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My brother (not Mr. Funny) is thinking about getting his girlfriend a Merck index for her birthday. The 2001 edition is considerably cheaper than the 2006. Said girlfriend will be using it for college classes such as organic chemistry. Is there any particular reason an undergraduate would need the most recent edition?
Posts: 3546 | Registered: Jul 2002
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quote:There is no particular reason an undergrad would need any edition.
I'll bet you that her professor is going to ask her about the binding of alkaloids on benzodiazepine receptors. On, like, the first day. Just because you said that!
Posts: 15421 | Registered: Aug 2005
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Organic Chemistry already sucks hardcore, it's just cruel and unusual to make her carry around a 20 lb. book as well.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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I have an older edition of the Merck in my office and have found it useful on occasion, but I'm a professor and not an undergrad. I can't think of any reason why an undergrad would need such a thing, or even find it useful unless she is involved in somesort of specialized research project.
The web has pretty much suplanted indexes like the Merck these days anyway. If her professor asks her about binding of alkaloids on benzodiazepine receptors on the first day, she can probably find the information more easily on the web more quickly and easily. Most universities will have access to the online Merck, and current copies in the library.
My edition of the Merck is at least 20 years old and still has nearly everything I've ever needed in it. But like I said, I'm much more likely to turn to the web these days than my Merck index.
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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