Book Reviews for AP Biology

Subject: AP Biology
Brand/Edition: Cliffsnotes 2001
Pros: Very detailed and comprehensive, good for FRQs
Cons: Practice questions not very realistic, lengthy [300+ large pages w/medium print!]
Overview: I used this to prep for my 2009 AP Biology exam and have to say that it drastically helped me review and even relearn past concepts. The graphs and illustrations were very clear and concise, while not leaving the reader too overwhelmed, considering much of AP Biology is memorization and making connections. This book was also good because it included a practice exam in the back, which comes in handy to help measure how much knowledge is ready for the exam.
Tips for this book: Especially if you are self-studying using this book, I would advise that you give this book a good three months or more, if you would like to absorb the material properly. With ample time, this book alone, with the aid of some additional practice exams, would be an excellent combination for a good grade on the exam.

Subject: AP Biology
Brand/Edition: 5 Steps to a 5 Second Edition (2007)
Pros: Entertaining, a few memorization tips, and review before and after each chapter, easy-to-use format.
Cons: Practice exams not very accurate, pictures used more to express function, rather than to be realistic.
Overview: I used this to prep for my 2009 AP Biology exam and it is an excellent supplement to help simplify the sometimes overly detailed areas of AP Biology [such as Cellular Respiration/Photosynthesis and Transcription and Translation]. This book has somewhat of a slight textbook format, using bolded and italicized words for important terms, and also includes a glossary for all those words!
Tips for this book: This book is good for those with a solid base in Biology who just need some broad review and summarization of the main ideas. DO NOT SOLELY RELY ON THIS TO STUDY FOR AP BIOLOGY.

Subject: AP Biology
Brand/Edition: CliffsAP 5 Biology Practice Exams
Pros: Scares you into studying in your weak areas. Helps review some rare topics on the exam.
Cons: Scares you into studying like a madman. Some questions much harder than necessary.
Overview: I used this to prep for my 2009 AP Biology exam and it is a great way to get a general idea of how an AP Biology exam would be, through example. Another plus is that the book contains FIVE practice exams, which gives plenty of practice for the antsy, biology-cramming soul.
Tips for this book: This book is great for touching up on some practice for the AP Biology exam. However, I would only use it within a one month range of the actual exam, to give enough time to review some topics that are rusty and take five AP exams in a well-timed schedule (Unlike me, who took all 5 the night before).