Sue, my little hamantashan, disregard Pity’s comment. Anything you post is more than noticed by me.
As far as the comicbook/molecular bio for dummies thing…
[former teacher cynicism]
College level texts have to be written in a “fun” way so that students, who come to college without requisite skills, will pay attention long enough to learn something. (Kinda like that toothpaste commercial where the mom say something like, “They like the taste so they may be brushing longer.”) Of course they didn’t learn the prerequisite skills in high school because middle school is just a social holding pattern for kids. And with the state of elementary schools in the country, it’s no wonder reading skills are abyssimal. It all goes back to bad parenting.
[/former teacher cynicism]
Alas, it is a bit presumptuous of publishers to think that no adults will use the book, and it may even be a bit embarassing to carry that thing around. Just try to be real smug when you are sitting in class with the little children, knowing that they need this fluff and you don’t.
There’s nothing like a little arrogance to make you feel superior.
The book I’m using in my Molecular class is called Genomes. The science is pretty straight forward, while tying it in to the Human Genome Project. The best part about the book is that it is paperback. It cuts down on the cost to me and allows the science department to continually update the books to stay current within the field.
I don’t know if I could handle the cartoon book. I would find it easier to read and understand but I don’t know if it would be in depth enough. The tests aren’t going to be cartoon characters asking you to finish the rhyme.
I can second this notion. One of the university classes I taught was marine biology. Or, more specifically, “biology of the sea” as it was geared toward non-science majors. HOWEVER, the class was used to help satisfy the science requirement for liberal arts type majors.
Anyway, you should have heard the students complain! “I don’t want to learn about plankton!” “I don’t care about ocean circulation or stratification!” “Coral is boring!” Wah, wah, wah. All they wanted to do, I think, was watch videos of frolicking dolphins and breaching whales. Oh, yeah. Dolphins and whales were real popular among that crowd. The fact that they were challenged to learn a litle actual science was anathema to them.
Anyway, back to the OP. I think I could of used a book like that! Sure, cartoons and such may be a little juvenile, but hey, if it gets the correct information across, what the heck. Molecular biology was never my strong suit (just ask most ecology types–you’ll find a lot of us decided learning about whole organisms, ecosystems, and species’ interactions was a better route to go than looking through a microscope and tending bacterial cultures all day. Not to mention the field work–fun!)
At least it’s not “Microbiology Made Ridiculously Simple”…a text in our bookstore (for second year podiatric students). OH! Never mind, they’re podiatric students!
I’m sorry, but this makes me ill. Fine, make it fun. I don’t even have a problem with cartoons per se, but these are just plain horrid! If you’re going to try and be funny, please don’t fail and then publish anyway. Ouch.
