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Chemistry: The Central Science
This text offers students an integrated educational solution to the challenges of the chemistry course with an expanded media programme that works in concert with the text, helping with problem solving, visualization and applications.
1152 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1977
120 people are currently reading
1,612 people want to read
About the author
Theodore L. Brown
129books6followersBrown, Theodore L. (Theodore Lawrence), 1928- (per Library of Congress)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
June 2, 2017
Honestly, this is the worst book I have ever experienced in my entire existence. I never give books one star, unless they are this book, apparently. This book is unnecessarily difficult for high school and college students. There are large amounts of Greek symbols, long science-y words with absolutely no explanations or definitions, paper so thin you either rip it or get a paper cut every time you attempt to turn a page, and print so tiny you get neck cramps from bending over backwards trying to read it. I guess it’s a good thing that the print is so microscopic, though. If it were any larger, a hundred more trees would have been ruthlessly and unnecessarily murdered just so that a student could suffer from the Wrath Of Chemistry�. Another discouraging aspect of Chemistry: The Central Science is the sheer amount of information, weight, mass, depth, and length it holds—which is way too much. The amount of information in this volume is multiple times more than any human being, student or not, should be required to learn in an entire lifetime; it is not physically, mentally, or emotionally possible. I feel truly sorry for those professors who paid thousands of dollars for their university education, only to have both their extreme intelligence and toiled fruits of their labor wasted on this volume, which will likely continue to cause suffering and pain to high school and college students alike. Ultimately, Chemistry: The Central Science wasted weeks of my sophomore year of high school that I will never get back (as well as undoubtedly took years off of my life), degraded my confidence both in the hellhole that is chemistry and in life itself, and did not help me to learn one inkling of chemistry all year long.
ISSUED: with force
RETURNED: with pleasure
0/10 do not recommend
ISSUED: with force
RETURNED: with pleasure
0/10 do not recommend
December 7, 2010
This is my favorite book in the series. All the other books didn't even have romance or suspense or drama or ANYTHING! My favorite part was when the professor related the quantum theory to letters and numbers and other black symbols signifying many more weeks of suffering through AP Chemistry. It blew my mind how close the exams were! A must-read! Five stars!
It actually was the most helpful thing in the world.
It actually was the most helpful thing in the world.
August 25, 2011
I think this book gets as bad a rep as it does from students because they don't actually read it at all. Take it from someone who's read the book through and through- it's very decent. The authors try very hard to write in simple language that anyone would understand and there were even some humorous bits where certain concepts were concerned. I could've done with more sample exercises but the ones they provided were appreciated. There's quite a lot crammed into this text so I think they did the best they could with what they had to cover. Relieved I'm done with it though!
August 19, 2013
Most of the chapters were easy to understand from reading it once over. My only criticism of the book is that it should have more practice problems after the chapter with answers in the back of the book, and that certain concepts could have been explained better, like when and what kind of setup problems required in chapter 17, (but then again ch 17 is toward the back of the book, or chem 2 for me). it was really helpful as I was mainly self teaching the material.
August 6, 2016
QUÍMICA: LA CIENCIA CENTRAL
(Highschool Text Book)
Theodore L. Brown
[**** ] 3 & 1/2 Stars.
I'm kind of a science nerd when it comes to Biology and Chemistry. This book is huge but probably my favorite school book ever.
(Highschool Text Book)
Theodore L. Brown
[**** ] 3 & 1/2 Stars.
I'm kind of a science nerd when it comes to Biology and Chemistry. This book is huge but probably my favorite school book ever.
June 27, 2024
Didn’t like the plot tbh.
August 23, 2009
This is my favorite Chemistry textbook. Nice discussion. Details are okay.
July 9, 2022
4.5, rounded up. An absolute gem of a textbook, describing even the most complex concepts in a simple yet detailed manner that even *I* could understand. I would have liked it to have more practice questions, but otherwise it was excellent.
December 6, 2015
lmao no this is the only book I've read in its entirety since starting college, I mean it helped me pass tests but it also helped me fall asleep which is not an entirely bad thing but not what you really want in any book. #soblessed to be done reading it.
February 11, 2018
I thought this book did a great treatment of chemistry. I bought it, but then dropped out of the class. After four years I reenrolled and was surprised that my edition actually was still accurate and every bit a detailed as the current text.
February 4, 2021
One of the best book to learn general Chemistry. This book opened my interest to chemistry. However, this book is packed with so much information for beginners like me. To read this book, a great amount of inertia is needed.
January 29, 2008
Decent textbook.
Read
July 5, 2010state of matter
matter
changes of matter
properties of matter
classification of matter
matter
changes of matter
properties of matter
classification of matter
Want to read
September 12, 2012Yvbhbhb
November 11, 2012
The best book ever
Want to read
January 29, 2017excellent book
Read
December 9, 2021I’m still failing chemistry
December 25, 2018
I laughed, I cried, and yes. I am a Chemistry major.
February 5, 2020
Solid intro to chemistry book. Would have been better if more of the homework had solutions in the back.
July 2, 2021
Very good book. Introductory text requiring no prior knowledge. Explains concepts clearly.
Want to read
December 22, 2021ok
January 13, 2023
way too many tears..
(and i mean not a single one was happiness?!)
(and i mean not a single one was happiness?!)
Read
January 9, 2024Gracias por tanto Brown Lemay jamás olvidaré querer tirarselo por la cabeza a un profesor y no poder levantarlo 😍
March 12, 2024
take me back I miss chem
April 1, 2025
This is the best book for people studying introductory chemistry as un undergraduate.
May 30, 2022
I like science, but sheesh. Chemistry is just awful. But this isn’t a review on the subject, so I’ll ignore that.
Concepts in this textbook weren't as clearly articulated as I have read/heard elsewhere. Concepts were not simplified, but rather they felt underexplained with way more words than necessary. Often too bogged down by complex terms that were just introduced sentences earlier. Good teachers know how to simplify concepts, this book did not simplify concepts - it just laid them out in a very technical way that was not conducive to learning for new students.
Concepts in this textbook weren't as clearly articulated as I have read/heard elsewhere. Concepts were not simplified, but rather they felt underexplained with way more words than necessary. Often too bogged down by complex terms that were just introduced sentences earlier. Good teachers know how to simplify concepts, this book did not simplify concepts - it just laid them out in a very technical way that was not conducive to learning for new students.
July 1, 2013
Decent introductory textbook for what it is, although I suppose the major flaw seems to be at that point where you were struggling to grasp something and finally do, I found it frustrating that they then emphasize that this is just an introductory text.. which is funny all the same as they made notes at one point or another that some aspects of chemistry (despite the mention in said introductory text) are still being fleshed out.
April 29, 2024
Second textbook I have actually had to use for high school and its the only one I care about.
January 1, 2017
This text book is a good starter for those who want to learn the basics of chemistry. It is also a great text book for general chemistry. My main critique, though, is that there are definitions which could be associated with commonly associated words, such as the definition of "compound" could be associated with the word "chemical".
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
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