[felixworks]

As a first year college student with only his first couple of chemistry/biology classes under his belt, I picked up this book at my local library, thought it looked really interesting, and checked it out.  I noticed it was from the 70s or 80s though, and I'm wondering whether a portion of the information is outdated.  I'm guessing not since it's just the basics, the principles if you will, but I thought I'd check here before I fill my head with it.

Also, I'm slated to take a (presumably introductory) Biochemistry course in a year or two.  I've heard that the newer editions of this book are often used for such courses.  Good jumpstart to read this book?

[Yggdrasil]

Lehninger is certainly one of the texts commonly used in introductory biochemistry.  Many of the basics in biochemistry are probably the same from the 70s and 80s, but a lot of progress has been made since then, so I would really recommend trying to find a more current text (something from at least the 2000s).  The newest edition of Lehninger (5th edition) was published in 2008 and the 4th edition is from 2005.  Is it possible to check out one of these newer version?  If not, other good introductory texts are Stryer, Voet & Voet, or Garrett & Grisham.

[felixworks]

It's from 1982, to be exact.  So is the problem that some of the information would actually be incorrect?  Or that newly discovered aspects would be absent?  I just want to make sure that reading this book doesn't implant ideas that I might have to unlearn later.

[Yggdrasil]

Without looking at the text, I can't say how much will be incorrect.  Many important newly discovered aspects will be absent, but it may be sufficient for teaching the basics.  I would still recommend looking through the library for a newer edition.

[JGK]

It's from 1982, to be exact.  So is the problem that some of the information would actually be incorrect?  Or that newly discovered aspects would be absent?  I just want to make sure that reading this book doesn't implant ideas that I might have to unlearn later.

When I was an Undergrad Biochemist (1980 - 84), the general Biochemistry text books were producing new editions every 5 years which is why I have 2 editions of Lehninger and Stryer on my shelf from my university years.

Given the expansion in the field the early editions would be a start but only that.