This text is aimed at students entering first year university courses. The book is not meant to replace lecture material or conventional textbooks, but rather to enhance the course by challenging the student to test his or her knowledge. Indeed, the introduction emphasizes that students should read their lecture notes and textbook before tackling the self-learning text.
The self-learning text concentrates on reactions and mechanisms with emphasis on rationalizing reactions rather than memorizing them. The text assumes knowledge covered in Patrick's
Beginning Organic Chemistry
.
In each section of the book, the student is led through the subject matter by being given a short piece of theory, followed by a question. A space is then provided for the student's answer and then the full model answer is given. The next bit of theory follows and so on. In this way, students are encouraged to think about what they are reading at all times, rather than getting information 'gift wrapped'. Each section finishes with a summary of the most important facts.