Best review book for AP Biology?

Princeton Review VS. 5 Steps to a 5 VS. REA: in AP Biology!!?

• Hi, I am trying to purchase either Princeton Review, 5 Steps to a 5, or REA in AP Biology. In your opinions, which book is better in overall? Is REA AP Biology is of any good?

• Answer:

  When I've surveyed my students, they've preferred Cliff's Notes or Princeton Review. No one's mentioned the REA book, but that doesn't mean it's bad, just that few if any of my students use it. I've found that each student tends to have their own preferences, you might try to see if you can borrow someone's for a short while and look through a couple sections and see how well you feel it explains things. If you don't know anyone from last year to borrow a book from (or maybe even get one for free/reduced cost!), some libraries carry review books. Another review option my students have recommended is http://www.brightstorm.com/ap/ap-biology It's a website with a bunch of video lectures and bonus materials on various topics from the AP Bio test. My students really like the guy's lectures, they say he does a good job explaining things clearly and with a sense of humor. I like how he targets his content to emphasize the sorts of things they tend to give points to on essay tests. I've used a number of the handouts in my own classroom, so obviously I think it's a pretty good deal. There's a free sample video on translation if you want to get a sense if it's a worthwhile investment for you.