The Living World is often considered a student favorite. George Johnson has written this non-majors textbook from the ground up to be an engaging and accessible learning tool with an emphasis on "how things work and why things happen the way they do". The Living World focuses on concepts rather than terminology and technical information, and features a straightforward,clear writing style and a wide variety of media assets to enhance the content of the textbook. Every chapter of this 9th edition is focused directly on the relevance of its content to today’s students. When the discussion of a topic is linked to a student’s own experience, it does not seem so unapproachable, and the utility of learning it is far easier to accept.