Life on Earth (3rd Edition)
- Book Review,
by Teresa Audesirk, et al
Book News, Inc.
Designed for a one-semester introductory course in biology, this text is colorful and accessible, yet appropriately sophisticated. It comes with a student's guide pamphlet, which describes the Internet resources that the publisher has provided specifically for the textbook, as well as how to use the rest of the Web for research. -- Copyright © 1999 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR All rights reserved
Book Description
This book is built on a steadfast tradition of accurate science, engaging presentation and media innovation. The readers' experience is enhanced with the new MediaTutor CD-ROM that is integrated into each chapter through the use of MediaTutor Tabs. The result is a program that helps you draw readers into biology through an engaging text and interactive media. This book focuses on the key concepts of cell biology, genetics, evolution, plant and animal anatomy and physiology, and ecology. For anyone interested in introductory biology.
The publisher, Prentice-Hall Engineering/Science/Mathematics
Based on the highly successful Biology: Life on Earth, this new core text is designed for briefer non-majors introductory biology courses covering core areas of cell biology, genetics, evolution, human anatomy and physiology, and ecology. Life on Earth focuses on biological concepts and their application to relevant topics in everyday life such as environmental concerns and human health.
From the Back Cover
This book is built on a steadfast tradition of accurate science, engaging presentation and media innovation. The readers' experience is enhanced with the new MediaTutor CD-ROM that is integrated into each chapter through the use of MediaTutor Tabs. The result is a program that helps you draw readers into biology through an engaging text and interactive media. This book focuses on the key concepts of cell biology, genetics, evolution, plant and animal anatomy and physiology, and ecology. For anyone interested in introductory biology.
About the Author
Terry and Gerry Audesirk. Both Terry and Gerry Audesirk grew up in New Jersey, where they met as undergraduates. After marrying in 1970, they moved to California, where Terry earned her doctorate in marine ecology at the University of Southern California and Gerry earned his doctorate in neurobiology at the California Institute of Technology. As postdoctoral students at the University of Washington's marine laboratories, they worked together on the neural bases of behavior, using a marine mollusk as a model system. Terry and Gerry are now professors of biology at the University of Colorado at Denver, where they have taught introductory biology and neurobiology since 1982. In their research lab, funded by the National Institutes of Health, they investigate the mechanisms by which neurons are harmed by low levels of environmental pollutants. Terry and Gerry share a deep appreciation of nature and of the outdoors. They enjoy hiking in the Rockies, running near their home in the foothills west of Denver, and attempting to garden at 7000 feet in the presence of hungry deer and elk. They are long-time members of many conservation organizations. Their daughter, Heather, has added another focus to their lives. Bruce E. Byers, a midwesterner transplanted to the hills of western Massachusetts, is a professor in the biology department at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He's been a member of the faculty at UMass (where he also completed his doctoral degree) since 1993. Bruce teaches introductory biology courses for both nonmajors and majors; he also teaches courses in ornithology and animal behavior. A lifelong fascination with birds ultimately led Bruce to scientific exploration of avian biology. His current research focuses on the behavioral ecology of birds, especially on the function and evolution of the vocal signals that birds use to communicate. The pursuit of vocalizations often takes Bruce outdoors, where he can be found before dawn, tape recorder in hand, awaiting the first songs of a new day.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Will scientists clone a person in the foreseeable future? Are genetically engineered crops safe? Are people causing climate change? Is AIDS still spreading? Will physicians soon be transplanting pig hearts into people? The need for citizens to understand the basic concepts and issues of biology has never been more urgent. We have met with biology educators throughout the United States to discuss everything from the "big picture" to the details of how specific topics should be presented. These people combine exceptional teaching skills with expertise in diverse areas of biology. Such collaboration has been at the heart of this revision and of our effort to create a text that is responsive to the needs of today's students. Many of you are teaching a class that will be your students' final exposure to biology before they go out into the world. You told us that they should emerge from your course able to scrutinize science articles in the popular press with an educated and critical eye. Likewise, the course should prepare students to ask intelligent questions and make informed choices, both as voters and as consumers. You want your students to understand and appreciate the working of their own bodies. They should know about the other organisms with which we share Earth, the evolutionary forces that molded all life-forms, and how the complex interactions within ecosystems sustain us and all other life on Earth. Finally, you told us that you want a text with a relevancy that will leave students with a fascination for life that will inspire them to keep learning. This revision is our response. Now in its third edition, Life on Earth . . . . . . Actively Engages Students Each chapter opens with a strikingly illustrated Case Study. Our case studies are based on recent news items, on situations in which students might find themselves, or on particularly fascinating biological topics. For example, your students will investigate blood doping by elite athletes (p. 95); contemplate the controversy over genetically modified food (p. 197); see cloned, genetically engineered pigs that are being raised as potential organ donors for humans (p. 373); and follow along as a scientist estimates the number of species on Earth (p. 271). Each Case Study is revisited at the end of the chapter, allowing students to explore the topic a bit further in light of what they have learned and, often, to find answers to questions raised in the initial study. Finally, at the end of each chapter are Web Investigations, which take the students to the internet to further explore and apply the concepts addressed in the Case Study. Throughout each chapter, our major headings pose important questions that encourage students to seek answers as they read. The full-sentence, conceptual subheadings both suggest answers to these questions and help students focus on the key points in each subsection. We have placed icons next to key illustrations, tables, and concepts. These icons direct the student to a new section called the "MediaTutor" at the end of each chapter. Here, students will find descriptions of related topics that they can pursue (1) on our Web site; Audesirk Live!, or (2) on the MediaTutor student CD-'ROM, which contains interactive exercises and animations that engage students in learning and help them visualize biological concepts. We have continued to provide the popular group activities in each chapter. These exercises, used successfully by our Panel of Biology Educators, encourage students to work out interesting problems in small groups and thereby become active participants in the learning process. The Instructor's Guide to Print and Media includes additional Group Activities and provides suggestions about how instructors can incorporate these exercises into the classroom. Finally, particularly where processes are illustrated, we have added annotations to figures. These annotations place descriptions of each process at the points where they are most needed for clarity and reduce the need for lengthy, mufti-part captions. . . . Conveys That Biology Is Everywhere Throughout the text, we relate key biological concepts both to everyday experiences and to important issues facing society. These references are woven into the text, introduced in end-of-chapter critical-thinking questions ("Applying the Concepts"), and highlighted in updated boxed essays. These essays cover a wide range of current topics in biology, from environmental issues ("Earth Watch"), to clinical discussions ("Health Watch"), to the procedures biologists use in doing their work ("Scientific Inquiry"). For example: Earth Watch: These environmental essays explore pressing issues, such as the loss of biodiversity, the growing ozone hole, and invasions of exotic species. Health Watch: These clinical essays investigate topics such as sexually transmitted diseases, the dangers of artificial steroids, and how smoking damages the lungs. . . . Is Flexible and Easy to Use The chapters in Life on Earth have been written to allow instructors flexibility in the order of use. Chapter 1 sets the stage for the coverage of topics in different sequence by providing an overview of the diversity of life. Cross-referencing among chapters allows students to seek additional information on specific topics in other parts of the book. At the start of each chapter, the conceptual questions are brought together in an effective summary, "At a Glance." A consistent numbering system identifies the ,major conceptual headings—all the way from At a Glance, through the body of the chapter in major headings, and into the "Summary of Key Concepts." A "Key Terms" list identifies all of the boldface terms that appear in the chapter, along with the page on which each term is introduced; key terms (and many others) are defined in the Glossary at the back of the book. . . Has Supporting Technology That Enhances Learning and Is Integrated into the Textbook Life on Earth is fully supported by an array of both electronic and print ancillary materials. The Prentice Hall team has worked closely with biology educators and revised the text's supplements to ensure that they meet the needs both of students and instructors. Instructional support in the classroom is the focus of the ancillary program. The Instructor Resource CDROM acts as a warehouse of presentation materials that allows the instructor to access all the available tools in one place at one time. Driven by a powerful database that allows instructors to browse by chapter or to search easily by table of contents, term, subject, media type, or figure number, it contains all the line art from the book (in both labeled and unlabeled styles) and many of the photos. For each chapter, there are also deluxe PowerPoint files that include animated art and editable labels. The entire Student MediaTutor CD-ROM, along with guidelines for integrating the animations and exercises into lectures, is fully accessible from the Instructor Resource CD-ROM. As an instructor, you will have the Instructor's Guide to Print and Media Resources on the CD-ROM and all of the questions from the Test Item File. The instructor's package includes 220 full-color acetates. Prentice Hall's TestGen EQ and QuizMaster testing software provides a selection of more than 2400 sample test questions in a variety of styles, allowing you to create and edit exams electronically. An entirely new student CD-ROM accompanies each text and provides interactive exercises and animations. For easy reference and tight integration with our multimedia supplements, icons have been placed next to key illustrations, tables, and concepts throughout each chapter that direct students to the MediaTutor at the end of the chapter. Each MediaTutor is a resource for students that describes the specific content and objectives on the student CD-ROM and the "Web Investigation" for that particular chapter. By informing students about what to expect, MediaTutor allows them to follow their interests and needs, thus to make the best use of these resources. The companion Web site, Audesirk Live!, has been completely updated with new questions, activities, and links to provide students with extensive opportunities for study and to provide instructors with additional sources for assignments. Our chapter Web sites are updated frequently, allowing students to explore topics relevant to each chapter on the World Wide Web. In Audesirk Live!, students will discover that biology is everywhere by exploring our "Issues in Biology" and "Bizarre Facts" sections. The New York Times Themes of the Times, our free newspaper-format supplement, provides a collection of recent science articles written by world-renowned science writers for this outstanding newspaper. These effective teaching enhancements connect biology in the classroom to what's happening in the world today. The Fundamental Philosophy of Life on Earth Although our textbook continues to evolve in response to the changing needs of our audience, there are fundamental issues in the teaching of biology that don't change. Life on Earth still does the following: Focuses on Concepts Our conceptual questions and subheadings cast as sentences, At a Glance chapter-opening outlines, and end-of-chapter Summary of Key Concepts sections keep students focused on the important themes in each chapter. Figure captions include caption titles, which give the theme of each image and then provide more specific information. Because it is easy for students to lose sight of the underlying concepts in a welter of technical detail, we provide a general overview of complex subjects without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary details and terminology. Communicates the Scientific Process Biology is not just a compendium of facts and ideas; rather, it is the outgrowth of a dynamic process of inquiry and human endeavor. In many instances, we describe how scientists discovered specific facts. The scientific process is further highlighted in Scientific Inquiry essays: Scientific Inquiry: With these essays, students will learn how fossils are dated and how PET scans are performed. They follow the development of the science of genetics from the laboratory of Watson and Crick to the Roslin Center in Scotland, where Ian Wilmut cloned a sheep from adult DNA, and even to Lake Maracaibo in Venezuela, where Nancy Wexler began to unlock the secrets of Huntington disease. Emphasizes Unifying Themes To help students appreciate Life on Earth's "take home messages" further in the third edition, most chapters contain passages designated as "The Big Picture." Each Big Picture passage briefly summarizes a broad, key idea and provides a conceptual overview and a sense of context for chapter material. In addition, the unifying theme of evolution permeates the text. Throughout, students will find examples of how natural selection has produced organisms that are adapted to specific environments. In addition, many chapters end with an "Evolutionary Connections" section: Evolutionary Connections: These lively discussions link chapter concepts into the broader perspective of evolution. Our own concern for the environment can be found interwoven throughout this text and highlighted in Earth Watch essays as well. Whenever appropriate, we have tried to present students with the biological rationale for making sound environmental decisions in their daily lives. Strives for Accuracy A text is useless if it does not convey accurate information. To this end, we utilize multiple, high-level sources for our basic facts. Several talented educators who are experts in the unit subject areas carefully scrutinize each unit of each new edition. They help us in our quest to present the material in a way that is both accurate and comprehensible. In between editions, our users serve as informal reviewers. We never fail to follow up on your queries, and the book is better as a result. As always, however, the buck stops with the authors. We take responsibility for the accuracy of the text material, and we take this responsibility seriously. A Final Word A course in introductory biology may be a student's first—and sometimes last—in-depth exposure to the fascinating complexity of life. As teachers, we recognize how easily a student can become mired in a plethora of new facts and unfamiliar terms while losing sight of the underlying concepts of biology. We have carefully revised Life on Earth to reduce unnecessary detail and excess terminology and to emphasize the ways in which an understanding of biology can enrich and enlighten day-to-day living. This text can serve the student in many ways—from an "owner's manual" of the human body to a "user's guide" for the environment. Why study biology? Maybe we're biased, but what can be more fascinating than learning about Life on Earth?
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