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Organic Chemistry I For Dummies (For Dummies

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Organic Chemistry I For Dummies, 2nd Edition (9781119293378) was previously published as Organic Chemistry I For Dummies, 2nd Edition (9781118828076). While this version features a new Dummies cover and design, the content is the same as the prior release and should not be considered a new or updated product.
The easy way to take the confusion out of organic chemistry Organic chemistry has a long-standing reputation as a difficult course. Organic Chemistry I For Dummies takes a simple approach to the topic, allowing you to grasp concepts at your own pace. This fun, easy-to-understand guide explains the basic principles of organic chemistry in simple terms, providing insight into the language of organic chemists, the major classes of compounds, and top trouble spots. You'll also get the nuts and bolts of tackling organic chemistry problems, from knowing where to start to spotting sneaky tricks that professors like to incorporate. Baffled by benzines? Confused by carboxylic acids? Here's the help you need―in plain English!

384 pages, Paperback

First published July 8, 2005

272 people are currently reading
548 people want to read

About the author

Arthur Winter

24 books2 followers

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5 stars
79 (31%)
4 stars
79 (31%)
3 stars
71 (28%)
2 stars
15 (5%)
1 star
7 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
Profile Image for Miles.
104 reviews19 followers
July 18, 2009
I'm a big fans of the For Dummies series. I can't say that I much like the titles themselves, since I think Organic Chemistry I Made Simple would appeal to me more. That said, generally the content is well designed to stand alone and give the reader a basic working knowledge of the material covered.

I'm afraid this particular book is an exception to that.

Organic Chem I emphasizes the need to work problems to truly understand the material. That's fine, but there are only two or three problems included in the book as far as I can recall. It seems that unlike most of the Dummies series, this book is intended as a supplement instead of a stand alone. For someone wanting to help themselves past some rough spots while taking a basic organic chem class it would be a marvelous help I'm (fairly) sure. That was not me, however. I was reading the book for my own education, and I came out feeling that I didn't know a great deal more than I did going in, save that organic chem is bloody confusing.
Profile Image for MJ.
72 reviews10 followers
January 31, 2019
I’m reviewing the second edition of Organic Chemistry I for Dummies which I borrowed from the library. Though I studied organic chemistry not too long ago, I wished to refresh my knowledge. Having said that, I wouldn’t recommend this book as a replacement for a textbook or professorial instruction; but then again the authors happen to agree. One aspect of the book that frustrated me were the depiction of certain mechanisms - even when illustrating the movement of electrons, certain steps are being skipped for the sake of brevity. While I am able to ‘fill in the blanks’, I can see how this would be annoying to a newbie. Perhaps this was fixed in subsequent editions? I certainly hope so. Otherwise, I did find this book useful - the authors wrote concisely and elucidated concepts to which some professors don’t dedicate enough time. I highly recommend this book for revision and as a companion to other media (if you’re tackling organic chemistry for the first time).
3 reviews3 followers
January 30, 2010
This Book=Hard=Big Confusing Words=I like turtles. If anyone is reading this,i have a question. Is the (Something) 4 dummies books mostly for college students and High School Students or for all ages (kinda). I LIKE TURTLES.
Profile Image for Gokce Zora.
54 reviews1 follower
April 24, 2020
I was struggled Organic Chem I in my college times, veeery seriously. I took this course 4 times, fourth time lastly I could pass by DD. It is a first book I have read from Dummies series, I didn't become a huge fan of this book nor it helped me to pass the course. I recommend this book to people is not under pressure about the course.
Profile Image for Rosie.
529 reviews1 follower
December 21, 2017
I'd give this book a 3.5. It does a good job explaining concepts in a simpler way but there isn't an in-depth explanation that instructors might expect. I tended to use this book more as a way to review basic concepts that I learned in class or read in my textbook.
Profile Image for Judy.
195 reviews
April 5, 2022
I thumbed through this study guide on Organic Chemistry but did not read it from cover to cover. I realized from when I took an Organic Chemistry course in the summer of 1965 at the University of Illinois at Navy Pier many things have been discovered about atoms and molecules.
406 reviews6 followers
April 27, 2023
Whoever thought an author could make organic chemistry fun and funny? Great way to overcome my college fears of this topic. Way over my head, made me glad I never had to take it, but loved the style and the applicability of organic chemistry to our lives.
2,105 reviews61 followers
October 5, 2018
Didn't discuss similarities between different types of compounds (e.g. alkaloids) but seemed good otherwise
Profile Image for Izzie Wilde.
Author 3 books7 followers
October 12, 2025
Informative, but not for dummies. You definitely have to know Chemistry to understand what it's saying.
Profile Image for Yates Buckley.
715 reviews33 followers
July 26, 2020
Useful but not so useful, but I have to admit that I really do not enjoy the way the whole field of Organic Chemistry is structured. While at the ground level this is basically all about learning recipes, it would be much more useful if the emphasis was on using technological tools to assist with recipes rather than encouraging rote.
Profile Image for -uht!.
127 reviews11 followers
Want to read
December 10, 2013
The weakest part of my science knowledge is the marriage of chemistry to biology. I figured this would be an okay place to start, but I'd rather have a non-textbook... Anybody got any recommendations?
Profile Image for Joelle.
27 reviews14 followers
Read
June 16, 2009
I am reading this so I can understand my wine chemistry class. It's been years since I have tortured my brain with chemistry.

I'm a little ashamed.
Profile Image for Kristina Wolfe.
51 reviews15 followers
August 28, 2012
I made it half way before I stopped trying to understand it and just finished reading it. Looks like I'll be having to pay very close attention to my homework.
Profile Image for Kate.
35 reviews
August 13, 2013
I would give it a 3.5. It does help somewhat breakdown some complicated terms to the basics but does not go deep into the subject
6 reviews
July 23, 2015
Gut strukturiertes Ergänzungswerk zu meiner OC-Vorlesung. Verständliche Erklärungen mit guten Bespielen.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews

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