Illustrated Guide to Home Biology Experiments: All Lab, No Lecture (Diy Science)

I have been feeling rather bored with my current occupation and just felt I needed something to kick start my intellectual curiosity. Biology is a field I toyed with in college but never took the plunge.Well, college was a long, long time ago, and now I want to at least feel connected to the field without having to face going back to school with a room full of 19-year olds.I wanted to buy a microscope, but was completely confused by all the terms and features. Then I got this book.There is a whole chapter dedicated to microscopy, including what features and brands to look for. I hadn't realized there is a whole DIY Biology subculture out there- people just like me.I think it helps to have at least some science courses under your belt so you would get the most out of the labs. But even if you don't, the text is excellent, and worth having even if you never opened a petri dish.Make sure to heed their safety warnings, especially with regards to safe practices with live cultures. I am really looking forward to doing as many of the labs as possible.Also, as another reviewer noted, you will have some serious practical knowledge and lab skills by the end of the coursework.

Ever since the authors wrote the "Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry Experiments" I have been eagerly awaiting this book. Both books are exceptionally well written for all levels of experience. I use these books for self education to expand my knowledge on various topics and conduct my own experiments and these are perfect for me.This book is laid out succinctly with abundant illustrations and numerous suggestions for keeping your expenses to a minimum. Very much appreciated. I have a lot of books on self taught biology and this is by far the best. If you do like this resource, you should also check out the associated chemistry book.I now eagerly await their book regarding Forensic science and experiments, which has been previously hinted about.

I was quite surprised when I started going through this book. It is an excellent introduction to biology lab work. While the authors sell a kit to use with the experiments, they list all the equipment needed and even suggest less costly / more obtainable alternative materials and equipment.

Functional

All lab-- no lecture. They're not kidding! This book MUST be supplemented with an appropriate microbiology book or the student (such as myself) will only have an incomplete understanding of what's going on. There are suggestions inside the book. The illustrations and photos are top-notch and the instructions are relatively clear. (I still manage to confuse myself sometimes, but I can't in good conscience blame the instructions since they always make sense in retrospect.)If you want a preview of the book, the complete text is available as a PDF on the Home Scientist website. A simple Google search should find it. If you will actually be performing the experiments, a paper copy plus the supply kit from that same website makes the whole process go much smoother.

This is the perfect biology lab manual for the serious hobbyist or student. This book has everything you need to review first year biology lab and then some. The layout and content is fantastic. Each section opens with a list of materials you'll need and some brief background; this is a serious lab manual and includes sections of lab safety, microscopy, how to keep a lab notebook. There are even some excellent DIY projects, including how to build an electrophoresis apparatus. I can't say enough good things about this manual. It is by far better than the manual I used for general biology in college.

After purchasing Thompson's Illustrated Guide to Home Chemistry, I decided to purchase this book for biology. As a home scientist (actually a real scientist with a PhD) and a potential educator, I had my eyes on this book for a while. This is a nice lab manual, and any serious home scientist/hobbyist interested in hands-on biology will enjoy this book. Anyone with a decent microscope (or two) could stand to gain a lot using this book, which addresses a number of diverse areas of the science, including environmental science. The chapter on how to set up a home lab will be particularly useful. Thompson's book would also be very well suited for home schooling at the high school level. Though I haven't gone through the book in detail, I've looked through it thoroughly, and am extremely happy with the content and the level of the material. Highly recommended for any budding biologist or student-- or home hobbyist.

Book dedicated to Charles Darwin. Fortunately the science presented does not at first glance promote a "millions of years" explanation for biology throughout although it may be the author's worldview. The science is rather observable, experimental and fairly standard. The labs look fun and can be done at home and it is useful for use for microscope education. Colorful diagrams and nice review questions at the end of each lab. Good safety advice.