For one-term courses in organic chemistry taken by science and pre-health professions majors This one-term organic chemistry text is designed to help students see organic chemistry as an interesting and exciting science and to give them an opportunity to develop critical thinking skills. It engages students by presenting reactions with enough detail to give them a solid understanding of reactivity, rather than requiring rote memorization. Once students understand the reasons behind the reactivity of organic compounds, they then will be better prepared to understand the reactions involved in such areas as metabolism, PCR, and genetic engineering.