Organic Chemistry — Part 1

This 10th edition of Organic Chemistry is dedicated to the memory of my son, Peter McMurry, who passed away in 2019 after a lifelong struggle with Cystic Fibrosis (CF). He was brilliant, strong, and truly the kindest person I have ever known.

Just about every first-year medical student at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia Medical Center knew and admired Peter, who was asked every year to meet and speak with incoming students about his experiences as a patient. He always enjoyed talking to the students, kidding them about their having had to take organic chemistry in college, and asking them if anyone recognized his last name from their O-Chem textbook.

If Peter were still alive, I have no doubt that he would want me to work on this 10th edition with a publisher that would give the book away free to students rather than with one that would charge a large amount. So that is what I have done. To make this possible, I am not receiving any payment for this book, and generous supporters have not only covered the production costs but have also made a donation to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to help find a cure for this terrible disease. Anything that readers of this book might donate in Peter’s memory to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation would also be much appreciated.

John McMurry

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