5.0 out of 5 stars The best modern textbook for organic chemistry

A.S.J. · October 8, 2012

This is undoubtedly the best modern book for learning organic chemistry. Unlike some other books which present organic chemistry as a set of facts and reactions to be learnt and memorized, this book instead emphasizes the unifying threads between different concepts and also stresses the assimilation of those concepts through real-life applications. Common themes such as syn-anti addition, carbocations and orbital overlap tie together disparate reactions and aspects of organic chemistry.The first edition of this book was published in 2001 and the updated edition in 2012, so the discussion in this book includes reactions and reagents that are often missing from other comparable texts. For instance the volume still provides the most complete and readable description of the Grubbs metathesis reaction that I have come across, clearly emphasizing the mechanism, the effects of different ligands and solvents and applications to complex natural products. Other reactions of paramount importance to both academia and industry which are presented in the book include the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki, Heck, and Sonogashira couplings (which were recently awarded the Nobel Prize). The Buchwald-Hartwig reaction which was not as developed in 2001 but which has since seen immense growth gets an especially detailed mention.The volume covers the whole gamut of current organic chemistry. Apart from its modern and unifying outlook, the other feature that stands out is the way it stresses the practical relevance of all this material. Organic chemistry is really the basis of our modern way of life and the book reflects this fact. The value of almost every important reaction and reagent is demonstrated by its application to the synthesis of an important drug, polymer, food additive or agrochemical. The book also does a great job of illustrating the great value of simple concepts; for instance, one chapter discusses the application of pKa to the development of the bestselling drug ranitidine, another provides an explanation of the lachrymatory (tear-inducing) properties of onions as rooted in sigmatropic reactions involving sulfur compounds. From the clinic to the kitchen, this book drives home the fact that organic chemistry is not just an intellectually rewarding exercise but is at the foundation our daily existence.In addition to these qualities, the book is written in an honest, informal style and the authors admit uncertainty where it exists. Color enhances bonds, atoms and mechanistic arrows while boxed material contains key concepts and intriguing examples. Overall we are treated to an incredible amount of information in an attractive format and the authors must have really spent a lot of efforts in planning and presenting it. In its second edition this book continues to be an extremely useful source for students and practitioners alike and it is highly recommended.

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Org Chem book!

J.M. · August 18, 2013

This is the best organic chemistry book I have seen. I got the 1st edition in print, and I read chapters from it whenever I needed a refresher...I use it all the time as a reference too, as well as using it for explaining concepts to others. When the 2nd edition came out, I got it for my Kindle. Works very well on a Kindle. Many chemistry/physics/math books have a problem with equations on a Kindle (and other electronic readers), but with this book they took the simple approach and the whole page image is scalable. Makes it much easier to focus in on an individual concept. It's a snap to move in, and easy to go back to full page again. Very nice. I highly recommend this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book

L.L. · May 19, 2025

It's a great book for beginners

5.0 out of 5 stars Paperback review

H. · January 14, 2023

I got this for someone as a gift. He really likes it, but he said, "There is an error on page 296 of the paperback second edition, in chapter 13. In the diagram mid page in red lettering it says "11 Hz coupling to H2" where it should say "11 Hz coupling to H3". As it is now in the text it would imply that a proton forms a coupling with itself which is not possible.I still have 75% of the book to finish and plan to give a more thorough review once I am finsihed, but so far I have really enjoyed this textbook." The paperback edition also does not seem to have practice problems.

4.0 out of 5 stars Truly inspired and inspirational textbook (2nd edition has some problems...)

t. · August 10, 2017

This is the only undergraduate textbook out there that presents organic chemistry the way an organic chemist today (and not 50 years ago) looks at it. This is not a book for premeds who need to memorize a bunch of facts: this book presents organic chemistry as an active and intellectually vibrant field.The virtues of this textbook include: 1) A pervasive mechanistic approach -- the authors discuss all reactions in the context of a few basic chemical principles, along with the use of curved arrow notation as a essential tool for keeping track of bonds made and broken in a proposed mechanism and making educated guesses with respect to reaction outcomes. There is even an excellent, though brief, section on physical organic chemistry, and several excellent chapters on spectroscopic techniques, some quite advanced. With this approach and these tools, the student feels like organic chemistry is something that generations of scientists deduced, rather than a monolithic set of facts that came to us in its current form. 2) In contrast to nearly all other textbooks, this book treats the student like an adult. This includes talking about new discoveries (made within the last 20 or so years in asymmetric catalysis and organometallic chemistry), as well as discussions of the subtleties involving chemo-, regio-, and stereoselectivity, issues most books try to sweep under the rug for pedagogical purposes. Important advanced concepts that control selectivity like stereoelectronic effects (i.e., orbital alignment arguments) are discussed in great detail, and classical methods for stereocontrolled synthesis, like the Evans oxazolidinone chemistry and enantioselective Diels-Alder reaction developed by Corey and others, are also included. Archaic reactions that most introductory texts treat as sacred cows (e.g. oxymercuration and PCC oxidation) are de-emphasized or given the boot, to make room for newer reactions that are actually used by modern chemists but ignored by intro textbooks (e.g. Swern, DMP oxidation, Mitsunobu reaction). 3) Finally, the sections on S, P, Si, and Sn chemistry, pericyclic reactions, stereoselectivity, and heterocyclic chemistry provides an in depth view of the field that extend well beyond the introductory level, discussing advanced topics that no other introductory textbook would even approach. (Edit: Actually, there is one other textbook by Streitwieser, Heathcock, and Kosower, that also has an advanced topics section. However, it is somewhat dated, last being updated in 1998.) Combined with the fact that the book starts with the absolute basics, and builds up to this level of sophistication in a logical, deductive manner, this means that this textbook will serve the student from first semester organic chemistry all the way to his/her qualifying exam(s) for advancement to candidacy in a PhD program in organic chemistry. (I'm slightly embarrassed to admit that even as a third or fourth year grad student *after* advancing to candidacy, I still managed to learn a thing or two from this text.)In summary, if you did well in orgo, but thought it was kind of boring and unintellectual, like I did at first, I urge you to get this textbook to find out what it's really about. After that, if you really start to love it, look online for the Evans and Myers notes on Advanced Organic Chemistry (Chem 206 & 215) at Harvard, and before you know it, you'll be an organic chemist! [Full disclosure: I drank the kool-aid and actually became an organic chemist. Of course, YMMV!]EDIT: Unfortunately, the chapter on equilibria, rates, and mechanisms (ch. 12) has been rewritten and not for the better. The equations relating free energy, enthalpy, entropy, and equilibrium constant are wrong, missing the circle that indicates the standard state (i.e., should be Delta G^o= - RT ln K, instead of Delta G= - RT ln K as shown in the book). If this seems like a pedantic point, the Delta G for any reaction at equilibrium will be zero, but the Delta G^o, in general, will not be, unless the equilibrium constant happens to be unity. This error will lead to misconceptions, if not in organic chemistry, then in a future thermodynamics course. For that reason, I am removing one star. Also, the Eyring equation has been removed between the first and second editions. Stick to the first edition, if you can find it (it's slightly heavier and somewhat dated but still extremely good). I have a few other minor quibbles, like d orbital participation for the heavy main groups being included (despite strong evidence that it is minor at best).

5.0 out of 5 stars I would marry this textbook if I could.

S. · August 13, 2023

As an student of organic chem, this textbook is legendary. It is *the* textbook. Helped me build a solid foundation in orgo before moving onto more advanced study.

Ótimo Produto

R. · January 18, 2022

A compra foi muito bem sucedida e chegou no tempo determinado. O vendedor é muito atencioso. Abs

Trustworthy for concept building

M. · August 27, 2015

Clayden can be relied on as the most basic and useful tool for building concepts and ideas in organic chemistry, for anyone at any level.

中古でも良品で、好感が持てました。

髭. · September 2, 2023

中古品でも良品で、好感が持てました。配送時の包装も充分にケアされていて、本当に良品を安価に購入出来て良かったです。また、ご縁がありましたら宜しくお願いします。

Uszkodzona w wysyłce InPost

W. · April 11, 2024

Jak na największą na świecie księgarnie to nie zapakowanie książki w chociażby karton a po prostu wrzucenie jej luzem w folię uważam za dramat

good, as always

a. · January 21, 2022

clear, well written matter