Organic Chemistry

Dr. Jones's text is the best chemistry textbook I have used to date. This text is excellent for anyone taking sophomore/junior level undergraduate organic chemistry or for anyone who needs a comprehensive overview of the basics of organic chemistry. It is very readable and easy to follow; Dr. Jones's style of addressing the reader directly gives the text a personal feel to it. Highly recommended to any student of organic chemistry!! A superb textbook.

If you're normal, then you probably aren't too excited about taking Organic Chemistry. However, Jones Organic Chemistry is a much much better text than many of the orgo books out there. The book is set up the way that you should learn chemistry, the way that it makes sense, and not the way that many chemistry classes are being taught at many universities.

Jones' book definitely stands out among other organic chemistry textbooks. Unlike every other organic chemistry book I've looked at, this book does not once use the excuse "...but that is beyond the scope of this course..." Jones manages to explain just about everything and if you actually take the time to do the problems as they're presented, you will find yourself able to answer fundamental orgo questions without memorizing. On the other hand, this book is not for the weak of heart. You must be motivated to use this book precisely because of the aforementioned. Jones will NEVER give a superficial explanation. There is literally an explanation for EVERTHING and it takes some patience to decide what's important for an upcoming exam and what will contribute to your complete understanding of the subject. If you're the above average student, this is definitely for you. If you're not, then well...let's put it this way, you'll definitely learn something. There's also the added plus that the author doesn't assume everyone's an expert right off and as a result uses very basic scientific language to begin with.

Jones' book seems to either evoke hatred or unconditional love. Jones is able to capture the drama, personalities, and god-awful fuzzy uncertainty inherent in organic chemistry. The outcomes he focuses on are critical thinking skills and problem solving which are skills every student will carry after the mechanisms have faded from memory. It is scary to use and more difficult to teach from than texts that simplify the subject to the point of robbing its richness. Be brave and give it a try. It is worth it.

On short notice, I was asked to teach a course in Organic Chemistry, and I have been casting about for an apporpriate text -- a text for my students and for myself; it's been a few years since I last taught OChem. Maitland Jones' Organic Chemistry is a gem, and I recommend it highly. As Jones states in the introduction, the presentation emphasizes understanding, not memorization. Jones discusses the whys and wherefores of organic chemistry. Why is it that, the greater the substitution, the more stable the alkene? Turn the page; Jones provides an explanation. What is the basis of optical rotation? Read on; the rationale follows the rule. More importantly, Jones asks the reader to participate in his development of the material. In-chapter questions lead the reader through a discovery of the basis of Bredt's rule, for example, before the formal explanation. There are some faults, to be sure -- some first edition errors in the text (very few, despite numerous cross-references), and perspective in some of the orbital diagrams is a bit confusing. However, the tone of the text engages the reader, and the numerous illustrations are carefully chosen. Jones leads the student on a path of discovery, carefully adding details to the map in forays from known territory. This book must be read "pencil in hand," as Jones admonishes, i.e. actively. For those who take the time to do so, it is richly rewarding.