Organic Chemistry

by David R. Klein

Success in organic chemistry requires mastery in two core aspects: fundamental concepts and the skills needed to apply those concepts and solve problems. With Organic Chemistry, Student Solution Manual and Study Guide, 4th Edition, students can learn to become proficient at approaching new situations methodically, based on a repertoire of skills. These skills are vital for successful problem solving in organic chemistry.

Genres: Science, Chemistry, Textbooks, Nonfiction, Read For School, School, Reference

1295 pages, Hardcover

First published March 21, 2011

Reviews

[Carey Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

a bit dry but gripping at times. greatly expanded my vocabulary but a little soporific…

[Drue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, the book helped me at the beginning of the year when I started the class. I liked the Wiley Plus. It was really nice at the beginning with all the illustrations. However, after a while, the book gets less detailed. The reaction mechanisms are really concise. I know that it is a good way for the students to understand and remember the outcome of the reaction. However, I don't think that that makes the whole mechanism right. One of the examples of what I am saying would be the Reduction of Ketone reaction in Sodium Borohydride with Methanol.

So, I stopped using the book towards the end...I feel that the book is good for the beginners though. I hope that helps.

[ohhidogy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have this book since 2022 and I can affirm this should be one of the 5 pillars of life. Long live KLEIN!

[Moustafa Abdelhamid · Rating 5 out of 5]

I studied this book when I was at the university and my curriculum only covered a few chapters. couple of years after I decided to go through the entire book and my god how beautifully written this book truly is with its engaging technically speaking paragraphs that related the field of science to regular day applications and its illustrated drawings and diagrams. There was moments were I was lost and felt information went over my head however I kept reading the chapters and at some point started even doing practice problems which helped a lot but didn't continue that practice much as it was too time consuming for me this year.
In the end, I learned a lot from this book and will use it as brick for my future textbook readings and learning curve. A great book for anyone who is interested in learning about Organic chemistry.

[Serhii Kushchenko · Rating 5 out of 5]

Я в восторге от этого учебника по органической химии. С его помощью я не просто сдал экзамен, а заложил фундамент для дальнейшей учебы и работы. Авторам учебников по любым предметам стоило бы брать с него пример, как подавать материал.

[Alec G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Might be the first real textbook I've actually read cover to cover. Some nice casual reading.

[Stuart Woolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

I read Klein's Organic Chemistry as a Second Language ten years ago. It was a good introduction to the subject, but I felt Part I was better than Part II, and my intuition for the subject was still shaky.

When I became aware that Wiley commissioned Klein to write a full textbook, I ordered it, but it sat on my shelf unread until last summer. I took detailed notes on most chapters but was a few chapters shy of finishing it when I returned to work (schoolteacher here). This summer, I revisited my notes, read the remaining chapters, and skimmed those on carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins.

I have decided that Klein's approach is great for a general "lay of the land" but has limitations when it comes to building intuition for the subject. Klein arranges his material by functional group, akin to how cookbooks are arranged by ingredient. This is fine for practical ends (i.e. cooking dinner) but I suspect a mechanism-oriented approach is superior (at the end of the day, there are not that many mechanisms in organic chemistry) and it would significantly reduce the cognitive load for students.

To be fair, Klein sort of does this: for example, the chapters on alkenes and alkynes are really about addition reactions, and the chapter on carboxylic acids & their derivatives is really about nucleophilic acyl substitutions. Still, I believe an explicit arrangement would have eliminated a lot of redundancy and improved clarity. (Update: I have read online that a mechanism-oriented approach is common in other countries, esp. where chemistry and medical students are not enrolled in the same course.)

Other thoughts:

Klein is a good writer, and I think he explains concepts well. I liked the book's visuals: busy at times, but much better than a dense wall of text.

Too many bells and whistles from Wiley, I think. The final chapter can only be accessed online, with a subscription. To state the obvious: I did not read it.

For me, the most interesting subject was pericyclic reactions: here, Klein dives into molecular orbital theory, photochemistry, etc. Aromatic and conjugated systems interested me too. I also found myself wanting to know more about catalysts (especially exotic ones) and certain solvents.

[Melody Bright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does a pretty good job of breaking things down. It walks you through the concepts step by step and offers plenty of practice problems throughout the chapters. The end-of-chapter questions are also well-designed, helping you pull everything together and prepare for exams effectively.

I also really appreciate the looseleaf edition—it's super convenient to carry just the chapter we're working on to class instead of hauling the entire textbook.

How to understand organic chemistry easily? This book attempts to answer that by presenting the material in a gradual and structured way, making complex topics more accessible through examples and exercises.

However, I'm giving it three stars because it does NOT include solutions to the practice problems. The book provides a walkthrough for one basic example, then gives five to twenty more difficult problems but no answers. That’s a major issue for me since I study mostly on weekends and don’t have easy access to my professor or TA to check my work. It’s hard to know if I’m learning the material correctly without solutions.

Please make it very clear that this book doesn’t include solutions so others know what they’re getting before they buy!

[Jeffrey Romine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the textbook we are using at the University of Hawaii to teach undergraduate organic chemistry. I've used it to teach organic chem 1 (once) and organic 2 (three times). I'm presently looking at my book shelf that has six other main stream textbooks, most of which I have perused to some extent, and I'm quite comfortable saying Klein offers a good balance. The trick is to have enough content, written with enough detail, that you can teach the course well, but not so much that you lose the non-majors.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'd like to thank David Klein from the bottom of my heart for writing the most student friendly, understandable and down to earth organic chemistry book there is. As it's mentioned in the prologue, there still is an inconsistency between what is taught in class vs what's expected from students in the final exams and this book helps you understand the foundation of oc in a very no nonsense way.

[Siobhan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This textbook is very very helpful in learning organic chemistry. The explanations are clear and easy to comprehend and apply to class work. If your professor assigns textbook readings as the main form of teaching content you will be absolutely fine!

[Brianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s good but not great. It wasn’t always as detailed as I would have liked, but the diagrams were helpful and the homework system attached to the book was pretty good. I tended to rely more on my professors than the book, but it wasn’t a bad textbook.

[Kendra Shaw · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am praying that this book helps me pass my final tomorrow, because my prof does not teach at all. If I pass because of this book then I will weep at the feet of the chemistry gods that wrote this book. I will update if it does!

[Abdullah Faris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book for beginners who is just getting into organic chem specially for building the skills
I think this is the first book that i read entirely in my life
Really enjoyed the ride
thanks David Klein .

[Masaru Tagawa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Organic Chemistry book my college course taught out of. Felt like it is sequenced in the standard way a majority of organic chemistry courses are taught. That being said, I think it’s a solid way to introduce the subject to newer learners.

[Colleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm not going to say I enjoyed the class, but the textbook was a huge help. It is formatted well, with excellent explanations and practice problems.

[Rajat Rohilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy to learn for beginner must go

[Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

elegant and inspires curiosity.

[Emily Krueger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally one of the best textbooks that I have ever used!!!

[Carlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cried.

[S H · Rating 1 out of 5]

first book to make me cry

[Bossbee · Rating 1 out of 5]

started with a nice plot, but dnf due to shitty ending

[Kiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS book single-handedly taught me organic chemistry I’d be lost without it 10/10 would recommend

[Soggy Hot Dog · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book did not make me want to kill myself

[Maicha · Rating 3 out of 5]

orgo gives me bad anxiety but this was really helpful in understanding i guess

[samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love ochem #thank you David

[Beatriz Antunes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love orgo.

[Mica Diaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

el mejor libro de química orgánica, vengan de a uno. Lo leería hasta por gusto porque hace todo super interesante.

[amna · Rating 5 out of 5]

if i dont pass organic chem 1 its over

[arabella]

this book feels like a childhood friend