Best organic chemistry text book?

[I-Baby]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Voldhardt and Schore. I know they use it Davis, and I imagine they use it at Berkeley, too. Volhardt is a professor at Berkeley and Schore is at Davis. The impression I got is that this is a very widely used book in the U.S.

That being said, I used the book and I wasn't really impressed. For some reason I just don't like the way things are presented. I know my notes are very different from the book.

I freaking hated that book. I agree that the notes and the book didn't parallel each other. Contrary to what people are saying, I have the book by William Brown and I feel that it does a good job. I think that it is very clear and is easier to read than V&S.

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[al112987]

The best reference book for ochem though is Morrison and Boyd. Detailed, yet easy to understand.

 

[da8s0859q]

i remember my ochem book (McMurray) explained E/Z isomers like this: E is on the EPPOSITE side, Z is for the ZAME zide. geez, i'll never forget that.

McMURRY!

(hi V)

yeah, McMurry is doable.

Or you can just hope you get profs that teach in such a way that you'll not really need the text because they're that damn good.

 

[Narmerguy]

Or you can just hope you get profs that teach in such a way that you'll not really need the text because they're that damn good.

wishing on a star

 

[Craigslist]

My old ochm professor always used to say Wade was the best.

We used a book by a guy named Dr. Solomon before. He was an old USF professor but everyone hated his bok. The professors always ripped into it due to mistakes so thy'd tell us to look up the Wade book in the librar. finally, after I was done with ochem they changed it over to the Wade book officially.

Its supposedly a good book for ochem.

Dr. Solomon Weldegirma?

 

[computerdorkdan]

I used Vollhardt and Schore and really liked it. I think different books work for different people - there's no one best book for Organic undergrad.

I want to second the Organic Chemistry as a Second Language supplements. The first is real good, the second is pretty good. I'd say those two with a textbook and lots of motivation and freetime is all you need to do well in organic.

 

[vickpick]

wade's book is definitely the best

 

[vin5cent0]

If you find O-chem difficult, I would HIGHLY recommend this:

http://www.amazon.com/Organic-Chemi...=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242193576&sr=8-6

The author of that books makes concepts so incredibly clear and easy to learn. Give it a shot if you're struggling

 

[planktonelement]

Thumbs up here for Vollhardt and Schore's Organic Chemistry: Structure and Function 5th ed.

Before taking the class, I read through The Nuts and Bolts of Organic Chemistry by Karty. It doesn't necessarily teach a whole lot, but it helped me get my mind "ready" for o-chem.

 

[boaz]

My school uses Brown but the book is horrible; other common books are not behind by much. No wonder why everyone hates organic. The common books are synthetically based, with little emphasis on conceptual understanding.
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As a supplement I bought Clayden, Greeves et al. This book is the best textbook on any subject I have seen in my life, hands down. Seriously, it feels like a page-turner. I believe this is the textbook used at Harvard intro courses (can anyone confirm?). I'm not the only fan; check out the Amazon ratings.

For example, the first mechanisms tought are the basic carbonyl additions, then move on to less obvious mechanisms. It's not organized in this silly fashion like "reactions of alkenes", "reactions of alkynes", "alcohols", etc. Exotic reactions like ozonolysis and addition of osmium tetroxide are mentioned as a side point much later on simply as a synthetically useful reaction.

I'm fed up with the required text. My final final is Wednesday. Hopefully the sanitation truck arrives after I'm back.

 

[OChemist]

This book was AMAZING. Full explanation of everything, tons of examples w/reasons why this is the right answer. Also, answer manual has every end of chapter question.

Smith is a wonderful book, she treats our class so well when we read it. Wade is good too; but I prefer smith now, it's very powerful.

 

[Mattabet]

"Organic Chemistry" by LG Wade is incredible.

Skip Wade rocks my world!

 

[JJMrK]

I used Bruice for O-Chem I and II. Good enough to help me get an A.

 

[vickpick]

Skip Wade rocks my world!

 

[badasshairday]

Thumbs up here for Vollhardt and Schore's Organic Chemistry: Structure and Function 5th ed.

I'd go with Vollhardt and Schore. This book is used at schools with serious Chemistry Departments (like Berkeley... Berklium, Californium, anybody). I used it, and I attribute my ability to get every organic chem question on practice MCATs (and probably on the real one too, though they obviously don't let you look at it), and setting up a strong foundation for understanding Biochem. This led to ==>14 on bio sci for the MCAT.

If you do the Vollhardt & Schore route, make sure you get the solutions book so you can do the questions at the end of each chapter and have the explanations.

 

[cgk]

I'm assuming that most of you are takining Organic this Summer? Do you feel there are advantages or disadvantages in doing this? Comments appreciated!

 

[ngkats]

I used and liked McMurry. Though I never had or looked at another text for organic, so my opinion is biased and may be meaningless.

 

[student1799]

My school uses McMurry, and I lived with it but hated it. Our prof recommended Jones as a supplemental book, and I really liked it. Jones isn't so much for technical details, but for really understanding the underlying principles of what you're studying.

Afterthought: I also recommend a book called "Pushing Electrons" by Daniel Weeks. It's not a full textbook, but a thin little paperback volume that's meant to be used on the side. The whole purpose is to teach you to "push" (move) electrons around correctly in reactions. This is a really important skill to learn in orgo, and the sooner the better, so it's good to tackle it at the beginning of your course.

 

[searun]

Skip Wade rocks my world!

Another vote for Skip Wade. I've heard that he also is a deputy sherriff and then when he isn't teaching organic chemistry, he drives around in his cop car arresting people. A bad ass organic chemistry professor!

 

[searun]

I just googled Professor LG (Skip) Wade. In addition to being a full professor of Organic Chemistry, he is a deputy sheriff for Walla Walla County, Washington and a police firearms instructor! How sweet is that! No wonder I like his text book so much. No namby pamby intellectual but a deadeye marksman.

 

[supergirl87]

another vote for wade from me. i'm usually not picky about textbooks, but i can say that this was the best written textbook i've ever used. i honestly think a person can teach themselves orgo (with enough willpower... and boredom??) if he or she has wade's orgo textbook and the solutions manual. as a side note, my former orgo teacher is friends with wade. she says he's retiring from teaching.

 

[Evergrey]

I just googled Professor LG (Skip) Wade. In addition to being a full professor of Organic Chemistry, he is a deputy sheriff for Walla Walla County, Washington and a police firearms instructor! How sweet is that! No wonder I like his text book so much. No namby pamby intellectual but a deadeye marksman.

He used to teach at my school.. he actually retired last year! His textbook is excellent. I didn't take the class from him since I just took Orgo this year. He also serves as an expert witness in demolitions and ballistics cases I'm pretty sure. And one of his hobbies is refurbishing violins!

 

[karayraisu]

I always thought the fact that John McMurry wrote the textbook and his wife wrote the solutions manual/study guide to be kind of cute. =p

 

[searun]

He used to teach at my school.. he actually retired last year! His textbook is excellent. I didn't take the class from him since I just took Orgo this year. He also serves as an expert witness in demolitions and ballistics cases I'm pretty sure. And one of his hobbies is refurbishing violins!

Sorry you missed his class. Skip Wade is the man. Any guy that can be one of the top organic chemistry professors in the USA, write a definitive textbook, repair violins, teach cops how to shoot straight, testify in court about ballistics, and be a deputy sheriff and drive around at night in his cop car and arrest bad guys, well, damn, that guy is a stud.

 

[supergirl87]

He used to teach at my school.. he actually retired last year! His textbook is excellent. I didn't take the class from him since I just took Orgo this year. He also serves as an expert witness in demolitions and ballistics cases I'm pretty sure. And one of his hobbies is refurbishing violins!

ahaha, I hope someone shows wade this thread (as I doubt he'd find/search it on his own) so that he knows how useful his books are...only on sdn does a textbook author have a fan base

 

[searun]

ahaha, I hope someone shows wade this thread (as I doubt he'd find/search it on his own) so that he knows how useful his books are...only on sdn does a textbook author have a fan base

No, I doubt that he has ever googled himself. He would be shocked that we are talking about him. Apparently, his daugther is a military fighter pilot and an astronaught. So science guys and girls really can be studs. Anyway, love his textbook. And Skip can keeping on fighting crime in Washington.

 

[Craigslist]

LG wade's book is littered with errors and its extremely annoying. As well as his inability to explain Acids and Bases in chapter one. Please get off his phallus.

 

[hypnix]

Did anyone suggest Bruice? I used that in undergrad and never attended class.

 

[slight365]

I generally recommend Brown and Foote, along with the solutions manual that has every problem.

 

[steelblue89]

Organic Chemistry by Carey...nice end of chapter summaries that show everything you need to know. Good diagrams and presentation as well.

 

[atomi]

Bruice is the best.

 

[searun]

LG wade's book is littered with errors and its extremely annoying. As well as his inability to explain Acids and Bases in chapter one. Please get off his phallus.

Love it when a little undergrad knows more than the leading experts in the field. Skip medical school and go directly to residency and pimp everyone. Oh wait, this is not grade school, you don't get to skip grades anymore. Perhaps you should let go of your own phallus, it needs a rest.

 

[Insulinshock]

i remember my ochem book (McMurray) explained E/Z isomers like this: E is on the EPPOSITE side, Z is for the ZAME zide. geez, i'll never forget that.

Haha I remember that EXACT same thing from McMurray too.. I can literally picture the page that it was on. I lol'ed when I first read it.

I thought it was a good book, too. The solutions manual was absolutely awesome.. it gave detailed discussions about nearly every practice problem. I ended up with an A-/A in orgo I and II largely due to that solutions manual.

 

[Insulinshock]

LG wade's book is littered with errors and its extremely annoying. As well as his inability to explain Acids and Bases in chapter one. Please get off his phallus.

Awesome name and picture by the way

 

[da8s0859q]

Haha I remember that EXACT same thing from McMurray too.. I can literally picture the page that it was on. I lol'ed when I first read it.

I thought it was a good book, too. The solutions manual was absolutely awesome.. it gave detailed discussions about nearly every practice problem. I ended up with an A-/A in orgo I and II largely due to that solutions manual.

Epposite? I just stuck with "zame zide".

I had a professor -- wonderful, wonderful man -- who went into the German background of the terms, thrown accent and all. I think I turned to the girl next to me and said something like, "WE HAVE VAYS OF MAKING YOU TALK."