<p>My D asked me to pick up a good organic chem book for her to start perusing this xmas break before she starts Organic Chem next semester. Any ideas?</p>
<p>I don't think there's any reason to start "pre-studying" whatsoever. There are better ways to spend time than studying for a class one has not started yet. A good student can take the material as it comes over the course of the semester and should not have to study before the class actually starts.</p>
<p>That said, I think having a good textbook to go along with an organic chemistry class is very helpful. My prof used Carey and it's one of the most well-written textbooks I've used, (Amazon.com:</a> Organic Chemistry: Francis Carey: Books), but it's not exactly a cheap buy.</p>