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

Tags: Biology, Oxford University Press

Name: IB Diploma Programme: Biology Course Companion
Author: Andrew Allott & David Mindorff
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2007
Pages: 400
ISBN: 0199151458

My Review

This Biology book has all the content you need for both Standard Level and Higher Level. It contains some really heavy reading that would require some teacher explanation for most learners. The book is set out into chapters and the HL content is presented in the same chapter as the SL content, but this is clearly noted with a ‘HL’ mark next to content Standard Level students need not worry about.

The fact the book has all the information you need to know from the syllabus makes it fantastic. However, the book is very mono in terms of colour. The pages are black and a faded orange which is really boring. The diagrams are good, but the lack of colour could make them difficult to understand for some people. Some of my friends dislike this book because they learn and remember best with colours, if this is you, get this book and also go for the C.J Clegg book as the diagrams are more colourful.

The book retails for on average £18 or $38, it is always in stock, unlike the C.J Clegg book.

If you can suffer the lack of colour then this book is perfect.  I would recommend this book alongside the C.J Clegg book.

Pros
Great content
Great price
Good availability
Good diagrams

Cons
Some content may be hard to understand
You will most likely get sick of the orange

Tags: Biology, Oxford University Press