A Review: Biology Form 5 Textbook

Surprisingly, I actually managed to read the whole textbook for the first time! And well, I thought some of you might have a opinion of the book somewhere in a place call the internet but I couldn't find one that is honestly, honest. So here I am trying to share my views on this free* book compliments from the Malaysian Government and despite my lack of Book Critic credentials,experience let alone recognition--- I'll do one just for the sake of fun.

*Taxpayers money

(first image that popped out for "book reviewer" courtesy of Google)

The book starts of with acknowledges to the people who contributed to the book, then the contents and message from the government...much like a Form 1 folio. Geez, did they refer to their folios as a reference for a SPM quality book? The irony..

Now the book is essentially a part of a 5-part episode of "Science" series in secondary level. This biology book is actually a spin-off title that started from "Biology Form4" textbook. However, more details of the plot is found in this book that expands the stories found in the previous 4 books.

For example, in the first chapter(Transport), we learn more one of the most important characters throughout the series which is "Red Blood Cell" & "White Blood Cells". In this book, we learn the different names they are referred to and not only that, the sub characters that are part of them(Think Monocyte,Basophil for Red Blood Cell). Not only that, we learned more about another character which has a very 'emo' name that is"Heart" and this book explains more on the chracteristics of the character and clarify that "Heart" is indeed not an 'emo'.

(Don't touch me or I'll cut my wrist to bleed to death!)

In a gist, the first chapter of this book has done well to explain more on those popular characters found in the previous book. Good start.

Not the 2nd chapter. Apparently the 2nd chapter(Locomotion and Support) is a totally story altogether and is a short story itself.Here, we learn about bones,bones and bones. That's it. It's about as relevant to my aspiration as a box of matches on the moon.And if you are thinking the chapter is all about the television series, it's not.

(Not found in the chapter. Sorry)

But as readers continue on with the 3rd chapter, you find that the previous chapter sets the prologue for it. Apparently the government is trying to do is convince us that chapter 2 is linked with chapter 3. Bad plot settings, they might as well combined the whole chapters in the book and make a Star Wars series out of it.

(The next proposed Biology syallabus)

But we are introduced back a sadly obsucre character found in "Science Form 3" textbook. That is the nerve cell. And it has a cooler(but more geekeir) name---Neurone. And now the character is also expanded with 3 more sub characters, the Affrent Neurone, Efferent Neurone and Interneurone. We also get a glimpse of the setting which the story takes place which is in the Spinal Cord. If you don't have time to read all the chapters, read this one. It's worth your time you allocate for "ponteng".

We learn another group of characters which are in a organization called "hormones". They are bascially the "Power Rangers" of our body and in this book they are explained thoroughtly and dare I say it, they are cool!

(Imagine them as hormones, but a lot less geekier and ridicolous)

Okay, now this is the part everyone has been waiting for since "Science Form 4" the more exciting, but not less controvesial chapter---Reproduction.

I must say the authors of this book really knows to sell their book.(Although it was given free* by goverment) Not only that expand more on the plot found in "Sciene Form3", but they dedicated an arc,which consist of 3 chapters!!!

I'll sum up the 3 chapters dedicated to sex. In chapter 4, we learn a little bit* more on how menstrual cycle works, how the two lovely character called "sperm" and "ovum" meet and their origins.

*Ten pages

(I'm not saying anything)

In the next chapter, the readers will be enthralled by the "after" part of birth. We learn about another character which is a pain in a butt to read that is "chromosome". Since we learn alot about them in the previous book, we now learn how they influence babies all around the world so that they won't look like the parents they are hate* for the rest of their lives.

*The writer isn't in any circumstances relating himself

"Everyone is Different"

That is how the last chapter (Variation) starts itself.Now the "chromosome" has a bigger part in this last chapter of the book. And surprisingly, I feel the way the last chapters sums up the arc of "Reproduction" and not to reveal too many details is really a great techinique of ending the story. The readers are left to wonder how will "choromosome" end up after the book and it's adventures later on in life. Actually, there are canon's of reproduction for plants but hey, learning about our own body is way more interesting.

So, I can say that the last 3 chapters of the book wants to give a clearer picture on the reproduction. From "Penis+Vagina= Babies" into "Male reproductive system+ female reproductive system=the next generation". Wait, isn't it the same? And more complicated??

Because of making this the whole process more complicated, I'll have to reconsider giving a good endorsement. Thus, after some considerations, I give "Biology Form 5" a 6 out of 10*.

*Now I just hope my bio teacher doesn't see this.