Understanding Biology by Kenneth A. Mason
ISBN 9780073532295
Note to the Student
More than most subjects, biology is at its core a set of ideas and if you can master these basic ideas, you have a
framework to fit in the increasingly detailed information that will continue to accumulate. This book has been designed
to help you do just that. We have focused Understanding Biology right where you need help—on the core ideas.
In keeping with that goal, the book provides a clear pathway through the forest of facts that can bog down
your understanding of biology. Each chapter begins with a Learning Path that introduces the major concepts for
the chapter. Then within each section these larger concepts are broken down into their supporting, more specific
concepts. Each of these comes with a learning objective that tells you what you should be able to do upon completing
the section, and each section has a brief review with a question to help you think about the concepts.
The key to this organization, and more importantly, the content, is that you now have a book that presents the
important concepts of biology and supporting detail, but with a greater focus on understanding. The organization also
lends itself well to the digital tools that accompany the text. Understanding Biology is part of a family of learning tools,
both print and digital, that are designed to help you understand biology and be successful in your studies.