The organization and principal features of this book were planned with the students' holistic understanding of botany in mind:

• Thought-provoking and open-ended questions are strategically placed throughout the chapters, challenging the student to stretch their analysis skills and really think about what they've just read.
• Complete action statements or questions introduce major concepts within chapters and also serve as a study aid for the student in a second reading of the material.
• Inquiry Summaries at the end of each major section highlight key concepts, forming the building blocks of true comprehension.
• The Lore of Plants sections in each chapter provide interesting and intriguing highlights of the botanical world.
• Perspectives boxed readings detail current discoveries and expand upon information introduced in the main text.
• A richly diverse collection of photographs and diagrams reinforce and illustrate important concepts discussed in the accompanying text.
• Numerous examples, encased within an engaging, friendly writing style, relate material to a student's life.
• The chapter Summaries and Thought Questions provide an opportunity for students to test their understanding of the material just covered, while Writing to Learn Botany segments suggest paper topics and stimulate creative thinking. On the Internet lists key topics in the chapter that are repeated in the Online Learning Center as hyperlinks to web sites with additional information.
• The appendices, What Is Genetic Engineering? and Fundamentals of Chemistry for Botany Students are helpful student resources covering two important areas in botany.
• A detailed index includes both the common and scientific names of the plants mentioned in the text.