Truly Organic!, 06 Jan 2008
I bought this book in January 2007 for my MChem course at a much higher price (£59.99) from a well known University bookshop. Although I paid way too much for it I have to say it's the best investment I ever made as I found it to be very useful throughout the duration of my Masters. The book starts off in a very basic to almost A Level standard manner. The reader does not have to have any prior understanding of organic chemistry as the book begins with a section on "What is organic chemistry" and then leads onto organic structures and how to determine structures using different spectroscopic instruments. In total there are 53 chapters which include: Organic reactions, Delocalisation and conjugation, Acidity, Basicity and pKa, Equilibria, Stereochemistry, Retrosynthetic analysis, Fragmentation, Radical reactions, Asymmetric synthesis, Organometallic chemistry and Polymerization. This book helped me score 89% on my Masters. I'm now in my 1st year of my Chemistry PhD and I'm still referring to it! I would recommend every organic chemist (whether undergrad, postgrad or even postdoc) to own a copy of this book. It's a truly organic gem!!!

Best Organic Chem Book there is!, 30 Jul 2007

I bought this book for my undergraduate days, I dont know any better organic book as it has everything in right from the begining to more advanced concepts. Organic Chemistry is also well written and well illustrated as well.

If you go into organic chemistry or pharaceuticals, dont sell this book as it is all you will ever need!

Incredible book!, 01 Jul 2007
I am a high school student who made use of this book (and others) while preparing for my interview at the university of Oxford.

This book has thoroughly enhanced my understanding in the (broad!) field of organic chemistry.
The visual aspect of the book is outstanding. All reactions are coloured so as to emphasize on certain bonds and atoms in the molecules. There are continuous suggestions for students to compare certain reactions with others previously studied.
The content spans over 50 chapters. Unlike older texts where the division is made according to functional groups: (Chapter 1: alkanes, chapter 2: alkenes .....) this book instead classifies each chapter according to reaction types (nucleophilic, electrophilic substitution; nucleophilic, electrophilic addition; elimination E1, elimination E2 etc).

The text never digresses badly, and it always keeps in mind that it is a (high-school, college etc.) student reading.

I recommend this textbook to anyone interested in the field of organic chemistry.

The best undergraduate organic chemistry book ever written, 28 Aug 2006
This book manages to present the fundamentals of organic chemistry in such an engaging and clear manner that it is an absolute joy to use.

The questions reinforce the material wonderfully and provide a steady learning curve, first building confidence and then stretching the student.

The companion solutions text is definately also worth considering if you are using this book as a tutorial.

All in all, one of the best books you will come across as a student of chemistry.

Definitely worth the money, 20 Aug 2005
If you are serious about learning organic chemistry then go direct to the source. Stuart Warren and his fellow authors have really done a good job with this undergraduate level text.

The book is clearly laid out in sections with good use of colour and diagrams.

There is a glut of books on organic chemistry on the market but not all are as clear and accessible as this one.

Do yourself a favour and get this book and the solutions manual to go with it.

Truly Organic!, 06 Jan 2008
I bought this book in January 2007 for my MChem course at a much higher price (£59.99) from a well known University bookshop. Although I paid way too much for it I have to say it's the best investment I ever made as I found it to be very useful throughout the duration of my Masters. The book starts off in a very basic to almost A Level standard manner. The reader does not have to have any prior understanding of organic chemistry as the book begins with a section on "What is organic chemistry" and then leads onto organic structures and how to determine structures using different spectroscopic instruments. In total there are 53 chapters which include: Organic reactions, Delocalisation and conjugation, Acidity, Basicity and pKa, Equilibria, Stereochemistry, Retrosynthetic analysis, Fragmentation, Radical reactions, Asymmetric synthesis, Organometallic chemistry and Polymerization. This book helped me score 89% on my Masters. I'm now in my 1st year of my Chemistry PhD and I'm still referring to it! I would recommend every organic chemist (whether undergrad, postgrad or even postdoc) to own a copy of this book. It's a truly organic gem!!!

Best Organic Chem Book there is!, 30 Jul 2007

I bought this book for my undergraduate days, I dont know any better organic book as it has everything in right from the begining to more advanced concepts. Organic Chemistry is also well written and well illustrated as well.

If you go into organic chemistry or pharaceuticals, dont sell this book as it is all you will ever need!

Incredible book!, 01 Jul 2007
I am a high school student who made use of this book (and others) while preparing for my interview at the university of Oxford.

This book has thoroughly enhanced my understanding in the (broad!) field of organic chemistry.
The visual aspect of the book is outstanding. All reactions are coloured so as to emphasize on certain bonds and atoms in the molecules. There are continuous suggestions for students to compare certain reactions with others previously studied.
The content spans over 50 chapters. Unlike older texts where the division is made according to functional groups: (Chapter 1: alkanes, chapter 2: alkenes .....) this book instead classifies each chapter according to reaction types (nucleophilic, electrophilic substitution; nucleophilic, electrophilic addition; elimination E1, elimination E2 etc).

The text never digresses badly, and it always keeps in mind that it is a (high-school, college etc.) student reading.

I recommend this textbook to anyone interested in the field of organic chemistry.

The best undergraduate organic chemistry book ever written, 28 Aug 2006
This book manages to present the fundamentals of organic chemistry in such an engaging and clear manner that it is an absolute joy to use.

The questions reinforce the material wonderfully and provide a steady learning curve, first building confidence and then stretching the student.

The companion solutions text is definately also worth considering if you are using this book as a tutorial.

All in all, one of the best books you will come across as a student of chemistry.

Definitely worth the money, 20 Aug 2005
If you are serious about learning organic chemistry then go direct to the source. Stuart Warren and his fellow authors have really done a good job with this undergraduate level text.

The book is clearly laid out in sections with good use of colour and diagrams.

There is a glut of books on organic chemistry on the market but not all are as clear and accessible as this one.

Do yourself a favour and get this book and the solutions manual to go with it.

Helpfull book, 18 Jul 2007
This book is excellent for chemistry undergrads and postgrads. It is quite a hard read and you need to pick out the small part that you need to know about because it is written in detail. However the small details you select from this book aid your overall understanding of physical chemistry and is very helpfull. I think this book is written to a level which is higher than a chemistry degree. I used this book in my first year at university as an chemistry undergrad and found it extremly helpful. It is one of the core texts required for chemistry students at the university of manchester. If i found this book helpful so can you

Not for the complete novice, but invaluable for everyone else interested in the subject, 20 Jun 2007
Let's start with saying that the authors pull no mathematical punches. They assume a fair amount of maths and use it throughout, and not in the watered-down fashion, so often seen.

Optically, the book is a gem, and the authors have gone to great pains to use all the tricks at the modern printer's disposal.

Despite being, perhaps, somewhat heavy going if you lack the prerequisites, they manage to clarify almost anything for the reader willing to spend the effort.

One amazing thing is, that one does not require a stiff background in chemistry itself. Possible stumbling blocks lie in the maths, and the autors are extremely generous with worked examples and justifications.

A very useful feature is that the reader can cover one of two tracks, the traditional approach and the molecular approach in either order he or she chooses. The molecular approach doesn't start until chapter 8, but if you wish, you can jump in right there and hardly feel a loss not having read the previous seven. (It is heartily recommended that you do anyway -the classical approach is a beautiful subject in its own right.)

So, Mr. Atkins and Mr. de Paula, continue improving your shining work, if you can come up with ways to do so. As the book is now, I imagine new ideas are getting hard to come by, but if someone buys just one book on physical chemistry, this should be it.

An excellent text for the undergraduate, 10 Mar 2005
The fact that I've had the author as a lecturer for part of my physical chemistry course is helpful enough, but every topic that an undergraduate may requuire for their physical chemistry course should be found in here, and in my opinion, all are represented in reasonable detail. Occasionally, you may need to consult a more specialist textbook on a particular sub-topic, but even if you were to soley use this book as a guide, you could expect a comfortable pass. Probably the only physical chemistry textbook you should consider.

Classic case of quantity of quality, 12 Feb 2004
I won't deny that this book covers a phenomenal range of topics, but this isn't necessarily a good thing. In so many subjects it just doesn't contain enough material to be useful in preparing for undergraduate exams or workshops. If your lecturers follow this text closely then fine, this will probably be a very sensible buy, but otherwise look elsewhere.

That this is, as another reviewer pointed out, the de facto undergrad physical chemistry text is a problem because there isn't really a widely-available alternative. Lazy lecturers just recommend this book if their course is in physical or physical inorganic chemistry as they seem to assume it will contain everything their students need. Sadly this is rarely the case (in my experience). It may be worth obtaining some of the OUP primers for some of the more specialist topics or trying to find some more specific texts in your university library.

I feel that the mathematics in this book is too advanced. Many of my undergraduate colleagues struggled to understand the derivations and justifications, for example. But I suppose this depends entirely on your mathematical background; I came to university with A-level Pure Maths and had few problems. Those who had only AS Pure (or A-level Pure/Applied) seemed to find the material far more challenging.

In the book's defense, the topics on quantum theory are far more rigorous and thorough than most of the other material covered. If you are on an undergrad chemistry degree you probably won't do that much quantum mechanics though, so (as stated above) you may want to just find a dedicated book in the library.

There are some very clear colour diagrams in this book which can help to augment the text on a few topics (again, particularly the chapters on QM). I found the practice exercises fairly useless as they were, generally, more advanced than anything covered in my lecture courses. (This will, of course, depend on what is covered at your university.)

By the way, don't buy the solutions manual. Complete waste of money which doesn't come close to explaining clearly what's going on.

Concluding, it's difficult to either encourage or dissuade anyone from buying this. Wait until you get a little way into your course and have a flick through it in the library. If it looks like your physical lectures and problem questions are basically being copied from it (apparently quite common...), then by all means take the plunge and buy it. Just give it some thought and don't buy it without reading it first.

It's simple, 08 Nov 2003
I totally agree with the review givig by another reader!

Most people find Physical chemistry quite tough. Although I don't promise this book will solve all their problems, but it aint a bad start!

But this book is simply the defacto undergraduate text in Physical chemistry.

Pretty much everything in one book!

During my time as a student, almost all the lecturers follow the content covered in the Atkins book.

Provides all the information and goes as far as including the mathematical derviations of the all principles in the book.

If you are serious about physical chemistry, you have to buy this book! Don't waste your money on his inorganic chemistry book, but I think this book is a must and will last the whole duration of a 4 year european chemistry degree course.

Truly Organic!, 06 Jan 2008
I bought this book in January 2007 for my MChem course at a much higher price (£59.99) from a well known University bookshop. Although I paid way too much for it I have to say it's the best investment I ever made as I found it to be very useful throughout the duration of my Masters. The book starts off in a very basic to almost A Level standard manner. The reader does not have to have any prior understanding of organic chemistry as the book begins with a section on "What is organic chemistry" and then leads onto organic structures and how to determine structures using different spectroscopic instruments. In total there are 53 chapters which include: Organic reactions, Delocalisation and conjugation, Acidity, Basicity and pKa, Equilibria, Stereochemistry, Retrosynthetic analysis, Fragmentation, Radical reactions, Asymmetric synthesis, Organometallic chemistry and Polymerization. This book helped me score 89% on my Masters. I'm now in my 1st year of my Chemistry PhD and I'm still referring to it! I would recommend every organic chemist (whether undergrad, postgrad or even postdoc) to own a copy of this book. It's a truly organic gem!!!

Best Organic Chem Book there is!, 30 Jul 2007

I bought this book for my undergraduate days, I dont know any better organic book as it has everything in right from the begining to more advanced concepts. Organic Chemistry is also well written and well illustrated as well.

If you go into organic chemistry or pharaceuticals, dont sell this book as it is all you will ever need!

Incredible book!, 01 Jul 2007
I am a high school student who made use of this book (and others) while preparing for my interview at the university of Oxford.

This book has thoroughly enhanced my understanding in the (broad!) field of organic chemistry.
The visual aspect of the book is outstanding. All reactions are coloured so as to emphasize on certain bonds and atoms in the molecules. There are continuous suggestions for students to compare certain reactions with others previously studied.
The content spans over 50 chapters. Unlike older texts where the division is made according to functional groups: (Chapter 1: alkanes, chapter 2: alkenes .....) this book instead classifies each chapter according to reaction types (nucleophilic, electrophilic substitution; nucleophilic, electrophilic addition; elimination E1, elimination E2 etc).

The text never digresses badly, and it always keeps in mind that it is a (high-school, college etc.) student reading.

I recommend this textbook to anyone interested in the field of organic chemistry.

The best undergraduate organic chemistry book ever written, 28 Aug 2006
This book manages to present the fundamentals of organic chemistry in such an engaging and clear manner that it is an absolute joy to use.

The questions reinforce the material wonderfully and provide a steady learning curve, first building confidence and then stretching the student.

The companion solutions text is definately also worth considering if you are using this book as a tutorial.

All in all, one of the best books you will come across as a student of chemistry.

Definitely worth the money, 20 Aug 2005
If you are serious about learning organic chemistry then go direct to the source. Stuart Warren and his fellow authors have really done a good job with this undergraduate level text.

The book is clearly laid out in sections with good use of colour and diagrams.

There is a glut of books on organic chemistry on the market but not all are as clear and accessible as this one.

Do yourself a favour and get this book and the solutions manual to go with it.

Helpfull book, 18 Jul 2007
This book is excellent for chemistry undergrads and postgrads. It is quite a hard read and you need to pick out the small part that you need to know about because it is written in detail. However the small details you select from this book aid your overall understanding of physical chemistry and is very helpfull. I think this book is written to a level which is higher than a chemistry degree. I used this book in my first year at university as an chemistry undergrad and found it extremly helpful. It is one of the core texts required for chemistry students at the university of manchester. If i found this book helpful so can you

Not for the complete novice, but invaluable for everyone else interested in the subject, 20 Jun 2007
Let's start with saying that the authors pull no mathematical punches. They assume a fair amount of maths and use it throughout, and not in the watered-down fashion, so often seen.

Optically, the book is a gem, and the authors have gone to great pains to use all the tricks at the modern printer's disposal.

Despite being, perhaps, somewhat heavy going if you lack the prerequisites, they manage to clarify almost anything for the reader willing to spend the effort.

One amazing thing is, that one does not require a stiff background in chemistry itself. Possible stumbling blocks lie in the maths, and the autors are extremely generous with worked examples and justifications.

A very useful feature is that the reader can cover one of two tracks, the traditional approach and the molecular approach in either order he or she chooses. The molecular approach doesn't start until chapter 8, but if you wish, you can jump in right there and hardly feel a loss not having read the previous seven. (It is heartily recommended that you do anyway -the classical approach is a beautiful subject in its own right.)

So, Mr. Atkins and Mr. de Paula, continue improving your shining work, if you can come up with ways to do so. As the book is now, I imagine new ideas are getting hard to come by, but if someone buys just one book on physical chemistry, this should be it.

An excellent text for the undergraduate, 10 Mar 2005
The fact that I've had the author as a lecturer for part of my physical chemistry course is helpful enough, but every topic that an undergraduate may requuire for their physical chemistry course should be found in here, and in my opinion, all are represented in reasonable detail. Occasionally, you may need to consult a more specialist textbook on a particular sub-topic, but even if you were to soley use this book as a guide, you could expect a comfortable pass. Probably the only physical chemistry textbook you should consider.

Classic case of quantity of quality, 12 Feb 2004
I won't deny that this book covers a phenomenal range of topics, but this isn't necessarily a good thing. In so many subjects it just doesn't contain enough material to be useful in preparing for undergraduate exams or workshops. If your lecturers follow this text closely then fine, this will probably be a very sensible buy, but otherwise look elsewhere.

That this is, as another reviewer pointed out, the de facto undergrad physical chemistry text is a problem because there isn't really a widely-available alternative. Lazy lecturers just recommend this book if their course is in physical or physical inorganic chemistry as they seem to assume it will contain everything their students need. Sadly this is rarely the case (in my experience). It may be worth obtaining some of the OUP primers for some of the more specialist topics or trying to find some more specific texts in your university library.

I feel that the mathematics in this book is too advanced. Many of my undergraduate colleagues struggled to understand the derivations and justifications, for example. But I suppose this depends entirely on your mathematical background; I came to university with A-level Pure Maths and had few problems. Those who had only AS Pure (or A-level Pure/Applied) seemed to find the material far more challenging.

In the book's defense, the topics on quantum theory are far more rigorous and thorough than most of the other material covered. If you are on an undergrad chemistry degree you probably won't do that much quantum mechanics though, so (as stated above) you may want to just find a dedicated book in the library.

There are some very clear colour diagrams in this book which can help to augment the text on a few topics (again, particularly the chapters on QM). I found the practice exercises fairly useless as they were, generally, more advanced than anything covered in my lecture courses. (This will, of course, depend on what is covered at your university.)

By the way, don't buy the solutions manual. Complete waste of money which doesn't come close to explaining clearly what's going on.

Concluding, it's difficult to either encourage or dissuade anyone from buying this. Wait until you get a little way into your course and have a flick through it in the library. If it looks like your physical lectures and problem questions are basically being copied from it (apparently quite common...), then by all means take the plunge and buy it. Just give it some thought and don't buy it without reading it first.

It's simple, 08 Nov 2003
I totally agree with the review givig by another reader!

Most people find Physical chemistry quite tough. Although I don't promise this book will solve all their problems, but it aint a bad start!

But this book is simply the defacto undergraduate text in Physical chemistry.

Pretty much everything in one book!

During my time as a student, almost all the lecturers follow the content covered in the Atkins book.

Provides all the information and goes as far as including the mathematical derviations of the all principles in the book.

If you are serious about physical chemistry, you have to buy this book! Don't waste your money on his inorganic chemistry book, but I think this book is a must and will last the whole duration of a 4 year european chemistry degree course.

Most comprehensive guide on crystals out there!, 21 Aug 2008
I am a beginner when it comes to crystals and this book was a fantastic introduction for me, although I don't think it would be out of place in the expert's collection either.

It is very clear and well set out with large colourful photos of each crystal. The crystals are in alphabetical order listing their healing attributes and the position of use. From what I could tell there seems to be a very wide collection of well known and rarer crystals listed.

At the start of the book there is a section on crystal formation and crystal healing. The shapes of the crystals and the effect that it has on their healing properties is written about at the back of the book. These sections really helped me with what to actually do with the crystal now I have got the right one for me.

Overall this is a wonderful purchase for the crystal enthusiast or the crystal beginner!

did not help with my geology gcse, 06 Apr 2008
I used this bible - thinking it to be ultimate unchallengable Truth - but when I failed my geology gcse I suddenly remember that the bible was actually a cobbled together, contradictory and antique bundle of opinions and nonsense.

A worthwhile resource, 06 Apr 2008
All crystals seem to have some sort of hidden healing power, this book helps you select the one that is right for you. A real treat to even read about the obscure cystals, too. Well worth the invetment if you want to learn about these magical stones of life.

Definitive it is!, 21 Jan 2008
A very good book which I use often to check out stones and use her other books eg encyclopedia of crystals and new crystals. Worth it for a reference book.

Genius, 10 Nov 2007
Whoever wrote this is very clever to have written a best-selling book consisting of facts made up entirely on the spur of the moment. For the same reason, please check out the 'Angel bible', the 'homeopathy bible', the 'pixies-at-the-bottom-of-my-garden bible' and the book I'm currently considering writing, the 'underpant bible' about the healing power of underpants. It's all to do with quantum vibrations. And energy and stuff.

Truly Organic!, 06 Jan 2008
I bought this book in January 2007 for my MChem course at a much higher price (£59.99) from a well known University bookshop. Although I paid way too much for it I have to say it's the best investment I ever made as I found it to be very useful throughout the duration of my Masters. The book starts off in a very basic to almost A Level standard manner. The reader does not have to have any prior understanding of organic chemistry as the book begins with a section on "What is organic chemistry" and then leads onto organic structures and how to determine structures using different spectroscopic instruments. In total there are 53 chapters which include: Organic reactions, Delocalisation and conjugation, Acidity, Basicity and pKa, Equilibria, Stereochemistry, Retrosynthetic analysis, Fragmentation, Radical reactions, Asymmetric synthesis, Organometallic chemistry and Polymerization. This book helped me score 89% on my Masters. I'm now in my 1st year of my Chemistry PhD and I'm still referring to it! I would recommend every organic chemist (whether undergrad, postgrad or even postdoc) to own a copy of this book. It's a truly organic gem!!!

Best Organic Chem Book there is!, 30 Jul 2007

I bought this book for my undergraduate days, I dont know any better organic book as it has everything in right from the begining to more advanced concepts. Organic Chemistry is also well written and well illustrated as well.

If you go into organic chemistry or pharaceuticals, dont sell this book as it is all you will ever need!

Incredible book!, 01 Jul 2007
I am a high school student who made use of this book (and others) while preparing for my interview at the university of Oxford.

This book has thoroughly enhanced my understanding in the (broad!) field of organic chemistry.
The visual aspect of the book is outstanding. All reactions are coloured so as to emphasize on certain bonds and atoms in the molecules. There are continuous suggestions for students to compare certain reactions with others previously studied.
The content spans over 50 chapters. Unlike older texts where the division is made according to functional groups: (Chapter 1: alkanes, chapter 2: alkenes .....) this book instead classifies each chapter according to reaction types (nucleophilic, electrophilic substitution; nucleophilic, electrophilic addition; elimination E1, elimination E2 etc).

The text never digresses badly, and it always keeps in mind that it is a (high-school, college etc.) student reading.

I recommend this textbook to anyone interested in the field of organic chemistry.

The best undergraduate organic chemistry book ever written, 28 Aug 2006
This book manages to present the fundamentals of organic chemistry in such an engaging and clear manner that it is an absolute joy to use.

The questions reinforce the material wonderfully and provide a steady learning curve, first building confidence and then stretching the student.

The companion solutions text is definately also worth considering if you are using this book as a tutorial.

All in all, one of the best books you will come across as a student of chemistry.

Definitely worth the money, 20 Aug 2005
If you are serious about learning organic chemistry then go direct to the source. Stuart Warren and his fellow authors have really done a good job with this undergraduate level text.

The book is clearly laid out in sections with good use of colour and diagrams.

There is a glut of books on organic chemistry on the market but not all are as clear and accessible as this one.

Do yourself a favour and get this book and the solutions manual to go with it.

Helpfull book, 18 Jul 2007
This book is excellent for chemistry undergrads and postgrads. It is quite a hard read and you need to pick out the small part that you need to know about because it is written in detail. However the small details you select from this book aid your overall understanding of physical chemistry and is very helpfull. I think this book is written to a level which is higher than a chemistry degree. I used this book in my first year at university as an chemistry undergrad and found it extremly helpful. It is one of the core texts required for chemistry students at the university of manchester. If i found this book helpful so can you

Not for the complete novice, but invaluable for everyone else interested in the subject, 20 Jun 2007
Let's start with saying that the authors pull no mathematical punches. They assume a fair amount of maths and use it throughout, and not in the watered-down fashion, so often seen.

Optically, the book is a gem, and the authors have gone to great pains to use all the tricks at the modern printer's disposal.

Despite being, perhaps, somewhat heavy going if you lack the prerequisites, they manage to clarify almost anything for the reader willing to spend the effort.

One amazing thing is, that one does not require a stiff background in chemistry itself. Possible stumbling blocks lie in the maths, and the autors are extremely generous with worked examples and justifications.

A very useful feature is that the reader can cover one of two tracks, the traditional approach and the molecular approach in either order he or she chooses. The molecular approach doesn't start until chapter 8, but if you wish, you can jump in right there and hardly feel a loss not having read the previous seven. (It is heartily recommended that you do anyway -the classical approach is a beautiful subject in its own right.)

So, Mr. Atkins and Mr. de Paula, continue improving your shining work, if you can come up with ways to do so. As the book is now, I imagine new ideas are getting hard to come by, but if someone buys just one book on physical chemistry, this should be it.

An excellent text for the undergraduate, 10 Mar 2005
The fact that I've had the author as a lecturer for part of my physical chemistry course is helpful enough, but every topic that an undergraduate may requuire for their physical chemistry course should be found in here, and in my opinion, all are represented in reasonable detail. Occasionally, you may need to consult a more specialist textbook on a particular sub-topic, but even if you were to soley use this book as a guide, you could expect a comfortable pass. Probably the only physical chemistry textbook you should consider.

Classic case of quantity of quality, 12 Feb 2004
I won't deny that this book covers a phenomenal range of topics, but this isn't necessarily a good thing. In so many subjects it just doesn't contain enough material to be useful in preparing for undergraduate exams or workshops. If your lecturers follow this text closely then fine, this will probably be a very sensible buy, but otherwise look elsewhere.

That this is, as another reviewer pointed out, the de facto undergrad physical chemistry text is a problem because there isn't really a widely-available alternative. Lazy lecturers just recommend this book if their course is in physical or physical inorganic chemistry as they seem to assume it will contain everything their students need. Sadly this is rarely the case (in my experience). It may be worth obtaining some of the OUP primers for some of the more specialist topics or trying to find some more specific texts in your university library.

I feel that the mathematics in this book is too advanced. Many of my undergraduate colleagues struggled to understand the derivations and justifications, for example. But I suppose this depends entirely on your mathematical background; I came to university with A-level Pure Maths and had few problems. Those who had only AS Pure (or A-level Pure/Applied) seemed to find the material far more challenging.

In the book's defense, the topics on quantum theory are far more rigorous and thorough than most of the other material covered. If you are on an undergrad chemistry degree you probably won't do that much quantum mechanics though, so (as stated above) you may want to just find a dedicated book in the library.

There are some very clear colour diagrams in this book which can help to augment the text on a few topics (again, particularly the chapters on QM). I found the practice exercises fairly useless as they were, generally, more advanced than anything covered in my lecture courses. (This will, of course, depend on what is covered at your university.)

By the way, don't buy the solutions manual. Complete waste of money which doesn't come close to explaining clearly what's going on.

Concluding, it's difficult to either encourage or dissuade anyone from buying this. Wait until you get a little way into your course and have a flick through it in the library. If it looks like your physical lectures and problem questions are basically being copied from it (apparently quite common...), then by all means take the plunge and buy it. Just give it some thought and don't buy it without reading it first.

It's simple, 08 Nov 2003
I totally agree with the review givig by another reader!

Most people find Physical chemistry quite tough. Although I don't promise this book will solve all their problems, but it aint a bad start!

But this book is simply the defacto undergraduate text in Physical chemistry.

Pretty much everything in one book!

During my time as a student, almost all the lecturers follow the content covered in the Atkins book.

Provides all the information and goes as far as including the mathematical derviations of the all principles in the book.

If you are serious about physical chemistry, you have to buy this book! Don't waste your money on his inorganic chemistry book, but I think this book is a must and will last the whole duration of a 4 year european chemistry degree course.

Most comprehensive guide on crystals out there!, 21 Aug 2008
I am a beginner when it comes to crystals and this book was a fantastic introduction for me, although I don't think it would be out of place in the expert's collection either.

It is very clear and well set out with large colourful photos of each crystal. The crystals are in alphabetical order listing their healing attributes and the position of use. From what I could tell there seems to be a very wide collection of well known and rarer crystals listed.

At the start of the book there is a section on crystal formation and crystal healing. The shapes of the crystals and the effect that it has on their healing properties is written about at the back of the book. These sections really helped me with what to actually do with the crystal now I have got the right one for me.

Overall this is a wonderful purchase for the crystal enthusiast or the crystal beginner!

did not help with my geology gcse, 06 Apr 2008
I used this bible - thinking it to be ultimate unchallengable Truth - but when I failed my geology gcse I suddenly remember that the bible was actually a cobbled together, contradictory and antique bundle of opinions and nonsense.

A worthwhile resource, 06 Apr 2008
All crystals seem to have some sort of hidden healing power, this book helps you select the one that is right for you. A real treat to even read about the obscure cystals, too. Well worth the invetment if you want to learn about these magical stones of life.

Definitive it is!, 21 Jan 2008
A very good book which I use often to check out stones and use her other books eg encyclopedia of crystals and new crystals. Worth it for a reference book.

Genius, 10 Nov 2007
Whoever wrote this is very clever to have written a best-selling book consisting of facts made up entirely on the spur of the moment. For the same reason, please check out the 'Angel bible', the 'homeopathy bible', the 'pixies-at-the-bottom-of-my-garden bible' and the book I'm currently considering writing, the 'underpant bible' about the healing power of underpants. It's all to do with quantum vibrations. And energy and stuff.

I owned the previous edition of this book , 30 Jul 2007

Im not sure what changes are made to this book from the previous edition but the last edition was just okay for an undergraduate textbook. The Shriver and Atkins series are excellent at most fields of chemistry but falls down somewhat at Inorganic chemistry with this book in particular.

The book is very good for concepts but does not describe things as well as the Housecroft Inorganic Book does. This would be more of a reference book than a good all round book to learn from.

Truly Organic!, 06 Jan 2008
I bought this book in January 2007 for my MChem course at a much higher price (£59.99) from a well known University bookshop. Although I paid way too much for it I have to say it's the best investment I ever made as I found it to be very useful throughout the duration of my Masters. The book starts off in a very basic to almost A Level standard manner. The reader does not have to have any prior understanding of organic chemistry as the book begins with a section on "What is organic chemistry" and then leads onto organic structures and how to determine structures using different spectroscopic instruments. In total there are 53 chapters which include: Organic reactions, Delocalisation and conjugation, Acidity, Basicity and pKa, Equilibria, Stereochemistry, Retrosynthetic analysis, Fragmentation, Radical reactions, Asymmetric synthesis, Organometallic chemistry and Polymerization. This book helped me score 89% on my Masters. I'm now in my 1st year of my Chemistry PhD and I'm still referring to it! I would recommend every organic chemist (whether undergrad, postgrad or even postdoc) to own a copy of this book. It's a truly organic gem!!!

Best Organic Chem Book there is!, 30 Jul 2007

I bought this book for my undergraduate days, I dont know any better organic book as it has everything in right from the begining to more advanced concepts. Organic Chemistry is also well written and well illustrated as well.

If you go into organic chemistry or pharaceuticals, dont sell this book as it is all you will ever need!

Incredible book!, 01 Jul 2007
I am a high school student who made use of this book (and others) while preparing for my interview at the university of Oxford.

This book has thoroughly enhanced my understanding in the (broad!) field of organic chemistry.
The visual aspect of the book is outstanding. All reactions are coloured so as to emphasize on certain bonds and atoms in the molecules. There are continuous suggestions for students to compare certain reactions with others previously studied.
The content spans over 50 chapters. Unlike older texts where the division is made according to functional groups: (Chapter 1: alkanes, chapter 2: alkenes .....) this book instead classifies each chapter according to reaction types (nucleophilic, electrophilic substitution; nucleophilic, electrophilic addition; elimination E1, elimination E2 etc).

The text never digresses badly, and it always keeps in mind that it is a (high-school, college etc.) student reading.

I recommend this textbook to anyone interested in the field of organic chemistry.

The best undergraduate organic chemistry book ever written, 28 Aug 2006
This book manages to present the fundamentals of organic chemistry in such an engaging and clear manner that it is an absolute joy to use.

The questions reinforce the material wonderfully and provide a steady learning curve, first building confidence and then stretching the student.

The companion solutions text is definately also worth considering if you are using this book as a tutorial.

All in all, one of the best books you will come across as a student of chemistry.

Definitely worth the money, 20 Aug 2005
If you are serious about learning organic chemistry then go direct to the source. Stuart Warren and his fellow authors have really done a good job with this undergraduate level text.

The book is clearly laid out in sections with good use of colour and diagrams.

There is a glut of books on organic chemistry on the market but not all are as clear and accessible as this one.

Do yourself a favour and get this book and the solutions manual to go with it.

Helpfull book, 18 Jul 2007
This book is excellent for chemistry undergrads and postgrads. It is quite a hard read and you need to pick out the small part that you need to know about because it is written in detail. However the small details you select from this book aid your overall understanding of physical chemistry and is very helpfull. I think this book is written to a level which is higher than a chemistry degree. I used this book in my first year at university as an chemistry undergrad and found it extremly helpful. It is one of the core texts required for chemistry students at the university of manchester. If i found this book helpful so can you

Not for the complete novice, but invaluable for everyone else interested in the subject, 20 Jun 2007
Let's start with saying that the authors pull no mathematical punches. They assume a fair amount of maths and use it throughout, and not in the watered-down fashion, so often seen.

Optically, the book is a gem, and the authors have gone to great pains to use all the tricks at the modern printer's disposal.

Despite being, perhaps, somewhat heavy going if you lack the prerequisites, they manage to clarify almost anything for the reader willing to spend the effort.

One amazing thing is, that one does not require a stiff background in chemistry itself. Possible stumbling blocks lie in the maths, and the autors are extremely generous with worked examples and justifications.

A very useful feature is that the reader can cover one of two tracks, the traditional approach and the molecular approach in either order he or she chooses. The molecular approach doesn't start until chapter 8, but if you wish, you can jump in right there and hardly feel a loss not having read the previous seven. (It is heartily recommended that you do anyway -the classical approach is a beautiful subject in its own right.)

So, Mr. Atkins and Mr. de Paula, continue improving your shining work, if you can come up with ways to do so. As the book is now, I imagine new ideas are getting hard to come by, but if someone buys just one book on physical chemistry, this should be it.

An excellent text for the undergraduate, 10 Mar 2005
The fact that I've had the author as a lecturer for part of my physical chemistry course is helpful enough, but every topic that an undergraduate may requuire for their physical chemistry course should be found in here, and in my opinion, all are represented in reasonable detail. Occasionally, you may need to consult a more specialist textbook on a particular sub-topic, but even if you were to soley use this book as a guide, you could expect a comfortable pass. Probably the only physical chemistry textbook you should consider.

Classic case of quantity of quality, 12 Feb 2004
I won't deny that this book covers a phenomenal range of topics, but this isn't necessarily a good thing. In so many subjects it just doesn't contain enough material to be useful in preparing for undergraduate exams or workshops. If your lecturers follow this text closely then fine, this will probably be a very sensible buy, but otherwise look elsewhere.

That this is, as another reviewer pointed out, the de facto undergrad physical chemistry text is a problem because there isn't really a widely-available alternative. Lazy lecturers just recommend this book if their course is in physical or physical inorganic chemistry as they seem to assume it will contain everything their students need. Sadly this is rarely the case (in my experience). It may be worth obtaining some of the OUP primers for some of the more specialist topics or trying to find some more specific texts in your university library.

I feel that the mathematics in this book is too advanced. Many of my undergraduate colleagues struggled to understand the derivations and justifications, for example. But I suppose this depends entirely on your mathematical background; I came to university with A-level Pure Maths and had few problems. Those who had only AS Pure (or A-level Pure/Applied) seemed to find the material far more challenging.

In the book's defense, the topics on quantum theory are far more rigorous and thorough than most of the other material covered. If you are on an undergrad chemistry degree you probably won't do that much quantum mechanics though, so (as stated above) you may want to just find a dedicated book in the library.

There are some very clear colour diagrams in this book which can help to augment the text on a few topics (again, particularly the chapters on QM). I found the practice exercises fairly useless as they were, generally, more advanced than anything covered in my lecture courses. (This will, of course, depend on what is covered at your university.)

By the way, don't buy the solutions manual. Complete waste of money which doesn't come close to explaining clearly what's going on.

Concluding, it's difficult to either encourage or dissuade anyone from buying this. Wait until you get a little way into your course and have a flick through it in the library. If it looks like your physical lectures and problem questions are basically being copied from it (apparently quite common...), then by all means take the plunge and buy it. Just give it some thought and don't buy it without reading it first.

It's simple, 08 Nov 2003
I totally agree with the review givig by another reader!

Most people find Physical chemistry quite tough. Although I don't promise this book will solve all their problems, but it aint a bad start!

But this book is simply the defacto undergraduate text in Physical chemistry.

Pretty much everything in one book!

During my time as a student, almost all the lecturers follow the content covered in the Atkins book.

Provides all the information and goes as far as including the mathematical derviations of the all principles in the book.

If you are serious about physical chemistry, you have to buy this book! Don't waste your money on his inorganic chemistry book, but I think this book is a must and will last the whole duration of a 4 year european chemistry degree course.

Most comprehensive guide on crystals out there!, 21 Aug 2008
I am a beginner when it comes to crystals and this book was a fantastic introduction for me, although I don't think it would be out of place in the expert's collection either.

It is very clear and well set out with large colourful photos of each crystal. The crystals are in alphabetical order listing their healing attributes and the position of use. From what I could tell there seems to be a very wide collection of well known and rarer crystals listed.

At the start of the book there is a section on crystal formation and crystal healing. The shapes of the crystals and the effect that it has on their healing properties is written about at the back of the book. These sections really helped me with what to actually do with the crystal now I have got the right one for me.

Overall this is a wonderful purchase for the crystal enthusiast or the crystal beginner!

did not help with my geology gcse, 06 Apr 2008
I used this bible - thinking it to be ultimate unchallengable Truth - but when I failed my geology gcse I suddenly remember that the bible was actually a cobbled together, contradictory and antique bundle of opinions and nonsense.

A worthwhile resource, 06 Apr 2008
All crystals seem to have some sort of hidden healing power, this book helps you select the one that is right for you. A real treat to even read about the obscure cystals, too. Well worth the invetment if you want to learn about these magical stones of life.

Definitive it is!, 21 Jan 2008
A very good book which I use often to check out stones and use her other books eg encyclopedia of crystals and new crystals. Worth it for a reference book.

Genius, 10 Nov 2007
Whoever wrote this is very clever to have written a best-selling book consisting of facts made up entirely on the spur of the moment. For the same reason, please check out the 'Angel bible', the 'homeopathy bible', the 'pixies-at-the-bottom-of-my-garden bible' and the book I'm currently considering writing, the 'underpant bible' about the healing power of underpants. It's all to do with quantum vibrations. And energy and stuff.

I owned the previous edition of this book , 30 Jul 2007

Im not sure what changes are made to this book from the previous edition but the last edition was just okay for an undergraduate textbook. The Shriver and Atkins series are excellent at most fields of chemistry but falls down somewhat at Inorganic chemistry with this book in particular.

The book is very good for concepts but does not describe things as well as the Housecroft Inorganic Book does. This would be more of a reference book than a good all round book to learn from.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Truly Organic!, 06 Jan 2008
I bought this book in January 2007 for my MChem course at a much higher price (£59.99) from a well known University bookshop. Although I paid way too much for it I have to say it's the best investment I ever made as I found it to be very useful throughout the duration of my Masters. The book starts off in a very basic to almost A Level standard manner. The reader does not have to have any prior understanding of organic chemistry as the book begins with a section on "What is organic chemistry" and then leads onto organic structures and how to determine structures using different spectroscopic instruments. In total there are 53 chapters which include: Organic reactions, Delocalisation and conjugation, Acidity, Basicity and pKa, Equilibria, Stereochemistry, Retrosynthetic analysis, Fragmentation, Radical reactions, Asymmetric synthesis, Organometallic chemistry and Polymerization. This book helped me score 89% on my Masters. I'm now in my 1st year of my Chemistry PhD and I'm still referring to it! I would recommend every organic chemist (whether undergrad, postgrad or even postdoc) to own a copy of this book. It's a truly organic gem!!!

Best Organic Chem Book there is!, 30 Jul 2007

I bought this book for my undergraduate days, I dont know any better organic book as it has everything in right from the begining to more advanced concepts. Organic Chemistry is also well written and well illustrated as well.

If you go into organic chemistry or pharaceuticals, dont sell this book as it is all you will ever need!

Incredible book!, 01 Jul 2007
I am a high school student who made use of this book (and others) while preparing for my interview at the university of Oxford.

This book has thoroughly enhanced my understanding in the (broad!) field of organic chemistry.
The visual aspect of the book is outstanding. All reactions are coloured so as to emphasize on certain bonds and atoms in the molecules. There are continuous suggestions for students to compare certain reactions with others previously studied.
The content spans over 50 chapters. Unlike older texts where the division is made according to functional groups: (Chapter 1: alkanes, chapter 2: alkenes .....) this book instead classifies each chapter according to reaction types (nucleophilic, electrophilic substitution; nucleophilic, electrophilic addition; elimination E1, elimination E2 etc).

The text never digresses badly, and it always keeps in mind that it is a (high-school, college etc.) student reading.

I recommend this textbook to anyone interested in the field of organic chemistry.

The best undergraduate organic chemistry book ever written, 28 Aug 2006
This book manages to present the fundamentals of organic chemistry in such an engaging and clear manner that it is an absolute joy to use.

The questions reinforce the material wonderfully and provide a steady learning curve, first building confidence and then stretching the student.

The companion solutions text is definately also worth considering if you are using this book as a tutorial.

All in all, one of the best books you will come across as a student of chemistry.

Definitely worth the money, 20 Aug 2005
If you are serious about learning organic chemistry then go direct to the source. Stuart Warren and his fellow authors have really done a good job with this undergraduate level text.

The book is clearly laid out in sections with good use of colour and diagrams.

There is a glut of books on organic chemistry on the market but not all are as clear and accessible as this one.

Do yourself a favour and get this book and the solutions manual to go with it.

Helpfull book, 18 Jul 2007
This book is excellent for chemistry undergrads and postgrads. It is quite a hard read and you need to pick out the small part that you need to know about because it is written in detail. However the small details you select from this book aid your overall understanding of physical chemistry and is very helpfull. I think this book is written to a level which is higher than a chemistry degree. I used this book in my first year at university as an chemistry undergrad and found it extremly helpful. It is one of the core texts required for chemistry students at the university of manchester. If i found this book helpful so can you

Not for the complete novice, but invaluable for everyone else interested in the subject, 20 Jun 2007
Let's start with saying that the authors pull no mathematical punches. They assume a fair amount of maths and use it throughout, and not in the watered-down fashion, so often seen.

Optically, the book is a gem, and the authors have gone to great pains to use all the tricks at the modern printer's disposal.

Despite being, perhaps, somewhat heavy going if you lack the prerequisites, they manage to clarify almost anything for the reader willing to spend the effort.

One amazing thing is, that one does not require a stiff background in chemistry itself. Possible stumbling blocks lie in the maths, and the autors are extremely generous with worked examples and justifications.

A very useful feature is that the reader can cover one of two tracks, the traditional approach and the molecular approach in either order he or she chooses. The molecular approach doesn't start until chapter 8, but if you wish, you can jump in right there and hardly feel a loss not having read the previous seven. (It is heartily recommended that you do anyway -the classical approach is a beautiful subject in its own right.)

So, Mr. Atkins and Mr. de Paula, continue improving your shining work, if you can come up with ways to do so. As the book is now, I imagine new ideas are getting hard to come by, but if someone buys just one book on physical chemistry, this should be it.

An excellent text for the undergraduate, 10 Mar 2005
The fact that I've had the author as a lecturer for part of my physical chemistry course is helpful enough, but every topic that an undergraduate may requuire for their physical chemistry course should be found in here, and in my opinion, all are represented in reasonable detail. Occasionally, you may need to consult a more specialist textbook on a particular sub-topic, but even if you were to soley use this book as a guide, you could expect a comfortable pass. Probably the only physical chemistry textbook you should consider.

Classic case of quantity of quality, 12 Feb 2004
I won't deny that this book covers a phenomenal range of topics, but this isn't necessarily a good thing. In so many subjects it just doesn't contain enough material to be useful in preparing for undergraduate exams or workshops. If your lecturers follow this text closely then fine, this will probably be a very sensible buy, but otherwise look elsewhere.

That this is, as another reviewer pointed out, the de facto undergrad physical chemistry text is a problem because there isn't really a widely-available alternative. Lazy lecturers just recommend this book if their course is in physical or physical inorganic chemistry as they seem to assume it will contain everything their students need. Sadly this is rarely the case (in my experience). It may be worth obtaining some of the OUP primers for some of the more specialist topics or trying to find some more specific texts in your university library.

I feel that the mathematics in this book is too advanced. Many of my undergraduate colleagues struggled to understand the derivations and justifications, for example. But I suppose this depends entirely on your mathematical background; I came to university with A-level Pure Maths and had few problems. Those who had only AS Pure (or A-level Pure/Applied) seemed to find the material far more challenging.

In the book's defense, the topics on quantum theory are far more rigorous and thorough than most of the other material covered. If you are on an undergrad chemistry degree you probably won't do that much quantum mechanics though, so (as stated above) you may want to just find a dedicated book in the library.

There are some very clear colour diagrams in this book which can help to augment the text on a few topics (again, particularly the chapters on QM). I found the practice exercises fairly useless as they were, generally, more advanced than anything covered in my lecture courses. (This will, of course, depend on what is covered at your university.)

By the way, don't buy the solutions manual. Complete waste of money which doesn't come close to explaining clearly what's going on.

Concluding, it's difficult to either encourage or dissuade anyone from buying this. Wait until you get a little way into your course and have a flick through it in the library. If it looks like your physical lectures and problem questions are basically being copied from it (apparently quite common...), then by all means take the plunge and buy it. Just give it some thought and don't buy it without reading it first.

It's simple, 08 Nov 2003
I totally agree with the review givig by another reader!

Most people find Physical chemistry quite tough. Although I don't promise this book will solve all their problems, but it aint a bad start!

But this book is simply the defacto undergraduate text in Physical chemistry.

Pretty much everything in one book!

During my time as a student, almost all the lecturers follow the content covered in the Atkins book.

Provides all the information and goes as far as including the mathematical derviations of the all principles in the book.

If you are serious about physical chemistry, you have to buy this book! Don't waste your money on his inorganic chemistry book, but I think this book is a must and will last the whole duration of a 4 year european chemistry degree course.

Most comprehensive guide on crystals out there!, 21 Aug 2008
I am a beginner when it comes to crystals and this book was a fantastic introduction for me, although I don't think it would be out of place in the expert's collection either.

It is very clear and well set out with large colourful photos of each crystal. The crystals are in alphabetical order listing their healing attributes and the position of use. From what I could tell there seems to be a very wide collection of well known and rarer crystals listed.

At the start of the book there is a section on crystal formation and crystal healing. The shapes of the crystals and the effect that it has on their healing properties is written about at the back of the book. These sections really helped me with what to actually do with the crystal now I have got the right one for me.

Overall this is a wonderful purchase for the crystal enthusiast or the crystal beginner!

did not help with my geology gcse, 06 Apr 2008
I used this bible - thinking it to be ultimate unchallengable Truth - but when I failed my geology gcse I suddenly remember that the bible was actually a cobbled together, contradictory and antique bundle of opinions and nonsense.

A worthwhile resource, 06 Apr 2008
All crystals seem to have some sort of hidden healing power, this book helps you select the one that is right for you. A real treat to even read about the obscure cystals, too. Well worth the invetment if you want to learn about these magical stones of life.

Definitive it is!, 21 Jan 2008
A very good book which I use often to check out stones and use her other books eg encyclopedia of crystals and new crystals. Worth it for a reference book.

Genius, 10 Nov 2007
Whoever wrote this is very clever to have written a best-selling book consisting of facts made up entirely on the spur of the moment. For the same reason, please check out the 'Angel bible', the 'homeopathy bible', the 'pixies-at-the-bottom-of-my-garden bible' and the book I'm currently considering writing, the 'underpant bible' about the healing power of underpants. It's all to do with quantum vibrations. And energy and stuff.

I owned the previous edition of this book , 30 Jul 2007

Im not sure what changes are made to this book from the previous edition but the last edition was just okay for an undergraduate textbook. The Shriver and Atkins series are excellent at most fields of chemistry but falls down somewhat at Inorganic chemistry with this book in particular.

The book is very good for concepts but does not describe things as well as the Housecroft Inorganic Book does. This would be more of a reference book than a good all round book to learn from.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Superb chemistry book, 11 Apr 2008
Rescued me from chemistry confusion. A must-have title. I've recommended this book to all my classmates and they have all thanked me again and again. Most thanks must go to Jim Clark though, who wrote it. Brilliant.

Look no further, 24 Feb 2008
If you are going to buy one book for your Chemistry A-level, then without doubt get this one. All the calculations you will ever need are explained here in detail, with plenty of worked-through examples, questions and crucially, answers (a lot of textbooks have lots of exercises but no means to check them). The answers are also worked through, with pointers towards parts that are potentially problematic, so that you can see where you went wrong.

The layout and formatting of the book is extremely user-friendly, with helpful notes in the margin - but not overly friendly/personal such that relevant information is masked by waffle. Moreover, it is not only calculations; the book explains some of the key concepts and content as well (the chapter on redox equilibria is particularly excellent - everything in this complex topic became clear after reading the book).

Jim Clark's website, Chemguide, is also fantastic as well. I cannot praise the man enough!

Chemistry Student, 28 Sep 2007
This book has made my life easy, this book is worth it if you struggle to understand chemistry calculations.

I love Jim Clark, 08 May 2007
I purchased this book during my AS revision after struggling with the calculations, it is probably the only reason i passed my AS level. It covers all the necessary calculations in worked examples which are easy to follow as well as providing problems to practise on. I would recommend this book to anyone doing chemisrty A level, definately worth buying!! This book and chemguide have made chemistry a level alot more managable. THANKS JIM!!

Higher or advanced Higher Chemistry, 04 Apr 2007
If you are doing higher or advanced higher chemistry you do need this book. It is the best out there to help you! As a chemistry tutor I recommend this book to everyone that I see...... so much so that once they have the book I doubt I am needed as much..... especially for Unit 1&3 of Higher and Unit 2 of advanced higher...

Truly Organic!, 06 Jan 2008
I bought this book in January 2007 for my MChem course at a much higher price (£59.99) from a well known University bookshop. Although I paid way too much for it I have to say it's the best investment I ever made as I found it to be very useful throughout the duration of my Masters. The book starts off in a very basic to almost A Level standard manner. The reader does not have to have any prior understanding of organic chemistry as the book begins with a section on "What is organic chemistry" and then leads onto organic structures and how to determine structures using different spectroscopic instruments. In total there are 53 chapters which include: Organic reactions, Delocalisation and conjugation, Acidity, Basicity and pKa, Equilibria, Stereochemistry, Retrosynthetic analysis, Fragmentation, Radical reactions, Asymmetric synthesis, Organometallic chemistry and Polymerization. This book helped me score 89% on my Masters. I'm now in my 1st year of my Chemistry PhD and I'm still referring to it! I would recommend every organic chemist (whether undergrad, postgrad or even postdoc) to own a copy of this book. It's a truly organic gem!!!

Best Organic Chem Book there is!, 30 Jul 2007

I bought this book for my undergraduate days, I dont know any better organic book as it has everything in right from the begining to more advanced concepts. Organic Chemistry is also well written and well illustrated as well.

If you go into organic chemistry or pharaceuticals, dont sell this book as it is all you will ever need!

Incredible book!, 01 Jul 2007
I am a high school student who made use of this book (and others) while preparing for my interview at the university of Oxford.

This book has thoroughly enhanced my understanding in the (broad!) field of organic chemistry.
The visual aspect of the book is outstanding. All reactions are coloured so as to emphasize on certain bonds and atoms in the molecules. There are continuous suggestions for students to compare certain reactions with others previously studied.
The content spans over 50 chapters. Unlike older texts where the division is made according to functional groups: (Chapter 1: alkanes, chapter 2: alkenes .....) this book instead classifies each chapter according to reaction types (nucleophilic, electrophilic substitution; nucleophilic, electrophilic addition; elimination E1, elimination E2 etc).

The text never digresses badly, and it always keeps in mind that it is a (high-school, college etc.) student reading.

I recommend this textbook to anyone interested in the field of organic chemistry.

The best undergraduate organic chemistry book ever written, 28 Aug 2006
This book manages to present the fundamentals of organic chemistry in such an engaging and clear manner that it is an absolute joy to use.

The questions reinforce the material wonderfully and provide a steady learning curve, first building confidence and then stretching the student.

The companion solutions text is definately also worth considering if you are using this book as a tutorial.

All in all, one of the best books you will come across as a student of chemistry.

Definitely worth the money, 20 Aug 2005
If you are serious about learning organic chemistry then go direct to the source. Stuart Warren and his fellow authors have really done a good job with this undergraduate level text.

The book is clearly laid out in sections with good use of colour and diagrams.

There is a glut of books on organic chemistry on the market but not all are as clear and accessible as this one.

Do yourself a favour and get this book and the solutions manual to go with it.

Helpfull book, 18 Jul 2007
This book is excellent for chemistry undergrads and postgrads. It is quite a hard read and you need to pick out the small part that you need to know about because it is written in detail. However the small details you select from this book aid your overall understanding of physical chemistry and is very helpfull. I think this book is written to a level which is higher than a chemistry degree. I used this book in my first year at university as an chemistry undergrad and found it extremly helpful. It is one of the core texts required for chemistry students at the university of manchester. If i found this book helpful so can you

Not for the complete novice, but invaluable for everyone else interested in the subject, 20 Jun 2007
Let's start with saying that the authors pull no mathematical punches. They assume a fair amount of maths and use it throughout, and not in the watered-down fashion, so often seen.

Optically, the book is a gem, and the authors have gone to great pains to use all the tricks at the modern printer's disposal.

Despite being, perhaps, somewhat heavy going if you lack the prerequisites, they manage to clarify almost anything for the reader willing to spend the effort.

One amazing thing is, that one does not require a stiff background in chemistry itself. Possible stumbling blocks lie in the maths, and the autors are extremely generous with worked examples and justifications.

A very useful feature is that the reader can cover one of two tracks, the traditional approach and the molecular approach in either order he or she chooses. The molecular approach doesn't start until chapter 8, but if you wish, you can jump in right there and hardly feel a loss not having read the previous seven. (It is heartily recommended that you do anyway -the classical approach is a beautiful subject in its own right.)

So, Mr. Atkins and Mr. de Paula, continue improving your shining work, if you can come up with ways to do so. As the book is now, I imagine new ideas are getting hard to come by, but if someone buys just one book on physical chemistry, this should be it.

An excellent text for the undergraduate, 10 Mar 2005
The fact that I've had the author as a lecturer for part of my physical chemistry course is helpful enough, but every topic that an undergraduate may requuire for their physical chemistry course should be found in here, and in my opinion, all are represented in reasonable detail. Occasionally, you may need to consult a more specialist textbook on a particular sub-topic, but even if you were to soley use this book as a guide, you could expect a comfortable pass. Probably the only physical chemistry textbook you should consider.

Classic case of quantity of quality, 12 Feb 2004
I won't deny that this book covers a phenomenal range of topics, but this isn't necessarily a good thing. In so many subjects it just doesn't contain enough material to be useful in preparing for undergraduate exams or workshops. If your lecturers follow this text closely then fine, this will probably be a very sensible buy, but otherwise look elsewhere.

That this is, as another reviewer pointed out, the de facto undergrad physical chemistry text is a problem because there isn't really a widely-available alternative. Lazy lecturers just recommend this book if their course is in physical or physical inorganic chemistry as they seem to assume it will contain everything their students need. Sadly this is rarely the case (in my experience). It may be worth obtaining some of the OUP primers for some of the more specialist topics or trying to find some more specific texts in your university library.

I feel that the mathematics in this book is too advanced. Many of my undergraduate colleagues struggled to understand the derivations and justifications, for example. But I suppose this depends entirely on your mathematical background; I came to university with A-level Pure Maths and had few problems. Those who had only AS Pure (or A-level Pure/Applied) seemed to find the material far more challenging.

In the book's defense, the topics on quantum theory are far more rigorous and thorough than most of the other material covered. If you are on an undergrad chemistry degree you probably won't do that much quantum mechanics though, so (as stated above) you may want to just find a dedicated book in the library.

There are some very clear colour diagrams in this book which can help to augment the text on a few topics (again, particularly the chapters on QM). I found the practice exercises fairly useless as they were, generally, more advanced than anything covered in my lecture courses. (This will, of course, depend on what is covered at your university.)

By the way, don't buy the solutions manual. Complete waste of money which doesn't come close to explaining clearly what's going on.

Concluding, it's difficult to either encourage or dissuade anyone from buying this. Wait until you get a little way into your course and have a flick through it in the library. If it looks like your physical lectures and problem questions are basically being copied from it (apparently quite common...), then by all means take the plunge and buy it. Just give it some thought and don't buy it without reading it first.

It's simple, 08 Nov 2003
I totally agree with the review givig by another reader!

Most people find Physical chemistry quite tough. Although I don't promise this book will solve all their problems, but it aint a bad start!

But this book is simply the defacto undergraduate text in Physical chemistry.

Pretty much everything in one book!

During my time as a student, almost all the lecturers follow the content covered in the Atkins book.

Provides all the information and goes as far as including the mathematical derviations of the all principles in the book.

If you are serious about physical chemistry, you have to buy this book! Don't waste your money on his inorganic chemistry book, but I think this book is a must and will last the whole duration of a 4 year european chemistry degree course.

Most comprehensive guide on crystals out there!, 21 Aug 2008
I am a beginner when it comes to crystals and this book was a fantastic introduction for me, although I don't think it would be out of place in the expert's collection either.

It is very clear and well set out with large colourful photos of each crystal. The crystals are in alphabetical order listing their healing attributes and the position of use. From what I could tell there seems to be a very wide collection of well known and rarer crystals listed.

At the start of the book there is a section on crystal formation and crystal healing. The shapes of the crystals and the effect that it has on their healing properties is written about at the back of the book. These sections really helped me with what to actually do with the crystal now I have got the right one for me.

Overall this is a wonderful purchase for the crystal enthusiast or the crystal beginner!

did not help with my geology gcse, 06 Apr 2008
I used this bible - thinking it to be ultimate unchallengable Truth - but when I failed my geology gcse I suddenly remember that the bible was actually a cobbled together, contradictory and antique bundle of opinions and nonsense.

A worthwhile resource, 06 Apr 2008
All crystals seem to have some sort of hidden healing power, this book helps you select the one that is right for you. A real treat to even read about the obscure cystals, too. Well worth the invetment if you want to learn about these magical stones of life.

Definitive it is!, 21 Jan 2008
A very good book which I use often to check out stones and use her other books eg encyclopedia of crystals and new crystals. Worth it for a reference book.

Genius, 10 Nov 2007
Whoever wrote this is very clever to have written a best-selling book consisting of facts made up entirely on the spur of the moment. For the same reason, please check out the 'Angel bible', the 'homeopathy bible', the 'pixies-at-the-bottom-of-my-garden bible' and the book I'm currently considering writing, the 'underpant bible' about the healing power of underpants. It's all to do with quantum vibrations. And energy and stuff.

I owned the previous edition of this book , 30 Jul 2007

Im not sure what changes are made to this book from the previous edition but the last edition was just okay for an undergraduate textbook. The Shriver and Atkins series are excellent at most fields of chemistry but falls down somewhat at Inorganic chemistry with this book in particular.

The book is very good for concepts but does not describe things as well as the Housecroft Inorganic Book does. This would be more of a reference book than a good all round book to learn from.

Excellent, 20 May 2008
One should have a larger book but for quick reference as a pocket/bag book its excellent for students and trainees and I have recently been encouraging my doctors to get one especially those doing GPVTS who would just not have the time or interest to wade through K&C. As such it's a slightly more gentle way to revise basic medicine. It is different to OHCM and fulfills a different need.

Very good, 10 May 2008
I liked this book. I didn't use it as much as I thought I would but it was useful having a smaller reference book (although not pocket-size by a long shot!) to carry around on wards etc - it's more digestible and easier to follow than big K & C, and gives a little more background than the oxford handbook - and I know people who use it to revise for finals.

Superb chemistry book, 11 Apr 2008
Rescued me from chemistry confusion. A must-have title. I've recommended this book to all my classmates and they have all thanked me again and again. Most thanks must go to Jim Clark though, who wrote it. Brilliant.

Look no further, 24 Feb 2008
If you are going to buy one book for your Chemistry A-level, then without doubt get this one. All the calculations you will ever need are explained here in detail, with plenty of worked-through examples, questions and crucially, answers (a lot of textbooks have lots of exercises but no means to check them). The answers are also worked through, with pointers towards parts that are potentially problematic, so that you can see where you went wrong.

The layout and formatting of the book is extremely user-friendly, with helpful notes in the margin - but not overly friendly/personal such that relevant information is masked by waffle. Moreover, it is not only calculations; the book explains some of the key concepts and content as well (the chapter on redox equilibria is particularly excellent - everything in this complex topic became clear after reading the book).

Jim Clark's website, Chemguide, is also fantastic as well. I cannot praise the man enough!

Chemistry Student, 28 Sep 2007
This book has made my life easy, this book is worth it if you struggle to understand chemistry calculations.

I love Jim Clark, 08 May 2007
I purchased this book during my AS revision after struggling with the calculations, it is probably the only reason i passed my AS level. It covers all the necessary calculations in worked examples which are easy to follow as well as providing problems to practise on. I would recommend this book to anyone doing chemisrty A level, definately worth buying!! This book and chemguide have made chemistry a level alot more managable. THANKS JIM!!

Higher or advanced Higher Chemistry, 04 Apr 2007
If you are doing higher or advanced higher chemistry you do need this book. It is the best out there to help you! As a chemistry tutor I recommend this book to everyone that I see...... so much so that once they have the book I doubt I am needed as much..... especially for Unit 1&3 of Higher and Unit 2 of advanced higher...

Excellet primer for occasional chemists, 23 Jul 2006
I studied bits n pieces of chemistry at University as part of my Electronics Engineering course. I always wanted a Chemistry reference similar to my well thumbed "University Physics" book and this fits the bill perfectly. If a Chemical topic comes up and I need a reminder of what it was about I can just look it up here. If I come across a new topic(like forensics) I can read about it here and gain a level of understanding that I feel comfortable with. If I need more I can look up more specialised texts on the internet and generally follow them, having read this first.

It picks up with GCSE level Chemistry and quickly covers the basics of atoms, molecules, structures etc and then diverges into a good coverage of most branches of Chemistry - certainly all the ones I need, including Organic, Nuclear, Forensic and some very basic Biochemistry. The appendices are useful and having answers to all exercises is good for a book used outside a course curriculum. I dropped one star because some areas are slightly confused (eg. quantum numbers are there because quantization occurs in nature, not the other way around!)

I use it to dip into and so far it has answered all my questions at exactly the right level of detail. I only wish I'd had it while at University!

God send to those who struggle with chemistry, 05 Feb 2006
This book was recommended to me by a university lecturer (I was dubious at first as the authors also work at my uni). It's a great book for A'Level or Foundation degree level students as the topics covered are fairly basic but it explains everything very clearly. Made my first year much easier as I was always dipping into this book. The questions do help with revision too.

Student friendly. Well thought out. For learners not teacher, 14 Aug 2000
I have been training as a paramedic and I needed a basic chemistry book for some sections of the syllabus. I was very pleased to find this book: it seems designed for people like me rather than super students of chemistry. There are plenty of problems which test you before you move on to the next text. Other books have coloured photos, but this one did the job for me.