Organic Chemistry Demystified

Overview

There’s no easier, faster, or more practical way to learn the really tough subjects

Organic Chemistry Demystified follows the organization of standard organic chemistry courses and can also be used as a study guide for the MCAT (Medical College Admission Test) and DAT (Dental Admissions Testing) exams. This self-teaching guide comes complete with key points, background information, quizzes at the end of each chapter, and even a final exam. Simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for advanced students, this is a lively and entertaining brush-up, introductory text, or classroom supplement.

Table of contents

PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Chapter 1: Structure and Bonding
Chapter 2: Families and Functional Groups
Chapter 3: Acids and Bases
Chapter 4: Alkanes and Cycloalkanes
Chapter 5: Stereochemistry
Chapter 6: Structure and Properties of Alkenes
Chapter 7: Reaction Mechanisms
Chapter 8: Reactions of Alkenes
Chapter 9: Alkynes
Chapter 10: Characterization
Chapter 11: Organohalides
Chapter 12: Nucleophilic Substitution and Elimination Reactions
Chapter 13: Alcohols
Chapter 14: Ethers
Chapter 15: Sulfur Compounds
Chapter 16: Conjugated Systems
Chapter 17: Aromatic Compounds
Chapter 18: Reactions of Benzene and other Aromatic Compounds
Chapter 19: Aldehydes and Ketones
Chapter 20: Carboxylic Acids
Chapter 21: Derivatives and Carboxylic Acids
Chapter 22: Alpha-Substitution Reactions in Carbonyl Compounds
Chapter 23: Carbonyl Condensation Reactions
QUIZ AND EXAM QUESTIONS
FINAL EXAM
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
INDEX

Biographical note

Daniel Bloch, Ph.D. received a PhD in organic chemistry from the University of Illinois. He spent 30 years in the industrial world in scientific and management positions at SC Johnson and Aldrich Chemical. Dr. Bloch has held visiting professorships in chemistry at several universities, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels. He has over 30 publications, patents, and technical presentations. Dr. Bloch has lectured nationally and internationally. Currently he is president of Lakeshore Research, LLC, a contract consulting firm.

Back cover copy

Take the unCONQUERability out of ORGANIC CHEMISTRY!

Now anyone can master organic chemistry -- without tears, unlimited time, or a Ph.D. In Organic Chemistry Demystified, organic chemist and experienced teacher Daniel Bloch provides an effective and painless way to learn or review organic chemistry, from the chemical bonds that enable the same elements to form different compounds, to the chemical processes of life itself.

With Organic Chemistry Demystified, you master the subject one step at a time -- at your own speed. This unique self-teaching guide breaks organic chemistry into manageable, interesting segments, and provides self-test questions at the end of each chapter to reinforce learning and pinpoint weaknesses. A 190-question final exam reviews the entire book.

A fast, entertaining route to mastering a tough subject, this reader-friendly guide allows you to:
Eliminate the misery from one of the most threatening courses ever to confront a science or pre-med major
Use classic Demystified help -- illustrations, Q&As, and reader-friendly explanations -- to coast through every topic in a standard organic chemistry text
Discover tricks for visualizing molecules in 3-D
Learn why atoms combine in different ways to form various compounds
Master nomenclature, stereochemistry, characterization techniques, reaction mechanisms, and the chemistry that makes life work
Get friendly with alkenes, alkynes, alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, and more
Excel in the class that separates the men and women from the children
Take a "final exam" and grade it yourself!

A quick, effective way to learn organic chemistry, Organic Chemistry Demystified is the perfect shortcut through one of the most challenging courses ever to set a student's knees to quaking.