Biology: Concepts & Connections

This is an introductory biology text for non-biology majors, designed to help students understand important concepts and make connections. The unifying theme of evolution helps offer a historical view of biology. The integrated art and text programme is designed to teach fundamental concepts in a clear and uncluttered manner and examples illustrate biological concepts and connect to the everyday world. The book emphasizes sciences as a process through its use of examples, key experiments and historical development of theories.

Neil A. Campbell has taught general biology for 30 years, and with Dr. Reece, has coauthored Biology, Sixth Edition, the most widely used text for biology majors. His enthusiasm for sharing the fun of science with students stems from his own undergraduate experience. He began at Long Beach State College as a history major, but switched to zoology after general education requirements "forced" him to take a science course. Following a B.S. from Long Beach, he earned an M.A. in Zoology from UCLA and a Ph.D. in Plant Biology from the University of California, Riverside.

He has published numerous articles on how certain desert plants thrive in salty soil and how sensitive plant (Mimosa) and other legumes move their leaves. His diverse teaching experiences include courses for non-biology majors at Cornell University, Pomona College, and San Bernardino Valley College, where he received the first Outstanding Professor Award in the Department of Botany and Plant Sciences at UC Riverside, which recognized him as the university's Distinguished Alumnus for 2001. In addition to Biology, Sixth Edition, he is coauthor of Essential Biology.

Jane B. Reece has worked in biology publishing since 1978, when she joined the editorial staff of Benjamin Cummings. Her education includes an A.B. in Biology from Harvard University, an M.S. in Microbiology from Rutgers University, and a Ph.D. in Bacteriology from the University of California, Berkeley. At UC Berkeley and later as a post-doctoral fellow in genetics at Stanford University, her research focused on genetic recombination in bacteria. Dr. Reece taught biology at Middlesex County College (New Jersey) and Queensborough Community College (New York). During her 12 years as an editor at Benjamin Cummings, she played major roles in a number of successful textbooks. Subsequently, she was a coauthor of The World of the Cell, Third Edition, with W. M. Becker and M. F. Poenie. With Dr. Campbell, she coauthors Biology, Sixth Edition, and Essential Biology.

Lawrence G. Mitchell has 21 years of experience teaching a broad range of life science courses at both undergraduate and graduate levels. He holds a B.S. degree in Zoology from Pennsylvania State University and a Ph.D. in Zoology and Microbiology from the University of Montana. Following postdoctoral research with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Dr. Mitchell joined the biology faculty at Iowa State University in 1971. He received the Outstanding Teacher Award at Iowa State in 1982. In addition to numerous research publications in aquatic parasitology, Dr. Mitchell has coauthored the textbook Zoology, two laboratory manuals, and a study guide for introductory biology. He has also developed television courses in general biology and has written, produced, and narrated programs on wildlife biology for public television. Dr. Mitchell is a full-time writer.

Martha R. Taylor has been teaching biology for more than 20 years. She earned her B.A. in Biology from Gettysburg College and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Science Education from Cornell University. She was Assistant Director of the Office of Instructional Support at Cornell for seven years. She has taught introductory biology for both majors and non-majors at Cornell University for many years and is currently a visiting lecturer in Cornell's introductory biology laboratory course. Based on her experiences working with students from high school and community college through university, in both classrooms and tutorials, Dr. Taylor is committed to helping students create their own knowledge of and appreciation for biology. She has been the author of the Student Study Guide for all six editions of Biology by Drs. Campbell and Reece.