Archive for March, 2009

IB Diploma Programme: Chemistry Course Companion – Geoffrey Neuss

Monday, March 23rd, 2009



Name: IB Diploma Programme: Chemistry Course Companion
Author: Geoffrey Neuss
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2007
Pages: 416
ISBN: 0199151466

My Review

I’ve heard some good things about this book from friends. I don’t take Chemistry as a subject so I am not able to review it! But I can imagine that this book will be just as great as the other books published by the Oxford University Press! I will try and get a friend that takes Chemistry to review this book, but for now it is up to you to review this book! You can review the book by using the comment system.

This book is available for around £19 or $38.

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Posted in Group Four | 2 Comments »

IB Diploma Programme: Theory of Knowledge Course Companion – Eileen Dombrowski, Lena Rotenberg & Mimi Bick

Sunday, March 22nd, 2009


Name: Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma: Study Guide
Authors: Eileen Dombrowski, Lena Rotenberg & Mimi Bick
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2007
Pages: 310
ISBN: 0199151229

My Review

Theory of Knowledge, sometimes referred to ToK or T.O.K, is one of those subjects; You either love it or hate it. I personally hate it, and for this reason I need as much help as I can get!

The textbook provides all the core details you should know and include in presentations and essay. Knowledge issues, ways of knowing, areas of knowledge and critical thinking are all featured throughout the book, using these in the assessments are a must to get a good mark!

The book includes lots of little activities to get you thinking more about the Theory of Knowledge and there are a lot of external sources, including newspaper reports, pictures and useful diagrams.

There is an entire chapter on assessment. This is probably the most important part of the book! The assessment for Theory of Knowledge is in the form of a presentation and an essay, counting for 33% and 66% of the grade you receive, respectively. The chapter provides lots of really helpful tips on how to approach the presentation and the essay and what you should aim to include to hit the higher grade boundaries.

This book, like all others in the Oxford University Press series, is available for around £18 or $38. I would recommend you get this book if you struggle with ToK, I would also recommend the Pearson’s Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge book. Both are useful in their own ways, although, I prefer the Pearson’s book.

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Posted in Theory of Knowledge | No Comments »

IB Diploma Programme: Economics Course Companion – Ian Dorton & Jocelyn Blink

Friday, March 20th, 2009


Name: IB Diploma Programme: Economics Course Companion
Author: Ian Dorton & Jocelyn Blink
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2007
Pages: 400
ISBN: 0199151245

My Review

The book contains a lot of useful information for both Standard and Higher. I actually like the diagrams in this book! Everything is clear to understand and easy to replicate into your own note form. Some things may be confusing if you don’t have a solid background and/or your teacher hasn’t covered the topic you are reading from.

The book retails for around £18 or $38.

The book does have, like the other Oxford University Press books, a lack of colour! This book is mostly in blue, which isn’t as bad as orange, but can still get a bit boring after a while!

The above review has been provided by a friend of mine which studies Economics. I don’t own this book personally, but I trust their judgement.

Pros
Great content
Good price
Helpful diagrams
Useful essay questions

Cons
Lack of colour (blue only)

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Posted in Group Three | 1 Comment »

Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma – Richard van de Lagemaat

Thursday, March 19th, 2009


Name: Theory of Knowledge for the IB Diploma
Author: Richard van de Lagemaat
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2005
Pages: 480
ISBN: 0521542987

My Review

I do not own this book! Therefore, it is up to you to review it for the benefit of all other IB students! All reviews will help students find the best IB textbooks to help them get the best grade possible for their diploma! The book is available on Amazon if you do not already own it

Although, I have attended a seminar by Richard van de Lagemaat, and what he had to say was very interesting. I can imagine that this book would be a very great book for TOK and will buy it within the coming weeks and submit a review for it then!

The book is available for around £20 or $28.

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Posted in Theory of Knowledge | 1 Comment »

Biology for the IB Diploma: Study Guide – Andrew Allott

Thursday, March 12th, 2009


Name: Biology for the IB Diploma: Study Guide
Author: Andrew Allott
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2007
Pages: 186
ISBN: 0199151431

My Review

This is a lovely little book, simply because it does the laborious task of creating concise revision notes. Don’t get me wrong, creating your own revision notes may be helpful for you, but some people (like me) find that there is no advantage over making them and reading them, to just reading them!

Everything is summarised in a nice concise way, with some helpful diagrams which break things down even more. There is no colour, so those of you that like pretty colours might not like this book as much, but it will still be incredibly helpful for when you come to revise for your halfway mocks or the real things even! (Good Luck!)

All the content is neatly presented on a page in clear tables which is easy on the eye and will definitely help most people remember the key details to get that 7.

The book is available for around £17 or $38. This book will be vital for revision. Everything is laid out clearly and is very easy to read and revise from!

Pros
Clear and Concise
Nice diagrams and tables

Cons
Lack of colour variety

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Posted in Group Four | 1 Comment »