Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Wow. I can't even believe that I'm writing this about such a major publishing company as Elsevier, but I am. This book is simply AWFUL. There are mistakes everywhere. Print mistakes. Copy mistakes. Editing mistakes. Informational mistakes. Two sentences one after the other that contradict each other. Here's an example sentence that has me completely baffled/astonished: "Prokaryotic cells are those containing no defined nucleus and a series of organelles that carry out the functions of the cell as directed by the nucleus." Huh? In the same sentence, they say it has no defined nucleus, and that the nucleus (which it doesn't have?) carries out functions of the cells. Wrong. Here's another great one: "HESI Hint: Concentrations have a great deal to do with the rate of reaction. As is the case with males and females, increasing the numbers of reactants (persons) means that a greater number of collisions can take place." I don't know whether to laugh or cry. Sometimes, in the sample questions at the end of a chapter, they'll tell you that, say, "B" is the answer -- and then CONTRADICT that answer in the explanation. So, say, question #6 from the "Biology" section: "In which organelle does transcription begin? A: Ribosome; B: Nucleus; C: mRNA; D. Cytoplasm" The answer? C. Except that mRNA is not an organelle. So the description says "The DNA of a cell is located in the nucleus. Therefore the beginning of the transcription takes place in the nucleus." Um...wasn't that answer B? So now I'm TOTALLY confused about where transcription takes place, so I'll have to Google it. They also have problems with superscripts and subscripts. So 6.02 times 10 to the 23rd (where 23 should be a superscript) is printed in the book: 6.02x1023. Great. I am terrified that the test is going to be this horribly written!! I won't know how to answer the questions. I really wish, as another reviewer said, there was some competition to this book. I haven't taken the exam yet (it's a requirement for entry into nursing school where I'm applying), but I will update once I have taken it. This book does not tell you useful things like, for example, if you will get to use a calculator, or if you will reference the periodic table or if you just are supposed to memorize the charges and atomic masses for every single element. All in all, this book is just making me more confused than I was to begin with. I've got the brand new 2nd edition, and it's awful. I'm an older student, with a degree in English, but it won't take an English major to know how horribly written/printed/edited this book is. I can't believe they sent it to press. Wow. I'm praying that the actual exam isn't this much of a disaster. I don't trust them even to score me right, if it's the same publisher!! **EDIT** -- I'm back, after having taken the test. I found that the tiny part on medical vocabulary that is in the book is useful, and also that the math section is useful (I got a 94% on the math). There IS a calculator provided with the test -- as in the study guide, you need to know basic percentage problems, conversions, and how to read a ratio problem. Now, for the sciences. There are only 22 questions per science section, so it's pretty-much a crap shoot. I am old and haven't had science in school in a looooongg time so I figured I'd do hideous. In prep for nursing, I did just finished a college chem course, and studied this book, and I got a 58% on the CHEM. Class average was a 60%. Most of the CHEM isn't covered in this guide -- chemistry seemed to be more related to biochem and physiology than the chemistry I studied in school. There is SO MUCH biology in referred to (but not explained) the guide that I figure if you knew all that, you'd get at least a 70% or so...I got a 68% on the biology, but I didn't memorize it, and haven't studied biology since 9th grade a long time ago in a galaxy far far away. Seems a bit unfairly biased toward these kids that just got out of 12th grade, but what do I know? Anatomy/physiology had so much stuff that wasn't in the guide that, again, it's a crap shoot -- if you know the anatomy in this guide 100%, you'll probably get a 70%, plus any that you happen to guess right or just know. The physiology is complicated and this guide teaches you none of it. I think this test is a very poor test, actually. Depending on your program, you should consider sitting in on or taking A&P (at least anatomy I) first, before you take this test. I was permitted to take A&P while in the first 2 quarters or nursing school, but I would have aced this HESI A&P section had I taken A&P first. The other thing: this guide does NOT PREPARE YOU for the very long and involved "critical thinking" section of the test, which is INFURIATING since the "critical thinking" materials are ALL scenarios of how to care for patients, how to prioritize patient care, confidentiality, ethics, etc. After you take the test, Elsevier sends you a link to "more materials," where they have all sorts of materials for studying the critical thinking section for a "retake." Why not put any of that stuff in this book? I'm NOT YET A NURSE, so I have no idea about how to prioritize patient care, what to look for in X, Y, or Z scenario, what a diabetic diet is, etc. I'd have loved to have studied that. Please, find a different way to evaluate critical thinking that doesn't rely on me already knowing nursing skills. I think I got a 760 or so on this section, which is amazing given how little I knew. Find a book about prioritizing patient care and study that. My school won't accept anyone with a score lower than 750 on this part. Some schools make it 850. I did very well on the grammar, comprehension (study the definitions in the book for the vocab section), reading, etc. -- I didn't even study that part of the book because my undergrad degree is in that. I don't think I missed more than one on these sections -- they take a long time to do, but I thought they were intuitive (for me). Take your time. If you don't know grammar, I think it would be tough to learn it from this book (or any book, really, without studying a ton). I'd focus your efforts on your strong points to carry your score (depending on how your school weighs scores -- look it up or ask at school before you take it). You can definitely learn the vocab, score decently on reading comprehension, etc. My very high scores in the math and grammar/reading/vocab balanced out my hideous scores in A&P/Bio/Chem, so that works for me. Good luck -- and don't think this is the last you've seen of HESI if you're going into a nursing program that uses their materials. We have to take a HESI test every semester, and one at the end of nursing school to get out of the program. That's okay with me, but it doesn't excuse horribly written/edited books that students have to pay lots of money for. My test didn't have physics on it, so I'm glad I didn't study that.