Book Reviews
There are many books on organic chemistry, but many of them are quite expensive – science textbooks often just are. That means that if you buy a book, you have to make it count, and this page can help you pick and choose the book you need.
Introductory Organic Chemistry
Almost all of these introductory books are called Organic Chemistry, so I will simply refer to them by author.
Loudon's Organic Chemistry
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Highly Recommended This book is useful for just about anyone who wants to start out learning. Most of the explanations do a pretty thorough job of giving a good foundation for understanding the concepts. Although some professors might quibble about some of the details of the explanations, overall, the book is quite good and comprehensive, especially if you're mostly trying to learn straight from reading and practicing. |
McMurry's Organic Chemistry
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Recommended This is also an introductory text, but one that I would recommend conditionally. It doesn't have the same level of detail as Loudon's, but the layout of the book is excellent. Each chapter covers one functional group, and the summary tables at the end of each chapter can be a lifesaver for learning reactions and mechanisms. Sometimes, however, the explanations can be frustratingly brief and terse, making it difficult to pick out the important concepts. I'd recommend this textbook mostly as a study tool, and not as a book to learn concepts from. Borrow it from someone, if you can. The Study Guide |
is actually a very nice companion text, complete not only with practice questions, but also with a very useful outline and summaries of the topics covered in the textbook.Wade's Organic Chemistry
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Highly Recommended One of the most commonly assigned textbooks, this is oriented towards problem solving, which is an essential method of learning organic chemistry that provides a strong foundation for understanding concepts and helping you on tests. A very useful textbook, indeed. |
Specific Topics in Organic Chemistry
The books below are for specific topics in organic chemistry, from stereoelectronic effects (such as the anomeric effect) to doing well in organic chemistry lab classes.
The Organic Chem Lab Survival Manual : A Student's Guide to Techniques
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Highly Recommended If you want to do well in organic chemistry lab, then this book is essential. It covers a lot of topics, from recrystallization and distillation to thin-layer chromatography and flash chromatography. There are even sections on spectroscopy, including infrared and NMR. The explanations are thorough, with very helpful illustrations. |
Stereoelectronic Effects
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Recommended The overlap of orbitals to form new bonds or partial bonds appears over and over, from hyperconjugation to the anomeric effect to E2 elimination. This short book focuses specifically on this topic, going into an extensive amount of detail with many examples. The explanations are well-written and clear, making this a great book to learn from. |