Need recommendations for textbooks to review for the MCAT

[vegetara83]

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Sorry if this has been previously addressed (I searched and coudn't find anything, though), but I was wondering what are some good textbooks to review the general MCAT topics.

I have a biology degree, so I took all the requisite courses, but I graduated years ago and I feel like I need a little more than just the review books to refresh my memory. I would like to have some textbooks to review a little more in depth than the review books allow. I won't be taking the MCAT for at the very least 6 months, so I've got quite a bit of time, but I still would like to get a jump start on things.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Isoprop]

Are you talking about undergraduate textbooks? IMO, no undergraduate textbook should replace a good review book.

If you are talking about review books in general, there are lots of recommendations here. Look in the stickies to see what people recommend. There are pretty much 4 popular choices for books.

Examkrackers - people tend to recommend their books for verbal 101, and sometimes biology. The other books are pretty mediocre IMO but some kids love 'em. Lots of pretty colors.

Kaplan - oldest company but not very well respected here with regards to their review books.

The Princeton Review Hyperlearning - good books all around but some complain that it contains too much minutia.

The Berkeley Review - also well regarded especially their physical sciences books.

There are other books, but these four companies are the most talked about here.

 

[vegetara83]

No, I really mean actual textbooks. I don't plan on replacing review books with textbooks, but using both in case I need something explained in more detail than is in the review books. I have the EK review series since they got good reviews (even though they apparently contain a lot of mistakes??), but just at quick glance I know I need more than just that to review since it's been awhile since I had the actual courses.

 

[Isoprop]

The ones you used in undergrad should suffice. But here is my list, for what it's worth.

I thought Campbell's Biology was good for bio.
In undergrad, I used Zumdahl's for General Chem, and I thought it was good. But I taught chem out of Brown which I thought was a superior book.
I have McMurry's for Organic Chem, which I thought was excellent. A lot of my students liked the Smith's text for OChem. I thought it was meh.
I never found a good physics textbook or one worth remembering.

 

[vegetara83]

Thanks. Since undergrad was a few years ago, I don't have any of my textbooks from then. I didn't think I'd need them at the time. =) Oh, if I only knew that I'd be applying to med school.

 

[SN2ed]

I think you'd be better served with a good set of review books. Then, if you need extra depth, use MIT's free classroom material. MIT has video lectures, podcasts, lecture notes, practice problems, tests, etc.

Edit: If you still want textbooks, buy used and get one of the older editions. You may be able to find old textbooks for less than $10.

 

[vegetara83]

Oh yeah, I'd forgotten about the free MIT lectures online. I'd still prefer to have a textbook though so I wouldn't have to sit at the computer all day. Not that this is the best idea in the world, but I tried reviewing gen chem online (there was some textbook that had the full thing on the web) and I couldn't handle it. I need a hard copy. And I fully plan on buying used books.

It's too bad that you can't think of a good physics book Isoprop, 'cause that's *really* what I was looking for. Physics and I did not get along when I took it for my bio degree and that's really what I needed to review pretty hardcore. I've heard good things about the Halliday book though. Any thoughts? The Brown book is actually what I used for gen chem when I took it. I just don't have it anymore, and other than that I can't remember what textbooks I used then. Silly me.

 

[SN2ed]

Yeah, I definitely understand the hardcopy thing. For physics, I've heard good things about Hewitt's Conceptual Physics. As the title indicates, this book is more about understanding the concepts than the math. I think this is what you'll need since the MCAT doesn't focus on math.

Here's a link to the newest edition of the book: http://www.amazon.com/Conceptual-Ph...=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1261187899&sr=1-1

Just hunt down a used older edition and you'll be set.

 

[DKeyes247]

I just bought the following textbooks from abebooks.com (sells used books and out of print crap for dirt cheap.) I read many reviews and spent the last few days revising my list and searching all over the web. Here's what I was able to come up with...

Physics - Cutnell (author) - $1.00 + $2.63 shipping = $3.63
(I forgot what edition but it's from either 2002 or 2003.)

Conceptual Physics, By Hewitt, 9th Edition - $1.00 + $3.97 shipping = $4.97
(I couldn't decide between both books so I got both...and for prices like these, just fork it over...I'll be taking the MCAT for a 3rd time...)

Organic Chemistry (5th Edition) -Leroy G. Wade - $5.29 total

General Chemistry: The Central Science, Ninth Edition - Brown - $4.59 total

And I ended up getting my Bio book from Alibris.com (similar site as abebooks) for $6.64 total - Appeared to be late edition of Campbell's baller / gold standard Biology book. I think 8th or 9th edition.

I was able to get all of the books in either "good" or "very good" condition. The deals for textbooks are out there, just check out these sites and make sure to read the descriptions totally and you'll be fine. I needed some quality resources, so I decided I could shell out ~$25 for 5 textbooks...a total savings of about $700!!! haha Tear it up brotha and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 🙂

 

[J ROD]

Personally, I think textbooks are too detailed for what you need for the MCAT in terms of using it as a consistent study source.

I could see using a textbook for one or two things that you really need to get straight and more background material on.

 

[mzblue]

I have the 11th ed of chemistry, the central science and i think it's a great chem text. i tend to sell all my textbooks but that's one i've kept.

I just bought the following textbooks from abebooks.com (sells used books and out of print crap for dirt cheap.) I read many reviews and spent the last few days revising my list and searching all over the web. Here's what I was able to come up with...

Physics - Cutnell (author) - $1.00 + $2.63 shipping = $3.63
(I forgot what edition but it's from either 2002 or 2003.)

Conceptual Physics, By Hewitt, 9th Edition - $1.00 + $3.97 shipping = $4.97
(I couldn't decide between both books so I got both...and for prices like these, just fork it over...I'll be taking the MCAT for a 3rd time...)

Organic Chemistry (5th Edition) -Leroy G. Wade - $5.29 total

General Chemistry: The Central Science, Ninth Edition - Brown - $4.59 total

And I ended up getting my Bio book from Alibris.com (similar site as abebooks) for $6.64 total - Appeared to be late edition of Campbell's baller / gold standard Biology book. I think 8th or 9th edition.

I was able to get all of the books in either "good" or "very good" condition. The deals for textbooks are out there, just check out these sites and make sure to read the descriptions totally and you'll be fine. I needed some quality resources, so I decided I could shell out ~$25 for 5 textbooks...a total savings of about $700!!! haha Tear it up brotha and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! 🙂

 

[vegetara83]

Thanks for letting me know about abebooks DKeyes! I had them all in my basket at Amazon, and even used it was still close to $60 for used. It was more for the shipping than it was for the actual books! I found them all on abebooks for less than $20, including shipping.

So another question I thought of while perusing the textbooks... I'm wondering if the associated student guides would be of any help. On one hand I thought they would be useful since the guides would include more problems to work through. But on the other hand, I plan on getting the EK 1001 questions series at some point and I don't particularly want to spend any more money than I have to (or lug around massive books if I don't have to!).

 

[gnomeski]

I have a side question: can anyone tell me the most recent edition of TPR cracking the CBT?