Book excerpt: Written for the short course-where content must be thorough, but to-the-point, FUNDAMENTALS OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Fifth Edition provides an effective, clear, and readable introduction to the beauty and logic of organic chemistry. McMurry presents only those subjects needed for a brief course while maintaining the important pedagogical tools commonly found in larger books. With clear explanations, thought-provoking examples, and an innovative vertical format for explaining reaction mechanisms, FUNDAMENTALS takes a modern approach: primary organization is by functional group, beginning with the simple (alkanes) and progressing to the more complex. Within the primary organization, there is also an emphasis on explaining the fundamental mechanistic similarities of reactions. Through this approach, memorization is minimized and understanding is maximized. This new edition represents a major revision. The text has been revised at the sentence level to further improve clarity and readability; many new examples and topics of biological relevance have been added; and many new features have been introduced.