistent and expected which is an important part of this curriculum. Just learning the new focal language is a significant part of the early introduction to osteology. \n\nThe order of the figures could more consistently follow the relevant text. If I was able to move the photos around in this document so that they followed directly after the narrative this would be a much better tool. Another option would be to key the figures out with numbers and then placing those in the text for the reader would also work.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I can absolutely pick and choose to assign some parts and not others of this textbook and I will. Some of it is too detailed for my curriculum and I can easily avoid assigning those sections. Furthermore, I think this text could be used as a module to reference to in any undergraduate physical anthropology curriculum. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Other than the disjuncture with the figures and the text and the desire for more images I thought the organization and flow was sensical and followed an expected trajectory building on concepts logically.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no issues with the interface.\n\nI could not attach it to an email to myself but I could transfer it to my tablet with google docs when I wanted to read it while traveling.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The book was grammatical. There were a few typos, just a few, but they did not in deter from the communication of the idea being presented. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The field of human osteology is inherent with the tension of a history of cultural insensitivities. I was pleased with the way the book addressed the question of racial determination in the skeleton and stressed that there was variance in human populations and that racial determination is imprecise. I though it could have stressed more that race itself is a social construct especially when it referred to questions that might be asked by authorities who would ask for this kind of information. When it did give cultural identifiers it was matter of fact observations such as 'shovel-shaped incisors', effects of cradle boarding, Inca line, that seemed more matter of fact. I was glad to not see the term 'Caucasian' used and wonder if 'Mongoloid' which is still used, is acceptable and why this  racist language still exists in the discipline. \n\nAlso, because of some of the historical practices of physical anthropologists and medical researchers, certain people are sensitive to the use of human remains in visual depictions. Would it be responsible to identify that these photos were of a person that had consented to this treatment of their remains? I don't know the answer to this questions but I think that it is worthy to ask if we should have a higher standard of responsible professional reflexivity when putting these images on display.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":797,"first_name":"Robert","last_name":"Anemone","position":"Professor and Department Head","institution_name":"University of North Carolina at Greensboro","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is not particularly comprehensive with respect to inclusion of a table of contents, index, or glossary (all are missing), but it does a better job of covering the material in a reasonably comprehensive manner.  In separate chapters scattered throughout the text there are lists of features and terminology that are essential to the student of osteology. The major topic that could have been covered in a more comprehensive fashion is bone development and physiology: there are no images and no discussion of the development of endochondral or membranous bone, bone microstructure is provided lip service (6.5 lines of text and no images), and the relationship between muscular attachments and the prominent features on bony surfaces that are created by muscular forces are never mentioned.  Another less than comprehensive aspect of this text's coverage is that there is very little description or discussion of many of the bones of the human body: many sections (e.g., Sternum, Clavicle, all the long bones) begin with essentially a list of named features, rather than with a more general discussion of the importance, developmental or evolutionary origins, or important functional roles played by these bones. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"In most respects the text is accurate, although some annoying mistakes crop up (e.g., the photograph of the scapula from anterior and posterior views is from the Right Side of the skeleton, not as labelled, the Left Side.  The singular of phalanges should be phalanx: this proper usage is interspersed with many incorrect usages (e.g., First Distal Phalange of the Hand).","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The book is relevant (because many of us teach this course) and has the potential to be long-lived by virtue of the topic itself, which inherently does not really change.  However the approach to the material taken by the authors to present and teach the material is very dated and frankly, uninspiring. Although this book has apparently been updated in 2008, it reads much more like a book written in 1978 (the year it was first \"revised\", according to the front matter).  The methods described for estimating age, sex and \"biological affinity\" from the skull rely, for the most part, on sources that are 50 or more years old, and often problematic.  I seriously doubt the confident statements that skulls can be reliably sexed (80%-98%, based on the completeness of the skull) based on the qualitative traits listed.  This entire discussion ignores the very real facts of intra- and inter- population variation, and is an unfounded assertion lacking any cited evidence. Perhaps the most dated part of the book from my perspective is the approach to \"estimating biological affinity in the skull\".  In this section, brief qualitative caricatures of different \"racial groups\" are presented, albeit with the proviso that \"assessing biological affinity in the skeleton cannot be doe with a promise of great accuracy\".  But the old adage follows that, and I;m paraphrasing here, since the police or other \"legal authorities\" want us to tell them what the race of a skeletal individual was, therefore we should try.  This approach completely ignore all that we have learned about the social construction of race and the problems with the biological race theory over the past 50 years and results in the same reification of a flawed biological concept that many biological anthropologists have been fighting against for decades. The same outdated and wrong-headed perspective shines through in the \"Stature Estimation\" section where Bill Bass's postcranial formulae are suggested as a way to estimate adult stature among \"Mongoloids...Mexicans...and Blacks\".  This is not the way that many f us teach this material in the 21st century.","clarity_rating":1,"clarity_review":"The prose is fine and the descriptions are clear per se.  However, the lack of labelled drawings or photographs is very problematic.  It's unclear how the student is supposed to identify named and listed landmarks on various bones in the absence of labelled illustrations.  My students would require another textbook that has labelled illustrations in order to learn this material!  In light of this, I don't see any real purpose that this book would serve, since other sources have similar descriptions as well as labelled images for all the bones!","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I didn't notice any significant lack of consistency in this text. ","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"The lack of a T of C, lack of page numbers (except, oddly, in the last section of the text), and the lack of any navigational tools for finding one's way thru the text, are all problems of access.  A diversity of headings would also make it a lot easier to navigate.  Currently, a LOT of scrolling is required to move through the text, which can be quite annoying if you don't remember where a particular section was. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The book is organized anatomically, but it lacks a parallel organization by themes or topics, for example, sex determination, age determination, pathologies, development, etc. So if you want to learn about telling males from females, you have to check the section on the skull and then the postcranial section.  An alternative organization would put all the material on age or sex determination in a single chapter that follows the bone-by-bone chapters.  ","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"There really is no interface...it's just a pdf that you have to scroll through to find sections.  And without a table of contents or page numbers or Figure numbers, it's VERY difficult to quickly find your way through this book. Very old fashioned interface that could really use some updating (navigation bar, linked text for terminological definitions, ability to jump to particular chapter or page number, etc.).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn't notice any problems with grammar or writing.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"As I said earlier in this review, the treatment of the topic of race (which the authors refer to as \"biological affinity\" or \"ethnicity\") in the context of forensic identifications is very outdated and culturally insensitive.  Stature estimation formulae for \"Mexicans and Mongoloids\" have no place in current textbooks in Anthropology.  Typological descriptions of cranial morphology among \"Blacks and Euro-Americans\" are similarly out dated and out of place in a modern text like this one. ","overall_rating":5,"overall_review":"There are several problems with this book that make it unrealistic for me to even consider using it in my Human Osteology class. First, the complete lack of labeled drawings or photos; second, the very poor quality of the line drawings and the mediocre quality of the photos; third, the outdated and uncritical perspective on the very salient issue of determining racial or biological affinity; fourth the lack of page numbers and figure numbers and the general difficulties in navigating through this text.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":933,"first_name":"Darshana","last_name":"Shapiro","position":"Part-Time Lecturer of Anthropology","institution_name":"Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all of the elements of the bony skeleton and the dentition, but varies in the comprehensiveness of its coverage. For some of the skeletal elements there are both photos and line drawings, but for others (like the dentition), there are only drawings. None of the photos or drawings are labeled with the features of the bone/tooth, which would make this a potentially difficult (or impossible) text to use for an introductory course. Additionally, the depth of the material covered varies a lot by skeletal element. For example, the bones of the skull and its features are defined, while the bones of the arms and legs are just represented by lists of features. Similarly, some sections provide notes on siding the element (the carpals/tarsals), while others do not. The text would also be made more comprehensive by photos or drawings of the variable non-metric traits listed, as well as visual aids for sexing the skull and pelvis, and by more information on histology/bone microarchitecture, development, and physiology. Lastly, the text would benefit from the addition of a table of contents, comprehensive glossary at the end of the text, and an index.   ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content appears generally accurate, though some of the drawings and photos would benefit from more specific labeling of both element (i.e., which side it is from) and view. Additionally, a number of the line drawings would be enhanced by the addition of some artistic detail (shading, etc), which would make them more useful in terms of distinguishing particular bony features. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content covered is relevant and the bones of the skeleton obviously have not changed since this text was first written. It would benefit greatly from some updated references (and greater depth), particularly in areas where work in physical anthropology has continued - determining age, sex, and ancestry (and the various problematic/historical issues contained therein). ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is generally clearly written, but does not always provide definitions or context for some of the technical terms it uses. Adding the standard textbook \"bold key terms and glossary\" would help make this text more useful for introductory level osteology students. There are some places where the writing becomes less clear, for example, in the discussion about the parietals - saying that the \"the arteries point superior and posterior\" is clear to an osteologist, but for a novice what direction does \"point\" indicate? Another one of these clarity/context issues arises in the section on sex estimation of non-pelvic postcranial bones. The measurements of the humeral head are presented without units or an explanation of what the numbers given mean. The biggest clarity issue is the lack of labeled visuals (both for the features of the bones and for the sexing/aging methods).","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The text needs some work in terms of the consistency of its structure/framework. A less minimal approach to section/subsection headings would help, as would the expansion of certain areas of coverage (e.g., the long bones of the limbs) to make them more consistent with other skeletal elements (like the carpals/tarsals). There are also some consistency issues in the details: use of the incorrect term \"phalange\" rather than phalanx for the singular of phalanges and not noting the alternate names for the greater and lesser multangular bones within the carpal descriptions, but putting them in the photo captions, are two of them.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text would benefit from better headings and subheadings. Dividing the book into cranial and postcranial elements makes sense, though the postcranial section would be enhanced by an overview and some additional terminology (axial vs appendicular skeleton, etc). Taking the information on topics like sexing and aging from the sections on the skeletal elements that these estimations are performed on, and making them their own chapters might help the modularity of the text, particularly if an osteology course using this book has labs/exercises on sexing or aging the skeleton as a whole.    \n","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are arranged in a somewhat logical fashion (cranial vs postcranial bones), but the section on dentition is placed at the end of the book rather than with the cranial bones. This seems strange. Additionally, the dentition section lacks comprehensive siding/tooth location information and photographs of the dentition in the mouth. Another major organizational issue that needs to be addressed is the placement of photos/drawings relative to the text describing them. It seems like a much more logical arrangement to have the text describing an element and its features followed immediately by the drawings/photos of that element, rather than having them placed in a group at the end of a section. This is particularly an issue with the drawings of the disarticulated skull bones (which also need labels indicating which view of the element the drawing is intended to show). There was also some inconsistency in page numbering - some of the sections were numbered and some were not.  \n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The text is free of significant interface issues, but lacks any tools, links, etc to make navigating through the sections easier.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"While there were no grammar issues that impeded meaning, the text could use a more thorough proofreading, particularly in the sections on the skull and hands/feet.\n\n","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"There are two cultural relevance issues in this text. The first is the use of \"man\" to mean person/people or Homo sapiens, generally (e.g., \"modern man,\" \"fossil man,\" \"the chin is an anatomical structure unique to man\"). As many of the people studying physical anthropology now are women, this makes the text feel outdated (and unwelcoming). The second issue is the use of outdated/offensive terms for ancestry in both the estimating biological affinity section and in the estimating stature section. As there exists enough scholarship on the problematic relationship with \"race\" that physical anthropology has had to fill an entire course, it is obviously not possible to cover the entire topic in a chapter of an introductory textbook, but a more nuanced discussion of the topic (rather than waving it away) would bring this text up to date.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"I cannot stress enough how much adding feature labels to the photos and drawings in this text would help. As it stands, there is no way to use this book as the sole text for the kind of introduction to osteology lab that I teach (which is heavy on fragment identification). Additionally, given the number of students that take this kind of class with the intent to go into forensics, dealing with the cultural relevance issues would make the text more potentially useful to them, as they will have to deal with estimating biological ancestry in a meaningful, sensitive, and current way.  ","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1418,"first_name":"Elena","last_name":"Haymond","position":"Anthropology Faculty","institution_name":"Riverland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook covers all the general topics that are necessary for an introduction to human osteology, however each area is given glancing attention that leaves space for incorrect interpretation. Furthermore, there is neither a table of contents nor an index which makes the textbook rather useless for referencing information or finding anything quickly. \nI appreciate the use of lists such as the cranial articulations and landmarks on the skull, and would find it helpful to have illustrations as a way of cross-referencing the information on the lists. While the textbook attempts to at least mention all the major necessary areas of information such as how to identify particular bones, siding, non-metrics, etc, it does little more than just mention them. There are photos of bones, but without pointing out specific landmarks or areas useful for identification, one might have difficulty understanding what exactly they are referring to. This would be a difficult text for someone who uses visual references as a primary means of learning. Additionally, there is a complete lack of comprehensive discussion of topics such as population specificity, which can have a major impact on the correct identification of age, sex, stature, occupational markers, etc. As an introductory source, this type of information is important so students understand the factors that influence identification or archaeological data.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content seems to be balanced and accurate with few typographical errors.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is generally up-to-date and the arrangement of the text would allow for easy additions, subtractions, or edits of material.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The prose is generally accessible but heavy on the jargon, which may make it a difficult source for someone new to the field of osteology. To be a truly useful introductory source, it would be helpful to have some sort of photo or illustration to accompany each of the described terms as a way of visualization what they are referencing.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"This text could be broken down into smaller reading sections or assignments; however, without a table of contents or index it is impossible to easily refer to the sections. Furthermore, the subheadings are not consistently formatted to be recognizable as such. For example, some are bold and underlined, some are just underlined, some are left-justified, and some are centered so it is not always clear which ones are denoted an entirely new section of the body versus just different parts of the same area of the body.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The general organization and structure of the information is fine. The problems arise as mentioned above with no reference points such as table of contents or index as well as not always being able to clearly identify what each subheading indicates.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There were no interface issues that I detected.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There is only one noticeable grammatical error that I found. Otherwise, grammar is fine.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"The text contains a brief section on identifying biological affinity and otherwise sidesteps the issues of race and ethnicity.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":33571,"first_name":"Jerielle","last_name":"Cartales","position":"NTT Instructor","institution_name":"Western Oregon University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"No index at all. A rough glossary is included in each “chapter” but is very brief and scattered throughout the chapter itself.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Appears to be accurate","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Suture closure is no longer standard practice for age estimation (at least in forensic anthropology). This (portion of the) text requires updating.","clarity_rating":1,"clarity_review":"No. The sketched images of the skull are barely recognizable (e.g., the lacrimal image page 47 in text) and provide no context, labels, or scale. The hyoid on page 48 is significantly smaller than the vomer on the same page. The second image on page 50 looks more like a braid than what I assume to be an interior view of the occipital bone. Furthermore, images are grouped together and confusingly labeled. For instance, one would reasonably assume that “left anterior and right posterior” (humerus, page 56) would mean the first image was the anterior view of a left humerus and the second was the posterior view of a right humerus. That is not the case. And it will confuse students.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"It was consistently confusing and inconsistently organized.","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"If the download site hadn’t specified there were 5 separate chapters, I would never have known. Headings are inconsistent to begin with but the Hands \u0026 Feet chapter (ch 3) is indistinguishable from the Limbs chapter (ch 2), same with chapter 5 which is largely indistinguishable from chapter 4. There is no table of context either, so good luck dividing this in a manageable way.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"It is not illogically organized, just inconsistent.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The Dental Wear image from Brothwell 1981 (page 32 in text) is so blurry as to be completely illegible. Images are poorly captioned.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I only noticed one error early in the text.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Text uses terminology related to ancestry which is becoming out-of-date. For instance, stature equations (page 121-122) use the term “Mongoloid” which has fallen out of favor and is now considered offensive.","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":"There is no table of contents or consistency in header format. The images of the bones are unlabeled. This text is extremely unapproachable for an “introductory” text. I can see parts of this text being useful in lab in conjunction with another textbook, but it would not be sufficient as a stand-alone lab resource.","created_at":"2021-12-23T15:10:07.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-23T15:10:07.000-06:00"},{"id":35572,"first_name":"Amy","last_name":"Obringer","position":"Professor of Biology","institution_name":"University of Saint Francis","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers the entire skeleton as you would expect.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Descriptions are accurate, however, the presentation of the information as all text could be more easily conveyed in tables.\nFigures are not labelled.\nImages would be helpful regarding general terminology presented at the start of the text.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Content is probably appropriate for 2010, but pictures and drawings need to be improved with labelling and figure legend.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Some information that is conveyed in the text would be easier understood via a good image.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Terminology and framework are consistent","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Each chapter can be downloaded individually.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are in a logical order","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There were no navigation or distortion issues.\nHowever, some of the images appear hand-drawn","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were noticed","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text was inclusive of a variety of ethnicities","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The content is good, but the presentation of the information could be communicated more effectively to the reader via tables and labelled images.","created_at":"2025-07-08T19:09:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-07-08T19:09:15.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/introduction-to-human-osteology","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:11:08.000-06:00"},{"id":229,"title":"Psychology as a Biological Science","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2020,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"This textbook provides standard introduction to psychology course content with a specific emphasis on biological aspects of psychology. This includes more content related to neuroscience methods, the brain and the nervous system. This book can be modified: feel free to add or remove modules to better suit your specific needs. Please note that the publisher requires you to login to access and download the PDF.","contributors":[{"id":3474,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Robert","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Biswas-Diener","location":"Portland State University","background_text":"Robert Biswas-Diener has written a number of books including Happiness: Unlocking the mysteries of psychological wealth and The Courage Quotient. He is senior editor for the free-textbook platform, Noba."},{"id":5272,"contribution":"Editor","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Ed","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Diener","location":"Universities of Utah","background_text":"Ed Diener is a psychologist, professor, and author. Diener is a professor of psychology at the Universities of Utah and Virginia, and Joseph R. Smiley Distinguished Professor Emeritus from the University of Illinois as well as a senior scientist for the Gallup Organization."}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"},{"id":42,"name":"Psychology","parent_subject_id":9,"call_number":"BF121","visible_textbooks_count":51,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/psychology"},{"id":9,"name":"Social Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"H1","visible_textbooks_count":285,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/social-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":368,"url":"http://nobaproject.com/textbook-editions/4071/download","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:39.000-05:00","name":"Noba"}],"formats":[{"id":629,"type":"PDF","url":"http://nobaproject.com/textbooks/psychology-as-a-biological-science","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":2049,"type":"Online","url":"https://nobaproject.com/textbooks/psychology-as-a-biological-science","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":11,"reviews":[{"id":462,"first_name":"Richard","last_name":"Deyo","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Winona State University","comprehensiveness_rating":1,"comprehensiveness_review":"If a comprehensive introduction to psychology as a biological science is expected from this 40-module open textbook, the reader will be disappointed.  This is because each topic has been given unexpectedly cursory coverage.  For example, recalling that the title of the book promises to inform students about psychology as a biological science, the glossary contains no definitions for the terms neuron, nerve cell, or glial cell.  Unfortunately, there really is very little about this book that would appeal to a professor wishing to take the neuroscience approach to the teaching of an Introductory Psychology course.  \n   The lack of depth extends to most topics.  For example, the discussion of research methods fails to include a discussion of the different types of research designs or their interpretation, nor is there even a discussion of independent or dependent variables despite the reference to those undefined terms in a later chapter.  \n   The figures and graphics in this text are largely ineffective as tools for clarifying concepts.  For example, there is no detailed diagram of how a neuron works, or even an image of how one looks, but there are two different photographs of a finger with a string tied around it (page 321 and page 342).  The student is not provided with adequate information to understand difficult concepts such as neurotransmission, but is treated to numerous appealing images of babies, families, and puppies.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The material that was included was generally accurate.  However there were a few minor inaccuracies in the discussion of the brain that were mainly due to oversimplification.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book is no more vulnerable to longevity issues than any other.  It will need to be updated annually.  I did use the search feature on the PDF reader to check out the age of the sources and it appears that the chapters are largely updated thru the end of 2014 with three sources from 2015.  So a revision will be needed at the end of 2016 to keep current.","clarity_rating":1,"clarity_review":"The lack of depth in many of the early chapters creates serious issues with clarity in later chapters.  For example, the failure to define and discuss research designs creates a problem in later chapters that refer to experimental designs (e.g. page 172) or correctly refer to the problems of interpreting correlational research (e.g., page 189).   The authors of later chapters appear to assume that the students have a working knowledge that is probably not there unless it has been covered in supplemental materials outside of this book.  An old idiom came to mind by the time I reached the fifth chapter: “Too many cooks spoil the broth.”  This work has by my count 61 authors.  To be fair, it is hard to write a book with more than two or three authors (Kandel’s Principles of Neural Science being one of the few successful examples). This work needed a strong editor.","consistency_rating":1,"consistency_review":"Some chapters were very shallow and other chapters were assuming a depth of knowledge that was at a much higher level.  The book reads as if it were aimed at two different groups of students.","modularity_rating":1,"modularity_review":"The book is clearly organized into independent modules.  The problem, however, is that the content in any one module is inadequate to cover that topic without extensive use of outside materials.  Said another way the modules themselves fail to give the students adequate content to come prepared to discuss in lecture.  In short, this book has many modules but not enough content within each module to support a lecture that would enrich a student’s knowledge.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There is a clear organization that is easy to follow (just not enough content).","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The free PDF version was cumbersome to navigate.  The images and figures that are included (with one or two exceptions) are clear and can be enlarged without too much distortion.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No problems here.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It is inclusive of diverse races, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":"I read this text after completing a training webinar that had me fired up to try an open textbook.  I was further encouraged by the fact that one of the contributors has written a textbook I had previously used and valued.  Maybe my expectations were too high.  I came in with over 25 years of experience teaching with high quality commercially edited and reviewed textbooks. This open textbook is not in any way comparable in quality to any text I have used previously.  I now have a renewed appreciation for the editorial process and I guess it is true that you get what you pay for. Respectfully, I just cannot recommend adopting this book, especially if you are a professor at a MNSCU institution and need to be in compliance with the “Common Course Outcomes.”","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1475,"first_name":"Patti","last_name":"Harrison","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"Virginia Tech","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I found this textbook to be quite comprehensive, including the \"traditional\" topics usually covered in a biopsychology text , but also adding fascinating chapters on topics such as epigenetics and aging.  The coverage of the material seemed ideally appropriate for a 3000 or 4000 level course for psychology and biology majors, including higher level concepts that required understanding from other areas of science, not just biology and chemistry.  Although the throughness of the content did vary by chapter/topic, overall I was impressed with the material that was presented and would certainly have no problem augmenting any area in which I considered the text to be deficient. I did notice one glaring absence - a chapter covering the neuron and how it fires, as well as the function of glial cells - also something I could easily provdie myself, but unusual to be missing from a biopsychology text.  While many higher-order concepts were covered, it is highly unusual to find any physiological psychology text that does not discuss the neuron because it is the basic unit of the nervous system and understadning its physiology is essential to such areas as sensroy function and psychopharmacology.\n\nThe index at the end of the book was quite thorough. However the glossaries were placed at the end of each chapter, and, as with the content of the chapters, varied in thoroughness - also a very easily corrected problem for any adaptations of the text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Given the rate at which information changes in the field of neuroscience, I was impressed with its accuracy and inclusiveness.  In this field accuracy often is not the issue, but new structures/concepts are being found every day, so they are more frequently the material that is easy to leave out.  I found this book to contain coverage of topics that are currently on the front line of investigation, such as entrainment and the psychophysiology of emotion, with a high degree of accuracy.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"As I previously mentioned, the very basic concepts of cell firing and maintaining the resting potential of the neuron were completely absent from discussion anywhere int his text. Therefore by the time the student hits the chapter on psychopharmacology, he/she will be unprepared to understand the basic mechanisms of how different drugs work.  I found the chapter on psychopharmacology to be particularly short, offering only the most simplistic introduction to the topic, whereas it is central to the field of psychology, particularly clinical psychology. Almost all clients are on psychoactive medications and the therapist should have a slightly better than average understanding of how these drugs work. This text will provide only an introductory psychology level perspective on that area.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing was very engaging, something to be treasured in the STEM fields, where emphasis is usually more on the information being presented than on the style in which it is being presented.  Since each chapter had a different author(s), this varied, but only slightly across chapters.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The consistency across chapters is poor. Some writers are clearly masters of their fields and provide extremely well-written and detailed accounts of their field, while others write short, concise introductions to their area, but leave the reader with little \"meat to chew on.\"  The internal consistency within the chapters was high and I did not always feel as if I were being introduced to another voice as I moved from chapter to chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book's modularity is what contributes to the ease of which one could address its omissions.  Modules were complete and did not rely on other modules in order to fit well into the scheme of things. I would find this book easy to adapt to my own purposes, supplementing when I thought necessary and omitting topics that I did not consider particularly relevant to the course, without taking away from the \"book\" quality of the text.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The overall flow of the book was good. Chapters were organized in such a way that the topics seemed to flow logically from one to the next.  There was some duplication in coverage, but this makes omitting certain chapters easier if the instructor wants to include other material without losing all of the material from any particular chapter.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I accessed the book as a pdf requiring Adobe Acrobat and printed selected topics for closer inspection. Both methods permitted me to find exactly what I wanted when I wanted it. It ws very easy to move throughout the book by just sliding my mouse. Between the table of contents and the index, I had no trouble locating particular terms or concepts.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The grammar was excellent - and I am a grammar gestapo, according to my students.  These folks do not only write well, but they write in grammatically correct English - a rare finding in my opinion.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Given the biological nature of the book, I did not find it to be biased toward any particular culture. There were some discussions of social functioning and interpersonal relationships that were geared more toward Western European values than toward Easter/Mideastern values, but not offensively so.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I very much enjoyed reading this text and will probably adopt it for my physiological psychology text the next time I teach the course.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1659,"first_name":"Chelsea","last_name":"McCoy Asadorian","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is very comprehensive in my opinion. It covers all the major areas of basic psychology and includes some  in-depth discussion of examples within these. For example, within biological basis on behavior, there are discussions on both the macro level (brain and hormonal regulation) as well as molecular (epigenetics in psychology). There is a vocabulary section at the end of each chapter as well as discussion questions and citations. From Noba, there are many instructor's resources available as well. Still, there are gaps, which is expected when covering such a large field. This text does give students the basics so with light supplement it would seem appropriate for a introductory course or with supplement could aid in upper level courses. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"From what I was able to review, this text is accurate and thorough. While details can be a little oversimplified at times, I think these are necessary in the scope of an overview of an entire field. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The author attempts to keep the content as current as possible by including details on areas that are \"hot\" in research right now. I don't believe that this will make this text obsolete quickly. It does at least bring in newer concepts rather than sticking to the traditional. I think that it allows is organized in such a manner that new sections could be easily added to existing as needed. Even for an individual instructor it would be easy to select the overview chapters within an unit and then simply use review articles if they should want to drive deeper into a different topic that what the author choose to use.  ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I think this text is written at a level that is easy to follow for an undergraduate student. In additional, the vocabulary section are the end of the chapter are useful aides as well. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I think this text is consistent across chapters. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Yes, this text is broken into sections that are mostly able to stand alone. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Overall, I think it's well done. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I didn't find any issues with the interface. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no issues worth mentioning. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn't find any material that seemed to be offensive. It might benefit from a little more discussion on cultural impacts on psychology.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall, I found this text to be a good source for basics within each area. I think this text as one of the few open access in this area could be used in addition to recently published reviews to give the students both the basics and detailed information without the high cost of commercial textbooks. This may not be the best option if you want one source to support a course.  ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":2452,"first_name":"Scott","last_name":"Bowen","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Wayne State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This somewhat comprehensive textbook would be appropriate for an introduction to psychology as a biological science.  While it covers a number of major areas of basic biological psychology with some in-depth discussion, there are some are some missing topics that are very necessary.  For example, there is no real discussion, nor are there pictures or diagrams about the basic unit of the nervous system, the neuron. It seems that another chapter is needed to discuss the neuron, how it functions, and how it communicates with other neurons. This omission could lead the reader to struggle with later chapters that discussion sensation and perception as well as psychopharmacology.  The inclusion of a vocabulary section, discussion questions, and citations at the end of each chapter is a nice feature that would be beneficial to the student.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"From what I reviewed, the material within this textbook was generally accurate. Some of the text was oversimplified at times, but I don’t think that detracts from the text. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content appears to be up-to-date, so it should not become obsolete. I checked several of the modules and found that they had 2018 dates so the content is current. I think that the chapters are organized in such a way that new sections can be added as needed. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I found the text to be written clearly and at a level that most undergraduates could follow for a basic introduction to Biological Psychology.  The lack of coverage of the neuron in the early chapters could create confusion in later chapters where neurotransmitters and signaling is discussed. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text appears to be consistent across chapters although some chapters don’t seem to go into the depth that other chapters do. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I found the book to be clearly organized and readily divisible into smaller independent modules. \r\n","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I found the book to be clearly and logically organized. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no problems with navigating through the chapters. The images/charts were all clear and there was no distortion. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn’t find any grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I didn’t find any of the text to be culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. There are several examples of inclusivity of race diversity, ethnicities, and backgrounds.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I completed a training webinar on open source textbooks and was asked to review a textbook as part of that experience. Generally, I think this text is a good source for an undergraduate beginning to learn the basics of biological psychology.  However, I couldn’t find discussion or diagrams on neurons and how they function, so the text will have to be supplemented for this information (or a module needs to be written to cover this gap). This open textbook will have to be supplemented with recent published articles but is definitely a viable option when compared to high cost textbooks.  ","created_at":"2018-12-07T17:48:40.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-12-07T17:48:40.000-06:00"},{"id":2729,"first_name":"Chris","last_name":"Linn","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"SUNO","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"For a special topics course, this book is appropriately comprehensive.  It covers everything I would expect from a course on the biological underpinnings of human behavior and is not limited to a physiological perspective.  As an introductory psychology course, some of the modules are too specialized (e.g. module on autism). I would like to see more diagrams in some modules, but the embedded videos are a terrific addition.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I thought this book was highly accurate, although this varied according to the module author.  Some of the modules seemed oversimplified, but it was fine as an introduction, overall.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I think this book is highly relevant for any psychology student interested in behavior from a biological perspective.  I would have enjoyed this book myself as an undergraduate.  Biology students with an interest in behavior would also find the book useful.  As biological issues are some of the fasted advancing in psychology, the longevity of some modules might be limited.  I would hope to see new additions in the future to keep pace.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Most, but not all, authors were extremely clear.  This is as would be expected because modules were written by some of the top authors in their field.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Within modules, I do not see any issues with consistency.  The flow of the book has its limits, as each module was written by a different author.  I think this is a minor issue, and it did not distract from my overall enjoyment of the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each module can largely stand alone.  For the most part, modules could be assigned in any order and can even be assigned as readings for different classes.  For example, it would be appropriate to assign the chapter on the history of mental illness to an abnormal psychology class or a class on the history of psychology.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Within modules, the topics are generally organized well.  ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is fine and easy to use on a computer screen.  I do not know if this would carry over to other devices, such as tablets or cellular phones.  Some students might prefer a hard copy of the book.  While I love the embedded video clips, they would not be available to students that with to print the pdf.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text did not contain a section on cultural psychology, as I recall.  Give the subject matter, I would not necessarily expect it to.  However, David Buss does make mention of culture in his module on evolutionary psychology.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This text is a wonderful read, but I don't think this book is a good fit for a general, introductory psychology course.  There are a few subject areas that are missing.  For example, it does not attempt to address some of the more applied fields in psychology such as clinical or industrial/organizational.  However I would highly recommend it for a \"special topics\" course in biological topics in psychology.  I would personally consider using this book myself for such a course, but I might omit some of the modules that are less biological in nature.  I might also select certain modules as readings for other courses.","created_at":"2019-04-04T17:57:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-04T17:57:38.000-05:00"},{"id":3294,"first_name":"Casey","last_name":"Henley","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Michigan State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers a broad range of psychology topics and provides a biological aspect to each. The detail and depth provided for each topic, though, ranges considerably throughout the book. Additionally, the addition of some topics, specifically function of the neuron, would strengthen the text. The structure of the glossary may be frustrating to some. Since a glossary exists for each chapter, when these individual glossaries are combined into the Vocabulary section at the end of the text, it can lead to repeated information.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The material in this text was accurate, but the level of detail of each chapter varies quite a bit. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text will need to be updated as new research becomes available. The structure of the book will allow for additional material to be added easily.  ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is well written, but the variation in level of detail throughout the chapters may lead to confusion at times. Some chapters assume a prior knowledge that may not have been explicitly covered previously in the text. ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There is variation in the level of consistency among chapters. Some give a very cursory overview of their topic whereas others dive in with more depth and detail. Some chapters can stand on their own; some need background information to be fully understood. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text lends itself well to modular use. However, this benefit can disrupt the ability to read straight through. Topics are repeated, sometimes without much additional information, so the reader is seeing the same information. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics are organized in a logical way, but content is sometimes repeated, and sometimes not enough background information is given. There is some consistency issues among chapters. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no issues related to the interface. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text did not appear to be culturally insensitive or offensive. Examples were inclusive of different races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-11-18T17:26:29.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-11-18T17:26:29.000-06:00"},{"id":3353,"first_name":"Katherine","last_name":"Hebert","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book would provide appropriate depth for a 300-level course, but not a 400-level. There is no description of neurons, synaptic communication, long-term potentiation, etc.  So essentially the book gives a good overview of the important topics, but does not actually delve very deeply into the biology behind them.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content seems accurate and sources are cited well.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Since the book doesn't delve too deeply into the physiology of behavior, and tends towards overviews of the behavior, it won't need too much updating.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is generally consistently clear throughout; I think an undergraduate would be able to follow along successfully, and the embedded videos and links would be a helpful resource.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There are certainly some inconsistencies from chapter to chapter, and this could potentially be jarring for students.  Overall, the inconsistencies are more in terms of style and organization.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This varies from chapter to chapter.  Many of the chapters could benefit from additional headings / more explicit organization, but overall there are no major issues.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics feel as though any chapter relating to cognitive science or neuroscience was grabbed and put into the book.  There are many chapters that would not typically be covered in a biological psychology course, and they do not feel as if they've been written explicitly with a biological perspective, so it feels a bit muddy and jumps around quite a bit.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Interface was pretty clean.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Hardly any typos.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not come across anything that could be construed as offensive.  That being said, the book does not necessarily target inclusivity explicitly within its contents.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"These chapters would be a great addition to a 200-level course, and maybe a 300-level course, but would not be sufficient for a 400-level course.  There was hardly any content at all on cellular/molecular biological psychology.","created_at":"2019-12-06T12:50:12.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-06T12:50:12.000-06:00"},{"id":3402,"first_name":"Beth","last_name":"Mechlin","position":"Associate Professor of Psychology \u0026 Neuroscience","institution_name":"Earlham College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook has some really interesting modules. There is a decent amount about biological psychology, and it may work well for an Introduction to Psychology course. However, I do not think it has enough detail for a Brain and Behavior (or similar lower level biological psychology or behavioral neuroscience) course. \r\nThere are some great modules that go in-depth on specific topics (\"Hormones and Behavior\" and \"Biochemistry of Love\" modules are very interesting). Unfortunately, some topics I consider foundational appear to be missing from this text. There is not a section that provides an overview of neurons, action potentials, and neurotransmitters; and I consider these topics to be crucial for an Introduction to Psychology (or Brain and Behavior) course. Thus, supplemental reading would be needed in order to adequately cover these topics.  \r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content appears to be accurate. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content in this textbook generally appears to include recent scientific research (although I think the “Healthy Life” module could be updated). It seems that updates based on recent studies will be easy to implement. \r\n","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Most of this textbook is clear and easy to understand. However, some modules contain higher level information that may require some background knowledge to fully comprehend. The actual text of the modules is generally strong, but including more images (diagrams, figures, tables, etc.)  would strengthen the majority of the modules included in this book.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Most terms and general organization appear consistent throughout the book. However, each module is written by a different author, so there are some stylistic differences from one module to the next. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This textbook is very  modular. Each reading can stand on its own. However, that means that some topics are covered multiple times, while others are left out. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Generally well organized. A professor can easily present the modules in any order s/he chooses. Some specific modules might be better with a few more subheadings in sections. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Easy to navigate to different topics. I like that you can hover over some words to get definitions. Links to videos and additional resources at the end of each module are also helpful. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I did not find this textbook to be offensive or insensitive. However, I think that health disparities (based on race and socioeconomic status) are an important topic in the field of Healthy Psychology, and they were barely mentioned in “The Healthy Life” module. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2019-12-19T11:35:21.000-06:00","updated_at":"2019-12-19T11:35:21.000-06:00"},{"id":3971,"first_name":"Melanie","last_name":"Peffer","position":"Research Associate","institution_name":"University of Colorado Boulder","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covers a wide range of interesting topics and could be useful in a wide variety of educational contexts. However, I feel that many of the topics are too advanced for an introductory psychology course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content was accurate and error-free.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Some topics like epigenetics change rapidly, however necessary updates will be easy to implement.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Clarity varies depending on the section. Some modules are quite technical, whereas others are accessible to an introductory psychology student.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each module uses a similar framework and identifies key terms which are included in a vocabulary section. I did not that the use of learning objectives varied widely in style and effectiveness across modules.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The course has clearly delineated modules by topic area, and each module is clearly broken up into submodules.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I found myself questioning the organization of the modules and how topics flowed from one to another. It also seems odd that some modules are the only ones in a particular topic area. If one is using selections from this text it would not be an issue. However, it may be challenging to implement this textbook if it is to be used as a standalone text.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Images and text displayed clearly, but there were navigation problems present on several of the pages. The links were broken and/or did not redirect as they were suppose too.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not note any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The images used included a variety of races, ethnicities, and backgrounds. I did not observe any culturally insensitive materials.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2020-06-11T16:36:43.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-11T16:36:43.000-05:00"},{"id":4218,"first_name":"Hilary","last_name":"Stebbins","position":"Associate Professor Psychological Sciences","institution_name":"University of Mary Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text covered a number of sub-fields of biological psychology that I would want to expose students to. However, despite the fact that there was in an-depth module on hormones and behavior, the text neglected to include a module about neural communication or the role of glial cells. Some modules (psychophysiological methods in neuroscience, hormones and behavior, psychopharmacology) assume knowledge of neural communication, which is not actually covered in the text. In addition, despite the inclusion of modules on drives and well-being, I was disappointed to note that there was nothing specific in the text regarding sleep-wake regulation or circadian rhythms. I also found some of the specific modules to contain less information than I would expect. For example, there is a module on psychophysiological methods including fMRI, EEG, etc., but not much on more invasive methods involving manipulation of the nervous system. In addition, some modules on cognitive, developmental, and social aspects of psychology fail to take a biological perspective.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The material that is present seems accurate and I appreciate that each module is written by somebody with expertise in that field, helping to ensure a more accurate representation of the material. Many of the authors represent a “who’s who” within their fields. Some modules felt oversimplified, and the missing information might lead to misunderstandings by both the students and professor using the text. It’s possible that any user would need to rely on supplementary material to get a more nuanced understanding of the material.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Due to the slightly superficial nature of most modules, the information is less likely to become obsolete than many biological psychology texts. In addition, the modular structure makes it easy to update specific sections when needed. There are some recent developments in the field that I feel are not represented, such as the increasing importance of glial cells in cellular communication, some advanced methodology such as diffusion tensor imaging or optogenetics, and the role of drugs such as ketamine for treatment of psychological disorders. I hope that the included video links are routinely monitored so as not to result in dead links for students.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The clarity of the information is dependent on the module that you are using. Some modules do a very good job at defining terminology and writing at a level appropriate for an introductory level student while others assume knowledge about biological mechanisms not detailed earlier in the text. For example, there is a module on epigenetic changes without a lot of background information on basic concepts in genetics. In addition, while there are a number of pictures included in the text to break up the content, there are few diagrams or figures that can help to supplement and clarify the material.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Despite each module being written by a different author, the overall structure is similar and it is easy to find things like learning objectives and discussion questions for each. For a text that focuses on psychology as a biological science, I would hope that each module would emphasize the topic covered from a biological perspective, and this is not the case. While there is more of an emphasis on biological psychology compared to what you would expect in a typical introductory psychology text, many modules (e.g. memory, attention, cognitive development) fail to take much of a biological perspective at all. Thus, the quality of the module is hit or miss depending on the topic.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The modular organization of the text is one of its most appealing aspects, as each can easily be assigned as a stand alone component. For the most part, each module feels fairly easy to digest as a reading assignment and I appreciate that some include videos to help to supplement the material and engage the reader.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization and flow is much like what you would expect from most texts on biological psychology. What makes this text strong in terms of modularity hurts it a bit in terms of flow since some topics are repeated in a number of modules while others are left out altogether. This results in the awkward placement of some information (like what a synapse is in the psychopharmacology module) in comparison with a more traditional biological psychology text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I found the interface to be easily navigable and was able to find relevant information quickly. Since some material appeared in unexpected modules, I liked the search feature, which allowed me to quickly identify references to specific topics. I also liked the opportunity to see the definition of vocabulary words when they appeared in the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors. Overall the writing was strong with good editing.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"This text takes a fairly western perspective, although it does attempt to include pictures of a number of cultures and backgrounds to convey its inclusivity. Unfortunately, almost every picture where a “scientist” is portrayed is that of someone who is white. Based on the author descriptions, the authorship is about 60% male and about 85% white. It would be nice if future updates included a bit more diversity in terms of authorship as well as discussion of relevant topics to biological psychology such as gender identity.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I like the format of this text, but it’s not clear who the target audience is. It feels too specific and biology focused for an introductory psychology course, but does not include enough relevant information about biological mechanisms for a course in biological psychology -  even an introductory one. I could see myself using specific modules to supplement other material in my courses, but I can’t see adopting this as the primary text.","created_at":"2020-07-01T16:23:19.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-07-01T16:23:19.000-05:00"},{"id":33537,"first_name":"Angela","last_name":"Mar","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of Texas Rio Grande Valley","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text does not provide an index nor references list. Moreover, the text is missing an integral part of biological psychology: the neuron. Students must first understand how the neuron works and the structure of the neuron to better understand complicated functions.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found the text unbiased and straightforward. Evolutionary psychology can be a topic in which an author's opinion can come out and stray away from the information that students need. I did not see any errors and accuracy does not seem to be a concern.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"With biological psychology there is always the potential for new groundbreaking information, but the text does a good job at mentioning new research in order to stay relevant.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"There are some modules that are too in depth and thus don't quite fit into a textbook that should be an overview of biological psychology. It is understandable that these topics are interesting, but way outside the scope of a 2nd or 3rd year course.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"I like how the modules fit into a framework that flows well and organized to enhance students success.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into major topics consisting of several modules. I found that there were too many modules for some of the topics in order to cover in a 15 week semester. My understanding is that some of the modules could be removed or added as desired, which is something that traditional textbooks lack.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is well organized, albeit lengthy. I am not sure if the order of the modules can be changed as per the professor's preferences, but that would be a great functionality.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did not come across any interface issues, but I only interacted with the onlin version of the textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors within the textbook.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I would like to see more culturally significant examples throughout the modules. Inclusivity is very important for students.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-12-14T17:37:34.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-14T17:37:34.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/psychology-as-a-biological-science","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:31:17.000-06:00"},{"id":244,"title":"Cell and Molecular Biology: What We Know \u0026 How We Found Out","edition_statement":"5e","volume":null,"copyright_year":2020,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"CMB5e is the latest edition of an interactive Open Educational Resource (OER) electronic textbook (iText), available under a Creative Commons CC-BY license. Like earlier editions, CMB5e opens with a short history of the discipline and a discussion of scientific method. The book remains focused on the understanding of evolution that informs all of the life sciences and continues to provide experimental support for what we know about cell and molecular biology. Having a sense of how science is practiced and how investigators think about experimental results is essential to understanding the relationship of cell structure and function, not to mention the natural world around us. CMB5e is available in three versions (plus a sample chapter): In each chapter of the Basic CMB5e iText, an introduction includes learning objectives and context-embedded links to short explanatory voice-over PowerPoint recordings (VOPs) and other web-links of interest. QR codes allow the reader just-in-time access to the VOPs on smart phones or any camera-enabled portable device. The Annotated CMB5e adds pre-written, interactive context-embedded Challenge boxes to the Basic version of the book. These contain open-ended questions that expand on text readings. Any or all of them can be the basis of informal class and online discussion or as graded assignments. The Instructor’s CMB5e iText adds a series of 25 Words or Less essay questions that the author used as short (i.e., easy to grade!) writing assignments to strengthen student’s critical thinking and writing skills. A CMB5e Sample Chapter. The Art and Illustration Resource for Cell and Molecular Biology contains high resolution JPGs of figures in all CMB5 digital and print versions. JPGs are all public domain or CC-BY licensed (a source list is included).","contributors":[{"id":3741,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Gerald","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Bergtrom","location":"University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee","background_text":"Dr. Bergtrom is Professor (Emeritus) of Biological Sciences at the UW-Milwaukee and a former Teaching and Learning consultant in the UW-M Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Scientific interests include cell, molecular and evolutionary biology. Pedagogic interests include the use of technology to serve active and engaged teaching and learning. He has taught face-to-face, fully online, blended and flipped classes. He also developed and co-instructed Teaching with Technology, an interdisciplinary graduate course for graduate students that might someday be teaching. In 40+ years of teaching and research, he has tested and adopted pedagogically proven teaching technologies in his courses. His scientific publications are supplemented by publications on active learning in all teaching modes. The first edition of his Cell and Molecular Biology What We Know \u0026 How We Found Out appeared in 2015. Further editions came out in 2016, 2018, 2019 and 2022."}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":131,"url":"https://dc.uwm.edu/","year":2023,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:37.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-11-01T15:23:47.000-05:00","name":"University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee"}],"formats":[{"id":437,"type":"Online","url":"https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/94441","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":438,"type":"PDF","url":"https://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/89799","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4","textbook_reviews_count":17,"reviews":[{"id":471,"first_name":"Ângela","last_name":"Katsuyama","position":"Postdoc, previously instructor","institution_name":"University of Washington","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, without looking into details of every chapter, the book seems to cover properly the subject. The main index is ok. The book has a list of key words at the end of each chapter, but no glossary. The text introduces some techniques to demonstrate how discoveries in the field were made. The beginning of each chapter contains learning objectives, which is a good feature. The book is innovative by being an ‘i-text’, in which the author adds notes, links to videos and allows submission of short assignments.  At the end of some chapters, it is possible to direct students to quizzes. It allows customization by different instructors which will probably expand the areas covered in the book.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Parts of the text have problems with wording, which brings some inaccuracy and confusion. For example, in ‘Proteins synthesized on the ribosomes of the rough endoplasmic reticulum and the outer nuclear\nenvelope membrane will enter the interior space or lumen, or become part of the RER membrane itself.’ (page 14), I find some issues:  1-) Saying ‘protein synthesis ON ribosomes’ might give students the inaccurate idea that proteins are synthesized ‘on top’ of ribosomes, 2-) saying that proteins can ‘become part of the RER membrane itself’ also might give the wrong idea that the proteins change properties to become membrane. Saying that proteins are inserted into the membrane is more accurate.  \n\nIt is not clear what ‘status of genes’ page 16 refers to. \n\nAlso, in ‘the nuclear envelope and nucleus disappear, eventually reappearing in the new daughter cells.’ (page 16), the sentence gives the wrong idea that these cellular structures just dissipate. Instead, it would be better to introduce the concept of assembly and disassembly of the nuclear envelope, which are highly coordinated events.  \n\nAs an additional note, despite the fact that the text emphasizes publication as one important aspect of the scientific method, the book does not have any links or references to scientific articles. Instead, it has quotes from Wikipedia, which sometimes might have problems with quality of information.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book probably will have good longevity. In any case, due to its license and the way the book is designed, it should be easy to make modifications and customize content to add updated information.","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"The text is not very clear mostly due to some disorganization and long sentences/paragraphs. It is hard to pinpoint the take-home message of each paragraph. Examples and terms sometimes read like a list. I think that students could have trouble distinguishing what is important and what is not so important to know.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text seems to be consistent.","modularity_rating":1,"modularity_review":"Poor modularity. The reader will probably be lost with so many subtitles and with big paragraphs densely packed with words. The text is redundant at times and the sentences tend to be too long.","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"The text is disorganized at times. For example: under ‘bacterial reproduction’ in chapter 1, it mentions also eukaryotic cell division. In ‘Internal membranes and the Endomembrane System’, it introduces endocytosis, which is an important concept, only at the very end after several examples. These examples could probably come after the definition or in a side note.  Cellular structures seems to be presented as if they were a list. I can envision students potentially having trouble focusing on the main points and trying to memorize each term without a real understanding or connection to function.","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"Unlike most of the other books from the Open Textbook Library, the access to the full version of this textbook is not straightforward. There are three versions: basic, annotated (with author’s notes) and complete (with author’s notes plus assignments). The download of complete version requires filling out a form to be granted access. In fact, I never received a notification to allow the download of the complete version. Therefore, this review is mostly based on the sample chapter (chapter 1), which seems to be the complete version of just one chapter. \n \nMost pictures in this textbook have low resolution, look fuzzy and are poorly labeled. Just a couple of examples: the left panel of the figure in page 11 is ineligible and it is not clear where the ‘arrows’ in the upper figure in page 13 are pointing to. Legends are embedded in the text instead of next to the figure. Therefore, it is difficult for the reader to pinpoint details or sometimes even the main purpose of a figure without going back to reread the text and search for the information. It will likely be more difficult to refer to figures in class, assignments or homework because there are no figure numbers.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"The text has some grammatical mistakes. For example, in ‘Together with biochemical and molecular biological studies continues to reveal how different cell components work with each other (see cell fractionation, below).’ (page 25), the sentence is missing the subject.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I did not find cultural examples to be analyzed.","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":"I envision that the need of supplying personal information in order to get the complete version of the textbook will hinder access at some level. Overall, the book has nice ideas regarding interactivity, with links to videos, quizzes, notes with questions and mini-assignments. It is also customizable, which is great. On the other side, if I were to use it for a class, it would require a lot of work to adapt it to my liking because the text is densely packed, difficult to read, somewhat disorganized and the quality of the figures is very poor.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":541,"first_name":"Brendan","last_name":"Mattingly","position":"Academic Program Associate","institution_name":"University of Kansas","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text provides coverage of a very broad range of topics, starting with biochemistry, moving into molecular biology, and ending with cell biology. Throughout the entire text evolution is a constant theme, providing context, rationale, and examples of its importance in the biological sciences - a strong advantage and an important one in my opinion. Voice-over-PowerPoint links are made available through YouTube for every chapter, providing guided explanations of the author’s main points. There are one or two guided exercises for students to complete within the text, demonstrating how to use online resources such as those available for creating and visualizing 3D protein structures.\n\nThe table of contents at the beginning is very useful in order to quickly identify which topics are of interest, and the links accurately move you to the relevant sections of the text. There is no glossary or index of content, however there is a collection of links to relevant YouTube videos referenced in the chapters at the end of the textbook. Each chapter ends with a list of important terms, but the definitions or the context of these terms is not provided.\nThe text takes a biochemistry intensive approach to the topic, spending half the text (8 of 16 chapters) discussing basic chemistry, proteins structure, energetics, enzyme kinetics, and major metabolic processes. While some of these topics go into great detail, others do not. For example, the calculation of free energy is given significant coverage, as is aerobic respiration and the Krebs cycle. While photosynthesis is mentioned, as well as the several types of performed by plants (C3, C4, CAM), there is very little information on the Calvin cycle, one of the most important carbon fixation process on the planet in my opinion.\n\nThe next five chapters (8-12), focus on molecular biology. Specifically, replication, transcription, translation, gene regulation, and recombinant DNA technology. Replication, transcription, and translation are all approached through presenting ‘famous’ experiments that were done to delineate the mechanisms of what we call the central dogma of molecular biology today. Coverage in this section varies as well. While replication, transcription, and translation are all adequately described, gene regulation focuses primarily on prokaryotic operons. Although mentioned, there is not a lot of information on transcriptional regulation through chromatin remodeling, transcription factor expression and regulation, or miRNA regulation. Processing of RNA is also a little brief in some areas, particularly in mRNA capping and circularization in eukaryotes (which is yet another way gene regulation may occur).\n\nThe last four chapters of the text (13-16), focus on cellular biology with a focus on membranes, the cytoskeleton, and cell division. While the explanation and biochemistry of membrane structure, permeability, and transport is excellent, there is very little on intracellular trafficking of vesicles (though trafficking of proteins to particular compartments is discussed). There is no content relating to standard cell signaling pathways. Basic cell structure and function is addressed in the first chapter of the book.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The textbook is, in general, accurate. Although there may be some outdated terminology (archaebacteria as a primary identifier rather than archaea) or the absence of alternative names (Krebs cycle as the only reference with no mention of citric acid cycle or tri-carboxylic acid cycle), I did not see any serious errors in concepts or mechanisms being presented. The material presented is accurate and presented from an objective scientific viewpoint.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content is up to date. The majority of the topics are tenets in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, and not generally subject to significant changes. There are several examples given to keep material relevant and up-to-date, including a short description of the biochemical ramifications of the Atkins diet and similarly designed low-carbohydrate diets. Discussion of bacterial cell structure in chapter one includes a brief description of bacterial cytoskeletal elements and internal membrane structures (both of which are not present in more dated material).\n\n There are not a lot of cultural references or examples that would become dated quickly, and therefore all the content has a mostly timeless quality. The other side to this is that there is not a lot of ‘cutting edge’ information or modern case studies to describe or illustrate the material.\n\nThere are many links to external material (YouTube videos by the author presenting topics, links to external figures, and links to Wikipedia entries) which may become out of date quickly depending on the whims of the institutions that host this content, however, as long as these are kept current they can easily be changed to reflect new URLs.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written in a very clear and concise manner. It is written in a narrative form with a somewhat casual tone which makes it easy to read and easy to follow. Jargon and technical terms are listed at the end of each chapter as vocabulary lists. Learning objectives are outlined at the beginning of each chapter.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent and uses the same organization and framework for each chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook excels in being able to move between different sections. Each chapter is a self-contained topic with subdivisions. In those cases where information is repeated (such as chapter one’s description of the cytoskeleton and the more detailed approach in chapter fifteen ‘Cytoskeleton \u0026amp; Cell Motility’) the information and figures are presented a second time, rather than forcing the reader or instructor to go back to the beginning and look again. This is quite helpful in being able to present or assign certain sections and still having them retain all the logical connections you would want them to without having to read the textbook in its entirety.\n\nWhile chapter 14, membrane function, may be a bit ambitious in the amount of material it covers and could be broken down into several topics, it does form a cohesive unit of knowledge on the fundamental biological processes that a membrane performs.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbooks chapters are organized in a very logical fashion, each one building on the other to more and more complicated concepts. There is a clear introduction to the text, though as with many science textbooks, there is no ending or wrap up. There is just an end to content.\n\nInternally, each chapter has a clear introduction and outline to major topics and sub-topics that are being addressed. It is easy to find information when searching for it.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no problems reading, navigating, opening, or in any other way interfering with my ability to read and interact with the textbook.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"While there are a few grammatical errors (such as capitalization for “Thermus Aquaticus”) none are severe enough to take away from the flow or authority of the text. At worst, they are simple technical errors that do not obstruct the meaning or clarity of the information.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There is no cultural relevance in the sense this phrase is generally used. The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. Any examples that are made have no relation to cultural background as they are explanations of natural phenomenon independent of whether humans are here or not. \n\nThat said, science is culturally relevant to everyone and the more science people do and are aware of – the better. This book does an excellent job of trying to bring science to people and engage them in material that is difficult but approachable.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook is primarily a biochemistry textbook that has been modified to incorporate cell biology. While trying to cover so many different topics, it is unable to address either molecular biology or cell biology with the normal amount of detail that most textbooks in these fields would have. As a biochemistry text, this is an excellent way to introduce both molecular and cellular biology. As a textbook for a molecular biology or cellular biology course, it may not meet all the content areas desired. The title may be more accurately changed to reflect this focus.","created_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2016-08-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":772,"first_name":"Alan","last_name":"Schenkel","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is a very comprehensive text for understanding cell biology.  Aimed at a biology majors in an introductory class, the book and associated lectures cover both eukaryotic and prokaryotic molecular nucleic acid and protein structures, genetics, metabolism, and even gets into some advanced subjects such as the CRISPR/Cas9 system.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall this textbook is fairly accurate.  At times, some more complex subjects or subjects where scientists don't fully know all the answers (such as long non-coding RNAs), the author does describe things vaguely.  There are a few errors, some probably arising from the extensive use of online sources. An example is the discussion and image of Alzheimer's disease, which doesn't quite look or work the way illustrated as amyloid beta is miscut and then aggregates.  PrPc, shown, is a different protein that does aggregate when it misfolds and catalyzes others to misfold.  A detailed re-check of these types of examples should be validated with an expert. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This textbook is up-to-date and appears, as it is in a modular form, relatively easy to update.  Linkage to online content is always fraught with issues as content appears and disappears, thus some links do not work currently.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"This is one serious problem for any complex subject.  Excessive details and unfamiliar and occasional misleading nomenclature can alway make it hard to grasp. The online lectures work well to help with this.  In many cases the author has done a fine job of explaining some of the unusual terminology that arose as scientists discovered the workings of the cells.  However, at times, the author jumps around from subject to subject which can be hard to follow.  This is reflected also in the overall structure/flow as well.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Very good consistency overall.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is nicely arranged in modular form.","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"This is a serious issue with this book.  The flow is too jumpy.  The author should reorganize starting with the central dogma (Genes and DNA structure-\u0026gt;RNA and Transcription-\u0026gt;Protein \u0026amp; membranes) first, then proceed to organelles and cytoskeleton, metabolism, DNA repair and cell division.  Finally, the author can then address repetitive DNAs, DNA technologies, and epigenetics.  I would hope that students taking this class would already have taken a basic chemistry class first.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The bright blue links is a bit distracting.  I'm not sure the purple challenge boxes help, they seemed distracting to me. The images are often of low resolution and poor quality font rendering when in a diagram or image. Italics fonts are hardest read when they degrade.  Higher resolution images need to be used.  I can see that Dr. Bergstrom has meticulously drawn many of these himself, and they are good, just did not translate well.  Perhaps image compression in Adobe Acrobat was set too high.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any serious errors in grammar.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"not applicable","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, a very good introductory book.  I like the accompanying video lectures.  Needs some editing, fact-rehecking, image reacquisition, and reorganization.  Dependence on other's potentially transient on-line content is always an issue.  But overall a good resource for students in the biological sciences.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":877,"first_name":"Aimee","last_name":"Hollander","position":"Assistant Professor ","institution_name":"Nicholls State University ","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers the basics of cell and molecular biology and would be useful in an introductory class (100-200 level). I expected more molecular techniques discussed since there was an entire chapter on DNA techniques however model organisms and protein techniques were not covered in much detail if any.  The book supplies a list of key terms however there is no glossary or index. A major challenge in understanding the life sciences is grasping the jargon. Therefore, a glossary would be very helpful.  The topics covered in this textbook are the topics expected to be covered in this subject area.  \n","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Most of the information provided especially in the text were accurate. I found that some of the illustrations were lacking detail or had additional information which made them less accurate based on the text. For example, when discussing the various subunits of a histone, the illustration for histones does not show these subunits.  Also, when illustrating RNA polymerase, the tail is phosphorylated on the enzyme but there is no mention of that phosphorylation in the text how it is involved in the modification of mRNA. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The technology portion of the textbook may need updating as new molecular techniques are developed. In addition to the molecular techniques some of the studies used as examples could be updated. For example, there have been extensive studies in epigenetics done on mouse rearing and twin studies on schizophrenia which could be included in the text. \n","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"I found some of the phrasing and illustrations to be confusing as a reader One example is when discussing the primary structure of proteins “amino acids held together by peptide bonds created by dehydration synthesis during cellular protein synthesis”.  I found this to be too much information when the reader had not learned about translation yet.  In addition to that statement I found some of the concepts mentioned felt out of order like the author discusses protein modifications after primary structures but before discussing secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures. There was also a lack of specific examples or real world application to these concepts. Protein motifs were discussed vaguely rather than giving a specific example where you might see coil-coil motifs. Enzymes were discussed specifically from a biochemical perspectives and not a cellular perspective. There was no mention of how enzymes are found in various parts of the cells or how the cell is an extremely crowded place.  In the DNA chapter the author mentions how size, shape and number of chromosomes is specific to species but does not give us an example or show us karyotypes from various species to clarify this statement. This could continue the misconception that more complex animals have a higher number of chromosomes. Some of the illustrations were also confusing, for example the illustration for primase and heterochromatin and euchromatin are mentioned without an illustration. Finally, I love the idea of the challenges however I found some of the challenges confusing or inappropriate like the challenge on pg 141 in which students are learning about chromosomes but getting asked specific about cell cycles. If the student is being taught in the order of the textbook, then they don’t have a grasp on the cell cycle yet. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book is extremely consistent which I appreciate. Each chapter opens with a general overview and student learning objectives.  Challenges are added intermittingly throughout the chapter and at the end of the chapter is a table of key terms.  Each chapter all consists of voice over PowerPoints and external links for YouTube videos and websites to clarify the material. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"There is modularity to each chapter and it is easy to break up readings. I recommend that header/footers of each page consist of chapter name and topic or subject matter for easy navigation in the PDF form. \n","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"1.\t. I did not like the way the topics were organized nor the flow of some topics.  I would prefer for Cell and Molecular Biology to be presented as central dogma (DNA-mRNA-proteins) then get into gene regulation, cellular energetics, membrane structure and transport as well as additional chapters on cell signaling, before discussing cell cycle, cancer and motility.  I also found the last chapter felt out of place and portions of that chapter could be incorporated into each chapter of the book giving an overall evolution theme.  I also found various topics felt out of place within the chapter. For example, telomerase was thrown into the DNA replication chapter before discussing the natural shortening of chromosomes after each replication cycle. Also, regulation of transcription was discussed before the details of transcription and regulating of protein turn over may be best placed either in the translation chapter or protein chapter rather than the gene regulation chapter. \n","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found the textbook easy to navigate although a hyperlinked index or a breakdown of a table of contents would be extremely helpful. Some of the images were a bit lower quality but links to external sources worked and those sources were helpful. \n","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No major grammatical errors identified ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Cultural relevance not applicable \n","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"In general, I think this a good book for an introductory course in Cell and Molecular Biology.  I recommend the authors consider challenges or application of topics that are more medically or environmentally relevant. For example, when discussing translation there is no mention of how some antibiotics work, and when discussing protein structure the authors could apply that to various diseases states such as sickle cell anemia.  \n","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1416,"first_name":"Christine","last_name":"Terry","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Lynchburg College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"There is a hyperlinked table of contents with fairly descriptive chapter titles. However, the text lacks an index that could be used to find specific terms and concepts by searching directly. There is a list of relevant terms at the end of each chapter; however this is not a glossary, as the terms are not defined.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and presented at a level that would be understandable to biology majors in an introductory course. However, there are links to outside sources (i.e., wikipedia) throughout. We tell our students that wikipedia is not a reliable source to use as a reference in their writing, and here it is frequently referenced throughout the text. The plasticity and editability of the wikipedia entries could jeopardize both the longevity and the accuracy of this text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content is on par with other textbooks on this topic in relation to relevance and longevity of topics. Similar to other texts, it does not describe cutting edge techniques like next generation sequencing. However, it does include relevant sections on CRISPR technology and epigenetics.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Most of the prose is clearly written, but the clarity is obscured occasionally when ideas could be more succinctly stated. For example, in describing the use of the scientific method, the author writes that the “observance of the method is not strict and is more often honored in the breach than by adherence to protocol!” (pg 2). Additionally, there are some terms which should be better defined, e.g., progenote. I had never seen this term used before, so I did some research. There is some controversy about whether the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) was in fact a progenote; it may be better to use a different term, or at least acknowledge the controversy.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent in terms of terminology and framework. Each chapter starts with an introduction, links to voice-over powerpoint presentations, and a list of learning objectives. Throughout the subsections of each chapter, there are challenge boxes which pose questions to the student to help them synthesize what they have just read.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is easily divisible into chapters that can be covered throughout the semester.  The topics covered in each chapter can be used on its own. However, the author frequently refers to additional sources in the introductory material for a chapter. For example, in a description of the laws of thermodynamics (pg 57), he states that “for an excellent discussion of how basic thermodynamic principles apply to living things, see: Lehninger AL (1971) Bioenergetics: The Molecular Basis of Biological Energy Transformation. Benjamin Cummings, San Francisco).”  While I agree that it is useful to have additional resources cited in the text, it would be difficult for a college student to quickly access many of the texts that he mentions - especially for a topic that is integral to the understanding of the chapter they are currently covering.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The information is presented logically from beginning to end, although each chapter can be presented individually.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"Links to multiple figures are incorrect and figures are not cited correctly. For example, the hyperlink below the comic on page 1 links to a completely different comic on the azcentral.com website.  Also, the link below the image of rod-shaped bacteria (pg 6) directs you to the following: http://static.hugedomains.com/images/logo_huge_domains.gif","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no major grammatical errors. There are some spots where phrasing is awkward. For example, on pg 407 the author uses the word “size” as a verb when describing the function of molecular weight markers in gel electrophoresis.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not find any instances of cultural insensitivity in the text itself, but at least one of the links to an outside source was wholly inappropriate for a science textbook. On page 461, there is a link to an article on Huffington Post.  The author uses this article to prompt a discussion about the evolution of artificial intelligence.  However, most of the text of the article describes Stephen Hawking and Larry King musing on the mysteries of women and the number of Larry King’s marriages.  Such issues could be avoided by linking to sources other than Huffington Post.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I am concerned as to whether the author has license to use many of the images that are in the text. For example, on page 243 the author uses a cover from a 2010 issue of Time magazine and includes the following citation: https://uclareproductivehealth.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/1101100118_4002.jpg. It is not clear whether the author has permission from the publishers of Time to use this image.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1439,"first_name":"Tracy","last_name":"Haynes","position":"Senior Lecturer","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is thorough in the sense that it covers all pertinent topics taught in an introductory cell and molecular biology course.  While some processes, such as prokaryotic transcriptional regulation and molecule techniques such as CRISPR/CAS, are covered in adequate detail, other mechanisms, including eukaryotic transcription, cellular transport, ATP synthesis, signal transduction, and cytoskeleton assembly, are summarized but lack details that are appropriate for a rigorous introductory course for majors.  Additional information is provided through embedded links to videos and articles but if these are not viewed the student misses the information.  Several of these links are to wikipedia which may not be the best source. Also, a more detailed review of chemical bonds and the molecular structure of proteins, lipids, and carbohydrates would ensure the student has the knowledge to understand the cellular processes.  While these are topics the student should know from general biology, they often have misconceptions that need to be corrected.  This is especially true for protein structure and understanding the allosteric regulation that is discussed throughout the text.  A list of important terms is provided at the end of each chapter however, they are not defined in a glossary.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"For the most part, the text is accurate and well written.  The sections on energy and enzyme kinetics are particularly well written with excellent examples.  However, there are a few errors. For instance, hyperpolarization is the state when the membrane potential of a cell becomes more negative and an action potential is inhibited but it is defined in the text as an increase in depolarization that leads to an action potential. There are a few other sections that need some clarification because they could lead to misconceptions.  For example, antiporters and symporters are involved in the active transport of one molecule while an ion diffuses and this is only discussed in the context of facilitated diffusion. Also, the sentence, \"On the other hand, membrane proteins are responsible for the selective permeability of membranes...\" is misleading because it does not include the role of the lipids. In most sections, the figures are helpful, but without defined figure legends, a few are unclear.  For example, the figure on page 110 that describes the electron transport chain is drawn to show NADH donating electrons to both complex I and III.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text was recently updated so recent references are included.  When needed, new references can be added easily so the longevity should be adequate. The text provides an excellent review of the history of molecular and cellular biology.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Although more details would improve the accuracy and clarity of the text as described previously, most sections are well written and free of undefined technical jargon.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each chapter of the text follows the same format with an introduction, learning objectives, and key terms provided. The terminology is consistent and new terms are defined.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is divided into chapters that are each divided into smaller sections with subheadings. Each section is of a reasonable length and the information is logically divided.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The text begins with an overview of the cell theory and organelle function followed by a review of chemical bonds, macromolecules, and energy.  The next section discusses principles of molecular biology with chapters on DNA replication, transcription, gene regulation, and molecular techniques.  The last section describes the cell membrane, cellular transport, cell signaling, cell cycle, and evolution. There are a few instances where examples were given that required knowledge that is discussed in later chapters.  For example, the tertiary structure of insulin is provided as an example of covalent bonds before protein folding is presented. The challenge questions are a great addition to the text but a few of them needed information from future chapters to completely answer the question.  Also, answers to these questions provided at the end of the text would increase learning.  Overall, the organization and flow of information is good.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"There are no major problems with interface. A few of the figures are a bit distorted but not to the point of distracting from the reading.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are a few typos and repeated sections of sentences  but these are rare and do not really affect the overall reading.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This is not applicable to this text.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This text provides a basic summary of cellular and molecular processes that could be customized for an introductory cell or molecular course.  There are a few errors that do need corrected and then additional details could be added to supply the desired rigor. The voice over powerpoints are helpful and make the text more accessible. Overall, this text provides a workable foundation for an open access text that can be customized to meet the demands of any introductory cell molecular course.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1482,"first_name":"Kate","last_name":"Kenyon","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Umpqua Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text is a great introductory text that includes the basics of cell and molecular biology.  It would be a very useful introductory text.  Each chapter includes appropriate video presentations which adds to comprehension.  There is a theme based on evolution utilized throughout each chapters with appropriate examples.  Main points are reinforced with guided exercises for students.  Although each chapter could stand alone it does seem that some reordering of chapters might help.  There are some areas that are used but not explained until another chapter.  But these are actually quite small.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Although the textbook us accurate it would be useful to include not only new terms but old venacular such as Krebs Cycle.   Since depending on textbook students may run into both terms in later study.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"No textbook can be completely relevant  forever but I did not find any current information not supported by links which help date the time content was written.  It would be easy to provide links to any current new information and future information.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Whereas the text is very readable and flows nicely,  there is no index or glossary provided.  Main terms are listed at the end of each chapter but no glossary for accuracy.  Plus no index makes it harder for students to find concepts they may need to review in later chapters.  I do like that learning objectives are clearly stated in each chapter.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Whereas each chapter can be taken alone they flow well from one to another.  The ease of readability and lends to a consistent understanding.  Balance of new concepts is appropriate with not too much new information introduced at one time.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It is quite easy to have each chapter as a stand alone section with the videos provided.  Topics that need information previously presented are represented in a shorter version.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There is a logical progression that works well.  The cellular biology is the last third of the book I would have liked to have seen some cellular presented earlier yet this format does work.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had absolutely no issues navigating throughout.  Since I have not used a Open Textbook I was extremely happy because my skills are somewhat lacking.  If I can navigate I think most students will do so with ease.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammar issues that would detract from learning.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found no instances of cultural insensitivity.  Examples are very appropriate throughout.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"The illustrations needed more parts labeled and more views so students don't get stuck only being able to recognize one illustration view.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":3594,"first_name":"Yoshinori","last_name":"Tomoyasu","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Miami University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a very nice and comprehensive textbook that covers most of the fundamental ideas in cell and molecular biology. The textbook also covers some new topics, albeit the coverage is somewhat limited. It provides a hyperlinked table of contents, which is handy when you use pdf. However, it lacks page numbers, which might be problematic when you choose to use the print-out version of this textbook. No glossary is provided. There is a list of keywords at the end of each chapter, but no definition/explanation is given to the listed words. This is probably not a big issue when you use the pdf version, as you can simply “command+F” for the word that you want to learn. Appendices contain various useful links, both to the contents of the textbook and to some online resources.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The contents are accurate throughout the textbook. However, some links to outside sources, especially those that are related to current topics, do not work anymore.\r\n","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This textbook is very solid on covering the established core ideas in cell and molecular biology, and is arranged in a way that some updates can be added when needed in the future. Some chapters cover relatively new topics. However, the sections that cover new topics tend to be just bullet points with no detailed explanation is given. Instead, most of these new sections rely on external links, some of which do not work anymore. An example is related to CRISPR-Cas9-based genome editing:\r\n“The application of gene editing with CRISPR/Cas systems has already facilitated studies of gene function in vitro, in cells and in whole organisms. Click CRISPR Applications from NEB for a description of CRISPR/Cas applications already on the market!”\r\nThis section also contains a link to Wikipedia (not the most reliable source) and a link that does not work anymore.\r\nI’m also surprised that there is no chapter that covers next-generation sequencing techniques or other genomics related techniques (other than a short section mentioning –omics). This is a major deficiency as a textbook for molecular biology.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This textbook is written very clearly, and most technical terms are very well-explained.\r\n","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The organization is very consistent throughout the textbook, with each chapter starting with an outline, learning objectives, historical background, then details. Also, there is a link to a short YouTube video at the end of each section, providing a quick take-home of each section.\r\n","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter is standalone, allowing readers to start from any chapter. But together they provide a larger framework.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook flows very well, starting from the intro (chapter 1), biochemical aspects (chapter 2-7), basic molecular biology (chapter 8-15), cellular biology (chapter 16-20).","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not have any problem navigating through the textbook. The images are not of high quality, but they are quite sufficient to explain the contents.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammar issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This category is not too relevant when reviewing this textbook. However, I found discussions on some controversial issues, such as GMO, rather shallow and slightly insensitive.\r\n","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I really liked that this textbook focus not only on “What We Know” but also on “How We Found Out”. Every chapter begins with a historical background, which allows students to connect more to the scientists themselves, their struggles, and their excitements. I think this is a great textbook for introductory-level courses that cover the core concepts in the field.","created_at":"2020-02-22T20:24:45.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-02-22T20:24:45.000-06:00"},{"id":4147,"first_name":"Meltem","last_name":"Arikan","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Massachusetts Maritime Academy","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is much more than a regular textbook. It covers quite a few subjects some other books generally omit. However this doesn't interfere with classroom instruction as they are clearly defined and both the instructor and the student can discern what to focus on as the basics for the particular course. Many examples from real life scenarios are provided to make this basic science text interesting to read and applicable to everyday phenomena. Plenty of figures are provided, and they are explained well. The covers all areas that a student of cell and molecular biology would want to know about, usually with detailed explanation of the particular discoveries as well as plenty of links and references. The text is easy to navigate with a lot of links that take the student to relevant points at any point in the text or at other resources, better than a classic index search would accomplish.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"It is accurate and up to date. References are provided right on the page with pointers to relevant resources for further inquiry. I haven't noticed any errors in the text. It appears to be unbiased and provides a well rounded view.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content of the book is up-to-date. Basic scientific knowledge will be relevant and accurate unless there are substantial breakthrough discoveries in the future that demand major revisions. Plenty of links to dynamic outside resources will make new content easily available to students. These links should also encourage readers to read other related information provided by these resources.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is easy to read. It almost feels as the instructor is talking to the reader. Topics are presented in a clear manner with the learning objectives in mind. Scientific language and technical terms are explained to make the subject clear for a student who is not necessarily familiar with the subject. Acronyms are explained. Figures are well chosen and explained in a visually easy way.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Contents and the framework are consistent between the chapters.  Terminology is up-to-date and easy to follow at the undergraduate level. Even the slides explained in a youtube format are consistent with the text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter begins with an introduction and learning objectives that  should help students as well as instructors to focus on the important points to take home. Sub-headings should help the instructor tailor the chapter if they want to cover only certain parts. Although chapters are clearly modular, they are also interconnected to provide an integrated understanding of the overall course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Chapters are organized with certain logic to facilitate learning and help the class build on what they learned in previous chapter. However is should be easy for the instructor to make changes to the sequence of chapters if they have the need to do so. \r\nTopics in each chapter are clearly stated and should help students to keep focused while reading the text.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I haven't seen any interface issues with the provided links. Figures are easy to read, and they are clear. Although there are quite a few references and links to outside resources, the instructor can choose the ones that they would want the students to read or watch. They shouldn't confuse the student reading the text.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text is easy to read, and students should particularly like the way the author presents the knowledge in the text. It is almost like he talks to the reader, and explains the subject is a very clear manner. I didn't notice any grammatical errors. Sentences are in adequate length and stay on topic.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It makes use of several examples from different cultures, such as the prevalence of particular genetic conditions in different part of the world are explained in a satisfactory manner.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This book is great help for science and non-science majors alike. Instructors should be able to utilize vast resources provided in addition to the textbook. This book will be of tremendous help especially when teaching online courses.","created_at":"2020-06-29T17:13:54.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-29T17:13:54.000-05:00"},{"id":5011,"first_name":"Philip","last_name":"Rock","position":"Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Virginia Wesleyan University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This as comprehensive and up to date as any upper-level Cell Biology text I have used.  It think is suitable for both higher-level college and introductory graduate school cell biology classes.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I used this text in the spring of 2020 for my senior-level cell and microbiology course.  It is excellent; I found no significant errors.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Extremely relevant and up to date.  It has very recently been released as a fourth edition and I am sure this will hold up for many years.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I enjoy the way Dr. Bergtrom writes.  This text really is a pleasure to read!","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Absolutely consistent from one chapter to the next with frequent hyperlinks to both former and future material in each chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is organized in a classic way like other 'big name' cell biology texts.  It is easy to pick and choose the material one wishes to present in her or his own way.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think the contents are beautifully organized and chose to present my lecture topics in the same way.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"No issues here - Dr. Bergtrom has done a wonderful job!","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Every now and then you might find a mispelled word or a missing punctuation - but you'll have to look hard to find them.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I believe Dr. Bergtrom to be a true gentleman.  We are talking about an advanced cell biology text here - all humans have the same set of instructions and types of cells and biochemistry.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I recommend this text highly and without reservation.  It is exhaustive in its scope.  Every chapter has numerous links to short, informative YouTube videos, challenging questions and references to classic as well as modern cutting-edge experiments that, as the subtitle of the text says:  \"What we know and how we found out.\"  I learned much from this text.  If there could be any complaint, it would be that there is almost too much material for a one-semester class; it could be used for a year-long course!","created_at":"2021-05-31T02:10:19.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-31T02:10:19.000-05:00"},{"id":5050,"first_name":"Joyce","last_name":"Kaplan","position":"Part-Time Instructor","institution_name":"Portland Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Most topics expected in a cell biology course for both beginning students and more advanced students in majors biology are covered in a fair amount of depth.  A few subjects lack the depth expected, particularly in the area of enzyme regulation, which covers substrate concentration and allosteric regulation but not other aspects of enzyme regulation such as pH, temperature, salinity and competitive inhibitors.  There is no index of terms, only the table of contents at the start and lists of terms at the end of each chapter.  Also the lists of terms for each chapter do not serve as a glossary as they do not link to definitions for the terms.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The content of the text appears accurate throughout.  Most links to outside content were of good quality.  However, some were no longer active and others were to “Wikipedia” sites which can have questionable scientific content.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content includes many examples throughout relating information presented to familiar topics to help students understand how the science fits into their lives.  Examples include gluconeogenesis \u0026 Atkins diet, clinical value of studying enzyme kinetics, protein structure – sickle cell anemia \u0026 Alzheimer’s Disease, connections between specific germline mutations (e.g. BRCA2) and likelihood of illness, environmental causes of epigenetic change, gene editing – power \u0026 controversy, applications of biotechnology techniques (e.g. forensics, genealogy, clinical, GMO’s, etc), glycoproteins \u0026 human health (blood typing \u0026 MHC glycoproteins), receptor-mediated endocytosis \u0026 cholesterol uptake by LDL, cancer \u0026 cell junctions, cell cycle – cancer \u0026 chemotherapeutic agents.  All of these were covered very well.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a complex manner and diagrams are small and complex and can be hard to decipher, which can make this text less accessible for beginner students.  The first chapter this is particularly seen is in the cell respiration discussion and diagrams which are very complex and often do not show clearly where reactions are occurring, and similar issues are seen in chapters dealing with DNA, protein synthesis, and biotechnology.  For this reason, this text may not be appropriate for students without a significant previous biology and chemistry background.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text is internally consistent, using terminology that is consistent throughout and maintaining the same structural design in each chapter.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each chapter of the text can stand alone well and be rearranged according to the desire of the instructor and college.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I found the organization of the chapters overall to be confusing.  The majority of cell organelles were presented at the very beginning, but cell membranes and cytoskeleton not until the very end of the course, even after biotechnology.  While these concepts need the chemistry background to understand, that is why we normally begin an introductory biology course with chemistry before introducing the cell.  I think a reorganization of these chapters would make more logical sense.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The biggest issue is that both students and instructors cannot access the text in a normal OER manner where they can read the text directly online without having to contact the author to ask for a copy of it.  This can create an unnecessary barrier which may stop some students from seeking access to the text.  Then receiving a number of different texts in response is also confusing.  Additionally, some outside links that are broken and images that are small or low quality can be issues that affect student learning.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors were observed in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text was not culturally insensitive or offensive and made significant attempts to provide historical context for scientific discoveries by a wide variety of individuals throughout all chapters.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-06-07T14:42:28.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-06-07T14:42:28.000-05:00"},{"id":33429,"first_name":"Adriana","last_name":"LaGier","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Grand View University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"Gerald Bergtrom’s “Basic Cell and Molecular Biology: What we know and How we found out” textbook is a tour de force showcasing his passion for teaching fledgling scientists.  The textbook’s comprehensiveness lays bare to the reader that this is Bergtrom’s ‘love child’ and was obviously forged over many decades where each iteration was improved by experience, wisdom and elbow grease.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Coming in at just over 600 pages, the text covers all the basics and throws in a few delights like the origins of life.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Bergtrom’s periodic updates makes sure that the text stays accurate and relevant.  Some topics may lack the depth of knowledge that a parceled book would have. Bergtrom has clearly taken this drawback into consideration by offering word documents that allow instructors to input their own (and perhaps a student’s) expertise.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Obvious input from students through annotated text makes the text clear and relatable. It avoids unnecessary jargon only an expert would love.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Textbooks like these are usually parceled out with one leading expert coordinating the effort for one or two units.  The consistency in text found in “Basic Cell and Molecular Biology” is most likely a consequence of having an emeritus at the helm leading the charge without a thought to work load fears.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is provided as a pdf to both students and teachers so as to avoid interface issues. However, MS-Word files are offered freely (after a day of vetting) to instructors who would like to make changes relevant to their classes. It also allows the text to be easily and readily divisible.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Not that I intend to change mine too much because it is exceptional not only in its content and supporting videos, but also in its organization.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Worries about whether the bookstore has enough copies or students will inadvertently access instructor resources are a thing of the past. The eText is distributed by UWM. I received all versions (student, instructor, annotated) within a day. And yes, it comes with an instructor version with handy notes from over a vicennium of teaching knowledge.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Bergstrom has obviously read and re-read his own text as it has few if any, grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No worries taking offense to this text.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"Kudos to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee for recruiting and retaining such a great teacher and to Dr. Herbert Oberlander for helping to train such a great scientist.","created_at":"2021-10-26T12:54:39.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-10-26T12:54:39.000-05:00"},{"id":33658,"first_name":"Zhiming","last_name":"Liu","position":"Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Eastern New Mexico University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a comprehensive textbook that begins with an introduction to the molecular building blocks of cells.  It then moves on to bioenergetics, biochemistry, genetics, DNA biotechnology, to origins of life.  Its twenty chapters cover all aspects of the basic cell and molecular biology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content of the textbook is accurate and concise. With each chapter devoted to a specific concept students gain knowledge and understanding of cell structure and function.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The chapters include updated information from the fields such as epigenetics and DNA technologies, offering students current research and relevant information on the rapidly changing subjects in cell and molecular biology.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Using straightforward, less technical jargon, this textbook provides clear illustrations of key topics and concepts, helping students understand what cell biology actually is as a scientific discipline.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Throughout the entire book all scientific terms are consistently used.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The twenty chapters are presented as blocks of relevant topics in a logical sequence (e.g., basic chemistry, nucleic acids structure, gene expression, biotechnology, etc.).","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organized chapter presentation provides a clear description of course material, allowing students better understand the concepts and retain the essential information.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Carefully selected external links to supplementary material and well-prepared videos / images engage students and unlock complex topics and molecular processes.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The entire textbook is well written and easy for students to assimilate and integrate the knowledge.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No other text offers a broader understanding of this exciting science. The book can be internationally adopted for biology majors and non-majors.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"None","created_at":"2022-01-11T12:19:40.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-01-11T12:19:40.000-06:00"},{"id":33772,"first_name":"Meg","last_name":"Emori","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Virginia Tech","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Index links to chapters for ease of navigation in downloaded PDF. \r\nMaterial is generally well covered, but is broken up by links to videos and is somewhat hard to follow as paragraph style dives into deeper tangents without first clarifying the big picture/ basics, making it hard to visualize topic simply from reading.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"This text feels generally accurate and unbiased, and no errors were found while reading.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Material relies on some historic experiments/ stories to anchor the narrative (like the \"conundrum\" of why ATP is required to both contract and relax a muscle). Some relevant details included (like the Chameleon's use of vesicle trafficking to change colors) are interesting and feel fresh without being something that will become obsolete.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Compared to similar published Molecular Biology texts, this book did not provide as cohesive an overview of the topic, while plunging in depth into examples or details that necessitated jargon. Compared to other Molecular Biology texts, this textbook would require students to learn more vocabulary that might be necessary or reasonable for a typical 2000 level Molecular Biology course.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"While text was not laid out with high levels of clarity, the layout and narrative style is consistent between chapters.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"While divided up into chapters and chapter sections, the vocab words we typically see in units like Photosynthesis are spread liberally across the chapter sections and interspersed with quite complicated new vocabulary. The whole chapter works together, but would not be easily broken up into smaller assigned readings.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The narrative style is readable. Ease of reading is broken up by links, name/ experiment dropping without clearly explaining the experiment (useful if you as a professor want an example, but not as a student trying to understand by reading the textbook and not going further).","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"On the downloaded PDF, it is easy to get to the chapter you want, but difficult to have to scroll back up all the way to the index. The index doesn't start until PDF page 10, so you have to scroll all the way back to the top and then hunt for the index again. Many of the microscopy images chosen are not of the highest quality seen in other texts (the axoneme, for example, is a fairly blurry version where the pairs of microtubules are hard to see if you don't know what you're looking for).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar flowed well and no errors were found while reading.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Of the many scientists and experiments referenced in this textbook, the vast majority are white males. There is little effort made to include all but the most well known of diverse scientists (e.g. Rosalind Franklin). Examples center primarily around white populations, like the NFL football players with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy mentioned in chapter 3.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The figures in this textbook centered primarily on mathematical equations or chemical equations, and the figures that tried to show pathways were unnecessarily complicated for a typical 2000 level molecular biology course, or too simplistic (the imaged used for cellular respiration is the pathway chart that shows cellular respiration as a tiny hub in the middle of a complicated diagram, and the ATP synthase image is reduced to red lollipops sticking over a membrane with the legend \"the lollipop energy factory will make you shake and dance\".) There are no images that clearly and simply lay out, for example, photophosphorylation. As an instructor, less than 20% of the figures would have been beneficial to show to the class as a visual in a ppt presentation to illustrate the topic being discussed.","created_at":"2022-04-03T14:11:42.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-04-03T14:11:42.000-05:00"},{"id":33995,"first_name":"ANJAN","last_name":"PRADHAN","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"It describes the whole content in a concise manner, which can give a whole idea about cell and molecular biology. However, for a detailed study, students should do further readings.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I dont see any problem.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Content is upto date. New updates can be added easily. The book is most up to date in terms of its contents i.e. it describes about the COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 Retrovirus which became a pandemic in 2020 and continuing. The book describes some of the advanced recent research i.e. oncogenic viruses, p53 and signal transduction, G-proteins, protein kinase A and C and others.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"High clarity, no issues.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Its pretty much consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Great modularity.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization/structure/flow is fine, can be modified.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I don't see any navigation issue.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Grammar is perfect.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Not applicable for cultural relevance.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Title of the Book: Basic Cell and Molecular Biology 4e: What We Know and How Found Out \r\nAuthor: Gerald Bergtrom\r\n\r\nSchrödinger’s Cat, Schrödinger asked that if you sealed a cat in a box with a toxic substance, how could you know if the cat was alive or dead unless you open the box. Wearing his philosopher’s hat (yes, he had one!), he postulated that until you open the box, the cat is both “dead and alive”. This is a great way of starting a chapter and keep students engaging. This book is a masterpiece in igniting the spark in the students towards biological science which is sometimes boring. Similar goes with the works of famous Physicist Richard Feynman. I personally researched more on him, which forced me to read further about his work and end up purchasing/reading his other books.\r\n\r\nThe book is most up to date in terms of its contents i.e. it describes about the COVID-19 or SARS-CoV-2 Retrovirus which became a pandemic in 2020 and continuing. The book describes some of the advanced recent research i.e. oncogenic viruses, p53 and signal transduction, G-proteins, protein kinase A and C and others. Also, the book covers most of the parts studied in Cell biology, Biochemistry, and Molecular biology.\r\n\r\nSome parts that I personally don’t like when it says Google it. Though its helpful and can lead to enhance reading with gain of knowledge beyond the contents of the book, students may not do it. Sometimes, the descriptions are too much philosophical which can be interesting but lacks scientific insights.\r\n\r\nSomehow, the book managed to surpass my expectations and what like I expected. It describes the whole content in a concise manner, which can give a whole idea about cell and molecular biology. However, for a detailed study, students should do further readings. Overall, it’s a good one.","created_at":"2022-08-26T14:40:42.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-08-26T14:40:42.000-05:00"},{"id":34454,"first_name":"Erica","last_name":"Lannan","position":"Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Prairie State College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book covers all of the topics of Cellular and Molecular Biology in good detail.  It even includes some topics that are not always covered in textbooks in very much detail, such as transposons (pages instead of a paragraph at most).  Some topics are comparatively not covered in as much detail, but still have plenty of detail for this level of course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"All of the content appears to be accurate from my flipping through it.  I do wonder about some of the information included on the personal lives of some of the scientists- some of them were so long ago that I would think that do not necessarily have good records of their personal lives.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"I think it is easy for the author to update as needed, but with a pdf instead of a word doc for instructors it is much harder for them to make any changes they want.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"A lot of the text is more wordy than I would like.  It can provide interesting details but honestly my students don't care about the lives of most of these scientists.  Some parts of the book get exceedingly detailed on topics that I would consider more appropriate for courses beyond an introductory text.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework seems consistent from chapter to chapter.  Some topics get a lot more detail than others though, some exceedingly detailed on topics that I would consider more appropriate for courses beyond an introductory level.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The breakdown seems ok, there are some long chapters with relevant parts included.   As I mention below, it could be really useful to be able to link directly to certain topics.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I found it really strange to go into some pretty technical details of cell parts in chapter 1.  I usually like to introduce the idea of cells but not get into the details of the parts until we talk about proteins/protein structures, etc.  Also, in the biotechnology chapter, it seemed more like \"here is this cool research method, here is another, here is another\" instead of spending a lot of time on why someone might choose one method or another.   Although I liked the challenge boxes, I felt the chapters could be really enhanced by adding comprehension questions to the end of each chapter or better summarizing each chapter at the start/finish of the chapter.   Finally, I found some topics in unexpected areas- for example there was a LOT more detail on CRISPR in the gene regulation section than in the biotechnology section.  That is fine, but it could be helpful to have a link from one section of the book to another so students could more easily reference the other section when/if looking for more detail.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I found it difficult to navigate back to the main table of contents (since it is on page 12 instead of page 1, you have to scroll to the beginning and then page down until you get there.  I also missed the one on page 12 at first and found a different table of contents on page 22.  Having the link the the table of contents as a header/footer could make it easier to navigate within the PDF. It could be useful to have all of the links within the table of contents directly to all of the subsections within each chapter at the beginning as well, since many of the chapters are pretty long.  I know it would be a lot of work (since with editing some pages may move around), but linking the index pages to the actual pages would also be useful for navigation.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any major errors.  I did notice a few minor issues or typos here and there, for example, in the index the \"delta\" symbol was changed to a rectangular box.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"As with most science, the scientists who have been given credit for the work are not very culturally diverse.  This is not really the fault of the author or text though.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I really like the challenge boxes.  Those are questions I may ask my students even if we don't adopt the full text.  I found a few of the videos I checked out to be really hard to listen to because of mic quality issues for example, (315-2 Overview of signal transduction, 345-2 Rb Gene Encodes Transcription Factor Regulatory Subunit).  Others were ok (346-2 Regulating Cell Death).   I know that quite a few of my students prefer to watch videos than read a book.","created_at":"2023-03-13T10:44:13.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-03-13T10:44:13.000-05:00"},{"id":35552,"first_name":"Jessica","last_name":"Lucas","position":"Associate professor","institution_name":"University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"Difficult to navigate book. \nPDF download is available, but PDF doesn’t use bookmarks for navigation. One must scroll through several entry pages to find clickable ToC and the detailed glossary.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Emphasizes famous scientists who earned prestigious scientific awards (accurately reflects demographics of previous science generations)","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Information is accurate. \nImages need updating (cover is gray pancake image of old microscope, many drawings/diagrams are poor quality).","clarity_rating":1,"clarity_review":"Emphasis on discovery process makes it difficult to understand and locate main points","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter has introduction with 10-20 learning objectives.","modularity_rating":1,"modularity_review":"Difficult to navigate book.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"As common for cell biology texts, book starts with chemistry instead of biology","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"Difficult to navigate PDF. No indication of which chapter you are in on most pages.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any typos.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"Discussion of sickle cell anemia focuses upon Africans, African-Americans and the slave trade. This is poorly discussed, inaccurate and insensitive.","overall_rating":5,"overall_review":"This book looks and feels outdated, however most information is correct. \nThe diagrams are poor quality and text is too lengthy.","created_at":"2025-06-26T12:31:18.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-06-26T12:31:18.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/cell-and-molecular-biology-2e-what-we-know-how-we-found-out","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:02:30.000-06:00"},{"id":348,"title":"Anatomy and Physiology of Animals","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Veterinary nurses need to have a firm grasp of the normal structure of an animal's body and how it functions before they can understand the effect diseases and injuries have and the best ways to treat them. This book describes the structure of the animal body and the way in which it works. Animals encountered in normal veterinary practice are used as examples where possible.","contributors":[{"id":3828,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Ruth","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Lawson","location":"Otago Polytechnic","background_text":"Ruth Lawson is a zoologist who gained her first degree at Imperial College, London University and her D.Phil from York University, UK. After post graduate research on the tropical parasitic worm that causes schistosomiasis, she emigrated to New Zealand where she spent 10 years studying how hydatid disease spreads and can be controlled. With the birth of her daughter, Kate, she started to teach at the Otago Polytechnic, in Dunedin. Although human and animal anatomy and physiology has been her main teaching focus, she retains a strong interest and teaches courses in parasitology, public health, animal nutrition and pig husbandry. Ruth lives on the Otago Peninsula overlooking the beautiful Otago Harbour where she races her Topper sailing dinghy. She also enjoys tramping, skiing and gardening and has meditated for many years."}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":261,"url":"https://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=Anatomy_and_Physiology_of_Animals\u0026oldid=2983096","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-12-29T16:08:43.000-06:00","name":"WikiBooks"}],"formats":[{"id":432,"type":"PDF","url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c7/Anatomy_and_Physiology_of_Animals.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"3.5","textbook_reviews_count":11,"reviews":[{"id":844,"first_name":"Jonathan","last_name":"Moore","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is really more geared to tetrapods/mammals than animals.  There is essentially no fish anatomy/physiology described in this text and many of the other systems focus on mammals.  Further, major portions of the circulatory system under the cardiovascular system are completely missing.  Moreover, this text is physiology light.  I had expected to see more based on the title.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I found not errors in content.  Some of the figures might be confusing, however.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is up to date and relevant.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"US students might find the British spellings confusing, but that ought not be too much of a concern.  The text will often refer to figures that are not there or hard to find.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The terms used are consistent.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The book is appropriately and clearly divided into sections of anatomy.  Physiology is not necessarily all that clear.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The information is mostly presented in a clear and logical fashion.  Some of the earlier chapters may not be all the necessary for the scope of the book and could be removed and more physiology and all animal anatomy be inserted.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The features are fine and would be improved by hyperlinks.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"There are some glaring typos throughout the book.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"Not sure this is relevant.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"This text should be titled something differently, or should be far more inclusive.  It would have limited use for a comparative anatomy course and essentially no use for a comparative physiology course.  Might be a good reference for a lower level vertebrate course, and only then for certain tetrapod vertebrates.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":997,"first_name":"Zelieann","last_name":"Craig","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Arizona","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a very well-organized textbook focused mostly on anatomy of veterinary-relevant species and geared towards veterinary nurses or technicians.  For that purpose the book contains nearly all relevant subjects each with appropriate organization within the index.  A few areas for improvement are noted including the fact that the cardiovascular system topic is completely missing from the table of contents and book! This may have been a printing error, but should be addressed to improve the impact of the book.  Also, some aspects of hormone regulation are missing from the gastrointestinal system discussion (e.g. gastrointestinal hormones) and a discussion of feedback loops that govern endocrine function.  Other than that, I find this book to be appropriate in other areas.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, but the cardiovascular system was missing from the entire text.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This textbook is up-to-date, is relevant, and because of the subject, it will be long-lived as long as it is appropriately updated.  Based on its organization, I would anticipate that this text will be relatively easy to update.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is easy to understand and provides definitions and explanations that will help students get acquainted with new terminology and concepts.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The format and style of the book is consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is organized into modules which are subdivided well according to the material.  It should be straightforward to assign readings from this text for specific needs or subunits of a course. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This text is well-organized and logically presented from basic building blocks to more complex systems.  The organizational sequence of each chapter flowing from learning objectives to material to review questions and additional resources is very good and should help instructors as they teach this subject.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The text was easy to navigate but a couple of things could be improved.  Anatomy and Physiology students do better with good images that keep them interested and are clear.  Perhaps, color or computer generated images could be included to help with this.  Also, in some cases, images were referred to in the text or labeled in between paragraphs but were not available in the text at all.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Minimal errors","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"N/A","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This textbook is a great idea and is worth investing time into improving it.  It is appropriate for the audience intended, although there is always room to make more physiology connections with the anatomy already presented.  It is very important that the cardiovascular section be added to make it whole.  Also, perhaps a title revision to more visibly show that it is intended for veterinary nurses and technicians and thus, focuses more on veterinary species.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1082,"first_name":"Patrick","last_name":"Wilson","position":"Clinical Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Washington State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is more of a domestic animal anatomy book, although references to certain domestic animals having specific characteristics is sometimes lacking. Much of the first chapter is unnecessary, and the latter half would be well placed as a subheading under digestion. The classification of animals would be a good first chapter, although the duck billed platypus and spine anteater should be placed under protheria. The placement of exocrine vs. endocrine glands would be better placed under discussion of epithelia derivatives, rather than skin glands. The cardiovascular section was missing. Not all the cranial nerves are listed. There are multiple generalities made that are not true with all species, even domestic species.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"There are many overstated generalities, inaccuracies and incomplete descriptions of function through the text. Many errors, incompleteness in cell structure, organelle functions. Illustrations of poor quality with some errors in labeling. Misuse of terminology. Misclassification of humans as herbivores.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"This book is in need of an update. Use of human anatomical terminology should be avoided where appropriate.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written simply and is easy to read.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Somewhat consistent, although one section (Cardiovascular) is missing.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity is good.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Should start with Classification. After Cells, the Body Organization should follow the tissues, including epithelia, connective tissue (both of which are described in this section), muscle, bone and nervous tissue, and possibly even blood. Then overall body organization, followed by the organ systems.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The images were very simplistic and not high quality. Just as photos were used at the chapter headings, photos and color images would be helpful.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Some errors present.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"N/A","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"The author(s) should focus on who this text is intended for - pre-vet, animal science, zoology. I would err towards completeness, even if not all in emphasized in the course. This is a needed resource, so a rewrite with investment in accuracy, organization, completeness and higher quality images would be worthwhile","created_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-04-11T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2172,"first_name":"Moshe","last_name":"Khurgel","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Bridgewater College","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"As a textbook titled Anatomy and Physiology of Animals, this book scores very low in its comprehensiveness, since it presents information only on domesticated mammals. Even as a textbook on Anatomy and Physiology of domesticated mammals, the comprehensiveness is still fairly low: most topics are covered very superficially, and some systems are missing altogether.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The book has multiple factual mistakes and inaccuracies. Some of the examples include:\n\n•\tFig. 8 and p. 17 (Ch. 1) – technically, there are 7 classes of vertebrates\n•\tFig. 8 – inaccurate visual representation of vertebrate animal distribution: the segments of 4% and 8% are larger than 5% and 12%, respectively!\n•\tFig. 9 – most sources reference 3-5% as the relative abundance of vertebrate species within all animals. It’s not clear how the author arrived at 9%. \n•\tP. 17 – 90% of all invertebrates are insects - that's false\n•\tOrganelles don’t have “jobs” (p.31); nucleus doesn’t control the activity of the cell (p. 34). There is more than one mitochondrion in cells. The nucleus is not listed as one of the main organelles, but is mentioned as such in the summary. \n•\tMitochondria do NOT make (p.31) or produce (p. 40) energy! That’s a serious mistake. It’s very misleading to call mitochondria “power stations”.\n•\tThe gut doesn’t break down food (p. 146); enzymes do. \n•\tTaste buds are NOT taste receptors (p. 208)\n•\tHumans distinguish at least 5, not 4, tastes (p. 209)\n•\tTriiodothyronine, not thyroxine (p. 225), is the principal hormone that regulates growth in mammals.\n•\tThyroxine does NOT consist of 60% iodine (p. 225). Its structure is C15H11I4NO4.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"Some of the content is already outdated (p. 209 – the number of tastes that humans sense). \n\nMuch (but far from all) of the anatomy and physiology of animals knowledge is established. The outdated presentation of that knowledge in this textbook makes it of low relevance and longevity. Much more effective, royalty-free images are available to help students learn how animals are structured and how they function.","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"There is a pedagogically significant difference between using prose that’s accessible vs. simplistic and inaccurate. This book relies a lot on the latter to the detriment of students learning real biology (“rod cells are long and fat” p. 210 - is just one of the multiple examples). \n\n•\tFig. 8 designates “primitive vertebrates” as a classification group. It’s not clear what “primitive” means here. Which acceptable taxonomy framework uses that term? No animals are listed as examples for that group in the text. \n\n•\tWhat does it mean that parathyroid hormone “regulates the amount of calcium in the blood”? Is the hormone secreted to decrease or to increase calcium levels?","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"There are some issues with internal consistency:\n\n•\tThe references to chapters and sections are used interchangeably. \n•\tThe books starts out with consecutively numbered figures and text references to figures.  This approached is switched in Ch. 3 to figures that continue to be numbered consecutively, but now are labeled also as “diagrams” with a different numbering system: ex. Figure 15 Diagram 3.5, with the text now referring to diagrams.\n•\tInconsistent use of classification terminology: Fig. 8 purportedly demonstrates percentage-based distribution of animal classes within the phylum of vertebrates. It shows 6 “different kinds of vertebrate” [sic], but the textbook discusses 5 “groups or classes” (p. 17). \n•\tInconsistent spacing for punctuation throughout the book\n•\tSloppy use and application of terminology","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"In some way, the book is too modular: the interchange of biological principles between systems is virtually non-existent.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The logical flow to the presentation of systems is not apparent: why does the chapter on (skeletal) muscles precede the chapter on the nervous system, or why is the reproductive system discussed prior to the endocrine system?\n\n•\tFigs. 8 and 9 are reversed in the logical flow of chapter 1. \n•\tTaxonomic hierarchy is summarized at the end of the chapter, rather than being introduced at the beginning to set up the framework for the material.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"There is a significant degree of distortion (excessive pixilation) in many non-photographic figures.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are a few instances of editing oversights: extra spaces, failure to separate words and odd punctuation. These do not significantly detract from readability, but does show lack of polish for the final product.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The term “primitive” as applied to a group of animals is scientifically incorrect, and culturally outdated.","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":"I am very disappointed in this book. As a professor of animal physiology, I seek a textbook that will allow me to balance between polished presentation (and a very high cost) from edu market publishers and open textbooks with less sophisticated layouts and graphics, but a much lower cost. However, the latter should still be factually sophisticated, useful teaching tools, rather than a collection of links to Wikipedia. \n\nApart from the fact that this book is limited to anatomical and physiological features of a small number of domesticated animals, even discussion of those systems is presented at a very elementary level; many explanations are at the primary school level. There isn’t a sufficient, college-level depth in any particular aspect of the book (ex: inhalation/inspiration is presented in one short paragraph); for that, the readers are referred to Wikipedia at the end of every chapter.  \n\nEach chapter starts with a list of learning objectives (LOs), which are poorly formulated. What does “completing” a chapter mean, if completion is not one of the LOs? What does it mean that a student should “know” X after completing a chapter? Should they be able to recognize X, re-create X, list X, or apply X? We expect accuracy and appropriate use of terminology in professional communications and in students’ answers; we must provide a specific, directional clarity for them to acquire useful knowledge. More significantly, studying the information in the chapters would not help students to achieve many of the LOs. \n\nMany questions in the “Test Yourself” section at the end of chapters do not address the LOs, but rather test the minutiae information from the chapter.  \n\nUniversity-level students will not acquire essential, comprehensive knowledge about any aspect of animal biology in this book.","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2321,"first_name":"Katrina","last_name":"Swinehart","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Central State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":" The text does a good job of addressing this topic clearly and uses good examples. I wish it had more livestock science pieces to it, but I am using this text in a livestock course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Very accurate and clear.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Very relevant and the content will likely not shift quickly over time. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Very clear. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The majority of the terms are similar to other texts. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Broken down by chapter and done quite well. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Flows and is organized very well.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I wish the text were larger and easier to read. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Good.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Not likely to be found offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This text is a great alternate for a text in this subject. I wish there was another free book to pair with this one to comprehensively teach animal science.","created_at":"2018-09-26T15:42:53.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-26T15:42:53.000-05:00"},{"id":2691,"first_name":"Rachel","last_name":"Wilson","position":"Graduate Teaching Assistant","institution_name":"Portland State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The chapter on the cardiovascular system was absent. The focus of this textbook is very mammalian heavy, though some chapters have sections on birds. Reptiles and amphibians are, for the most part, absent from the textbook. Also, some concepts are conveyed as perhaps too simplistic (e.g. Introductory and background material, ribosomes, Muscular system). \r\n","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"This texts presents some terms that are outdated. For example, the use of cold- and warm-blooded are no longer in use; the terms ecto- and endo-thermic should be used instead. Some topics are discussed only through a mammalian lens: this text refers to adipose tissue as an insulating fat layer under the skin. This is only the case in mammals whereas reptiles and amphibians do not have subcutaneous fat, just intraperitoneal fat.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Good. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Some sentence structure could be clarified, but it does not impede understanding of topics or draw too much from the information provided. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Good. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Sometimes too small of reading sections because the breadth of the material could go deeper. But otherwise, I liked the modularity of this text. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"In many Anatomy and Physiology texts, the nervous system is covered a little earlier in the text. But I don't think that this draws anything away from the material. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Some figures were absent.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Some grammar needs editing, but it does not impede understanding of topics or draw too much from the information provided. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Not insensitive or offensive. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"I have never seen a ‘Classification’ chapter in an A and P book before, which is great because this an important biological concept! But what’s a primitive vertebrate?\r\n\r\nIntegration of chapters could be better (e.g. reiterating tissue types especially in the digestive system, and integrating the senses and nervous chapters). ","created_at":"2019-03-22T13:10:03.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-03-22T13:10:03.000-05:00"},{"id":4504,"first_name":"Kevin","last_name":"Kinney","position":"Professor","institution_name":"DePauw University","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"Broad, yes- most of the topics are there, and even more than some comparative physiology texts (e.g., many of the latter ignore the lymphatic system).  But lacking in depth to a troubling degree.  This is more an intro to mammalian anatomy text than Anatomy and Physiology of animals.  Even at the outset, in the cell chapter, lots of information that is lacking on cell function.\r\n\r\nThe cardiovascular chapter is entirely missing!","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"As far as I can tell, reasonably accurate within its very limited scope","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"Not really up to date in any complete way.  This is *very* basic information, more an intro biology text than AS\u0026P.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Clear, but very simplistic.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Nothing to say about this really","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"As good as any book can be.  Rather inconsistent in chapter openers.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Very limited in topics, not a lot of time on a lot of key areas (e.g. muscle function and control).  No comparative aspects to speak of","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The figures are **very** basic and cartoony.  Simple hand-drawn line diagrams.  Not really suitable for a modern textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"Fine.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Not applicable really","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"Not, despite the title, a physiology text.  At best an intro to mammal (and only a few types at that) anatomy.","created_at":"2021-01-01T17:07:51.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-01T17:07:51.000-06:00"},{"id":33499,"first_name":"Kalynn","last_name":"Baldock","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Eastern New Mexico University","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"The title would lead one to believe the textbook would cover a broader range of animals.  It appears to be more of the anatomy and physiology of domesticated animals. Missing the cardiovascular system chapter.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Content is mostly accurate, however the figures can be misleading and hard to understand.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Some terms have became outdated.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The text is written in a format that is easy to understand. Very simplistic.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Most chapters maintain the same format and consistency.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Modularity of this book is readily divided into smaller sections.  Some sections do seem to be too small and could use some more material.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The chapters flow in a clear and logical fashion.  There are some chapters that might benefit from being moved around.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Many of the images/charts are not clear.  Images need to include color and more detail to aid in student learning.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are some grammatical errors which need editing.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"n/a","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"This textbook is could be a great reference with some updating and addition of better graphics.  Some chapters need more information and the Cardiovascular system chapter needs be included (currently nothing).","created_at":"2021-12-01T11:33:07.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-12-01T11:33:07.000-06:00"},{"id":35080,"first_name":"Amy","last_name":"Girifalco","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"North Shore Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is missing the cardiovascular system which is a key component to the anatomy and physiology of animals.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Overall the book is accurate except it is missing the cardiovascular section.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book is up to date except that it is missing the cardiovascular system.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is written in a clear manner and provides adequate context.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book's framework and terminology are consistent throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easily and readily broken up into smaller reading sections making it easy to navigate overall.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The overall layout and organization of the book is easily to follow and logical.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"I found the diagrams, images used to be too simplistic and difficult to interpret. Many images missed important details that would enhance the readers understanding. Many images are grainy and should not be black and white.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are a few grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This book is relevant to the veterinary world. It is not culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This book is well organized but is missing a major body system. The cardiovascular system is not included in this text. The images are also fairly simple, black and white and some are poor quality. With anatomy, utilizing images (especially color images) is an important part of the learning process. This would be an important update to the text.","created_at":"2024-05-28T12:51:09.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-05-28T12:51:09.000-05:00"},{"id":35294,"first_name":"Johnica","last_name":"Winter","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Franklin College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers topics similar to how I cover topics in my Comparative Animal Physiology course, which would make it a much better choice for using in subsequent offerings of the course. I do wish that some of the topics were covered in greater depth and that there were more examples of how systems work for a greater diversity of taxonomic groups of animals.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't find any inaccurate information in reviewing this book. However, the entire chapter on the cardiovascular system seems to be missing, which is a concern I would need to have addressed before adopting this text for my class.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Book has content that appears recent without being too tied to specific studies and areas of research. It seems like it would be easy to update for subsequent editions for adding new content.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the text to be clearly written and accessible. I had some of my students read a couple of chapters from this book ahead of covering a few of these subjects in my course this semester, and they commented on the clarity of the readings. The language used is appropriate for students in an upper-level college course.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"There was a high degree of consistency throughout the text, except for the missing portions of the cardiovascular system.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is arranged by body systems, making is well-suited for breaking into smaller readings as we cover various topics.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is organized in a way that is far more logical than the textbook I am currently using. However, I would cover some of the topics in this text in a slightly different order than how the author has chosen to cover these topics, which would not be a problem given the modularity of the text.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"The page numbers present a bit of an issue as they are not consistent with the search bar in my pdf reader. This isn't a huge problem, but I would like to see hyperlinks between chapters and the table of contents that would allow me to more easily navigate the document without having to scroll endlessly or guess what page number might get me close to the actual page I'm looking for.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any major grammatical errors with the text.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"This is book primarily focused on animals other than humans, so there isn't a lot here on culture, but I do think it could be more inclusive by discussing human and non-human animal comparisons to a greater degree and it could provide broader perspectives in terms of which taxa it focuses on. There is a heavy focus on vertebrates, so I'd like to see more invertebrate representation as well as more commentary on the comparative physiology of different taxa presented within each topic.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"In general, this is a good book for a free resource for students. It is organized and appropriate, though I'd want to see the missing chapter fixed, greater depth on many of the topics, and an increase in the representation of diverse animal taxa in the discussions of each system. I also wish that there were colored and more professional looking images/figures and that the system for navigation was more user-friendly. I am considering utilizing this text during the next offering of my course.","created_at":"2024-10-29T13:33:27.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-10-29T13:33:27.000-05:00"},{"id":35404,"first_name":"Bonnie","last_name":"Wanous","position":"Adjunct Faculty","institution_name":"Dakota County Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook is a good introduction to the subject.  It does not cover much more than basic bird and mammal information.  There is a Cardiovascular chapter heading but no content.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As an introductory text, it seems relevant.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"It was written clearly and concisely.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Chapters are in a consistent format.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text is easily and readily divided into smaller reading sections making navigation stress free.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization seems clear.  Nothing is ideal so there is always room for improvement.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I was impressed with the pictures on the chapter headings and then let down by the diagrams in the chapters.  Many of the diagrams would have benefited from color.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"No glaring errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Not sure how this is relevant in this type of a text.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2025-02-25T09:16:52.000-06:00","updated_at":"2025-02-25T09:16:52.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/anatomy-and-physiology-of-animals","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:02:21.000-06:00"},{"id":349,"title":"General Biology","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"The word biology means, \"the science of life\", from the Greek bios, life, and logos, wordor knowledge. Therefore, Biology is the science of Living Things. That is why Biology issometimes known as Life Science.","contributors":[{"id":3829,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Paul","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Doerder","location":"Cleveland State University","background_text":"Paul Doerder is a biology professor at Cleveland State University located in Cleveland, Ohio."},{"id":3830,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Ralph","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Gibson","location":"Cleveland State University","background_text":"Ralph Gibson is an assistant professor at Cleveland State University located in Cleveland, Ohio."}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":262,"url":"https://en.wikibooks.org/w/index.php?title=General_Biology\u0026oldid=2210934","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-12-29T16:08:56.000-06:00","name":"WikiBooks"}],"formats":[{"id":433,"type":"PDF","url":"https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/40/GeneralBiology.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"3","textbook_reviews_count":12,"reviews":[{"id":816,"first_name":"Takamitsu","last_name":"Kato","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Colorado State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This open book is very comprehensive, however, I believe that the context of the book may be too comprehensive. Moreover, the text covers very broad fields of biology that students may not be able to grasp. However, the text is not in a traditional style, meaning that it contains less than 200 pages. Therefore, students will not get in depth knowledge. Some chapters appear to be incomplete.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book appeared to be accurate. More specifically, the paragraphs, sentences, and phrases are very short resulting in great accuracy. Moreover, students can learn many topics very quickly and efficiently. Lastly, I noticed some mistakes but they were minor problems. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Importantly, this book is very up-to-date and can be updated quickly if authors want. On-the-other-hand various chapters seem to be incomplete or too short (i.e. section 8.3.2). But the unique style of this book enables authors to update information easily. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text was written very clearly, while the book is very short. It is very easy to read but scholars need prerequisite information before reading the material in this book.  ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The text is usually consistent but there are some exceptions. Many chapters were written with bullet points and short sentences. However, a few chapters were written with more information; leaving inconsistencies . The inconsistencies can be improved by further updates.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"The text is very easily divisible. The text can be used for just quick review but not for extensive information. If the authors decide to keep the bullet point style this could be useful for students early in the biology world.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The book is divided into many chapters and subchapters. The topics in the text are presented in a very clear fashion. Individual chapters are appropriately organized. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The text sometimes contains graphical figures but additional figures would greatly improve the context. However, if the purpose of this book is quick review, the figures and charts are not necessary. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This book is very unique. It is not like regular books. It is more like a summary of  wikipedia's knowledge on biology. This book is very useful to review what students learned in class or try to understand the concept quickly before class starts. Reading this text does not take too much time. Personally, I like this book. I can use this as a quick reference. For class this book can be used as an alternative book with combination of traditional general biology book.  This book would be a great alternative for students who are trying to be fiscally smart.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1029,"first_name":"Allyse","last_name":"Ferrara","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Nicholls State University","comprehensiveness_rating":1,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is not a comprehensive text.  If all of the topics that are missing from this text were included in this review, the review would be as long as the text.  The PDF is less than 200 pages long for what is typically taught in two one-semester classes.  Sufficient detail and background information is not provided.  The entire PDF only includes six figures.  In particular, information on diversity is incomplete with the majority of taxonomic levels and categories missing.  For example, in Chapter 24 Chordates, information on Class Osteichthyes consists of a couple of sentences on Subclass Sarcopterygii.  Ray-finned fishes are not included.  Class Reptilia lists Subclass Diapsida under which there are four words – “dinosaurs, snakes, most stuff”.  Only one half page of information is provided on Class Aves.  Class Mammalia is covered in less than one page.  Section 23.4 on Plant Phylogeny contains no text.  Developmental biology, comparative physiology, ecology (at any level), behavior, endosymbiosis, plant anatomy and plant physiology are a few of the topics absent from the PDF.   The glossary is half of a page with many definitions missing.  No index is included.","accuracy_rating":1,"accuracy_review":"Text content is not accurate, error-free and unbiased.  Very little organismal and diversity of life information is provided.  Unfortunately, adequate and appropriate quantity of information is not provided for any topic.  For example, in Chapter 7 Cell Structure, swelling is defined as “pressure of the water inside the vacuole” and isotonic is defined as “the cytoplasm fluid of the interior of the cells is the same that the outer”.  Proof reading did not occur.  Under the section 23.21 Angiosperm flower, the following text is included \"Insert non-formatted text hereInsert non-formatted text here\".","relevance_rating":1,"relevance_review":"The PDF is outdated and no longer relevant.  Old and outdated classification system(s) is/are used and the PDF uses outdated terms vascular and non-vascular to describe different groups of plants.  An incomplete and outdated classification of Kingdom Animalia is used.  Important plant, fungi and protist phyla are missing as are milestones in animal evolution and characteristics that allowed plants to colonize land.  The minimal amount of biotechnology information included in the PDF is also outdated.","clarity_rating":1,"clarity_review":"The PDF is loaded with jargon and is not well written.","consistency_rating":1,"consistency_review":"The PDF is highly inconsistent.  Scientific and genus names frequently appear in regular font (neither italicized nor underlined) and capitalization is not consistent.  A few sections include complete sentences and paragraphs and the remaining sections contain no text or only bulleted lists.  The majority of chapters do not practice questions.  If practice questions are included, answers to questions are not consistently included, if at all.  In some sections, references made to pages and figures in an unnamed textbook.","modularity_rating":1,"modularity_review":"Modularity is not present.  Sections and chapters are not presented in similar formats.","organization_rating":1,"organization_review":"Text organization is not logical.  The text is not divided into units but would benefit by organization into units rather than using placeholder chapters as is used for Chapter 1 Getting Started, Chapter 6 Cells, Chapter 15 Genetics and Chapter 25 Tissues and Systems. No text included in these placeholder chapters.  Information is not logically organized.  For example, Chapter 13 on Photosynthesis includes unrelated sections on prokaryote cell division, eukaryote chromosomes, chromosome organization (no text included), human karyotype stained by chromosome paints (no text included), human chromosomes (a quarter page with a bulleted list), mitotic cell cycle (three bullets and one text box consisting of one sentence), replicated human chromosomes (no text included), mitosis (half page of information), plant mitosis (one quarter page), controlling the cell cycle, cancer and mutations and cancer (no text included).  The glossary (Chapter 34) is half of a page with some terms undefined.  The list of figures does not correspond to the six figures included in the text.","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"Some of the links in the footnotes connect to Wikibooks pages that do not contain any information.  After connecting to a Wikibooks link, clicking the back arrow brings you to the beginning of the PDF, not to the section you were reading.  Navigation between footnotes and text is cumbersome.","grammatical_rating":1,"grammatical_review":"The text is filled with misspellings, incorrect word use, jargon, incorrect use of plurals, grammatical errors, incomplete sentences and statements without explanation or support.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"Considering the brevity of information provided the text is not culturally sensitive.  The term “man” is used rather than the more appropriate term “human”.","overall_rating":2,"overall_review":"This is not a textbook.  The information provided is incomplete and outdated and is little more than an incomplete and unedited draft of course notes.","created_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-15T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1601,"first_name":"Haiying","last_name":"Liang","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Clemson University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers most subjects of general biology. Because it is very concise (using bullets in many places), not many information is included. The knowledge depth is not adequate for a real textbook. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Content appears accurate. DNA sequencing section may need to be updated with next generation sequencing information.","relevance_rating":1,"relevance_review":"The text is too short. It does not contain enough information to be a textbook. It can be useful for quick review for exams.","clarity_rating":1,"clarity_review":"Certain chapters and paragraphs are clear and contain enough information. However, most of the text does not contain enough information, largely due to the fact that this book is more like a summary of various topics in biology, not a real textbook. ","consistency_rating":2,"consistency_review":"The text is not consistent in terms of style, formatting, clarity, and information provided. For instance, only practice questions are provided for a couple of topics.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The text uses a bullet point style, which makes the modularity very clear. However, by doing so, lots of information is omitted. ","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"The topics are divided into chapters only. It can be improved if the chapters are organized by units. ","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"The text is not user friendly. Options are very limited. ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There are some grammatical errors, such as misspellings, extra words or numbers, and incorrect use of plurals. Formats are not consistent.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"The materials are not culturally sensitive","overall_rating":5,"overall_review":"This book summarizes the main concepts in general biology. It can be used for preview and review purposes. The text is easy to read.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1992,"first_name":"Qing","last_name":"Li","position":"Masters student","institution_name":"Oklahoma State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book covers almost every topic that biology major students should know, however, it misses information in every topic. In another word, it tries to cover everything but failed to cover everything in detailed, especially it misses some important information that a regular textbook should contain. It more looks like a study guide for test instead of a learning material. It tells you what type of information you should know, however, you probably have to search more detailed information in each unit somewhere else. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content appeared to be accurate for me. Probably it needs to be added more updated knowledge in a newer version. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"This book is not up-dated as I mentioned above. It definitely can be added more update information as the progress of the technology. However, this book is easy to be updated by any instructors with newer and more information in their own manner due to the special structure of this book. ","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"It does not contain enough information for most chapters and it doesn’t explain some concepts or jargons very clearly due to the shortness of this textbook. Some concepts should be explained with more words and sentences. ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"This textbook is somewhat inconsistent. As for the structure, some chapters contains more information than other chapters. In another word, some chapters use a bullets format, but the others use a paragraph format and try to explain more detailed information. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This book is very easy to be divided into smaller reading sections for sure due to its special structure. It is easy to reorganized and realigned by any instructor based on how he or she wants to structure his or her course. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topics in the text are presented in a logical order, however, it can use more subunit under each chapter to make this textbook look more organized. ","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"This book does not contain too many figures. It might be a good way in some purpose, for example, you only want to use this book as a study guide. However, as a real textbook, it definitely needs more graphs and figures to improve the readability of this textbook. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I didn’t find much grammatical errors in this textbook. ","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This book is not culturally insensitive or offensive in any way. It doesn’t contain any examples can be regarded as racial discrimination. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This textbook can be good or bad for you depends on how you want to use it and in which way. It is more like a quick study review for general biology instead of a regular textbook. As I mentioned above, if you want to quickly go through every topic covered by general biology in a really basic level, this book can be useful for you. However, if you want more detailed information and use this book as a main textbook resource for your two semester length course, this book is not your best choice. ","created_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-05-21T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2246,"first_name":"Erika","last_name":"Young","position":"Lecturer","institution_name":"University of North Carolina at Pembroke","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"While the text covers a multitude of topics, it doesn't give the details often required for thorough understanding.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"I do not agree with citing Wikipedia as a scientist, because of the ability to edit the information.  I learned it was always best to use peer reviewed materials.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The text is more of a bulleted list of topics that doesn't seem to need the majority of the sub-categories and is sometimes redundant in placement of the material.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Very clear for general understanding.  Not nearly enough diagrams/figures.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Text seems consistent but has details in some sections, and rather vague in others to be considered a general biology text.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Short bullet points help, and it seems very helpful as a study guide for something larger with more in depth discussions.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"Flow was adequate.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Text was very clear, font perhaps could be larger.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical error found.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Not culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2419,"first_name":"Nicholas","last_name":"Stewart","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Fort Hays State University","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book does contain a comprehensive list of biological topics for an introductory biology class. However, the book lacks the detail required to be the primary textbook for students. It is a good outline for an introductory class for the instructor. The material is often presented in bullet points, which I don't have an issue with, but there needs to be more information to help connect those bullet points together to get a more complete picture. However, an instructor could use this as a guide and fill in the gaps themselves.  Additionally, multiple of the Genetics sections and a couple of the later chapters appear to be incomplete.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The majority of the information appears to be accurate. Noticed a few mistakes but nothing that could be fixed quickly by the instructor or authors.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"This book is a few years old, therefore new technologies could be added to help the relevance. Given the bullet point style of the text it could be done fairly easily. ","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"The information is written in a way that students should be able to understand. However, the lack of connective text between different bullet points and/or topics will make it hard to form a complete picture of the major topics presented in the book. There isn't enough figures or examples supporting the text. ","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"I pointed out the the inconsistency in the organization in the organization section. Not all topics headers have information associated with them.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I did not have an issue finding specific sections within the book. The outline style of the text makes it easy to find topics.  ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"I don't have an issue with the logical order of the topics. However, Section 6 \"Cell\" and Section 15 \"Genetics\"  appear to be major headings and the following chapters are subsection of the major topic. The authors use of the same numbering between these headings and the other chapters makes for a slightly awkward flow. ","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The lack of figures makes the interface easy. The text is in a straightforward style, thus easy to read.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any glaring errors","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not notice anything offensive. The lack of examples helps the text steer away from controversial topics.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"This book I think is a helpful outline of an introductory course. It can help an instructor who is unsure about the topics that should be covered. It isn't comprehensive enough to be a stand alone resource for a class. ","created_at":"2018-11-29T10:59:31.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-29T10:59:31.000-06:00"},{"id":2431,"first_name":"Sandra","last_name":"Yarema","position":"Assistant Professor, Clinical","institution_name":"Wayne State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book addresses all the important topic areas of biology, but does not provide much detailed information necessary to be the primary text for a comprehensive biology course.  ","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"Content is accurate, but limited.  Using Wikipedia as a resource is not really best scientific practice. ","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"Content is up-to-date, not really detailed enough in cutting-edge discoveries to need updating. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Text is clear, but perhaps not enough detail provided for each topic. More diagrams would be useful.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Terminology and framework consistently adequate.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters are organized in a way to easily subdivide into units of study.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Bullet points and topic designations are useful.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Interface adequate. Font could be larger.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical errors found.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"No culturally insensitive or offensive material noted.  Few inclusive examples provided.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"This could be useful as a review for a general biology course or testing program. Not really detailed or comprehensive enough to use as the primary text for a biology course in a science-based program.","created_at":"2018-11-30T15:01:18.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-30T15:01:18.000-06:00"},{"id":3810,"first_name":"Angela","last_name":"Nugent","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Northeastern Illinois University","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all of the important topics for an introductory biology course. However, the text is missing enough detail and explanation. Some sections were empty and didn't have any information. For most of the text, I felt as if I was reading a vague outline/bullet points from lecture slide notes. Also, the glossary is incomplete and limited/short.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The text just references Wikipedia pages for information (e.g. cell components) instead of providing information in the chapter.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"Copyright is 2015, so it's not the most up to date information. The information covers the bare basics though. Figures also appear outdated where some graphics are poor quality.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"Some bullet points have no explanation provided. I think readers without a solid background in biology might have difficulty reading through the text. I'd be concerned that the professor might need to provide a lot more supplemental instruction/material for the lack of detail in the textbook. In addition, some bullet points and terms are not explained in the text or glossary. Instead the term is referenced to a Wikipedia page in some sections.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The framework between chapters is not consistent.","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"The writing style changes throughout the book, which I personally found disruptive and unfavorable. Some sections were bullet points, whereas others were paragraphs or short single sentences. Also the amount of information/detail varied per section. The various writing styles could maybe appeal to a wider variety of learners, but it was all too inconsistent for me.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall major topics flow in a logical order and were clear in how they were organized. Some sections didn't have any information though. So it wasn't clear why it was present, but didn't have any additional content.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Some images are poor quality.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"Grammatical errors were found.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"The text really seems to just go over the bare basics. Examples are not really inclusive because examples are limited and sparse in general. I was really disappointed to not find more examples.","overall_rating":5,"overall_review":"n/a","created_at":"2020-05-07T21:05:21.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-05-07T21:05:21.000-05:00"},{"id":3929,"first_name":"Ken","last_name":"Kruta","position":"senior visiting lecturer","institution_name":"Bunker Hill Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":2,"comprehensiveness_review":"Although all of the important topics for an Intro to Bio course are listed as chapters, unfortunately, they are often missing information and details.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The chapter references are simply Wikipedia pages.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"It is from 2015 and used Wikipedia as references.","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"In many places it reads like simply a list of bullet points without enough explanation.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"Some of the chapters change stylistic approaches as if collected from different sources/writers.","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"It is customizable, although incomplete in many sections.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"There is a logical flow between chapters.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"Some of the images are of poor quality.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"There are a few grammatical errors throughout the text.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"Almost nonexistent, as info comes from Wikipedia.","overall_rating":5,"overall_review":"I would not chose this as a primary text.  One would need to supply significant supplemental material in order to cover the topics more completely.","created_at":"2020-06-08T10:46:55.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-06-08T10:46:55.000-05:00"},{"id":4524,"first_name":"Nipun","last_name":"Chopra","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"DePauw University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"I think this textbook covers the breadth of Intro Biology well, but, certainly not in a deep enough way to help students along.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"Most of the content is accurate, simply in how brief it is. However, there are significant problems which brings into question the validity of this textbook in Biology courses. Most notably, it considers “Special creation” as an equally valid hypothesis as natural selection, while it is not a hypothesis... as it is largely untestable. The text talks about Miller-Urey as “weak science” without recognizing the recent work at Indiana University confirming his methodology and conclusions. This segment should be re-written by someone who understands evolutionary theory and the Miller-Urey experiment better. It was also surprising to see the use of the word “disproved” in a Bio textbook.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The textbook would be highly update-able as it relies significantly in students reading Wikipedia articles - which are being constantly updated.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"This textbook is essentially  aset of “notes” accompanied by hyperlinks to Wikipedia. There is not enough detail to educate students on important concepts. For example, “fluid mosaic”, is truncated to two sentences without any attached image. This is a notoriously confusing concept that cannot be understood by students without assistance visualizing it. Meanwhile, the section on cell organelles is more expansive - but still far too simplistic. Same overly-simplistic issue of understanding things like protein transport, different protein types, etc. On the other hand, the description of photosynthesis is concise, but informative. Similarly, Mendelian Genetics is described reasonably well, while X-inactivation - another potentially confusing concept - is described in one sentence. Chapter 23 and onwards are better, with students getting a flavor of biodiversity, tissue systems, body plans, basic animal physiology and anatomy in a succinct way.","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The text is somewhat consistent in its format. But significant differences in level of depth across chapters.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The textbook is divided nicely into smaller areas of exploration.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow of the textbook is as logical as any other Biology textbook. No complaints here.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The figures seem rudimentary, and are certainly not high-resolution images.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No noticeable grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Not applicable","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-01-06T09:50:19.000-06:00","updated_at":"2021-01-06T09:50:19.000-06:00"},{"id":33711,"first_name":"Tricia","last_name":"Paramore","position":"Biology instructor and Department Chair","institution_name":"Hutchinson Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"While the book does touch upon many areas, the text reads more like a student notes packet and it fails to address the ecology side of biology.  Ecology makes up one unit of my course, so this book would not work.  The following is written on random pages throughout: \"This text is based on notes very generously donated by Dr. Paul Doerder, Ph.D., of the Cleveland State University.\"  So, it appears that is it really just intended to be a notes packet.","accuracy_rating":2,"accuracy_review":"The bulleted list \"notes packet\" of facts/topics is supported only by links to Wikipedia which is not really a source I would want to encourage students to use on a regular basis.  I'm giving this a 2/5 primarily because of the lack of detail in the \"text\" and sole use of Wikipedia for diagrams and other information.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"This book relies on Wikipedia information to be up-to-date.","clarity_rating":2,"clarity_review":"This isn't really written like a textbook, but more as a notes packet for students.  Bare bones facts, no diagrams included in the text (just Wiki links).  There would be some value to adding in transitional information to help tie together topics.","consistency_rating":2,"consistency_review":"The style of \"writing\" is consistent.  Bulleted list, outline format.  Some pages/topics are blank, though.","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"Given that this is a notes packet, it is easily divisible into smaller sections, as a lecture might be.  The missing information and the lack of details are both problems for me, though.","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"Yes, but a lot of information is missing.  For instance, Chapter 12's coverage of fermentation is virtually non-existent.","interface_rating":1,"interface_review":"The lack of diagrams within the text and use of Wikipedia links is a concern.","grammatical_rating":3,"grammatical_review":"Much is written in bulleted notes format.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"I didn't notice issues with cultural sensitivity.","overall_rating":4,"overall_review":"Overall, this is not a \"book\" that I would use or recommend.  The fact that it is just a notes packet and is missing a lot of detail, missing all diagrams that can help students understand processes, etc., makes it a no for me.","created_at":"2022-03-02T15:05:22.000-06:00","updated_at":"2022-03-02T15:05:22.000-06:00"},{"id":35558,"first_name":"Paul","last_name":"Bankole","position":"Assistant Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Anderson University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book is not as comprehensive as it should be. The topics covered require much elaboration beyond the way they're presented in their current form. To improve students/learners' experience, I expect that thoughtful examples, structures, diagrams, and illustrations will be given on some topics which was not covered. The section on Genetics was repeated while important aspects of Biology, like Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, were almost left out. Additionally, the bulk of the primary citation source was Wikipedia, which makes the compilation not so robust and extensive.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The accuracy of the content is not top-notch. There were a few gaps here and there in the text. The text is incomprehensible as a result of a lack of cogent details needed to have a full background of each topic. For instance, I would expect the author to elaborate more on the definition and types of enzymes","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The textbook is relevant. However, because the bulk of the text's primary sources are Wikipedia, it needs to be constantly updated","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The depth of information presented per topic is shallow. However, this could be significantly improved with relevant charts, tables, illustrations, diagrams, and figures. For instance, the structure of the macromolecules, the enzyme types, and different genetic crosses indicate inheritance of different traits will have made the text more informative","consistency_rating":3,"consistency_review":"The sections were haphazardly presented as there were no clear headings, sub-headings, and the information under them was not presented for good understanding","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"The textbook is appropriately sectioned into bits for a great scientific experience and learning","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow from one topic to another in the textbook is quite understandable. However, I feel photosynthesis should have been presented well ahead of respiration","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"As earlier stated, the book's interface fell short of what is expected of a standard Biology text as it lacks necessary charts, figures, tables, illustrations, and diagrams to improve the user, consumer, learner, and student experience","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No noticeable grammatical errors were observed","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"No cultural insensitivities were observed throughout the textbook","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"The book is relatively shallow as it lacks the necessary details and information on each topic. It could at best serve as notes and highlights on major topics in Biology and not as a standard Biology textbook","created_at":"2025-06-30T09:59:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-06-30T09:59:22.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/general-biology","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:02:21.000-06:00"},{"id":350,"title":"Biofundamentals 2.0","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2015,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":null,"accessibility_features":["unknown"],"description":"Our goal is to present the key observations andunifying concepts upon which modern biology isbased; it is not a survey of all biology! Onceunderstood, these foundational observations andconcepts should enable you to approach any biologicalprocess, from disease to kindness, from a scientificperspective. To understand biological systems we need toconsider them from two complementary perspectives;how they came to be (the historic, that is, evolutionary) and how their structures, traits, and behaviors areproduced (the mechanistic, that is, the physicochemical).","contributors":[{"id":3831,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Michael","middle_name":"W.","last_name":"Klymkowsky","location":"University of Colorado","background_text":"Michael W. Klymkowsky, PhD is a biology professor at University of Colorado. Over the past few decades, his interests have evolved from membrane-enveloped bacterial viruses, through acetylcholine receptor structure and synaptic assembly, to the organization and function of the cytoskeleton, specifically intermediate filaments and the role of adhesion proteins in the regulation of gene expression."},{"id":3832,"contribution":"Author","primary":false,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Melanie","middle_name":"M.","last_name":"Cooper","location":"Michigan State University","background_text":"Melanie M. Cooper is a professor in the Chemistry department at Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI"}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":263,"url":"http://virtuallaboratory.colorado.edu/Biofundamentals/Biofundamentals.pdf","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-01-02T22:23:08.000-06:00","name":"Michael Klymkowsky, Melanie Cooper"}],"formats":[{"id":434,"type":"PDF","url":"http://virtuallaboratory.colorado.edu/Biofundamentals/Biofundamentals.pdf","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"3.5","textbook_reviews_count":6,"reviews":[{"id":815,"first_name":"Cheryl","last_name":"Neudauer","position":"Biology Faculty","institution_name":"Minneapolis Community and Technical College","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"This ten-chapter, 220-page, pdf textbook covers many topics that are usually found in a general biology textbook.  These include scientific thinking, life’s diversity and origins, evolution, reactions, membranes and energy, heredity, proteins, genes, and social systems.  Using the Table of Contents and the Acrobat Find tool, topics such as cell cycle, phases of mitosis and meiosis, cellular signaling, and epigenetics were not found.  The book starts with a three-page Table of Contents, but there is not an index nor glossary at the end of the book.   Although the textbook has some diagrams and figures to help illustrate concepts, more visuals of experiments and biological structures and processes would be helpful.  I noticed one figure citation, but the source of the others figures is unclear.  The Preface notes the use of footnotes so students can delve into topics in more detail, and web links are often provided (some with brief descriptions and some without); adding additional links to help students understand and/or visualize key concepts would be helpful.  Within each chapter are thought-provoking “Questions to answer and ponder.”  There are many terms in the textbook, and it would be helpful if these were highlighted within the text and/or placed into another feature (e.g., list at the start or end of a chapter).  The Preface also notes that there are foundational observations that apply to biological systems, and the material is often presented with explanations of experiments that helped to understand the concepts.  This is helpful to show students that our knowledge was developed through experimentation, however, students may get overwhelmed by the details and miss the main concepts. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The chapters I read seem to have accurate information.  Many of the footnote links are to Wikipedia pages which are not always accurate.  I noticed one footnote that stated “video with lost of misspelled words;” finding another video or resource could help decrease student confusion.  The material is presented in the textbook with scientific objectivity.  ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This book mainly includes historical experiments and well-accepted concepts in biology, so this information will likely not need to be updated.  There are many web links in the footnotes and some within the text, and these often need to be updated.  ","clarity_rating":1,"clarity_review":"This book has very high cognitive load.  There are many long paragraphs, and the main point of each may not be clear to students.  The text is packed with many scientific terms, and some are not defined until later sentences or paragraphs.   Some of the scientific and non-scientific terminology is very advanced for an introductory textbook and would likely be more appropriate for an upper-level or graduate-level textbook.  There are many non-scientific words that are not part of the daily vocabulary of students in an introductory course, and this would present a particular challenge to English-language learners.  Some definitions are unclear; for example, cytologists are defined as “students of the cell.”  Students at this level would need more help differentiating main concepts and key ideas from supporting details.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Based on the Table of Contents, and chapter sections and subsections appear to be consistent.  The presentation of the material between chapters also seems to be consistent.  Which terms and the way terms are defined within the text is not always consistent.  For example, some terms are defined on first use, and others are defined later.  Chapter one has the term stochastic in parentheses after random in one paragraph and after noisy in the next then refers to stochastic events, behaviors, and processes; this may confuse students unfamiliar with this term.  In a later chapter, when noting that X-rays caused mutations, X-rays are defined but not mutations.  ","modularity_rating":2,"modularity_review":"Although each chapter is broken down with subheadings, it may be difficult to assign parts of a chapter or only some chapters or to rearrange the order of the material.  For example, historical experiments are presented in a timed sequence.  The book is uses a lot of terminology that is not usually re-defined in later chapters.  For example, chapter 7 on heredity uses terms such as chromosome, eukaryote, mutation, enzymes, catalysis, hydrophobic, monomer, hypomorphic, etc.  To improve the modularly, terms would need to be redefined or easily accessible (e.g., a glossary or supplement).","organization_rating":2,"organization_review":"This book is like many others where concepts are built upon one another, and the chapters have a logical sequence of topics.  Since the text includes many terms and concepts, students may focus on these and have trouble discerning the main points.  This could be improved with clear section introductions and conclusions and features such as lists of key concepts or main ideas.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"I did not have any problems opening the pdf in browsers or downloading it.  Reading it in Acrobat provided easier navigation.  Since there were not titles or chapter numbers on each page, it was often difficult to know where I was within the text.  The Preface refers to being able to read the text through the nota bene system, however, it was unclear how to access this.  It also refers to beSocrative activities and provides a link, however, a login and password were required for access.  The figures were small, and the text was difficult to read and sometimes fuzzy.  Word clouds were often used, and the smaller words could not be read even after zooming.  There were no figure numbers which would make it difficult to direct students to certain figures or separate them from the text.  The figures could be improved by providing legends, especially for students without a lot of experience with graphs and scientific figures.  ","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any major grammatical errors.  There were a few small typos in the text, for example “eon” instead of “one, missing spaces between words or sentences, or extra periods.  These were easy for me to identify as simple typos, but they may create an additional challenge, especially for English-language learners (e.g., a student might think “andin” or “allelecan” are words they have not yet learned).","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"Chapter 1 uses ableist language by referring to a scientist as “mad” and includes an image and also does not replace the description or image with something more realistic.  In the next paragraph, it is stated that intelligent design creationism is “extremely unlikely to be true” and “can be safely ignored” which might “turn off” students who hold these beliefs.  One figure includes the word “bullshit” which might be offensive to some students, and the humor may not be understood by students who do not use this term as part of their culture.\n\nTo present how biological concepts were understood, the textbook often names researchers and describes their experiments, and all of the examples I read were white men (there is also a link to a video about Watson and Crick, however, there is controversy about his and Crick’s interactions with Rosalind Franklin, and James Watson has made racist remarks.)\n\nThere is an opportunity to use examples that can engage students and connect to their lives.  For example, chapter 1 uses historical physics experiments to demonstrate the importance of the scientific process; using more recent, newsworthy, biological experiments with which students are familiar would help to engage them while teaching them some biological concepts.  Using examples that are relevant to the populations of students we serve could also be helpful to engage students and connect their learning (for example, sickle-cell anemia as an example of a genetic disease linked to malaria, rather than skin color as many students believe).  Chapter 7 uses lactose intolerance as an example, and there is an opportunity to discuss the co-evolution of genes and culture in Africa and Europe.","overall_rating":6,"overall_review":"The book starts by focusing on scientific thinking and then the authors use descriptions of experiments throughout the book to demonstrate how concepts were worked out.   The remainder of the text covers many general biology topics in a fairly typical manner.  However, there are fewer pedagogical features (e.g., glossary, outcomes, summaries) than most traditional textbooks.  I was not able to access the beSocratic activities so cannot comment on the supplements to the text.  The Preface notes that students spend too much time learning vocabulary and use terms such as analyze, identify critical factors, make predictions, dissect critical factors, and the “Questions to think and ponder” test these skills, but the material is not presented in a way to help students develop these important skills.  This book accurately presents the content, and instructors could supplement it to help students develop learning strategies to critically think about the material.","created_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2016-12-05T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1304,"first_name":"L.K.","last_name":"Tuominen","position":"Community Faculty","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is intended for use as a two-semester introductory biology sequence.  The authors address the nature of science and three main theories in biology – physicochemical basis of life, cell theory, and evolution.  (Although not directly noted in the authors’ statement, it also addresses the central dogma of genetics.)  This focus on comprehensive explanatory theories makes the text scientifically elegant.  This text also evidences an ongoing trend in introductory biology sequences in which the area of biology probably most relevant to human sustainability in the 21st century – ecology – falls by the wayside to be picked up later, sometimes only by that subset of biology majors focusing on organismal and/or environmental themes.  The authors are honest about the lack of full coverage and note on the title page that the current version of the text is a draft.  Based on its current length, the full textbook could probably be used in a one-semester introductory course on molecular and evolutionary themes in biology.  \n\nI found the authors’ advocacy for scientific elegance compelling, especially the decision to recognize the theoretical coherence of biology on the same terms that researchers have constructed it.  The discussion of the nature of science is more comprehensive than I have seen in other texts at the introductory level.  Where evolution intersects with ecology content, the latter is addressed to some extent, but it is never granted its own domain.  For example, underlying genetic and evolutionary mechanisms for the generation and maintenance of biodiversity are presented, but the role of environment in biodiversity and how biodiversity is measured are not addressed.  By contrast, the details of ecological topics such as population growth have been omitted, in favor of topics that may be more relevant to upper level courses (e.g., behavioral biology, quorum sensing, systems biology).  Overall, I see this text as most useful for introductory courses in specialized biology majors that explicitly exclude ecology.  For faculty who prefer a text that more adequately represents ecology as a subfield of biology, I would suggest one using a “core themes” approach, such as Campbell Biology or Integrating Concepts in Biology.","accuracy_rating":3,"accuracy_review":"The content accuracy varies.  This is a problem for an introductory-level textbook, since students at this level are the most likely to take authors’ words at face value.  As an extreme example, the authors claim that panspermia “assumes that advanced aliens brought (or left) life on Earth” in Chapter 2.  A quick Wikipedia check reveals this to be an unnecessarily limited and distorted presentation of the topic.  The underlying idea that panspermia does not directly address the question of biogenesis is clearly correct, but the misrepresentation of the idea of panspermia and the fact that the authors weight that portion of the topic more heavily in terms of word count risks introducing a misconception and/or derailing the underlying point.  For a more subtle example, the discussion of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium does not seem to fully recognize the relationship between the equation and neutral theory, instead emphasizing the fact that the underlying assumptions of the equation are, in practice, never really met.  By contrast, more foundational concepts in cell and molecular biology, such as membrane function or the relationships among genes, alleles, and mutations, are addressed accurately.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The authors are taking on the challenge of “teaching in the midst of a scientific revolution,” presenting an array of conventional topics in introductory biology through an alternative organization:  more deeply integrating genetics with evolution, and including topics that now have enough evidence to support a textbook treatment (e.g., genome dynamics, origins of multicellularity).  The current draft does not have longevity simply because it is, as stated by the authors on the title page, a draft.  However, it is already evident that a final draft of the text has strong potential for helping to further the ongoing conversation about how to teach to the paradigm in process as a result of the genomic revolution.  That later draft is likely to have good longevity.\n\nThe text uses extensive footnotes, many of which refer to internet-based articles and resources; to improve the text’s longevity, it may be helpful to use permanent object identifiers or print references as alternatives to direct URLs.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The prose is generally conversational, but technical, in tone, and the authors’ use of humor prevents the text from becoming too dry.  I imagine that some of my previous students would need to put in extra reading time to fully grasp some of the denser technical sections, as many novices must put in effort to develop their understanding of terminology at the introductory level.  Well-prepared students are more likely to be able to succeed with this text.  \n\nOne other feature that would aid the clarity of this text greatly is to develop computer-generated images with captions and to increase the size of most figures.  The hand-drawn figures present in several sections can be difficult to read, and many other figures are too small to easily interpret.  Especially in discussions of phylogenetic trees, additional figures to show (rather than only tell) how to interpret such diagrams would be beneficial.  “Tree thinking” is known to be a challenge area for student understanding, and providing multiple modes of instruction may help students grasp the topic more easily.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text is generally consistent, although the organization of the text produces some redundancy (see more in “Organization/Structure/Flow”).  As previously mentioned, the formatting of images varies in terms of size, quality, and captioning.  The formatting of footnotes also shows some variation.  The text might benefit from supplying an index and set of works referenced at the end, which could allow for a more consistent and comprehensive approach to citing items in the footnotes.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The table of contents call out each chapter as well as two levels of subheadings in all of the longer chapters.  Individual chapters allow for easy reorganization of course content.  As described in Organization/Structure/Flow, some instructors may wish to rearrange the text to place the chapters on evolution after those on genetics.  The subheadings allow for useful break-points to divide a topic across multiple days or weeks.  Furthermore, many subsections are concluded with a brief set of “Questions to Answer” and “Questions to Ponder.”  This provides useful out-of-class activities to help students take a “review break” from their reading while more actively building their understanding.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The organization of introductory biology topics in a comprehensive format is a challenging task for any author.  Biology as a field tends to resist neat conceptualizations by scale hierarchies or a process orientation, as other features disrupt these conceptualizations (e.g., evolution in scale hierarchies, systematics in process orientation).  The “nature of science” introductory chapter is a common approach for many introductory textbooks and works quite well here.  The text proceeds with three chapters related to cell theory, biogenesis, and evolution, which together create a coherent unit.  Chapters 5-8 form a second coherent unit, moving from introductory biochemistry through membranes, energy metabolism, and the central dogma of genetics.  This presentation is essentially in the reverse order from many other texts, and this leads to a disjointed feel in some parts of the first “unit” as the authors work to provide the underlying genetic context for evolutionary processes (e.g., genes, alleles, types of mutations), and as the organismal focus of Chapter 4 shifts abruptly to the molecular scale in Chapter 5.  For comparison, The Tangled Bank (Zimmer 2009) also recently explored new ways of “leading with evolution” in an introductory level textbook.  While Zimmer's text has a more coherent organization overall, it appeared to be designed for a one semester course and excluded many common introductory biochemistry and cellular biology topics presented in the present text.\n\nChapters 10-14 all have potential relevance in an introductory level course, especially Chapter 11, which addresses cellular level processes in meiosis and sexual reproduction.  At this time, these last four chapters have a “work in progress” feel and will likely be more complete in a later draft.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"In the PDF format, many of the images and diagrams seem to be tightly worked into the text in order to save space.  Most do not have any title or explanatory text.  It would likely be helpful to give more space to the images and diagrams that are most important to demonstrating core principles, and to give them clear titles and/or headings to help students understand their intended purpose.  Images and diagrams that act more as examples could be treated more incidentally.","grammatical_rating":2,"grammatical_review":"Errors in spelling and grammar regularly arise throughout the text.  In some cases these errors are severe enough to interfere with the reader’s understanding, particularly if the reader is also an English language learner.  Since the authors state that this is a draft in progress, this is to be expected.  A careful review by a professional science editor would be helpful once the final draft is ready for review.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The introductory heading “A Biofundamentalist Approach” is one that needs clarifying and/or tempering.  While someone passingly familiar with scientism is able to interpret the intended meaning, it would likely be unclear to a novice whether that phrasing is intended to advocate for, speak out against, or merely highlight the “biofundamentalist” approach.  The authors’ approach of addressing scientism alongside pseudoscience is one I believe to be a best practice in discussing the nature of science.  Clarity is needed when this is done, since scientism typically receives less attention and some science educators may be unfamiliar with the concept.  Due to its similarity to sectarian descriptions such as “Christian fundamentalist,” the use of the term “biofundamentalist” could also potentially raise negative prejudices from those who are highly religious as well as those who are highly atheist.\n\nThe description of trans-scientific issues provides a brief but well-balanced discussion of the complex issues related to gender autonomy, human population growth, and industrialization.  The use of the phrase “female autonomy” instead of “women’s autonomy” in this discussion may be offensive to some audiences.\n\nIn the discussion of species, the mention of “populations, races, and subspecies” shows up in a few places, but little context is provided to distinguish among these.  The authors have an important opportunity to distinguish between the use of “race” as a biological term and “race” as a social construction, and this could be achieved either in this section or in the unfinished chapter on human genetics.  See the 2015 article by B.M. Donovan in Science Education for more on the need to address this challenge.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"This was a difficult text to review, as it has been made publicly available while in draft form.  Most of the numerical scores I have given here are influenced by the fact that the draft is incomplete and unpolished.  I look forward to seeing the final version of this text in the future!","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1781,"first_name":"Nike","last_name":"Olabisi","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"University of Delaware","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book titled Biofundamentals is designed to engage introductory biology students on the core concepts in biology. It begins with an emphasis on how to approach scientific thinking to an analysis of individual points of view and political and social opinion. My opinion is that this book does a good job of presenting some of the typical subjects that would be covered in an introductory biology course in an extensive manner without going to the excessive detail that many traditional textbooks do. The first chapter includes a detailed discourse on scientific methods in a way that challenges common non-scientific ideas and subsequently weaves in genetic variation and evolution into an intricate discourse of thermodynamics and energetics.  The story of the cell theory, DNA and genomes are then subsequently introduced in a way that connects it to the previous themes in the book further removing the topical divides that often give students a very segregated view of interwoven biological, chemical and physical principles. There is not much on cell structure and function clearly defined and organic molecules role in the cell which I consider to also be fundamental concepts.  Much as comprehensiveness is desired, while considering the textbook, the authors' stated and implied objectives, imply the content will be compressed. However, it does have a lot more content in some areas than the implied  title \"fundamentals\". I also think a strong glossary of terms should have been included in each chapter, because it is dense in terminology and concepts which tends to be overwhelming. Overall a good comprehensive text on the topics included. ","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The book is overall, quite accurate in its scientific content. This is further strengthened by including hyperlinks within the document to papers and reference material and even short videos and animations that give a simplified yet convincing support to the concepts covered in the book. It also offers the readers an opportunity to make the choice for further exploration or not. This could have been utilized extensively to condense the content by not including too much information which could overwhelm student readers. In addition, some of the authors opinions were kind of a more philosophical commentary that were premised on the authors point of view and should have been clearly stated as such. I particularly enjoyed the discussion on sexual selection since I teach and online course that includes this topic and found it was well written. The comment casually included stating sorry no plants(page 262) actually underscores many students resistance to learning about plants. My comment would be to actually include examples of all organisms and especially plants which students tend to discount as uninteresting. Since it is titled fundamentals of biology, this should include all living organisms as case studies when appropriate as was done with bacteria and other model organisms.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book is relevant and does an excellent job of linking the past to the present/future. Including interesting aspects of science and society also makes this book applicable to current issues such as genetics of race, inheritance of traits, selection and the ideas of social evolution and the abuse of some of this principles in historical times. A discourse on the original purpose of gene editing CRISPER CAS 9 system is also a good way to tie into something currently in heavy use in research and now in biomedical interventions in disease. The extensive discourse of some historical discoveries could be greatly condensed or hyperlinked to give readers the option of further reading if needed. I do not think the book will be obsolete and it is implied to have a continued editing intent which would be a plus for this e-format.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is well written and while it has adequate content, my thoughts are that this can be further edited to minimize the detail. The book's stated goal is to present key concepts which is supported in the content choice however, the detail can tend to be excessive for the desired approach. In terms of clarity, the content is well delivered. Some of the questions for discussion might be a little challenging and sometimes ambiguous for the \"novice\" student who is not an expert in the field. Again, including an index of words or preferably hyperlink to a glossary within the text would be a great complement to the current structure.  Finally, some of the end of chapter 'questions to answer' cannot be easily answered by just going through the text content without guidance. Also, the 'questions to ponder' seem designed for higher order thinking skills, so including links to a hint in the text or external resource would be nice. This way, students can accurately approach these without it being to open ended and hard to tackle. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book is consistent in terminology and framework. The authors intent to link the historical was clearly seen in every chapter and in some more than others, the link to the traits and behaviors are also considered. Some chapters are still being edited as was mentioned, but the text is in a very good workable edition as it is. The evidence based approach to learning science was also visible in some chapters that described the classical experiments and what we can apply from those currently.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"In terms of being modular, I do like the section headings and organization of the book. This should allow instructors to extract a portion of interest to assign or include as a guided discussion. In some ways, the content order may need to be modified just like every other textbook in the market. The instructors' thought processes or flow may not be aligned to the authors. This could then be realigned and the book seems relatively flexible to do so. For example in the evolution modules in earlier chapters, alleles and even linkage were mentioned and discussed before genetics topic defined those terms, which came much later after a detour to energy and systems. I would say good enough to reorder as one chooses with some limitations.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The topical content of the text is well developed and has a logical thought flow. The authors followed the theme of historic/evolutionary to population genetics. Although, it really extends the social and philosophical aspects of science with the analysis. It does a good job of delineating the selected topics but some concepts are fundamental to biology and yet excluded (which might be saved for the other part of the sequence that is yet to be published). The paragraphs are sometimes long and dense in terms of content. I would utilize the idea of they hyperlinks that is included to expand ideas rather than too much detail included in the text. A good example of this is on page 270 where links extend the idea being discussed on Caulobacter with a link to \"want to learn more\"? There are a few other examples of this but I really think more could be done to condense while not loosing key ideas. ","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"No navigation issues or display problems with the pdf file. Images seem to be hand sketched or computer drawn for the most part which adds a personal touch to the content. This is a deviation from the overly complicated and detailed imagery in most commercial biology textbooks which often overwhelms students. I think in many ways this is more of something students could relate with, although some of the images could do with a little more annotation. I also felt some content could have been minimized in favor of the image doing \"most\" of the explaining since many individuals are visual learners. Since it is a pdf file, one could zoom in to see an image magnified if required even though they were small. An 'image bank' file would be a good complement for people to develop presentation slides if they choose to. Many figures do not have a legend! If it is designed to model the nature of science, this is not a good example of how scientists present figures. The legend is an essential part of scientific figures and should be incorporated in all images. The links I clicked on seemed to work and directed me to the appropriate page, although I did not click on all of them It would have been nice to have the links take you to a different tab or at least return to the page you were on before the link. it took me back to the first page instead. Overall good interface.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The grammar was okay. I did not notice major issue just minor typos interspersed in the text which have minimal  errors, This implies some first round editing was done even though it indicated to still be work in progress with editions still being made.  ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"There are not sufficient human images used in the book to assess this carefully but should be considered as it is being developed. The examples are neutral enough and many other model organisms were emphasized not just humans. Confronting the \"wrong usage of science\" in past society such as eugenics was well addressed but using the word BS on page 11 I don't think is a good idea for the issue of cultural relevance. Also, the discounting language used in controversial evolutionary topics could be toned down so as not to turn off a reader whose interest we would like to keep long enough to engage them in the scientific thought process. The discourse on variation of skin color and relation to vitamin D and climate is a broadly used example, however, a suggestion would be a link to HHMI bio interactive resource on the genetics of skin color which would be a good complement. Another comment is that because of the historical details included, which highlight the single \"big name' scientists like Newton, Darwin etc,, there should probably be a more robust mention of how science is ultimately very collaborative. This should include an emphasis on the need for diverse points of view in that group. Students who are struggling with their sense of identity as \"scientists\" often validate this insecurity when such images are portrayed and they do not feel like a genius. Besides, this the examples seem okay.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The book is well written and aligns well with its stated goals of presenting some fundamental ideas of biology while incorporating the often unclear bridges to physics and chemistry(the influence a a chemist as a co-author is clearly seen and a great complement to the text). The personal approach to the dialogue is also a great touch where authors interjected by expressing as a thought or question, a common contradictory idea that a reader might have, and then clarifying it. I personally find this text too comprehensive in its detail in light of what was stated as the goals. While the authors are probably trying to ensure that a lot a breath is covered, to meet implicit content demands, it could easily overwhelm the reader which is counter productive. Some chapters contain lot of details that are actually beyond fundamentals since they include detailed descriptions and analyses of the scientific content. This would essentially bring it back to the same product as commercially published science texts, if attention is not given to the mission of the book. There is clearly an audience interested in that format which deals with the essentials for an introductory biology course. This information overload is more evident in the historical presentations as well as some of other subtopics.  The unique features for this book, includes the authors approach to discussing the scientific method in an applicable way and also the discourse on the influence of genetics on social systems (among others) which were nicely presented. Overall, I would recommend this book for use as part of an introductory biology sequence and I am satisfied with the content. ","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1795,"first_name":"Seth","last_name":"Hunt","position":"Preceptor","institution_name":"University of Delaware","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is comprehensive in that it contains the general topics that are likely to be covered within one semester of an introductory biology course that includes molecular and cellular levels.  The text broadly covers evolution, molecular basis for life, central dogma, and energy metabolism.\n\nAs the authors describe in the introduction for the text, the book overall is purposefully written in a general manner.  It lacks the details that many other introductory biology textbooks contain that all too often confuse students and steer them away from understanding the larger themes that unify the biological disciplines.\n\nNeither an index nor a glossary are provided with this text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The text gives a fairly general overview of the concepts typically covered.  Because many of the detailed concepts are kept out of the text, the accuracy of the book is high.","relevance_rating":3,"relevance_review":"The text uses extensive hyperlinking to websites and other valuable resources that help to further describe or add context to the concepts.  This introduces the fact though that inevitably these hyperlinks will need to be updated as time progresses.  In that aspect, the textbook's longevity is limited.\n\nThe authors do incorporate modern techniques (particularly in the chapters pertaining to genetic bioinformatics).  Theoretically, these techniques may be phased out as technology increases over time.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The textbook's prose is comparable to most other textbooks written for the same level.  As it's more generally written than other textbooks, Biofundamentals 2.0 doesn't contain a tremendous amount of jargon or technical terminology and only uses those terms when absolutely needed for clarity.\n\nFigures are often difficult to discern as captions are not provided and annotations are only sporadically used.  Figures sometimes appear to be provided for more decorative reasons rather than to be truly informative.  There are instances where a diagram or chart would be helpful to further explain the concepts that are being described in the text.\n\nHaving said that, the word clouds at the beginning of every chapter are a good way for students to check their understanding of the overall concepts being presented in the text and to also help them structure any note-taking at the start.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text follows a format of writing and organization that is repeated for every chapter.  Once familiar initial, the text is easy to navigate as a result.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"While the organization of the chapters as they currently are in this textbook lends itself to how students should use it, each chapter could still be used in isolation and the chapters could easily be used separately as needed.  \n\nIn addition, every page has between 1 and 2 subheadings so as to help the reading separate the information into smaller, digestible blocks.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The organization of the overarching concepts is somewhat different than the traditional introductory biology texts.  The first four chapters cover evolution.  I honestly like this approach as it sets a strong tone of evolution as the unifying theme that connects all of the various biological disciplines.\n\nThe text then continues through the more traditional route of the molecular basis for life, energy metabolism, and then central dogma.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The book is fairly easy to navigate.  Images appear as probably intended as they don’t appear to show any sort of distortion.\n\nImages and figures don’t have accompanying captions and tend to have little to no annotation.  The reader must instead sort through the text itself to find the caption (as shown by a directional arrow).  This decreases the effectiveness of the text being used as a quick reference guide when spot checking concepts.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"Care seems to have been taken during the editing process as the text appears to be free of grammatical errors.  \n\nThere is a figure that appears to have been reversed as the annotation provided on it shows the mirror image instead.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Like other biology textbooks, this text also incorporates the already established pillars of the scientific field.  They do a fairly good job of describing the context in which many of these scientists performed their research which allows for the reader to gain a more thorough understanding of science as a process.  \n\nOverall, though, the focus of the book is less on who did the research and more on what research was actually performed and how those results have increased our understanding of the natural world and biological systems.  And, as a result, the cultural relevance issue is somewhat avoided.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"The text provides a preface that could be incredibly useful for students if used appropriately.  The preface describes science as a way of interpreting the world around us and then details how biology specifically is different from other the other scientific disciplines of biology and chemistry.  The authors then discuss their general teaching philosophy and how the organization and level of detail provided for the concepts are meant to support students as they are learning to understand the unifying themes in biology.\n\nAll too often, textbook authors create material and expect that the know exactly how the text is intended to be interacted with and used.  It seems that Klymkowsky and Cooper have considered the use of this textbook from a learner’s perspective.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1935,"first_name":"Todd","last_name":"Kelson","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Brigham Young University Idaho","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers the main concepts of an Introductory Biology course. The audience it's designed for is appropriate for the content covered. With that being said, it is not meant to be a book that covers every topic in great detail. I would not use this book as a primary source for my course, I would use it as a supplement because the student is unable to glean all the content from just this one book. There is no index or glossary with this book.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate, considering it is not exhaustive in its breadth. The authors do state that the molecular biology section is updated as new content is learned. There were a few typos, which is to be expected in an early edition of a new book - I assume these will disappear as more eyes review it.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This textbook encourages its readers to learn how to explain scientific concepts, to critically analyze data, and to argue scientifically. Core ideas are repeated through-out the book. It is timely in that it includes new findings (such as genomic sequence data) as they are published. Because it is published online, the ability to update the data in real time is an advantage to this type of book.","clarity_rating":3,"clarity_review":"The verbiage is for a high end student, one who is accustomed to an expanded vocabulary. I imagine that this textbook would be more difficult for the average college reader.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Each chapter follows the same format in how it introduces the topic, gives detailed information, then concludes. There is also a section with questions to answer at the end of each chapter. The student will know what to expect in each chapter and will quickly become habituated with the sequence of information presentation. ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"I'm not convinced that each chapter is stand alone, each chapter seems to build on previous information in the book. This would make it more difficult to study any chapter out of order or to eliminate any one given section in a chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The approach of this book is to begin with the origin of life, followed by evolution. As one reads the chapter, one is lead to identify facts and over-arching concepts. This follows a logical game plan with observation discussed first followed by response. There is a level of physics and chemistry background to this book; however, the terms are simplified so that the average reader without a strong physicochemical background can still learn from its text.","interface_rating":2,"interface_review":"There are links to videos that make the transition from book to animation seamless; however, the figures in this book are few and without much detail. For the visual learner, this textbook has many drawbacks. The paucity of well drawn and adequately explained figures and images is a major drawback. Some of the figures found herein are small in size without much detail included.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"There were few grammar errors that I noticed, but it was written above the level of an average college student. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"Key observations were discussed with reference made to evolution and physicochemical properties. However, there were not a lot of examples used to explain these observations. I would like to see more real world applications made to the concepts so that they are more relevant to the outside world.","overall_rating":7,"overall_review":"This textbook is suitable as a secondary source of information. I think it would accompany an active learning strategy in which the teacher uses it to encourage class discussion and deeper thinking/learning. However, to use it simply to gather the content necessary to lead a discussion is beyond the scope of this book.","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2411,"first_name":"Cecilia","last_name":"Bouaichi","position":"Teaching Assistant","institution_name":"Florida State University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Our professor has been instructing us as teaching assistants to really quiz the students on why they’re using specific reagents and why they’re performing certain techniques throughout each lab. Some students really have a hard time answering these questions because they don’t have a solid base of molecular biology. Chapters 6-8 would be great tools for my students to read. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I saw no grammatical or informational errors throughout the textbook.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Many students need a variety of learning materials to really grasp a concept. A lot of my students have a hard time with how DNA is extracted, isolated, and further visualized. This textbook would be a wonderful aid in helping them better understand what they’re doing and why they’re doing certain steps in a lab. I thought that they had a better background of DNA and genetics, but they don’t know many of the basics that they should to really know what they’re doing in the lab.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book read well for me, and I believe that the terminology would be clear enough for my students as well. I have freshman students all the way up to senior students, and I think that despite the age and maturity gap, this textbook was written very well for all intellectual levels. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"It did not seem like there were different writing styles or any other inconsistencies present throughout the textbook. ","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"This is the one section of the textbook that I believe could be improved. More often than not, I wish that the book had broken down the material into smaller sections. ","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"This textbook in particular does a great job of laying out the various approaches to learning biology in the opening pages. I like how it breaks the textbook up into two parts. The first part focuses on the basics, the fundamentals of biology as the title says. The second part delves into more molecular biology and genetic technologies. Our labs throughout the semester follow the same pattern, we teach our students the basics of biology and then go more into the specifics of molecular biology.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Nothing throughout the textbook was confusing. I thought that the table of contents at the beginning was very clear and allowed for easy navigation. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There were no grammatical errors that I saw.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not feel like this textbook was culturally insensitive in any way. ","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"As a teaching assistant for BIO2010 Lab, I chose Biofundamentals to review. I believe that this textbook could be a great asset for my students to accompany their current reading material in their lab manuals. Many of them have informed me that they do not even have a textbook for the lecture part of their course, and some of them are not even enrolled in the lecture part of the course. If we were to assign readings out of this textbook, their background knowledge of basic biology would be greatly enhanced.","created_at":"2018-11-28T08:29:30.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-11-28T08:29:30.000-06:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/biofundamentals-2-0","updated_at":"2024-04-01T08:04:22.000-05:00"},{"id":404,"title":"Microbiology","edition_statement":null,"volume":null,"copyright_year":2016,"isbn10":null,"isbn13":null,"license":"Attribution","language":"eng","accessibility_statement":"","accessibility_features":[],"description":"Microbiology covers the scope and sequence requirements for a single-semester microbiology course for non-majors. The book presents the core concepts of microbiology with a focus on applications for careers in allied health. The pedagogical features of the text make the material interesting and accessible while maintaining the career-application focus and scientific rigor inherent in the subject matter. Microbiology's art program enhances students' understanding of concepts through clear and effective illustrations, diagrams, and photographs.","contributors":[{"id":3992,"contribution":"Author","primary":true,"corporate":false,"title":null,"first_name":"Nina","middle_name":null,"last_name":"Parker","location":"Shenandoah University","background_text":"Dr. N. Parker is dedicated to work in a collegiate academic environment to provide a foundation of knowledge for a lifetime of learning to undergraduate and graduate students primarily in the areas of Health Care Professions, Microbiology and Immunology. Incorporates problem based learning in classes to assist students to develop critical decision and analytical problem solving skills. Trains students in the laboratory to become competent and proficient in skills routinely used in Microbiology and Immunology. Includes training students in professional and ethical behavior in the workplace in both the classroom and laboratory."}],"subjects":[{"id":37,"name":"Biology","parent_subject_id":8,"call_number":"QH308.2","visible_textbooks_count":88,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology"},{"id":8,"name":"Natural Sciences","parent_subject_id":null,"call_number":"QH301","visible_textbooks_count":252,"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/natural-sciences"}],"publishers":[{"id":308,"url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/microbiology","year":null,"created_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-09-07T12:22:38.000-05:00","name":"OpenStax CNX"}],"formats":[{"id":1008,"type":"Online","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/microbiology","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null},{"id":1009,"type":"PDF","url":"https://openstax.org/details/books/microbiology","price":{"cents":0,"currency_iso":"USD"},"isbn":null}],"rating":"4.5","textbook_reviews_count":26,"reviews":[{"id":957,"first_name":"Wanda","last_name":"Haberer","position":"Program Director","institution_name":"Alexandra Technical and Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This microbiology textbook is well suited for the non-major microbiology majors though it would an excellent foundation for any science career. There are twenty-six chapters or units with five appendices. It is comprehensive in that it contains microorganism content including topics on fungi, viruses, parasites, and bacteria. It also contains an organization of micro organisms that would typically body organ systems such as the skin, respiratory, digestive, circulatory, and nervous systems.  The text covers every subject appropriately and provides an effective index and a comprehensive glossary. It may be a challenge to adequately cover all the units or chapters in a semester course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Content appears to be accurate, error-free and unbiased.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The references used are up-to-date and the references are viable references. The text is written and arranged in such a way that necessary updates could be easily implemented. Because the units are fairly short but relevant, it appears that it would be fairly easy to add or change content to reflect current practices.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The first observance of this text book was that it is an easy read. Students should not have a problem understanding the content and content is reinforced several times with tables, diagrams, review questions, chapter summaries, and links to learning. It has several other opportunities for students to connect with the content through applicable  \"micro connections\", \"disease profile\", \"Eye on Ethics\", \"Links to Learning\", and case studies throughout the text and included in most units. These \"breaks\" in connect are well placed and are a welcomed. These should increase student understanding and provide critical thinking. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each unit is consistent. It has the same flow for each unit making the text an easy and interesting read with applicable review and summaries. Relevant terms are highlighted in the summary.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easily and readily divisible into appropriately sized reading sections. Each unit contain relevant \"breaks\" in content to give the student to apply the content through case studies, links to learning and disease profiles. It was put together very well for the instructor and student.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow to this text is very well done. It is logical and clear to understand. It is pleasing to the eye and holds the readers interest in the subject. It provides plenty of ideas that one could use to demonstrate in a lab the concepts and would work well even without a lab portion of the class.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There did not appear to be any problems with any of the content including the diagrams, tables, etc. The tables and diagrams enforced the clarity of the content.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"There did not appear to be any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"There did not appear to be any insensitive or offensive content in any way. ","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This would be an ideal text to use in a microbiology non-major course.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1018,"first_name":"Renee","last_name":"Guyer","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"South Central College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"I greatly appreciate that this text aligns with the curriculum guidelines of the American Society of Microbiology.  Frankly that was what made me comfortable even looking at the text.  The text is designed for a one semester course and I can't think of a topic I would/do cover in a 1 semester microbiology course that isn't in this text.  I particularly like endosymbiotic theory so I cover it in a bit more detail than the book does but the text does introduce the topic and it is probably at an appropriate level for most people.  No text is going to be exactly what you would cover unless you write it yourself.  I think the glossary and appendix of this text are amazing and find the linking of the index to the text, even in the pdf, very helpful.  The content included might be a bit more than my nursing students need but the clinical focus sections are sure to keep them engaged.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"No errors were found in the accuracy of this text.  The text remains unbiased even in the Eye on Ethics sections where it would be easy to push the scientific perspective over the non-scientific beliefs about issues such as vaccination.  These sections do a great job of explaining the science and asking critical questions to help students evaluate the situation using scientific knowledge.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"This text provides all of the basic foundational knowledge an introductory microbiology student should know.  Examples are up to date and relevant but are not examples that will quickly fade away.  New examples will always come up but those can be added in by an instructor therefore the basic text will not become obsolete or irrelevant.  Information has even been included on the 2016 outbreak of Zika virus.  It is yet to be seen how long this will remain relevant.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Information is clear.  Jargon/technical terminology is used appropriately and terms are adequately defined.  I specifically focused on the information about genetics and metabolism when looking for clarity as these are areas traditionally more difficult for students.  These sections were clear.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"Consistency exists within the text itself however I found inconsistencies between the online version and the pdf version.  The pdf of the text has a more consistent layout and sections are more clearly labeled.  Labels found in the pdf are often missing from the online version (examples include the Chapter title page and the Clinical focus heading on those sections)","modularity_rating":3,"modularity_review":"Again, these sections are more clearly labeled in the pdf than in the online version of the text.  Within the pdf document, the text is divided well and it would be easy to assign specific sections.  The chapters are even written in such a way that they could be rearranged if you wanted to discuss a certain topic sooner in a course.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I understand the ordering of the text and it flows well.  I personally teach a course where Chemistry is a prerequisite so I prefer reviewing the Microbial Biochemistry a little bit earlier than Chapter 7 and I have a lab component to the course so I discuss Microbial growth (Chapter 9) sooner as well.  I think these are simply personal preferences and the text seems to be written in a manner than those chapters could be covered in any order without difficulty for the student.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"The pdf version was great and easy to read.  The images were clear.  The online version, however, was much more difficult to navigate.  The tables had no reference numbers and if students were viewing text online there were no page numbers so this will make it more difficult to refer students to a particular table.  Also the second two clinical focus boxes in Chapter 1 just say “note” and so it takes a moment to realize they are the second and third part of the Clinical focus.  This is not an issue in the pdf.  Also online the multiple choice questions at the end of a section are unclear.  At first glance, it appears as if the answer for the previous question is in a box with the next question.  Solutions come up with just the letter so it could be easy to mix up.  Again, not an issue in the pdf.  Some sections were quite narrowly define and quite short (2.2 Peering into the Invisible world) while others were much more broad and contain a significant amount of material on the page (3.3 unique characteristics of prokaryotic cells).  This made the pages much different lengths which felt awkward.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"FYI to the editors p. 433 is missing a beginning parenthesis before the abbreviation HGT but for the most part no grammatical errors were discovered.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text takes a global perspective especially on infectious diseases but does so in a manner than is not offensive or derogatory.  Images include men and woman and people of various races.  Contributions by female scientists are highlighted.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I like the electronic links between the chapters and their relevant content.  This helps reinforce to students why they are learning certain introductory content /foundational knowledge.  \n\nI mentioned earlier in the review how I appreciated the collaboration with the ASM curriculum guidelines.  Those guidelines are listed in the beginning of the text but as a resource for faculty it would be nice to see a cross-walk or alignment specifically pointing out where those are found in the text.  We can obviously do that for ourselves but I think it would be a logical thing to point out in the text or instructor resources.","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1020,"first_name":"Theresa","last_name":"Hornstein","position":"Biology Faculty","institution_name":"Lake Superior College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Microbiology covers the majority of topics found in a first-year microbiology text with a distinct leaning toward medical microbiology.  While one section covers the role of microbes in biogeochemical cycles, the majority deals with human pathogens and methods to control them.  The genetics, pathogenicity, and immunity are well covered.  Each of the body systems are briefly described before microbial infections of the body system are addressed. This provides context for those students who have not had an anatomy class yet. The sections on biochemistry, cell structure and function, and the fundamentals of physics and chemistry provide the basics for those who haven't had a prior biology course.   The use of the clinical focus boxes gives students the opportunity to apply information.   ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The information presented appears accurate and up-to-date.  Materials are frequently referenced.  CDC and WHO, both excellent sources of accurate and unbiased information, are frequently cited.  ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"As noted earlier, the information is up-to-date. There are sections on Ebola and Zika, both diseases currently in the news.  I would expect the genetics and pharmacological information will need to be updated frequently, but those areas change so rapidly that updating is only to be expected.  Those chapters are distinct which would make updating easier.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is collegiate without being convoluted.  It reads easily, and the glossary provides well-written definitions of terms. Some sections are more technical than what I would normally consider appropriate for an introductory microbiology student, but this may be a reflection of the prerequisites for the course. The layout of each module and the use of summary tables provides a clear picture for students.  The vector images are especially nice because they actually show a student what to be on the lookout for. ","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The book follows a consistent pattern with each section.  Students will know what to expect and where to find it.  One inconsistency is the shifting between common language and technical language. Some fairly basic terms are defined in the text.  In other places, very technical jargon is used and not defined.  The images, also, shift between fairly simple (pictures of historically-significant scientists or organ systems) and detailed (biochemical structures, photosynthesis reactions)","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each module is small enough to load quickly and be read through quickly.  The modules cover the topics well and could be reorganized an easily embedded within an online course.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The majority of the book follows a logical pattern. It builds from the history, through cell structure and functions, genetics, control mechanisms, immune function and finally the specific pathogens by body system.  The exception is Chapter 19 Diseases of the Immune System.   It is separated from  the other diseases of body systems chapters Chapter 20 Laboratory Analysis of the Immune Response. \nGoing at the pathogens from a systemic method does not show students how a microbe can move from system to system.  Staphylococcus aureus can be normal flora on the skin surface or in the sinuses, but, if it enters the skin via a cut, it produces necrosis and, if untreated, can progress to fatal septicemia.  Using a taxonomic organization helps to make those connections for students.  \n","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book worked well whether I read it online or downloaded the PDF version.  I worked from home and have a fairly slow internet connection, but everything loaded quickly.  I found the embedded links to figures and other sections of the book worked well and without issue.  The drop down table of contents made navigation easy.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Nothing stood out as being culturally insensitive, but there is a decided Western medicine flavor throughout the book.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"As mentioned earlier, the book is a good introduction to medical microbiology.  ","created_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2017-02-08T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1290,"first_name":"Judith","last_name":"Coston","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Bossier Parish Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers all concepts of microbiology appropriately and clearly.  Information is easy to locate.  The glossary is clear and concise.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is accurate and is presented from an unbiased viewpoint.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content is relevant and up to date.  The text is organized in such a way that future revisions will be easy to implement so that it should not ever be out of date.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The book is written clearly using appropriate terminology.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The text seems consistent in terminology throughout.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is easy to divide into modules that can be reorganized and assigned to suit the curriculum.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics in this textbook are presented in a clear and logical fashion.  It is very \"readable.\"","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is easy to navigate and the images and charts are relevant.","grammatical_rating":4,"grammatical_review":"The text seems free of grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"The text is unbiased with respect to races, ethnicities, and backgrounds of the students.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I had been eagerly awaiting completion of this textbook!  I love the way that it is tied to ASM objectives.  I love that OpenStax is leveling the playing field for students -- making knowledge accessible for all, regardless of economic status.","created_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-06-20T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1513,"first_name":"Edward","last_name":"Johnson","position":"Professor of Human Biology","institution_name":"Central Oregon Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a six-chapter, comprehensive textbook that would be easily covered in a 10-week quarter term, but may have less material to sustain a 15-week semester term.\nThe six chapters are appropriate for an introductory course in microbiology, but unlike other texts that include a clinical side to microbiology, like one or more chapters on natural and medical (eg. vaccines) defenses, and anti-microbials, this textbook, except for the clinical focuses in each chapter, sticks to the basics of microorganisms (and worms - due to microscopic eggs and larvae) - except for comprehensive coverage of viral infections in Chapter 6.\nFor such a comprehensive text, a lot was devoted to the history of microbiology, and details about historical figures. There also was more than enough light-physics in Chapter 2.\nThere was no glossary at the end of any chapter or a the end of the text. In place of the glossary, the author(s) bolded words in the chapters, and then gave an explanation of each word. There were summaries at the end of each chapter that also partially-substituted for glossaries.\nThe index at the end of the text appeared to list just about all of the important terms and where to locate them.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"Overall, very good. There are some areas that should be re-written.\nFigures 3.22-3.24 are confusing and inaccurate. Figure 3.22 shows 6-sided green molecules diffusing through a plasma membrane. Six-sided molecules in these cases are usually reserved for glucose, and it does NOT simply diffuse through a lipid bilayer (it uses facilitated diffusion). Figure 3.23 also uses 6-sided green molecules for facilitated diffusion, which be okay for glucose, except that in Figure 3.24, the 6-sided green molecules are labeled as sodium (Na+) - this would be very confusing to students. On top of that, the active transport of Na+ and potassium (K+) in Figure 3.24 is wrong. Three Na+ are exported (not two) and two K+ are imported (not one).\nTable 6.3 states that the mechanism of transmission for Kuru is eating infected meat, but the disease appears to be associated with the consumption of brain tissue from the dead relative (which makes sense of for a TSE).","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I believe the content is up-to-date, particularly on the topic of Archaea in Chapter 4. It looks like updates would be easy to implement. With refinement, this text could be useful in an introductory microbiology for a long time.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is well-written, and should hold most students' interest. It also helps to have the \"Clinical Focus\" broken into parts in each chapter, and the \"eye on Ethics\" topics throughout the text. The links throughout the text to other resources and to YouTube video-clips also makes the text more \"accessible\" to the modern student.\nAs mentioned above, bolding terms followed by explanations provides context for technical terms, and also would do the same for  microbiology jargon.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I agree with the statement. Each chapter is organized the same, from an introductory images and comments, a clinical focus and other \"boxed\" topics, appropriate figures and tables, access to online resources, to the \"Check Your Understanding\" questions in each chapter, and summaries and review questions at the end of each.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapters are divided into three (Chapter 1) to six (Chapter 4) subheadings. Each subheading is appropriate for the chapter and makes the subheading (and chapter) very readable and accessible.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Chapters 1 (history and overview) and 2 (techniques to view microorganisms and certain characteristics) are an excellent introduction to microbiology. Following these with the cell (Chapter 3) and then prokaryotes followed by eukaryotes is a logical progression. Ending with acellular pathogens (Chapter 6) also is a logical place for these.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Except for the problem I wrote about for Figues 3.22-3.24 and Tabl3 6.3, the images and charts are very good and helpful. I did not experience any navigation problems in the clinical focus topics, where one could \"jump\" ahead or back, or any problems accessing other online resources or videos when I clicked on the appropriate orange-colored terms.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The only grammatical error I discovered was on page 167, under the heading Lactobacillales. In the last line at the end of paragraph three you'll see: \"life threatening (eg. necrotizing...)\" and then \"life threatening\" again at the very end.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not see anything in the text (outside of the explanation of how Guatemalans were infected in the 1940s in the \"Eye on Ethics\" in Chapter 1) that could be construed as offensive or culturally insensitive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This is a good text to introduce students to the field of microbiology, and I have adopted it for my 10-week microbiology course. However, the microbiology course at my institution is geared towards students interested in health fields, so other resources are necessary for my course. I suggest expanding the text by a couple of chapters, adding the topics of natural and medical defenses against infections and how the body responds to infections, and how medicine (particularly anti-microbials and vaccines) helps.","created_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2017-08-15T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":1657,"first_name":"Mohannad ","last_name":"Al-Saghir","position":"Associate Professor of Biology ","institution_name":"Ohio University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook is comprehensive an covers all concepts of microbiology clearly. Information is easy to follow. The glossary is clear and concise. This is book is very suitable for non Microbiology majors like Nursing program .","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book is well written and the  information presented is accurate and up-to-date. Materials are frequently cited. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The information is up-to-date.  There are new emerging disease like Ebola that needs to be updated regularly. I would expect the the treatment and prevention information will need to be updated frequently, but those areas change so rapidly that updating is only to be expected. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The writing is very good.  It reads easily, and the glossary provides well-written definitions of terms. Some language of this book  is too  technical  for an introductory microbiology student. The structure of  each module and the summary tables provides a clear picture for students. I love the artwork of this book.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book follows a consistent among all the chapters.. Students will know how to follow the information in the book. ","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each module load quickly and be read quickly. All modules cover the topics thoroughly  and could be reorganized an easily used for  an online course or even blended class.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The sections  of the book follows a logical order from the history, through cell structure and functions, genetics, control mechanisms, immune function and finally the specific pathogens by body system. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The book can be read  well whether online or in  the PDF version. Everything loaded quickly. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find any grammatical errors in  this book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This book is  not culturally insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"As microbiologist, I find this book is very impressive and can be used in my elementary microbiology class for nursing students. The authors did a great job writing this book.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1751,"first_name":"James","last_name":"Herrick","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text covers all the standard, indispensable topics of microbiology, plus others that are often found in Allied Health Micro texts, such as infections of the skin \u0026amp; eye, respiratory system, etc.  It is very comparable to the text I currently use (Talaro and Talaro).","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The material appears to be very accurate.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The text is relatively up to date, as these general texts go. I would have liked to have seen more on the human microbiome.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The writing is very clear and concise. I find it very readable.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"From what I can see, the consistency across the book is fine.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"I think the chapters and sections are quite self-contained. I did have a problem figuring out the \"Clinical Focus Boxes\", which aren't clearly labeled and do extend across sections within a chapter.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think the organization is very logical, probably more so than my current textbook.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is excellent.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I found no grammatical errors in the book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I found no problems with this, but I am a white male so wouldn't be as sensitized to it as some.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I was very pleasantly surprised by the quality of this text. I think it's got nearly every bit the quality of my current text from McGraw-Hill. I am seriously considering adopting it for my course in the future.","created_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00","updated_at":"2018-02-01T18:00:00.000-06:00"},{"id":1938,"first_name":"Hossam","last_name":"Ashour","position":"Endowed Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of South Florida Saint Petersburg","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text is reasonably comprehensive. It covers most important areas of Microbiology.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not spot any inaccuracies in the text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Would be beneficial to have more on microbiome and emerging infectious diseases.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"There are no ambiguities in the text. It can be used by undergraduates and graduate students alike.","consistency_rating":4,"consistency_review":"The terminology is generally consistent. At certain instances, there is some back-and-forth usage of technical terms and more generic expressions.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Modularity is one of the areas of strength of the book. Modules are of reasonable sizes.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book is well-organized. The text flows well.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not encounter any issues with interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not seen any typos.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Culturally relevant.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"This book is generally good read. Can be useful for both graduate and undergraduate students. More emphasis on cellular Microbiology and responses of the immune system to microbial threats could have added more value to the book. Newer editions would need to cover emerging infectious diseases and the human microbiome in a more comprehensive manner .","created_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-03-27T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2189,"first_name":"Jessalyn","last_name":"Sabin","position":"Instructor","institution_name":"Hibbing Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The text was comprehensive in its approach to all of the fundamental topics of Microbiology. I did not see a section that was missing for my course, and the detail and connection that each section made to disease processes, even in the units regarding more \"dry\" topics, such as microscopy, will make this relevant to students, particularly those going into healthcare fields. Perhaps too much detail was given to the historical context of some discoveries, but that is a matter of style/taste.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not find significant inaccuracies in my review of the book. I actually feel that the descriptions of processes and structures in the microbial world are better described here than in the traditional textbook that I have used in the past. I did not find significant biases within the text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book will continuously need to be updated to reflect emerging diseases, but the current iteration is satisfactory for today's issues. As mentioned in other reviews, a more comprehensive approach to the microbiome of the human, and even the viable, but non-culturable soil microbes and others could be explored in more detail in the future. The structure of the text lends itself well to updates. I also feel that relevance in topic choices for the case studies and review questions in each unit is important, and the text represented itself well here.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"It is a very clear, easy to understand text. The technical jargon is well-explained and a glossary is provided. Examples and tables are given for illustration of complex ideas and topics.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The work is fairly consistent; each unit has the same structural components, which follow major topics after a short introduction of the chapter. Learning outcomes are consistently listed, and the framework follows major microbiological topics organized around common themes (ie: immune system functions, respiratory diseases, biochemistry of microbes, etc.).","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"This text, particularly within the web version, does not overwhelm the reader with major blocks of text. Even larger sections are well-thought out with strategic placement of images and Clinical Focus boxes. Additional resource links do not disrupt the reader, rather, they present themselves at the end of a paragraph or chapter section as a logical next step for continued learning.","organization_rating":3,"organization_review":"The topics are organized clearly, and I would perhaps rearrange topics to better suit my courses. I would like to see biochemistry earlier in the text, and perhaps immune system functions last. I also would like to have learning outcomes at the beginning of the chapter, in addition to within in each section. Although there is a glossary, a mini-glossary at the end of each chapter would increase ease of access to students.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The images and charts in this text were fantastic. The use of images within tables was also helpful (ie: within bacterial morphologies (3.3).","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not find significant grammatical issues within the text. It is clearly written and understandable.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not see major instances of cultural insensitivity, though it would be nice to see more diverse gender pronouns in the future. I do appreciate the inclusion of female scientists within some of the historical context of microbial discovery (ie: Lynn Margulis in 3.2).","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I am adopting this text- I far prefer it to my traditional text!","created_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00","updated_at":"2018-06-19T19:00:00.000-05:00"},{"id":2747,"first_name":"Jennifer","last_name":"Robison","position":"Visiting Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Manchester University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is a well rounded source for general microbiology. Its largest shortcoming is the lack of industrial and ecological microbiology applications. There is some but it would benefit from having an entire chapter specifically devoted to these topics. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have not run into any wrong information. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Seems very up to date. ","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Most of the terminology is explained well. The worst chapters for students getting lost in jargon are those covering immunology. There is a lot of information crammed into these chapters that they are not explained as thoroughly as they could be. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"very consistent. ","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"Being a microbiology textbook it does build off of the previous sections to help guide students through microbiology. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"organization is logical. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have noticed no problems with the interface. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No errors apparent. ","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"This text could benefit from more cultural diversity and awareness added to the text. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I have been using this textbook to teach a 300 level microbiology course for biology majors for the past year. We have not run into any significant problems. The students enjoy it and the instructor supplemental material has made implementing the use of this textbook easy for me. ","created_at":"2019-04-08T14:00:30.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-08T14:00:30.000-05:00"},{"id":2864,"first_name":"Tanganika","last_name":"Johnson","position":"Instructor ","institution_name":"Southern University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is a well written and good source for a general microbiology course.  The information is easy to follow and covers the most important topics in  microbiology. The glossary is clear and concise","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In my review no significant inaccuracies where found  in this textbook. The descriptions of processes and structures in the microbial world are written better than in the some of the  traditional textbook that I have read  in the past","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The book seems to be up to date and covers topics that are of interest today.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written  is a very clear, and easy to understand text. The technical language used is well-explained and a glossary is provided. The structure of each module and the summary tables provides a clear picture for students to understand the information presented.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each unit within the text is consistent. It has the same flow for each unit making the text an easy and interesting read with applicable review and summaries. Relevant terms are highlighted in the summary. With the structure of the text students will know how to follow the information in the book.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each module is small enough to load quickly and contains relevant \"breaks\" in content to give the students the opportunity to apply the content through case studies, links to learning and disease profiles. All modules cover the topics thoroughly, can be read quickly and could be reorganized easily  for use in an online course or blended class. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow to this text is well organized.  It follows a logical approach from the history, through cell structure and functions, genetics, control mechanisms, immune function and finally the specific pathogens by body system. This flows allows the text to be clear to understand.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"There was no issues encounter during my review of this text. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":" There were no grammatical errors  found in this textbook.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Although there did not appear to be anything that could be construed as offensive or culturally insensitive in my review of this textbook.  The text could benefit from including more cultural diversity and awareness.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"As a microbiologist I found this to be a good text to introduce students to the field of microbiology with ease. ","created_at":"2019-04-29T19:02:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-04-29T19:02:22.000-05:00"},{"id":3104,"first_name":"Dara","last_name":"Wegman-Geedey","position":"Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Augustana College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"I've used this text for two sections of microbiology in the past year and felt that only three topics are missing from this text: up to date information on genetic transfer mechanisms, the glycolytic alternative pathways (which I use to discuss diversity at a metabolic level), and applied topics in microbial ecology (basics of symbiosis are included). The index and glossary were adequate for the subjects covered in the text. I teach a general microbiology course at a 4 year liberal arts college taken by junior and senior biology, biochemistry, or pre-med majors and this text seemed more suited for pre-health professions students (given the ten chapters on the immune system and diseases of various body systems as well as clinical case studies in each chapter) than for students going on into graduate research programs.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I didn't notice any glaring errors in the text, but a few of the images were less clear than desired, so I supplemented from other online sources. I was not able to attend a workshop this past year for developing ancillaries for OpenStax texts, but would like to help continue developing this text by providing feedback and sharing instructor tips/suggestions.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I felt the text was up to date on the topics that were covered -- but I had to use another source for the most recent information on mechanisms of horizontal gene transfers (e.g., the function of relaxosomes during conjugation; the formation of a transformasome complex due to quorum sensing among bacteria).  I was very happy to see the use of the eucaryote supergroup taxonomy in this text vs the older 5 Kingdom system still popular in many classrooms. This text is subdivided enough that editing should be a very straightforward process.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I asked my students about this text compared to other textbooks they've used in biology and chemistry courses for majors and they overwhelmingly felt it was the easiest to read book compared to physiology, genetics, organic, and biochemistry. However, students often want to just study \"what's important\" and are so busy with jobs and activities that they seldom read a text before class even if they find it very readable. They still asked me to pare it down and give them a discrete list of \"what they really need to know\" before exams. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I was pleasantly surprised about the consistency because the text is an open source, free option. I feared it wouldn't have continuity -- that it might read like a patchwork written by a variety of authors, but it is organized in the same way for each chapter which provides clarity and structure. The end of chapter quizzes are excellent and students liked the online interactive quizzes.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The chapter structure made assignment of readings very manageable. The only issue I found was that pagination online vs in the pdf vs in the printed text (which I purchased as a desk copy) did not always match.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I always cover microbial diversity until about half-way through my general microbiology course, so Chapter 4: Prokaryotic Diversity is covered out of order, but the modularity of the text makes it easy to assign chapters and/or sections in whatever order best fits an instructor's specific course.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"We had two major issues with the online interface: 1) as noted above, the page numbers are not always the same among the different formats (online vs pdf vs hardcopy); 2) students liked the interactive end of chapter quizzes, but didn't like having to complete an entire quiz before submitting answers and finding out which concepts they needed to review. Maybe chapter-length quizzes could be broken into shorter quizzes based on sections?","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I noted no issues with the grammar used in this text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I had not really considered cultural relevance in a biology textbook before completing my first Open Textbook Library review last year -- I always focused on accuracy and breadth of content. Now I look over the images to see if diverse peoples are represented and if case studies seem to use a variety of names, ages, genders to give an inclusive feel to the text. If you glance through the images (photos and sketches) and the case studies, you'll see that this text does include a variety of folks...but as I learn more about the spectrum of gender, I'm wondering how we might tweak things to be even more inclusive in future editions.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I'm grateful that the ASM stepped up early to promote this text -- I've heard from colleagues across campus that most professional academic societies have not taken this step and often rely on book publishers to help defray costs of their society's annual meetings. This text is a solid foundation for microbiology educators to continue to revise and develop so that all students, regardless of their financial means,  will have free access to accurate, up to date, information.","created_at":"2019-07-18T21:56:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-18T21:56:15.000-05:00"},{"id":3107,"first_name":"Mursheda","last_name":"Ali","position":"Biology Faculty","institution_name":"Metropolitan State University of Denver","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This book is a well described source for general microbiology.Most of the terminology is well described. Its largest limitayion is the lack of industrial specifically in biofuels and ecological microbiology applications. ","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"In my review no significant inaccuracies where found in this textbook. The descriptions of processes and structures in the microbial world are written better than in the some of the traditional textbook that I have read in the past. All information are correct.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The text is reasonably comprehensive. It covers most important up-to-date areas of Microbiology. Better to update more on biofuels technology and on cancer.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The textbook is written is a very clear, and easy to understand text. The technical language used is well-explained and a glossary is provided. The structure of each module and the summary tables provides a clear picture for students to understand the information presented Only the Immunology chapter is not so clear .","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each unit within the text is consistent. It has the same flow and expression for each unit making the text an easy and interesting read with applicable review and summaries. Relevant terms are highlighted in the summary. With the structure of the text students will know how to follow the information in the book","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each module is small enough to load quickly and contains relevant \"breaks\" in content to give the students the opportunity to apply the content through case studies, links to learning and disease profiles. Pictures are all very clear. All modules cover the topics thoroughly, can be read quickly and could be reorganized easily for use in an online course or blended or hybrid class. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow to this text is well organized. It follows a logical approach from the history, through cell structure and functions, genetics, control mechanisms, immune function and finally the specific pathogens by body system. This flows allows the text to be clear to understand","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":" No problems with the interface. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I couldn't find any grammatical error in this text book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"Although there did not appear to be anything that could be construed as offensive or culturally insensitive in my review of this textbook. The text could benefit from including more cultural diversity and awareness.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"As a microbiologist I found this to be a good text to introduce students to the field of microbiology with ease. ","created_at":"2019-07-22T22:56:22.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-22T22:56:22.000-05:00"},{"id":3126,"first_name":"Cathy","last_name":"Sistilli","position":"Professor, Biological Sciences","institution_name":"OhioLink","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This OER is simply amazing! Every topic, and issues within that topic, is covered. For a health sciences course this book has all that is needed including \"Clinical Focus\" scenarios in every chapter.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have read the entire text and have yet to find a factual error. Also, the answers to chapter review questions are accurate - again, I have yet to find a mistake. ","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Relevance is a strong point of Parker's text. The \"Eye on Ethics\" sections cover current issues and are a wonderful starting point for both in class and online discussions. ","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book provides in depth explanations of complex issues. There are \"Micro Connections\" discussions that offer even more clarification and extension of in text concepts. Well written for any student population. ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter is presented in the same format which makes for a quick adjustment to new material.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Each section of the text is summarized with \"Check Your Understanding\" questions. These focus the student on the material presented and also allow the instructor to quickly appreciate the topics in the preceding section. ","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"The organization of this text is quite well done. The introductory concepts prepare for the final chapters on microbial disease of the organ systems. I do feel that the chapters on the immune system should have been moved a bit earlier in the text, certainly before the \"Microbial Mechanisms of Pathogenicity\" and \"Disease and Epidemiology.\" My reasoning is that several concepts of the body's defenses are used throughout these two chapters.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"Parker's interface is well done, and is free of navigational issues and display feature distractions. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"A few typos - certainly a MINOR issue for a book of this length - 1307 pages.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"This text uses examples, case studies, and presentation of ethical concerns, that are relevant to nearly every race, culture, and even continent!","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I highly recommend this OpenStax textbook and use it for my own microbiology for health sciences course. There is absolutely no sacrifice in quality for this free book!!","created_at":"2019-07-29T15:22:15.000-05:00","updated_at":"2019-07-29T15:22:15.000-05:00"},{"id":3487,"first_name":"Hatajai","last_name":"Lassiter","position":"Teacher \u0026 Scholar Postdoctoral Fellow","institution_name":"James Madison University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This textbook authored by Nina Parker et al. is a phenomenal OER with extensive coverage of fundamental microbiological topics for an audience of majors and/or allied health undergraduate students in alignment with curriculum guidelines of the American Society of Microbiology (ASM). Each chapter provides a sufficient historical background regarding pioneers of scientific discoveries, advancements in scientific technologies, and global health impacts. The subject matter includes basic science, empirical and clinical reasonings, thus an impeccable textbook for aforementioned student demographics. \r\nThis is evidenced in each chapter with Micro Connections, Clinical Focus/Case in Point, Eye on Ethics, and Link to Learning that provides contextualization of material, real-world applications, enhances critical thinking, and interactive/supplemental activities. Additionally, the authors elegantly provided fundamental supplements to physics, chemistry, mathematic basics, metabolic pathways, and taxonomy relevant to microbiology within the Appendix. It includes a thorough glossary of terminology and an index of symbols and terms with associated internal link to respective section (web-based) or page number (.pdf version). Lastly, as some previous reviewers and/or my colleagues have stated the textbook could be significantly enhanced with a chapter on Microbial Ecology and Applied Microbiology (included within Canadian Edition: Chapter 10) and comprehensive section/chapter on the Human Microbiome and associated health implications. \r\n","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The content is presented accurately, inclusive of proper citing and footnotes at the end of each section. There were no evident errors in content nor chapter review answers (Answer Key), Glossary/Index. The textbook is written in an unbiased manner with appropriate attention to inclusiveness and cultural sensitivities. One particular example is highlighted in the background of Henrietta Lacks (Section 6.3) and the controversial/nonconsensual acquisition of her tumor cells, later immortalized and commercialized as HeLa cells. The text further proceeds to Eye on Ethics and promotes an unbiased approach to ethical and critical reasoning regarding current research standards, informed consent, or compensatory actions. ","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Overall the material presented is relevant and exhibits longevity. Several graphical depictions would be enhanced with current statistics, for instance epidemiological data can be updated to at least 2016 (instead of 2009/2010). Due to the textual arrangement necessary updates can be readily implemented, I’d suggest at minimum every two to three years for aforementioned examples.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is written in an adequately lucid manner with concise definitions and appropriate contextualization of all scientific/medical jargon. Subsections provide auxiliary explanations and background (e.g. summary/terminology tables, Micro Connections and Link to Learning). Figures and illustrations significantly enhance and supplement written text.  ","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text has an internally consistent framework, in which the reader can rapidly gain comfort in layout and presentation of material. Each chapter includes a brief introduction, learning objectives, subsections (e.g. Clinical Focus/Case in Point, Micro Connections, Eye on Ethics, or Link to Learning), Check Your Understanding, Summary, and Review Questions (multi-formatted). Terminology is consistent and discipline-appropriate with frequent repetition that aids effective learning.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is constructed in a readily divisible manner, if instructor desires to reorganize the material flow within the chapter or holistically. Subheadings are judiciously utilized to overwhelm the reader, thus allowing reorganization and realignment without disruption of logical flow. ","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics are presented in a logical style holistically and within chapters. It encapsulates foundational/historical elements, basic science fundamentals, and characterization of microbial categories (prokaryotes, eukaryotes, and acellular organisms), and associated pathogenesis/infection and immune responses. Due to the modularity of the text, it can be easily reorganized to fit the design and pace of course. As aforementioned in the Consistency section, the structure and flow of each chapter provides the reader a sense of navigational ease.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The text is void of significant interface issues, navigational problems or distortion of illustrations. I did encounter one broken link in Section 2.3 in Link to Learning (St. John’s University: Microscope Tutorials), but overall tremendous effort in attention to details. The Table of Contents interface on both web-based and .pdf versions is seamless and simple to navigate. ","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not encounter any grammatical errors, it was lucidly written and edited. ","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"In the age of diversity and inclusivity, representation matters, most importantly, appropriate and non-stereotypical/unbiased and inoffensive representation matters. The authors succeeded at this mission, through the inclusion of diverse depictions of cultural backgrounds/ethnicities, genders, ages, geographies within illustrations, example names, historical pioneers/research figures, textual examples, and presented diversity of viewpoints of controversial topics. I would however admit there was a particular preponderance upon Africa and/or poorer countries in global health impact examples, thus would suggest the inclusion of a more varied coverage in regards to socioeconomic representation in global examples to not negatively frame a particular geographical region. Nevertheless, an overall substantial effort of representation and inclusivity was exhibited. ","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Our microbiology lecture committee is in the process of adopting an OER textbook for our newly designed combination course of Biology and Allied Health majors in Fall 2020. I’d highly recommend the adoption of this textbook and highly anticipate its utilization in my upcoming instruction. I also appreciate the instructor resources (PowerPoints, Test Bank, and Chapter Review Question Answer Guide, and Canvas Course integration) to allow for seamless implementation for a traditional, online or hybrid course.","created_at":"2020-01-09T13:29:52.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-01-09T13:29:52.000-06:00"},{"id":3574,"first_name":"Michael","last_name":"Roner","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"University of Texas at Arlington","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The comprehensiveness of the text is in line with a commercial publisher's Microbiology text. The approach is different, and this text spends the initial several chapters introducing the topic of Microbiology in a survey type fashion.  Instructors will need to take care not to lose the students interest as they introduce the material in the first 6 chapters followed immediately by 3 chapters covering Biochemistry, Metabolism and Growth.  Students find the content of these 3 chapters drastically different than the first 6, and instructors should consider reordering the 3 chapters and the remaining content to provide a smoother transition from microbial phenotypic traits to genotypic traits.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I have used the text in a 3000 level introductory Microbiology course for one semester, and found it to be free of errors, accurate and unbiased.  The authors have done a great job of editing the text.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Commercial textbooks in the field of Microbiology are updated every 3 to 5 years, this text is currently in the fourth edition and is mostly up to date.  An example, the section on recent viral outbreaks such and Zika and Ebola.  One area that required some updating was the section on horizontal gene transfer, which was easily updated.  The figures included with the text are not of the same quality one finds in commercial texts and are more sparingly present throughout the text.  Both of these issues can be addressed by the instructor, possibly by supplementing the text with both additional and higher quality figures.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"I used a commercial Microbiology text in the spring semester and this text in the fall semester.  Both classes had approximately 130 students with similar backgrounds and preparation.  Although the students appreciated free access to the text book, the quality and frequency of the figures was an issue for some students.  \"The pictures from the textbook did not go in depth to understand the material well enough.\".  \"The figures supplied were not the best, please revise them.\".","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The text flowed well from chapter to chapter and it was not apparent that multiple authors had been used.  The chapter quizzes were well liked by the students as well as the online interactive quizzes.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"I found the chapters and sections self-contained and free standing.  This made it very easy to rearrange the order and delete sections to fit the needs of the course and the students.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The flow to this text is well organized. It follows a logical approach.  I personally prefer presenting the \"Genes and Genomes\" topics before microbial metabolism, and it was easy to rearrange the order of presentation for the students.  Additionally, my course is a semester course and time is always a factor, some chapters contain information that I believe is covered in other required courses and I was able to easily create a \"customized\" course/textbook for our students. ","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no issues with the interface and it loaded easily into Canvas.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not  find any grammatical errors in the text book.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not find anything that I believe could be interpreted as offensive or culturally insensitive during my use of this textbook.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"In summary, this text was a reasonable replacement for the commercial text that I normally use.  I have mixed feelings about continuing with it in the future.  The free access for the students is a major plus and makes the decision a difficult one.  As this text exists, the commercial Microbiology texts have a clear advantage in the quality and frequency of the figures as well as the PowerPoint outlines that are provided to instructors.  This text would be much better if the instructor had the time to modify and add, probably double, the number of figures that accompany the text.  The issue with this is finding a source for better quality and additional figures?  Using figures from commercial texts is not a possibility and free-source figures are rare or not available for each topic and again the quality can be an issue.  The text would benefit from a major effort from all the open users to contribute their individually generated figures to a data base that all users to access.  ","created_at":"2020-02-08T09:06:29.000-06:00","updated_at":"2020-02-08T09:06:29.000-06:00"},{"id":3646,"first_name":"Lori","last_name":"Banks","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Bates College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The breadth of topics covered would be good for a range of at least undergraduate-level micro courses. This is definitely a strength of the text.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not see any content errors during my review.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"I really like the later sections dealing with newer methods being used to study microbes, as well as the organ system specific infection chapters. Though the book is clearly written for students interested in the health professions, I think that the text is also applicable to those interested in other applications of microbiology. Some of these non-medical applications may also be added in later iterations as well.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book was clear in the writing style and easy to understand.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The language and terminology throughout the book was clear and consistent.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"It would be fairly easy to customize teaching from different sections of the text to meet the specific needs of my students.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"I think that the overall organization of the text was great. There are some sections that require updating however as newer technologies are now being used in medical and academic research that are not included in the current iteration.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The interface is clean and straight-forward. I do also really like the links that are available to access additional information resources for selected topics. This is a really neat feature.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not see any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":3,"cultural_review":"As with many STEM texts, the best described history of the beginning of this field only includes white men. A suggestion would be to layer in examples from more contemporary science as new discoveries are made to more evenly distribute the representation within the book. Additionally, there are some historical references from at least the early 1900's that could be added in so that contributions from women and scientists of color are recognized among science students.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I would be interested in using this book for future microbiology classes. I think that as a reference for some basic concepts it is a great tool for students. As an instructor, I also appreciate the instructor tools that are available, given the format of the book (OER). Some updating would improve the text, both for content and representation of scientists, but overall, it is a great text.","created_at":"2020-03-11T15:40:05.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-11T15:40:05.000-05:00"},{"id":3688,"first_name":"Joseph","last_name":"Battistelli","position":"Assistant Professor of Lecture","institution_name":"Virginia Commonwealth University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This covers the basics of microbiology, starting with a brief history of microbiology and the impact microbes have had on humans. The text covers the application of genetics in Microbiology research, microbial metabolism to provide a background on the function of microbes before delving into their role in diseases and human health. This text is ideal for students planning to pursue a health related field. \r\n\r\nThe book is missing several key words in the metabolism section, like lithotroph, chemotroph, and autotroph. There is no mention of reverse electron flow in the section on phototrophs. The glyoxylate pathway is missing and there is no mention of Gibbs free energy. \r\n\r\nFrom a public health perspective, this book is missing a section on indicator organisms and how they are used for water quality monitoring. However, it does do an excellent job covering early epidemiologists John Snow and Florence Nightingale.\r\n\r\nThe immunology section was much easier to read and understand than my current textbook.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"The content is presented in an unbiased manner. The content provided is accurate, but their are errors of omission and errors of over simplification. For example, the nitrogen cycle is described as having only three steps: denitrification, nitrification, and nitrogen fixation. These aren't really steps, they are multistep processes. There are many other steps in the nitrogen cycle that are not included here.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The content will not become outdated quickly. It is easy to build on the content that is provided. This is both a strength and a weakness. With commercial text books, each chapter provides too much information and I can delete the excess info. With this text book it would be necessary to spend time providing additional content to increase the depth. The content provided will not become obsolete because it is cursory information that is unlikely to change. It is easier to delete excess information than it is to produce new content to supplement the text. The latter option is probably a better education experience for students, but it is a substantial time commitment for faculty.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This book is very easy to read, but I worry that it does not meet the academic standard necessary for an upper-level biology course at a 4-year college.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is highly consistent and easy to follow. One of it's advantages is how easy it is to read and the clarity of the diagrams and figures.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book is highly modular and it is easy to embed sections into the LMS for students to read. The review questions at the end of each unit are also very thorough.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book follows the standard set up of other text books, beginning with a short history of microbiology, moving into the structure of a cell, how prokaryotes are different than eukaryotes, moves on to discuss genetics, biochemistry and metabolism, and finishes with microbes and human health. It is logical and well organized.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I really liked the interface. The online rendering produced detailed images that were in line with the text. I thought the text was broken up into digestible pieces with clear and easy to read diagrams interspersed. The layout was well thought out.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not discern any grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The book is culturally sensitive and presents discussions of disease spread and nomenclature using correct and unbiased terminology.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I was impressed with the chapters at the beginning of the book and at the end of the book. The middle chapters that are not focused on what makes a microbe or on human health are the chapters I would like to see increase in detail and depth.","created_at":"2020-03-27T22:24:50.000-05:00","updated_at":"2020-03-27T22:24:50.000-05:00"},{"id":4926,"first_name":"Melissa","last_name":"Kelley","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Western Oregon University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"This is a great general microbiology textbook! I do think the book would benefit from a dedicated chapter on microbial ecology and/or environmental microbiology. There are several sections of different chapters that address the diversity of microbes not just as they pertain to humans which were well-written, but I think this book will be even stronger with a dedicated chapter or two. I would especially like to see a section on chemolithotrophs in the future, I think that would fit into chapter 8 quite well. Otherwise, I was very pleased with the depth this book went into its different topics and it did a good job covering a very broad topic. Additionally, I liked the use of the clinical focus examples as a way to frame each chapter.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I was pleased with the level of accuracy for all of the different topics.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"Other than wanting to see a bit more environmental microbiology, this was relevant, and the average student taking an introductory microbiology class would find this textbook useful.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"I found the text easy to read and the use of medical terminology appropriate and explained well where necessary.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook felt consistent throughout, and the topics flowed well.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Overall I think the textbook is modular and that the authors and editors did a good job with this.","organization_rating":4,"organization_review":"Overall this was done well. I do think having Microbial Biochemistry right after the chapter about The Cell would make more sense, but it is not bad as is.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice any interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"Overall the text did this well, I did not notice any issues with cultural insensitivity or offensive content. I feel that some effort was made to include physical diversity of different humans. I think some more effort to include stories and examples from different cultures and a wider variety of countries for the clinical examples or historical stories from scientists would be useful and appropriate, but I did not notice any glaring issues.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"This is a very good textbook that feels comparable to the introductory/general microbiology textbooks available for high cost from other publishers. I would like to see more materials on topics not directly related to human health, but I'd recommend this textbook for most 200-300 level microbiology classes.","created_at":"2021-05-14T18:32:47.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-05-14T18:32:47.000-05:00"},{"id":33407,"first_name":"Brittney","last_name":"Dinkel","position":"Assistant Professor of Biology","institution_name":"Buena Vista University","comprehensiveness_rating":3,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall, this book has a nice broad coverage of the topics covered in a general microbiology course.  The clinical cases associated with the chapters provide a great introduction to engage students and tie the information to problems they may encounter in healthcare. There are great videos linked with the chapters that provide the extra resource seen with traditional textbook publishers.  The book is very thorough regarding the history of microbiology; this can sometimes be distracting from the current advances within the field.  \r\nThe chapters associated with health and disease are thorough and well done.  The infections of the various organ systems are organized by type of microbe and provides great examples throughout.  The immunology section also breaks a complex system down into the important components to provide a basis for understanding infectious diseases.  However, the textbook is lacking in environmental microbiology and recent developments in biotechnology.  The big picture concepts are there but key details and figures are lacking.  For example, with the biogeochemical cycles it introduces the key steps in the cycles but does not break them down and explain more about each step.  Adding in figures and chemical equations could be beneficial.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice any errors in content.  Answers to the end of chapter questions were correct for the ones I looked at.","relevance_rating":2,"relevance_review":"The content is up to date in some areas and lacking severely in others.   It is organized in a way that would allow further updates to be added without complete re-writes.  My main concern is that there is a lot of the history of early microbiology and the more recent advances are much more sparse and covered in less detail.  For example, gene therapy which is a rapidly growing area of research was extremely short compared to the proof of germ theory.  There was also a shocking lack of CRISPR in the biotechnology and gene editing section.  Considering that it was initially published in 2016 after CRISPR was discovered and the web version was updated in 2021, this is an extreme oversite for the relevance and longevity.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"The book is well written and easy to follow.  It avoids the overuse of jargon but also uses an explains key terms necessary for understanding microbiology and disease.  Some spots lack details or examples that can be useful for deeper understanding of the materials.  Figure legends could also include more detail to aid in student understanding.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook follows the same structure throughout each of the chapters.  The clinical cases are great for introducing the concept and the tying the main ideas back to that problem.  It helps create uniform chapters that re-enforce and connects the key concepts.  The only weakness in the consistency is the detail and number of figures in throughout the chapters.  Some chapters have fantastic figures that with great details and some chapters have sparse figures or figures that sometimes left me wondering what the purpose of them were.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The text is broken down into small sections that can be assigned individually or together as units.  I didn’t notice any large sections that were overly bulky.  There were enough questions at the end of the chapters to allow review and studying without being overwhelmed or missing coverage","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The topics follow the same order as most of the microbiology textbooks.  The modules do a good job of building into each with the concepts being applied in the disease units.  The case studies and clinical insights do a good job with this as well.  The resources attached with book are also structured well and organized.  PowerPoint slides are available and they are comparable to ones from the textbook publishers.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not run into any issues with the interface.  All of the links to videos and other resources worked well.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice any grammatical issues.  It was well written and flowed between ideas.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The text is not culturally insensitive or offensive.  There are several references to various diseases and outbreaks that are more prevalent in other areas of the world.  They presented the cases in a respectful way.  The only area that could be improved is using gender neutral pronouns in some of the case studies.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2021-10-12T15:11:49.000-05:00","updated_at":"2021-10-12T15:11:49.000-05:00"},{"id":34103,"first_name":"Holly","last_name":"Martin","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Northern Essex Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The textbook covers all necessary topics for a first semester survey into General Microbiology. The book is easy to navigate through its index and glossary.","accuracy_rating":4,"accuracy_review":"I had no issues with the accuracy of the textbook. However, as it was published in 2016, a new edition covering emergent pathogens would be welcomed.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The book is relevant and updating to reflect major changes in microbiology should be easy to incorporate to the text.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"Both my students and I found the book to be clear. It does not use unnecessary jargon and is an easy read. I often direct students to specific sections within the chapter, instead of having them read the entire chapter. The textbook stood up to this use.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The textbook is consistent with terms and framework throughout the entire text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook is easily dividing into smaller sections and is how I used it.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"Organization was logically and easy to follow.","interface_rating":4,"interface_review":"Interface was fine, but could be improved to be more visually appealing.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"No grammatical or editing errors were noticed.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I was not offended culturally by the text.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":null,"created_at":"2022-11-03T12:55:05.000-05:00","updated_at":"2022-11-03T12:55:05.000-05:00"},{"id":34415,"first_name":"Dale","last_name":"Horeth","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Most topics that should be covered in an Introductory Microbiology course were addressed quite thoroughly, with the exception of the ecological side of microbiology and bioterrorism.  While biogeochemical cycling was briefly covered, a more through treatment was expected, as well as the ecological impact of microbes on each other and macro-organisms.  Bioterrorism only received a brief note.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not note any discrepancies in the accuracy of the material.  The errata section adequately covers updates and corrections.","relevance_rating":5,"relevance_review":"The content was both relevant and mostly up-to-date.  While the text version I ordered was somewhat dated, the web version has been updated appropriately.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The content was presented in a clear and concise manner.  I have not had any significant difficulty with my students understanding the content.  The language was not overly technical and therefore should be relatively easy to follow by students without a deep science background.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The framework used throughout the book was consistent and allowed the material to flow from one chapter to the next.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The textbook content is arranged in a way that makes it easy to divide the material into smaller packets; I had no difficulty breaking the topics down into discrete testable units.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The chapters are logically arranged to provide a nice progression between topics.  Other than some topics I add, I follow the textbook order without issue.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I had no issue navigating through the textbook or locating material, using either the table of contents or the index.  The images and figures were clear and easy to interpret.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not note any grammatical errors in the text.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"I did not note any content that might be interpreted as insensitive or offensive.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"I really like this textbook with two exceptions:\n1. The limited coverage of ecological microbiology and bioterrorism.\n2. The lack of editable figures in the instructor resource section.  I would like to use many of the figures for quiz and test purposes, but cannot do so because I can't remove the labels.","created_at":"2023-02-18T21:46:42.000-06:00","updated_at":"2023-02-18T21:46:42.000-06:00"},{"id":34659,"first_name":"Melissa","last_name":"Kelley","position":"Assistant Professor","institution_name":"Western Oregon University","comprehensiveness_rating":4,"comprehensiveness_review":"Overall this is a really comprehensive textbook covering microbiology for allied health majors, as it focuses largely on microbiology affecting humans. Since this is geared towards non-majors microbiology, according to the intro, I think to get this category to 5 stars, the next edition should either include a chapter about environmental microbiology, or else make it more clear in the text that the primary focus of the book is microbiology as it pertains to humans. I liked the inclusion of some environmental examples, like lichens, and wanted to see more or else have the book mention its health focus more explicitly. Overall this is a really nice intro text for microbiology of allied health.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"I did not notice accuracy issues.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"There are some good examples given for updated microbiology content, such as the inclusion of phage therapy and application of microbial genetic sections. Updates to the text as new tech comes out should be straightforward to implement. \nThere are a few updates needed to be a fully current microbiology textbook. The main two issues I noticed are 1) in the coronavirus and global health sections of the textbook, COVID-19 and the global pandemic should be at least mentioned. 2) In the microbial genetics application chapter, discussion of the CRISPR mechanism and its relation to genetic engineering should be included.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"The text is clear and well written for a non-biology major college student level.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"I did not notice clarity issues.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Overall I think this text would be easy to use in a modular way in class.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"I think the structure used works well for an allied-health focused microbiology text. I like the way the clinical focus sections broke up the patient stories into parts, it made sense and kept the flow interesting.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I did not notice interface issues.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not notice grammar issues.","cultural_rating":4,"cultural_review":"I did not notice major issues with this, though I do have some suggestions. Overall I think the authors gave thought to including diverse artwork/images of humans, and examples of microbiology issues across the world. I didn't notice any missteps in this category, though do have some thoughts about how the authors can improve this even more in future editions.\n\nIf the authors wanted to try and increase inclusivity in the book I think a good place to do that might be in the \"what our ancestors knew\" intro section, using cultural examples from more regions of the world. Also, most of the clinical focus sections talked Americans/Westerners experiencing clinical symptoms, so in the future modifying some of the examples to include more international people would make the book feel more diverse. Also, while the authors clearly made effort to include artwork and photos of diverse people, I think having more images in the chapter on skin infections showing symptoms (i.e. rashes, blisters) on more varied skin tones would be useful for students learning to recognize clinical signs of different infectious agents.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"Overall this is a very good intro to microbiology for allied health textbooks. I think there are some improvements that could be made but I would use this textbook in my class as is and be happy with it.","created_at":"2023-08-22T15:14:55.000-05:00","updated_at":"2023-08-22T15:14:55.000-05:00"},{"id":35094,"first_name":"Kim","last_name":"Berman","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Massachusetts Department of Higher Education","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"This text gives an appropriate amount of detail for a 200-level undergraduate MIcrobiology course without getting too deep.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"Thus far, I have not identified any errors or inaccuracies.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"For the most part, this book is up to date, however, regular updates will likely be needed on sections of immunology, possibly soon.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"This text is clearly written for an audience of 200-level undergraduate MIcrobiology course.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"This book is very consistent in regard to text and terminology.","modularity_rating":4,"modularity_review":"This text can easily be broken down into smaller modules that cover 3-5 different components of the course.  (For my undergraduate course, I have split the chapters into 3 modules).","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"This book follows a logical pattern of organization and I assign readings closely with the ordering of the chapters.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"I have never had an issue with the text interface.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I have not found any grammatical errors in this text.","cultural_rating":2,"cultural_review":"Similarly to other texts that I have used, this book mainly highlights white males as historical contributors to microbiology.","overall_rating":9,"overall_review":"I have recently transitioned my course using this text in my classroom and have highly recommended it to my peers.  Students love the idea of an OER, it is one less thing to purchase and it allows me to imbed the link right in our LMS so students have quick, easy access to the course textbook.","created_at":"2024-06-03T12:09:55.000-05:00","updated_at":"2024-06-03T12:09:55.000-05:00"},{"id":35483,"first_name":"Katina","last_name":"Harris-Carter","position":"Associate Professor","institution_name":"Tidewater Community College","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book was comprehensive for an introductory level microbiology course. Topics covered were consistent with what  is covered in a 100-200 level course.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The book was accurate in content and grammar.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"Content was up to date.  However, routine updates will be needed as microbiology is constantly changing.","clarity_rating":4,"clarity_review":"Text is written for easy understanding and the language is appropriate for the audience.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"The book uses consistent terminology and text.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"The book can be easily broken down into subunits which can be placed into Learning Units or Modules for a course.  The material can be easily reorganized to meet course objectives/learning outcomes.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The book was organized and topics flowed.  The table of contents was helpful.","interface_rating":3,"interface_review":"I did not have any issues with navigation with the book or problems with viewing graphics with this book. However, I was unable to edit the graphics for assessment purposes.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"I did not identify any grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":1,"cultural_review":"The author needs to improve in this area.  Mostly caucasian males were highlighted.","overall_rating":8,"overall_review":"Overall, this is a well written comprehensive easy to understand textbook that is appropriate for an introductory microbiology course.    I recommend making the instructor ancillaries, especially the graphics, more user friendly .","created_at":"2025-05-19T14:27:12.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-05-19T14:27:12.000-05:00"},{"id":35520,"first_name":"Maura","last_name":"Collins","position":"Professor","institution_name":"Worcester State University","comprehensiveness_rating":5,"comprehensiveness_review":"The book aligns with ASM guidelines for a Microbiology course. The textbook contains pertinent topics that one would expect including microscopy, cell structure, genetics, antimicrobial drugs and infections of organ systems. In addition, there are options to make changes if desired. It includes clinical applications and supporting materials to support the learning outcomes and student comprehension.","accuracy_rating":5,"accuracy_review":"The textbook did not contain apparent errors, and it was peer-reviewed.","relevance_rating":4,"relevance_review":"The textbook was prepared in 2016 so it will need to be updated from time to time to promote student engagement and interest.   For example, Covid-19 is omitted as well as some of the recent, relevant antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections.","clarity_rating":5,"clarity_review":"There is a logical layout to the textbook similar to other Microbiology texts. Each chapter has clear learning objectives that are easy to identify, and key words are defined.","consistency_rating":5,"consistency_review":"Each chapter presents material with clear learning objectives, breakpoints for student \"check your understanding\", links to learning and applied clinical focus case studies. The chapters conclude with review questions including both multiple choice and critical thinking.","modularity_rating":5,"modularity_review":"Chapters can easily be subdivided to allow instructors to emphasize topics of interest.","organization_rating":5,"organization_review":"The textbook is laid out similar to other Microbiology books based on ASM guidelines.","interface_rating":5,"interface_review":"The textbook is free of apparent interface issues. Terms can be found in the glossary, and the index allows to select a topic that will navigate to the page in the textbook.","grammatical_rating":5,"grammatical_review":"The text contains no apparent grammatical errors.","cultural_rating":5,"cultural_review":"The textbook does not appear to be offensive in any way.","overall_rating":10,"overall_review":"The textbook contains useful appendices including Appendix D that lists clinically relevant microorganisms. The textbook should be considered for adoption since it aligns with the ASM guidelines, and supplemental materials are available for instructors and students to support the learning outcomes. In addition, options exist to modify and update as needed.","created_at":"2025-06-10T05:50:53.000-05:00","updated_at":"2025-06-10T05:50:53.000-05:00"}],"url":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/microbiology","updated_at":"2025-12-15T02:12:51.000-06:00"}],"links":{"self":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology.json?page=1","total_pages":10,"total_count":96,"next":"https://staging.open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/subjects/biology.json?page=2"}}