Dr. Melanie Peffer is a research scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her research focuses on how people learn, understand and engage with biology content.
Find out what sparked Dr. Peffer's passion for biology and what inspired her to write a textbook that engages sometimes reluctant non-majors by "reigniting wonder and emphasizing relevance."
Watch the full video to hear the "Biology for Life" story directly from Dr. Peffer.
Want to engage students with today’s big biology questions using a practical, relatable and student-centered approach?
Melanie Peffer’s “Biology for Life: A Guide to Our Living World” is more than a biology textbook — it’s biology told through our everyday experiences. This exciting first edition is designed to help non-majors identify biology in their own lives and make informed decisions.
You can try "Biology for Life" in MindTap and earn an honorarium for sharing your feedback. You and your students will get access to two eBook chapters, along with activities in MindTap. You can choose to use one or both:
Get in touch with us to learn more.
No matter your instructional needs, we’ve got your back. Fill out this form and we’ll connect you to your Cengage Representative ASAP.
K-12 Instructors: click here.
This preview guide offers a glimpse of the unique approach, content and features that make “Biology for Life” the first of its kind.
"This chapter would make me want to take the leap and change textbooks. The inclusion of replication and the cell cycle under the umbrella of a single chapter makes so much sense. The authors left out details that are simply not important to our non-majors and left room for amazing, thought- provoking, relevant discussions that educators can lead in their classrooms."
— Leigh Delaney-Tucker, University of South Alabama
Want to dive deeper into the world of biology education at Cengage? Reach out to a representative, browse our full catalog and check out some additional resources to help you further your knowledge.
Discover the story behind "Biology for Life" and take a peek at what's inside.
Sign in or create an account in the Cengage Instructor Center to get instant access.
No matter your instructional needs, we’ve got your back. Fill out this form and we’ll connect you to your Cengage Representative ASAP.
K-12 Instructors: click here.
No matter your instructional needs, we’ve got your back. Fill out this form and we’ll connect you to your Cengage Representative ASAP.
K-12 Instructors: click here.
No matter your instructional needs, we’ve got your back. Fill out this form and we’ll connect you to your Cengage Representative ASAP.
K-12 Instructors: click here.
“I always assign reading as part of my class and, as I have mentioned, your book presents this information better than any I have read.”
— Kevin Oley, Appalachian State University
Dr. Melanie Peffer is a research scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Her research focuses on how people learn, understand and engage with biology content.
Find out what sparked Dr. Peffer's passion for biology and what inspired her to write a textbook that engages sometimes reluctant non-majors by "reigniting wonder and emphasizing relevance."
Watch the full video to hear the "Biology for Life" story directly from Dr. Peffer.
Want to engage students with today’s big biology questions using a practical, relatable and student-centered approach?
Melanie Peffer’s “Biology for Life: A Guide to Our Living World” is more than a biology textbook — it’s biology told through our everyday experiences. This exciting first edition is designed to help non-majors identify biology in their own lives and make informed decisions.
You can try "Biology for Life" in MindTap and earn an honorarium for sharing your feedback. You and your students will get access to two eBook chapters, along with activities in MindTap. You can choose to use one or both:
Get in touch with us to learn more.
No matter your instructional needs, we’ve got your back. Fill out this form and we’ll connect you to your Cengage Representative ASAP.
K-12 Instructors: click here.
This preview guide offers a glimpse of the unique approach, content and features that make “Biology for Life” the first of its kind.
"This chapter would make me want to take the leap and change textbooks. The inclusion of replication and the cell cycle under the umbrella of a single chapter makes so much sense. The authors left out details that are simply not important to our non-majors and left room for amazing, thought- provoking, relevant discussions that educators can lead in their classrooms."
— Leigh Delaney-Tucker, University of South Alabama
Want to dive deeper into the world of biology education at Cengage? Reach out to a representative, browse our full catalog and check out some additional resources to help you further your knowledge.
Discover the story behind "Biology for Life" and take a peek at what's inside.
Sign in or create an account in the Cengage Instructor Center to get instant access.
No matter your instructional needs, we’ve got your back. Fill out this form and we’ll connect you to your Cengage Representative ASAP.
K-12 Instructors: click here.
No matter your instructional needs, we’ve got your back. Fill out this form and we’ll connect you to your Cengage Representative ASAP.
K-12 Instructors: click here.
No matter your instructional needs, we’ve got your back. Fill out this form and we’ll connect you to your Cengage Representative ASAP.
K-12 Instructors: click here.
“I always assign reading as part of my class and, as I have mentioned, your book presents this information better than any I have read.”
— Kevin Oley, Appalachian State University
Written from the ground up to include vivid, relatable examples that connect complex concepts to the real world.
Captivate students’ imaginations with stunning visuals, and inspire them with the compelling discoveries of National Geographic Explorers from diverse backgrounds, whose interests in biological questions extend to the far reaches of the globe.
Each chapter details a scientific discovery, insight or phenomenon focused on current data, while providing tools to distinguish real science from pseudoscience and misinformation.
Dr. Peffer has spent over 10 years researching how students learn biology. This text puts the best practices learned from that research to work, including design elements and teaching strategies proven to facilitate student success.
Students are asked to problem-solve and draw conclusions with Digging into Data, a feature that provides a scaffolded opportunity to interpret scientific research.
"The writing is engaging and can really pull you in if you're ready to learn about the topic. It's not hard to feel that the person who wrote this textbook acutally cared to make it interesting."
— Student, Fayetteville Technical Community College
MindTap is an online learning platform that offers students seamless access to their eBook, plus activities, assessments and study tools that help deepen their understanding of biology concepts.
The GenAI-powered Student Assistant in MindTap guides students through the process of thinking critically without giving away the answers. This tool enables students to address learning gaps independently, leveraging intelligent language models and exclusive Cengage content to offer personalized, just-in-time support that aligns with the biology course materials you assign.
Tied to the feature of the same name in the text, students will sharpen critical thinking skills by interpreting graphs and data related to chapter concepts.
"I love the development of critical thinking and scientific literacy skills that 'Digging into Data' provides students."
—Tiffany McFalls-Smith, Elizabeth Community & Technical College
National Geographic videos, accompanied by auto-graded assessments, capture student imagination.
These activities highlight the most important concepts in each chapter, pairing concise narrative and multimedia with assessments to improve understanding of complex topics.
"The images, figures, art, and videos are all well done and the variety is appreciated."
—Karry Kazial, State University of New York at Fredonia
Mastery Training (powered by Cerego) is an adaptive learning tool that uses brain science to enhance retention of key terms using spaced repetition.
