Stuart Warren, my PhD supervisor, was contacted by Michael Rodgers, a commissioning editor at Oxford University Press, to author a textbook on organic chemistry.<\/p>\n
Stuart replied to Rodgers, \u2018I can\u2019t do it alone due to time constraints, but I could manage it if I assembled a team of co-authors.\u2019 That\u2019s how I became part of the project. We began writing Organic Chemistry<\/em> in 1996, and the first edition was published in 2001.<\/p>\n The organization of the textbook was heavily influenced by Stuart’s teaching background, which emphasized understanding chemistry through mechanisms rather than mere functional groups. Each of us contributed individual chapters, shared them, and edited collectively throughout the process.<\/p>\n We have consistently sought to write in a conversational manner. It\u2019s the type of book you could read a chapter from without feeling overwhelmed or fatigued afterward.<\/p>\n I began writing the first edition simultaneously with starting my role as a new lecturer. My research group was just beginning to form, so I didn\u2019t have many students to manage. I would spend afternoons at the chemistry library, pulling journals to search for relevant examples. Writing lecture courses concurrently with chapter writing was beneficial.<\/p>\n The second edition proved to be more challenging. I allocated a specific day in my calendar solely for writing. I would wake up early and dedicate that day to working on the textbook. I maintained this routine once every two weeks for a year, followed by weekly sessions for nine months \u2013 resulting in under one hundred days dedicated to writing.<\/p>\n People frequently approach me saying, \u2018I really appreciate your textbook, but\u2026\u2019. There\u2019s always a suggestion for something to include. My response is typically, \u2018If I add that, what should I remove?\u2019, which poses a tough dilemma.<\/p>\n The primary change from the first to the second edition has been in the organization of the content. Some topics were not arranged logically. For instance, I recall that conjugate addition was presented very early in the first edition, almost prior to simple additions to carbonyl compounds.<\/p>\n Photochemistry was historically viewed as a somewhat specialized area within chemistry \u2013 it was only mentioned in the context of pericyclic reactions in the first edition. Over the last decade, there has been a significant increase in the use of photochemistry as it has become a standard tool. It\u2019s now challenging to discuss radical chemistry without integrating photochemistry, so a substantial revision is anticipated for how we teach these subjects in the third edition.<\/p>\n Another area that has seen considerable change is catalysis. In earlier editions, we focused on the principles of organometallic chemistry, mentioning that some of these compounds could act as catalysts. In the third edition, we plan to radically shift that perspective.<\/p>\n We have also decreased the extent of biological chemistry included, aiming to maintain an appropriate level of detail for an organic chemistry textbook.<\/p>\n There have been ongoing predictions regarding the imminent decline of textbooks for as long as our textbook has been available. Yet, textbooks continue to exist.<\/p>\n I believe that keeping the textbook relevant begins with my own teaching and research, ensuring I stay informed about current developments. I also engage with industry professionals to understand the chemistry they are practicing since it\u2019s vital to grasp what expectations exist for graduates. If I had trained an undergraduate who was unaware of Suzuki couplings, that would be absurd.<\/p>\n Simultaneously, it\u2019s essential to understand the direction of research to adequately prepare students for the future landscape of chemistry.<\/p>\n I think our textbook is somewhat distinct from others as it was crafted to parallel lecture courses. I like to believe that we have shaped the curriculum rather than merely following it.<\/p>\n I think the way textbooks are used has evolved, but perhaps not as drastically as one might think. Clearly, the presence of ebooks means that it\u2019s likely most students no longer consult the index of a textbook. Typically, students may read smaller sections rather than diving into the book and consuming larger portions. However, this can depend on the individual student.<\/p>\n I receive a lot of feedback from students, especially those who have recently entered organic chemistry.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How did you become involved in writing textbooks? Stuart Warren, my PhD supervisor, was contacted by Michael Rodgers, a commissioning editor at Oxford University Press, to author a textbook on organic chemistry. Stuart replied to Rodgers, \u2018I can\u2019t do it alone due to time constraints, but I could manage it if I assembled a team […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":373342,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[174],"class_list":["post-373341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-source-chemistryworld-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wolfscientific.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wolfscientific.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wolfscientific.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wolfscientific.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wolfscientific.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=373341"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wolfscientific.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/373341\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wolfscientific.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/373342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wolfscientific.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=373341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wolfscientific.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=373341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wolfscientific.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=373341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What are the practical considerations of writing a textbook?<\/h2>\n
What changes have occurred in Organic Chemistry <\/em>across editions?<\/h2>\n
How do you ensure a textbook remains relevant?<\/h2>\n
Are students still using textbooks?<\/h2>\n