Biology (Scienze) - Softcover

Over the course of five editions, the ways in which biology is taught have dramatically changed. We have seen a shift away from the memorization of details, which are easily forgotten, and a movement toward emphasizing core concepts and critical thinking skills. The previous edition of Biology  strengthened skill development by adding two new features, called CoreSKILLS and BioTIPS (described later), which are aimed at helping students develop effective strategies for solving problems and applying their knowledge in novel situations. In this edition, we have focused our pedagogy on the five core concepts of biology as advocated by “Vision and Change”  and introduced at a national conference organized by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Rob Brooker (Ph.D., Yale University) received his B.A. in biology at Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio, in 1978. At Harvard, he studied lactose permease, the product of the lacY gene of the lac operon. He continues working on transporters at the University of Minnesota, where he is a Professor in the Department of Genetics, Cell Biology, and Development and has an active research laboratory. At the University of Minnesota, Dr. Brooker teaches undergraduate courses in biology, genetics, and cell biology. In addition to many other publications, he has written two undergraduate genetics texts published by McGraw-Hill: Genetics: Analysis & Principles, 4th edition, copyright 2012, and Concepts of Genetics, copyright 2012.

Eric P. Widmaier received his Ph.D. in 1984 in Endocrinology from the University of California at San Francisco.  His postdoctoral training was in endocrinology and physiology at the Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology, and The Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA.  He is currently Professor of Biology at Boston University.

Linda Graham is Professor of Botany and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  She received her Ph.D. in Botany from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. She has taught a nonmajors plant biology course each year for more than 20 years.  She also teaches courses on the biology of algae and bryophytes, contributes to an introductory biology course for majors, and has taught marine botany on a remote tropical island. 

Peter Stiling is a professor of biology at the University of South Florida at Tampa.  He has taught classes in ecology, environmental science, and community ecology, and in 1995 he received a teaching award in recognition of classroom excellence in these areas.  Dr. Stiling obtained his Ph.D. from University College, Cardiff, Wales, and completed postdoctoral research at Florida State University.