Reviews (2)

BIBLE
If you are reading this review, I suspect that you are already aware of the stature of this book, and are simply browsing to see if everyone else agrees with what MUST be your shared opinion: that this is the retrovirology bible. How could it possibly earn less than 5 stars? It is as up-to-date and specialized as possible at the time of writing (1997). In preparing my master's thesis in the field of virology, this text was absolutely indespensible. The organization is top-notch, the breadth of coverage is comprehensive, the diagrams well rendered and informative. It is the epitome of what a good textbook should be. I was particularly pleased by the inclusion of a chapter on retroviral vector development.

This text is enormously informative, attractive, destined to be a classic, and should be on the shelf of your personal library if you are in any way connected with the field of retrovirology.

As a side note, the publication of the paperback edition was a godsend to a poor student who was at odds with the prospect of paying for the high-priced hardcover.

Could you help to us, dear Dr. John M.Coffin, please!!!
Dear Dr. John M.Coffin! There is Dr.Adelya R.Kalinina, M.D.,Ph.D., Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry Russian Acad. Sci., Moscow, Russia.

Take my admiration about your book!

I would be very thankfull for you if you could send me sheme(illustration) of Mouse Mammary tumor virus...It's very important for me, because I want to use your data for lectures materials for student study. Sorry, right now we (Russian scientists) have not possibylities to use modern scientific literature in full volume.

Thank you very mush.

Dr. Kalinina Adelya. ... Read more

Book Description

Emphasizes the ecological principles that govern marine life throughout all environments within the world's oceans. Its unique ecological approach adds real-world relevance by exploring how organisms interact within their individual ecosystems.The book is organized by habitat and each habitat receives detailed, in-depth coverage, giving readers the flexibility to focus on their particular areas of interest. The Fifth Edition is fully updated with the latest research data and topics, including expanded coverage of the human impact on oceans, oceanic dead zones, and coral reefs. For marine biologists and marine ecologists. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A great text
Most marine biology texts on the market are designed to support lower division courses for non-majors. Nybakken's text, however, is designed with the upper division biology major as its primary audience. This book is, in my opinion, the best book on the market to support an undergraduate course in marine biology for majors.

Nybakken takes a community ecology approach to his discussions of the marine environment. There are chapters that address communities of the plankton, nekton, deep sea, nearshore subtidal regions, intertidal habitats, estuaries and marshes, the tropics and the poles, and so forth.

The photographs and illustrations are good, the text is well written, and examples are widely known. It may be true that Nybakken tends to pull more heavily on examples from the West Coast of the USA, but there are also ample numbers of examples from other areas of the world that support the text.

Each chapter is supported by a list of references from the professional (primary) scientific literature -- something a serious biology student would appreciate and use.

This is an easy book to teach from and to learn from. The information is excellent, the examples are clear, and the supporting graphics are good.

It is also notable that Nybakken not only discusses the biology of marine organisms, but he addresses the stewardship we have to conserve the planet's vital assemblage of marine resouces and biodiversity. ... Read more

Book Description

An oddly compelling, often hilarious forensic exploration of the strange lives of our bodies postmortem.

For two thousand years, cadavers—some willingly, some unwittingly—have been involved in science's boldest strides and weirdest undertakings. They've tested France's first guillotines, ridden the NASA Space Shuttle, been crucified in a Parisian laboratory to test the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin, and helped solve the mystery of TWA Flight 800. For every new surgical procedure, from heart transplants to gender reassignment surgery, cadavers have been there alongside surgeons, making history in their quiet way.

In this fascinating, ennobling account, Mary Roach visits the good deeds of cadavers over the centuries—from the anatomy labs and human-sourced pharmacies of medieval and nineteenth-century Europe to a human decay research facility in Tennessee, to a plastic surgery practice lab, to a Scandinavian funeral directors' conference on human composting. In her droll, inimitable voice, Roach tells the engrossing story of our bodies when we are no longer with them. 13 b/w illustrations. ... Read more

Reviews (127)

wonderful book
This is a very entertaining and interesting book about human cadavers--what happens when you die, the history of dissection, the University of Tennessee "body farm," what dead bodies can tell you about airline crashes, how bodies are used for impact testing, flaws in Dr. Pierre Barbet's studies of crucifixion found by Frederick Zugibe, the process of "organ recovery" from "beating-heart cadavers" for transplants, the survival of severed heads (guillotine and transplantation), mummies and cannibalism, etc. Roach writes in a somewhat flippant style that somehow seems appropriate for the topic, it's never quite irreverent.
My only complaint: p. 126: Roach seems to think that the FAA should force the implementation of safety measures that come out negative on a cost-benefit analysis (given the value of human life at $2.7 million, if shoulder harnesses save 15 lives over 20 years, that's not enough if it costs $669 million to implement). What she fails to recognize is the opportunity cost of such spending--$669 million spent to save 15 lives over 20 years could save thousands of lives if spent elsewhere instead. There is no infinite fund of money available to save lives at any cost.

Speaking with the Dead
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers is a very original if somewhat disturbing read. If you ever wondered what happens to a body when it dies, if you ever wondered what kind of research is being done on corpses, if you ever wondered what happens if you "donate" your body to science, then this is the book for you. If any of these topics sent a shiver down your spine (or did much worst), then I advise you to stay far away from this one.

The real charm of the book is that, while being very informative and straight to the point, Roach's writing is often humorous in a morbid way that often brought a smile to my lips. She remarks some things that I would never had even thought of and makes some jokes that, done by any other author, could have seem tasteless (in fact, her humour is what makes this book such a fascinating read).

There wasn't a single chapter in this little tome that I didn't find fascinating, but some stood out more than others. In How To Know If You're Dead, Roach examines the different theories about the human soul to try and locate its presence (is it in the heart? the brain? the liver?). In Beyond the Black Box, she explains what happens to someone who is victim of a plane crash and how experts determine the cause of the crash. In Lifer After Death, Roach explains the different stages of decomposition. And in Just A Head, Roach examines the very strange subject of decapitation.

If this all sounds morbid, well, it is. But Roach's book is so well researched and informative that it all goes down easy for the reader. Roach never shies away from the truth, no matter how gruesome it may get.

Is this one for everyone? Not nearly. The topic will put off some, while the vivid imagery with turn off many others. But if you have the heart (and stomach) to take this one in, the ride will make you discover things you never knew about death, and will confirm or finally put to rest other assumptions you could have.

Great fun and VERY different
When you look up the term "Off the beaten path" in the dictionary, you will, without a doubt, see a copy of this book. Who would have thought a book on this subject would have been successful? Stiff is, without a doubt, a bizarre yet remarkably engaging read: not surprising since Roach is such a terrific writer. The author possesses the ingenious ability of being able to make digestible the most repulsive of subjects. Curious, yet not callus, Roach manages to ask-and yes, answer-questions often best left unspoken (keeping in mind public decorum). Furthermore, Roach is hilarious. If you like weird, funny, and not-for-the squeamish books, try "The Bark of the Dogwood--a tour of southern homes and gardens. Equally parts funny, morose, insightful, and well-done.

On my way to a colonoscopy...
...I was chatting with the nurses and told them that I've been reading a fascinating book that they might be interested in. When I told them the title, a couple squirmed and the one who was going to assist at my procedure wanted some details, immediately. I thought my timing was probably a little off, but being a risk-taker, I offered a few stories. As the medication began to lull me into the twilight zone, I heard her say that she wanted to read the book and that she would take care of me (!) I lived to write this review and will be sending her a copy of the book as a thank you.

An Amazing Read
This book is so informative, funny, thorough, reverent, and all around amazing... so much so that I am recommending it to all of my friends. Like a previous post stated, Roach's prose really makes you feel as if she is your best friend (she is hysterical!), and her in-depth look at the 'curious lives' of cadavers leaves little to the imagination. Be sure to read all of the footnotes... some of the witiest comments that I have ever read are waiting within. Overall, this book is so, so good in everyway! Get it now... you won't regret it. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

just get to the point!
I found this book extremely annoying to read. I thought it
would be a good idea to get an easy statistics book that does
not presume too much prior knowledge I quickly found the so
called "humor" to seriously interfere with readability. The
constant attempt to be funny simply becomes the book's major
goal in almost every sentence you read! and I just found this irritating to a degree that the book is rendered useless.

A fun stats book, can you believe it?
These guys are great! An easy-to-read, enjoyable stats book. Never seen one like it. Although it's titled 'biostatistics', it's for anyone who wants to actually understand what statistics is.

tempered enthusiasm
I am not as enamored with this book as the other reviewers. Even though the authors tried to simplify statistics, I still found the concepts confusing. The much-praised "humor" I felt was corny and occasionally annoying. I read this book along with a standard statistics textbook, and I didn't feel that it helped to clarify things too much. Perhaps there are no shortcuts to learning statistics.

Howls
Norman explains what could be a very boring set of principles in a very effective way...he uses examples that will make you laugh your bag off. He's a good prof too, takes time to explain the concepts {if you ever have the chance to be in his class}.

Sense of Mombo Jumbo
I have to agree with all the posted reviews. This is the book I turn to for real explanations. Currently suffering through a Masters course in Biostatistics using Altman as the main text. I read it first, then come here to see what I missed. This text will help me pass my final!! ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Unprofessional & practically useless, even after 5 editions
Two weeks into the semester and many instructors (like me) are wondering, why was the 5th edition of this book released and recommended for text-use in classrooms?Everybody finds it frustrating, not just instructors, but the Anatomy-Physiology majors, not to mention the health-care and gen ed students. As one colleague put it, a serious disservice has been rendered to Martini.Sadly, as an author and pedagogue, Meehan seems to be conspiculously lacking in professional ability -- if not confidence. Why is there is such disregard for FOCUS?

Disorganized and narrow with too many inaccuracies
This book is a disappointment.The clinical comments are unclear and narrow.The format is disorganized and inflexible.The cross references are inaccurate.It is not an effective manual for lab use, nor does it cover the fundamentals of physiology adequately.Look elsewhere. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Great reference book, must buy
I used this book and the following which is also on amazon: Histology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers
The first book is written in an easy style to make histology much easier to absorb for medical histology. I found this book to be righton for the topics I needed to know for my medical histology test. I also like how the material was presented; it was reader friendly and a very thorough review. The second book that I used for my medical histology class called: Histology Study Guide: Key Review Questions and Answers by Patrick Leonardi was so on target with the type of questions asked on my histology exams. I highly recommend these two books to any medical histology students. I also wish I used these books when I took histology in undergrad. Anyway, I have brothers and sisters who have used these two books in other medical school histology classes and they got A's . Both books are must buys.

a quick review esp the pics r useful
u can read it in a day or two. and revise it easily. it contains imp topics although some chapters r mixture of physiology and patho. helped me to answer histo questions on exam.

Perfect for USMLE
We all know how detailed histology is and this book allows you to focus on all the key points when reviewing for the USMLE, class exams, and miniboards, as well. Many classmates and graduates of my medical school used this book for preparing for exams and USMLE. Great resource! Highly recommended! ... Read more

Book Description

Calculations in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology: A Guide to Mathematics in the Laboratory is the first comprehensive guide devoted exclusively to calculations encountered in the genetic engineering laboratory. Mathematics, as a vital component of the successful design and interpretation of basic research, is used daily in laboratory work. This guide, written for students, technicians, and scientists, provides example calculations for the most frequently confronted problems encountered in gene discovery and analysis.The text and sample calculations are written in an easy-to-follow format. It is the perfect laboratory companion for anyone working in DNA manipulation and analysis.

*A comprehensive guide to calculations for a wide variety of problems encountered in the basic research laboratory.
* Example calculations are worked through from start to finish in easy-to-follow steps
* Key chapters devoted to calculations encountered when working with bacteria, phage, PCR, radioisotopes, recombinant DNA, centrifugation, oligonucleotides, protein, and forensic science.
*Written for students and laboratory technicians but a useful reference for the more experienced researcher.
*A valuable teaching resource. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A Calculator and This Book on Every Lab Bench
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For most of my entry-level biotechnology students, it's not the science, it's the math.

Adults and students in my three-year biotechnology pathway (San Mateo Biotechnology Career Pathway) have weak, incomplete or dated math backgrounds. Dr. Stephenson's "Calculations for Molecular Biology anf Biotechnology" quickly and clearly explains and demonstrates how to make the most common calculations done in biotechnology research and manufacturing.

In a conversational way, that puts users of all levels at ease, the book does a particularly good job of presenting text in small, digestible amounts with practice problems and answers directly following.

For my program, Chapter 1 (Scientific Notation and Metric Prefixes) and Chapter 2 (Solutions, Mixtures, and Media) are excellent reviews and remediation of calculations taught in the first semester's standard lab training.

Other chapters include several sections that are used or could be used as reference for my second and third year students. Some of these include bacterial growth curves and cell culture concentrations (Chapter 3), DNA Quantitation using spectrophotometers and gels (Chapter 5), PCR reactants concentration and preparation (Chapter 8), Protein Quantitation using spectrophotometry (Chapter 10), and Data Analysis (Chapter 12).

One of the things I like best about the book is that there are so many topics presented that my students have proposed several new research ideas utilizing the techniques and calculations presented.

I recommend this book as a reference for technicians, researchers, students, and teachers who work or are training to work in biotechnology labs or manufacturing facilities. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Shattering deeply held beliefs about sexual relationships in humans and other animals, The Myth of Monogamy is a much needed treatment of a sensitive issue. Written by the husband and wife team of behavioral scientist David P. Barash and psychiatrist Judith Eve Lipton, it glows with wit and warmth even as it explores decades of research undermining traditional precepts of mating rituals. Evidence from genetic testing has been devastating to those seeking monogamy in the animal kingdom; even many birds, long prized as examples of fidelity, turn out to have a high incidence of extra-pair couplings. Furthermore, now that researchers have turned their attention to female sexual behavior, they are finding more and more examples of aggressive adultery-seeking in "the fairer sex." Writing about humans in the context of parental involvement, the authors find complexity and humor:

Baby people are more like baby birds than baby mammals. To be sure, newborn cats and dogs are helpless, but this helplessness doesn't last for long. By contrast, infant Homo sapiens remain helpless for months ... and then they become helpless toddlers! Who in turn graduate to being virtually helpless youngsters. (And then? Clueless adolescents.) So there may be some payoff to women in being mated to a monogamous man, after all.

Careful to separate scientific description from moral prescription, Barash and Lipton still poke a little fun at our conceptions of monogamy and other kinds of relationships as "natural" or "unnatural." Shoring themselves up against the inevitable charges that their reporting will weaken the institution of marriage, they make sure to note that monogamy works well for most of those who desire it and that one of our uniquely human traits is our ability to overcome biology in some instances. If, as some claim, monogamy has been a tool used by men to assert property rights over women, then perhaps one day The Myth of Monogamy will be seen as a milestone for women's liberation. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (14)

The Truth Is Revealed, But Choice Is Always Ours
What I mean by "Truth is revealed, the choice is ours", is the theme of this review. It is also the message in the book, although many readers have misinterpreted the entire theme, believing the co-authors, David P. Barash and Judith E. Lipton, are simply feeding us hard reality and crushing dreams of blissful and faithful marriage. David and Judith are experienced, older scientists, specializing in the observation of birds and apes, with a profound understanding of logic, human emotions, sociobiology and biology in general. They both hold high degrees- Judith has an M.D. and David holds a Ph.D. It is noteworthy, also, that they are a happily married couple and have been so for many years. Their real message and theme from this outstanding book is that although by nature, humans are generally not faithful to their long-term mate (spouse, boyfriend, girlfriend), we have evolved so much that we can chose to be faithful and monogamous to our partner and truly be satisfied, fulfilled and completely happy. Monogamy is not extinct, it is rare. Half of all marriages end in divorce. When a couple has been together for many years, it's world news. It is the greatest partnership, relationship, union, and the most peaceful, happiest and fullest feeling. But it is always the individual's choice. If a partner cannot remain faithful, we now have a reason and explanation for it.

The reason why so many find it difficult to be faithful to their partner for a long time, is biological. Originally, before an evolved society with its ground rules grew from primitive communism, the homo sapien men were polygamous, especially because genetically, nature demanded variety from their offspring. Incest, of course, was formerly practiced to keep a family bloodline, true even to the highest societies, royal dynasties of ancient Egypt, etc. There was a time when free will seemed to bother no one, and men had many wives, shared partners and even shared land. But eventually, power and property was established, much like class systems, and it came to be a violation when someone "outside" the group took one of the wives from another male. Feeling of jealousy and ownership were established and so, when religion began to take over people's consciousness, they labeled this "taking", "adultery". The biological needs of women are important in the scene, as well, in fact, perhaps the most important link. Women's sex cells contain life-giving ovum, enabling them to bear children, and because they are so few and rare in them, they are selective about their sexual/romantic/etc partners. They are far more choosy because it is going to reflect on the ensuing progeny, their children. Men's sperm is abundant and cheap, and they are less selective. It's all down to our biological make-up. This book is very casual about the whole matter and contains not only very scientifically accurate truth, but very genuine humor and witty lines, making reading this book very enjoyable.

This book is very insightful, and opened my eyes about sex, relationships and the many unbreakable "differences" between men and women, such as why do women like tall men ? Why are men so attracted to larger breasts, why are men far more visual and enjoy pornography and why do women act demure and modest in order to attract their mate before showcasing their wild sexual abandon ? These all contain biological reasons. But this does not mean that men are women are not equals, nor are we forever ruled by "animal instincts". We are more intelligent than the animals and have evolved so wonderfully, that we can now chose to be married for a long time with a single mate and live happily ever after.

A provocative and -- at times -- humorous look at monomgamy
In this book, authors Lipton and Barash take a look at mating patterns throughout the animal kingdom (though they seem to spend more time on behavior in birds than on other animals). The conclusions they draw can be anticipated from the title -- that monogamy is not natural, at least based on biological, physiological, anthropological, and other evidence, and in fact is not as widely practiced as once thought. However, this is not to say, as some reviewers seem to think, that they believe that monogamy is thereby unnatural. In fact, in one place they say, "...even if human beings were more rigidly controlled by their biology, it would be absurd to claim that monogamy is unnatural or abnormal, especially since it was doubtless the way most people lived..." (p. 153) And later on, they affirm that "human inclinations may be able to fit whatever matrimonial pattern happens to exist in the society they happen to experience." But monogamy does go against the grain of human nature, according to the authors, and so you have to work at it.

A delightful aspect of the book is its humor. For example: "Nothing succeeds, we are told, like success. And indeed, social success...succeeds mightily when it comes to securing extra-pair copulations. (Maybe this is what Henry Kissinger meant when he noted that 'power is the best aphrodisiac.')"

All in all, this is a very provocative book. Because it draws a conclusion that goes against the grain of our culture's (though not all human cultures') norms, some people may find it offensive (as seen from other reviews). But the authors make their case convincingly (their case being that monogamy doesn't come naturally to human beings, but that doesn't mean that it can't be done) and it would be hard to refute their argument based on the evidence of evolutionary biology, which is the framework in which they are operating.

Like any book, you shouldn't take other people's opinions at face value. Read the book and judge for yourself.

"We are biological creatures . . . "
Keep that notion in mind as you follow the authors on their marvelous tour of sexual behaviour in all nature. Most of us were raised with the notion that humans "must" be monogamous. Often, animals such as swans or foxes were held up as examples to emulate. Barash and Lipton expose the hollow basis of these examples. The notion of human monogamy becomes a fragile ideal - nature, and we are part of nature, is anything but monogamous. In a book combining solid science and entertaining prose, this pair have produced an informal, but information-packed review of new finds in the sexual behaviour of a wealth of species.

One small flaw must be dealt with first - sexual behaviour studies must retreat from overuse of the poor screw-worm fly. The authors cannot resist numerous word plays on the poor creature's name. As the subject of an early attempt at controlling pest populations, the screw-worm fly initiated the host of studies of sexual behaviour among animals. Barash and Lipton describe sterilization of this insect as largely successful, reducing its population significantly. Screw-
worm flies are monogamous, which reinforced the notion as predominant in nature. However, a 1970s groundbreaking paper indicated monogamy might not be universal in animals. From that start a wealth of new studies demonstrated that it was monogamy that was rare, not the reverse. The screw-worm fly turned out to be a rare exception to the rule, and the basis of comparison for the later research.

Bowing to the expected abuse of "anthropomorphising" biology, the authors eschew "adultry" in favour of EPC [Extra Pair Copulation] in describing the common practice in nature. They show the distinction between "social" and "sexual" pairing. Social pairing includes nest building, territorial defence, raising offspring and other "family matters." Copulation itself, they show, has many more factors involved than simply insemination. Mates must be available, attractive or both. Age, health, even "marital status" may be taken into consideration. And these factors are weighed for "adultery" in animals! Males might need a special physiology or the ability to prevent EPC, even while seeking to achieve it on their own.

As they must, the authors arrive at last at humans. Noting how difficult research on human sexual behaviour is to document, they cite, albeit with many reservations, several noteworthy studies. If nothing else, the work proclaims that monogamy among humans is not the "norm." In relating the studies, they present anthropological data, surveys of modern societies and clinical studies. The authors grind no axes and are quick to criticise studies they feel are suspect. The dearth of valid data, however, leads them to present any plausible suggestion that seems either supportable or capable of further investigation. Throughout the narrative they insist that no predictable pattern can be applied to humans any more than with the other animals. Even our closest relatives all retain individuality among their members.

A running theme in the book is the authors' call for more research. How do female blue tits judge the ability of some males to resist winter cold more than others. "No one knows. [Yet]" and similar statements permeate the book. Anyone fearing there is little in biology left to investigate should read this. The sparseness of their references certainly supports this plea. While much work has been done, particularly in recent years, an immense range of study topics remains to be investigated. Younger readers should seriously consider the number of topics requiring clarification. A valuable book for these and many reasons.

Humans are quite different from birds
What makes us different from birds and animals is our ability to feel compassion towards one another. A biological explanation of polygamy in birds and animals does little to prove that humans should mindlessly follow their own animal nature. If we did, we wouldn't be much different from animals. Ability to spare our loved ones of the deep hurt that is inevitably caused by infidelity, - and ability to restrain our animal instincts out of compassion towards another human being, - is what makes us human.

Thought Provoking..
Monogamy is a sensitive, yet alluring, subject from both a biological and sociological standpoint. Ever since the founding of sociobiology by people like Edward Wilson, scientists (among many others) have been intrigued by the thought of just how dominant our genetic code is with respect to our behavior, as compared to the dominance of society's enforcement of it's contrived morals. Wilson once stated that culture is on a leash held by Genes, and one could claim equally that our genes are on a leash held by society. This book is a delightfully written perspective that deals with the intersection of those two powers in a way that is both enlightened and nonjudgemental.

The authors give an excellent review of how genetic fingerprinting has dispelled the here-to-fore assumed monagamy of a host of different animal species, and quote a number of respectable studies in the process. The astounding and outstanding result is the realization of just how rare it is to find any animal species that is totally monogamous in nature, and humans are animals that happen to not be totally monogamous---by their very "nature". This begs the question "is adultery therefore natural, and hence forgivable?" Will Durant once adressed this issue by noting that many of our current vices were once indispensable virtues in the struggle for survival, and in keeping with this observation, it would seem reasonable to posit the idea that humans havent had enough time to evolve biologically or culturally beyond certain genetic features that have outlived their primal usefulness, and yet continue to stubbornly hang on--despite societal taboos. "Myth of Monogamy" is a book that helps to highlight that struggle without presuming to tell the reader what their ultimate conclusions should be. As such it remains to its end a fairly objective look at a very sensitive subject.

Finally, and gratefully, this book is well written, with generous amounts of humor thrown in to keep the reader's attention, and perhaps to help him or her to maintain a healthy perspective throughout their reading of it---I actually laughed out loud several times, which I cant say is all that common when reading a scientific text.. This is a thoroughly enjoyable read. ... Read more

Book Description

This widely acclaimed text covers the whole field of modern food microbiology. Now in its second edition, it has been revised and updated throughout and includes new sections on stress response, Mycobacterium spp., risk analysis and new foodborne health problems such as BSE. Food Microbiology covers the three main aspects of interaction between micro-organisms and food - spoilage, foodborne illness and fermentation - and the positive and negative features that result. It discusses the factors affecting the presence of micro-organisms in food and their capacity to survive and grow. Also included are recent developments in procedures used to assay and control the microbiological quality of food. Food Microbiology presents a thorough and accessible account of this increasingly topical subject, and is an ideal text for undergraduate courses in the biological sciences, biotechnology and food science. It will also be valuable as a reference for lecturers and researchers in these areas. ... Read more

Book Description

Recently expanded to 2 volumes, Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, Fifth Edition, provides condensed descriptions of more than 700 methods compiled from Current Protocols in Molecular Biology. Includes new chapters on chromatin assembly and analysis, nucleic acid arrays, generation and use of combinatorial libraries, discovery and analysis of differentially expressed genes in single cells and cell populations.

The book is specifically designed to provide quick access to step-by-step instructions for the essential methods used in every major area of molecular biological research

Short Protocols in Molecular Biology, Fifth Edition is an authoritative and indispensable guide for all life scientists, researchers, and students at the graduate and advanced undergraduate level

Expanded to 2 volumes. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

an excellent brief reference book
This is a well-organized, clear, short reference work. Well done

The (little) Red book...
Here is the little red bok.
If the big one is too expensive for you, you can always buy this. You'll find inside all the important protocols and data for molecular biology.It's up to date, and clearly presented.
Try it, and then buy the big one!

A very good reference manual
This book is an essential tool for people in the scientific field such as Molecular Biology (obviously), Biochemistry, and Neuroscience. It is comprehensive and up-to-date as far as the techniques are concerned. It is good value in a sense that you don't have to buy the whole "Current Protocols Series" which costs an arm and a leg if you do. Although nowadays, a lot of "kits" are commercially available, the techniques found in this book explain principles and provide different alternatives suited for your needs. Molecular Cloning by Maniatis et al., although needs updating, is still a helpful reference in my opinion and it complements this book.

A Must-Have for any Molecular Biologist...
I originally bought this book as a secondary source of information (Maniatis has ben my bible now for a few years...) but as time has progressed I have found myself using this book more and more. The protocols are easy to follow, logically placed, give enough information so you understand what it is you are doing, are up to date, and are all in one volume. Yes, this has effectively replaced my copy of Molecular Cloning (which is in desperate need of an update). Great job! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Biology, it seems, is a good showcase for the talents of Perl. Newcomers to Perl who understand biological information will find James Tisdall's Beginning Perl for Bioinformatics to be an excellent compendium of examples. Teachers of Perl will likewise find the text to be filled with fresh programming illustrations of growing scientific importance. Seasoned Perlmongers who want to learn biology, however, should search elsewhere, as Tisdall's emphasis is on Perl's logic rather than Mother Nature's.

Departing from O'Reilly's earlier monograph Developing Bioinformatic Computer Skills, Tisdall's text is organized aggressively along didactic lines. Nearly all of the 13 chapters begin with twin bullet lists of Perl programming tools and the bioinformatic methods that require them. Likewise, the chapters end with exercises. String concatenation is illustrated with gene splicing, and regular expressions are taught with gene transcription and motif searching.

Tisdall emphasizes sequence examples throughout, leading up to an introduction to a Perl interface for the NIH GenBank biological database and the widely used BLAST sequence alignment tool. After a brief discussion of three-dimensional protein structure, he returns to sequence extraction and secondary structure prediction.

Tisdall's goal is to boost the beginning programmer into a domain of self-learning. He imparts essential etiquette for the success of programming newbies: use the wealth or resources available, from user documentation to Web site surveys to FAQs to How-To's to news groups and finally to direct personal appeals for help from a senior colleague. A well-plugged-in bioinformatics Perl student will soon discover Bioperl, an open-source effort to bring research-grade bioinformatic tools to the Perl community. Bioperl is described briefly at the end of Tisdall's book and will reportedly be a forthcoming title of its own in the O'Reilly bioinformatics series.

Although he introduces bioinformatics as an academic discipline, Tisdall treats it as a trade throughout his book. He indicates that open questions and computational hard problems exist, but does not describe what they are or how they are being tackled. Ultimately, Tisdall presents bioinformatics as another arrow in a bench scientist's quiver, very much like HPLC, 2D-PAGE, and the various spectroscopies.

As odd as a "bioinformatics-as-tool" book may be to its research proponents, the reduction of bioinformatics to trade status both deflates and vindicates the years of research, as Tisdall's work attests. --Peter Leopold ... Read more

Reviews (16)

Decent intro to the subject
As the banner above the title of James Tisdall's Beginning Perl for Bioinformatics indicates, this book is 'an introduction to Perl for biologists.' What the banner doesn't mention is that it's also an introduction to biology and bioinformatics for Perl programmers, and it's also an introduction to both Perl *and* biology for people that have never really been exposed to either field. The author has clearly thought a lot about making one book to please these different audiences, and he has pulled it off nicely, in a way that manages to explain basic topics to people learning about each field for the first time while not coming off as condescending or slow-paced to those that might already have some exposure to it.

Superficially, this book isn't all that different from a lot of introductory Perl books: the Perl material starts out with an overview of the language, followed by a crash course on installing Perl, writing programs, and running them. From there, it goes on to introduce all the various language constructs, from variables to statements to subroutines, that any programmer is going to have to get comfortable with. Pretty run of the mill so far. Tisdall starts with two interesting assumptions, though: [1] that the reader may have never written a computer program before, and so needs to learn how to engineer a robust application that will do its job efficiently and well, and [2] that the reader wants to know how to write programs that can solve a series of biological problems, specifically in genetics and proteomics.

As such, there is at least as much material about the problems that a biologist faces and the places she can go to get the data she needs as there is about the issues that a Perl programmer needs to be aware of. The author introduces the reader to the basics of DNA chemistry, the cellular processes that convert DNA to RNA and then proteins, and a little bit about how and why this is important to the biologist and what sorts of information would help a biologist's research. The main sources of public genetic data are noted, and the often confusing -- and huge -- datafiles that can be obtained from these sources are examined in detail.

With the code he presents for solving these problems, Tisdall makes a point of not falling into the indecipherable-Perl trap: this is a useful language, well-suited to the essentially text-analysis problems that bioinformatics means, and he doesn't want to encourage the kind of dense, obscure, idiomatic coding style that has given Perl an undeservedly bad reputation. Some of Perl's more esoteric constructs are useful, and they show up when they're needed, but they're left out when they would only serve to confuse the reader. This is a good decision.

Rather, the focus is on teaching readers how to solve biological problems with a carefully developed library of code that happens to leverage some of Perl's most useful properties. The result is pretty much a biologist's edition of Christiansen & Torkington's Perl Cookbook or Dave Cross' Data Munging With Perl. The author presents a series of issues that a working bioinformaticist might have to deal with daily -- parsing over BLAST, GenBank, and PDB files, finding relevant motifs in that parsed data, and preparing reports about all of it. If a bioinformaticist's job is to be able to report on interesting patterns from these various sources, then following the programming techniques that Tisdall explains in clear, easy-to-follow prose would be an excellent way to go about doing it.

And when I say "programming techniques," note that I'm not specifically mentioning Perl. The code in this book is clear and organized, and all programs are carefully decomposed into logical subroutines that are then packaged up into a library file that each later sample program gets to draw from. Each new program typically contains a main section of a dozen lines of code or less, followed by no more than two or three new subroutines, along with calls to routines written earlier and called from the BeginPerlBioinfo.pm that is built up as the book progresses. Each sample is typically preceded by a description of what it's trying to accomplish and followed by a detaild description of how it was done, as well as suggestions of other ways that might have worked or not worked.

This modular approach is fantastic -- too many Perl books seem to focus so heavily on the mechanics of getting short scripts to work that they lose sight of how to build up a suite of useful methods and, from those methods, to develop ever-more-sophisticated applications. It isn't quite object-oriented programming, but that's clearly where Tisdall is headed with these samples, and given a few more chapters he probably would have started formally wrapping some of this code into OO packages.

If I have a complaint with the book, in fact, it's that Tisdall doesn't go any further: everything is good, but it ends too soon. Seemingly important topics such as OO programming, XML, graphics (charts & GUIs), CGI, and DBI are mentioned only in passing, under "further topics" in the last chapter. I also have a feeling that some of the biology was shorted, and the book barely touches upon the statistical analysis that probably is a critical aspect of the advanced bioinformaticist's toolbox. I can understand wanting to keep the length of a beginner's book relatively short, and this was probably the right decision, but it would have been nice to see some of the earlier sample problems revisited in these new contexts by, for example, formally making an OO library, showing a sample program that provided a web interface to some of the methods already written, or presenting code that presented results as XML or exchanged them with a database.

But these are minor quibbles, and if the reader is comfortable with the material up to this point, she shouldn't have a hard time figuring out how to go a step further and do these things alone. It's a solid book, and one that should be able to get people learning Perl, genetics, or both up to speed and working on real world problems quickly.

No need to have any previous programming knowledge
I had zero programming experience when I started reading this book. It allowed me, step by step, to get familiar with the language and start writing programs related to the field I am interested in.
It is fun and very helpful. You don't feel the frustration of being lost in the middle of unreadable code. The comments and explanations to the programs are great. It allows you to start learning the simple things first and then, as you get familiar with the language, go into more detail.
You can chose, as the author suggests, to go sometimes to the Perl documentation and read about the operators or functions introduced in the different programs; but what is great about the book is that you are given examples and exercises to use them. This is really the way to learn.

OK tutorial. Poor reference.
I have used this book in a beginning Perl programming course for biology majors. While it is good if you sift through it from start to the end, I often found it impossible to find things when I needed to go back to remind myself of something. The index does not help, and there is no concise language reference anywhere.

Also, I do not like the fact that it uses "quick and dirty" Perl (no "use strict" pragma). While it might be less confusing to skip it at the very beginning, very soon students start to waste too much precious class time trying to locate bugs that would make the program not compile with "use strict" in the first place (e.g. mistyped variable names).

Good intro for biologists;poor intro for computer scientists
"Bioinformatics" is the new sexy term for what used to be called simply "computational biology". Simply put, it involves pretty much any application of computation techniques to biological problems. The reason for the new nomenclature and the greatly increased interest in the topic is, like much in modern biology, a more-or-less direct consequence of the many genome sequencing projects of the last decade.

The consensus in the field seems to be that it's more productive (and certainly easier) to teach biologists how to program, rather than try to get programmers up to speed on the intracities of molecular biology. For similar reasons, Perl is a popular language to learn: it's easy to get off the ground and be productive with it, without requiring a heavy computer science background. (This, of course, has downsides as well...)

Never one to miss out on a trend, I'm going to be teaching a course on Bioperl and advanced Perl programming, starting next fall, which means I'm doing a lot of reading in this topic area, trying to develop lectures and find good background reading material. One of the first books I grabbed was _Beginning Perl for Bioinformatics_, which has been sitting on my "to read" shelf since O'Reilly sent me a review copy in December of 2001. It's a typical O'Reilly "animal" book (the cover bears three tadpoles), which does a decent job of introducing the basic features of the Perl language, and it should enable a dedicated student to get to the point where she can produce small useful programs. However, I'm not completely happy about the book's organization, and I think the occasional "if you're not a biologist, here's some background" interjections could have been cut without hurting anything.

The initial chapters in the book cover "meta" information, such as theoretical limits to computation, installing (or finding) the Perl interpreter on your computer, picking a text editor, and locating on-line documentation. Some general programming theory stuff is covered as well -- the code-run-debug cycle, top-down versus bottom-up design, the use of pseudocode. There's also some biology background, but it's very introductory level stuff -- DNA has four bases, proteins are made of 20 amino acids, and so on.

In chapter four, the book begins to get into actual Perl, with some coverage of string manipulation. Examples deal with simulating the transcription of DNA into RNA. Chapters five and six continue to flesh out the language, covering loops, basic file I/O, and subroutines. Chapter seven introduces the rand() function, in the context of simulating mutations in DNA. Subsequent chapters introduce the hash data type (using a RNA->protein translation simulation), regular expressions (as a way to store the recognition patterns of restriction endonucleases), and parsing database flat files and BLAST program output.

I'm clearly out of the target audience of the book, as I already have a strong working knowledge of Perl. Perhaps that's why I found the order that concepts were presented in to be a bit strange -- for example, hashes, which are a fundamental data type, aren't introduced until halfway through the book, and regular expressions (one of the key features of Perl) first appear even later. As I said above, I also found the biological background sections to be more distracting than anything, but I've also got a strong biology background, so perhaps I'm off base here too. That said, I think a person with a CS background would be better served with a copy of _Learning Perl_ and an introductory molecular biology text than with this particular book.

One of the things I did enjoy about the book were the frequent coding examples, all of which presented realistic computational biology sorts of problems and then demonstrated how to solve them. I'm sure that when I get around to writing lectures, I'll be leafing through this book looking for problems I can use in class.

Overall, recommended for biologists without programming experience who would like to get started using Perl for simple programming. Not recommended for people with computer science backgrounds looking to get into bioinformatics.

Great introduction
This is the first book that I read about Perl and also the first one that I read about Bioinformatics. I think it has an enough level of details so that readers who have little or no Bioinformatics background can easily understand the basics, and readers who wants to focus more on Perl usage in Bioinformatics can also get quick and useful examples such as interpreting BLAST output, and regular expressions. ... Read more

Book Description

An investigative approach actively involves readers in the process of scientific discovery by allowing them to make observations, devise techniques, and draw conclusions. Twenty carefully chosen laboratory topics encourage readers to use their critical thinking skills to solve problems using the scientific method. Contains 20 labs on a range of topics.For anyone interested in introductory biology. ... Read more

Book Description

Biomimicry is a revolutionary new science that analyzes nature's best ideas -- spider silk and prairie grass, seashells and brain cells -- and adapts them for human use. Science writer and lecturer Janine Benyus takes us into the lab and out in the field with the maverick researchers who are applying nature's ingenious solutions to the problem of human survival: stirring vats of proteins to unleash their signaling power in computers; analyzing how spiders manufacture a waterproof fiber five times stronger than steel; studying how electrons in a leaf cell convert sunlight to fuel in trillionths of a second; discovering miracle drugs by observing what animals eat -- and much more.

The products of biomimicry are things we can all use -- medicines, "smart" computers, super-strong materials, profitable and earth-friendly business. Biomimicry eloquently shows that the answers are all around us. ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Inspires us to look to nature for solutions to our problems
Where can we find the best solutions to the many technical, environmental, social and economic problems that beset us?

In this wonderful book Benyus shows us that nature can teach us valuable lessons. "In the 3.8 billion years since the first bacteria, life has learned to fly, circumnavigate the globe, live in the depths of the ocean and atop the highest peaks, craft miracle materials, light up the night, lassoo the sun's energy, and build a self-reflective brain...living things have done everything we want to do, without guzzling fossil fuel, polluting the planet, or mortgaging their future. What better models could there be?"

By adopting a little humility and treating nature as a model, a measure, and a mentor, she argues, we can catch up on the lessons nature has had millions of years to learn. Benyus writes like an angel, her prose conjuring vivid images as she takes us with her on a journey to explore what Biomimics are doing in material science, medicine, computing, energy, agriculture, and business. Her journalistic style does not shrink from the intricacies of photosynthesis and relishes the wonders of mussel tethering techniques, but always keeps the wider picture in view.

I found myself wanting to push the fast-forward button - to the time when prarie-style agriculture is widely adopted; materials are made at room-temperature in life-friendly conditions with no toxicity; and our economy is modelled on a rainforest, not a ragweed. Readers of this book could be those who will help get us there faster. Enjoy!

Realistic, innovative solutions for a sustainable world
With the eloquence of an angel, Janine Benyus captures and describes the rapidly emerging field of biomimicry. In this beautifully written "seed of hope", Janine reveals how Nature--in her complexity and intricacy--can provide the innovative solutions we as a society desperately seek as we strive for sustainability. Through clear, clever, and enjoyable writing, Janine tackles difficult scientific information and presents it in a manner digestible to even those that fear science! The book is full of wonderful examples ranging from biomimetic materials to agricultural systems to pharmaceuticals to industrial ecology. After reading this book, I can no longer look at the natural world in the same way. With over 3.8 billion years of research and at least 30 million case studies, Nature probably has the answer we are looking for. Every roadblock presented to me is now countered with the following question: "What would Nature do if she had to tackle the same problem?" As a biologist and a business person, I'm finding that the two have more in common that I previously thought. This book is on my number one list for life. I find myself carrying my page worn copy everywhere I go just so I can recommend it to everyone, including strangers! This book gives me hope for our society. If we can learn to look towards Nature as model, measure, and mentor, we might just stand a chance.

Learning from the Genius of Nature
Before even reviewing the book, it seems as though I must explain its raison de'etre; for some negative reviews disclaim the very import of looking to nature as a model for life. For starters, nature runs on sunlight and creates no waste. To me, this alone is reason enough to mimic nature, since our profligate energy use has caused a global eco-crisis. Not only does the combustion of fossil fuels pollute the air breathe (leading to some 3 million deaths from air pollution annually according to the WHO), but it also floods the atmosphere with CO2, leading culprit in the greenhouse effect. Moreover, being that the supply of crude oil is finite, the very foundation of our economy will one day run dry. Nature, on the other hand, runs on the unlimited bounty of sunlight. Unlimited clean energy is just one example of the genius of nature which author Benyus points out in this book.

Nature does many other wonderful things we would do well to learn from. Arctic fish and frogs freeze solid and then spring to life, having protected their organs from ice damage. Black bears hibernate all winter without poisoning themselves on their urea, while their polar cousins stay active with a coat of transparent hollow hairs covering their skins like the panes of a greenhouse. Chameleons and cuttlefish hide without moving, changing the pattern of their skin to instantly blend with their surroundings. Bees, turtles, and birds navigate without maps, while whales and penguins dive without scuba gear. How do they do it? How do dragonflies outmaneuver our best helicopters? How do hummingbirds cross the Gulf of Mexico on less than one tenth of an ounce of fuel? How do ants carry the equivalent of hundreds of pounds in a dead heat through the jungle? How do muscles attach to rock in a wet environment? The answers to these questions may seem like trivia to non-expert, but "The difference between what life needs to do and what we need to do is another one of those boundaries that doesn't exist. Beyond mattes of scale, the differences dissolve."

Like every other creature, humans cause a lot of commotion in the biosphere: creating, moving, and consuming. But our species is the only one that creates more waste than nature can safely and efficiently recycle. Ours is only one that ignores ecological limits, exceeds the carrying capacity of the land, and consumes more energy than nature can provide. The ideology that allowed us to expand beyond our limits was that the world -- never-ending in its bounty -- was put here exclusively for our use. But after the topsoil blows away, the oceans go lifeless, the oil wells go dry, and the air and water we depend on are utterly fouled, what will we do? Will we be able to survive? Unlike the impact of a car, is crisis is cumulative. The mounting effects of this ideology are rising temperatures, decreasing grain yields, rising cancer rates, falling fish harvests, dwindling forests, worsening air pollution, and rising oil and water prices. A most resilient creature, I believe we (or some of us) will survive this ecololgical "bottle-neck" squeeze, to use Harvard scientist E.O. Wilson's phrase. But the questions this book seeks to answer is, can we flourish?

As mentioned by other reviewers, some parts were overly technical. However, much of it is written with the layperson in mind. Moreover, the book is rich in philosophy, like that of Wes Jackson, Bill Mollison, Masanobu Fukuoka, and writers Thomas and Wendell Berry (unrelated). And the main point of the book is simple enough for a child to understand. Does it run on sunlight? Does it use only the energy it needs? Does it fit form to function? Does it recycle everything? Does it reward cooperation? Does it bank on diversity? Does it utilize local expertise? Does it curb excess from within? Does it tap the power of limits? And is it beautiful? In order to right our wasteful and dangerously dysfunctional relationship with nature, these ten questions should serve as guiding principles for design and human interaction.

Although some of the science is now dated (e.g., hydrogen fuel cells are now a reality), this book will remain pregnant with philosophical and practical insights for years to come. It is far, far ahead of the times. My only criticism is that, much of the scientific history and intrastructure this book depends on actually helped create the eco-predicament we currently find ourselves in. The labratories she visits (not to mention the cars she uses to visit them) are not exactly eco-friendly. In other words, the author supposes more technology and "progres" will eventually help us out of this predicament.

This book is a landmark - and one hell of a good read. Dssential for anyone interested business, philosophy, ecology, science or engineering. And when combined with other books, like Lester Brown's ECO-ECONOMY, David Korten's WHEN CORPORATIONS RULE THE WORLD, Paul Hawkins' NATURAL CAPITALSIM, Hildur Jackson and Karen Svensson's ECOVILLAGE LIVING, and perhaps something on eco-education, it would fit well into my dream eco-philosophy course. Unfortunately, I'm not a teacher and very few universities have funding for such programs anyway.

Good subject but poor content
This book deals with an interesting concept which is 'biomimicry'. In summary, it says that Mother Earth offers many models on which we can base our innovation/creation. But the book is not so easy to read and not so well planned. I skip many parts which in my sense go to deep in details and some parts are a bit repeatitive. The book is quite large but offers only few interesting ideas that are then developed and so detailed to an end which you don't remember the purpose. Some parts don't have a conclusion so you finish the chapter quite frustrated because you have read a big technical part and uoi don't see what was the point the author wanted to demonstrate. If you are interested in technical sciences then you might like it but otherwise, the ideas on biomimicry in this book could be summarize in a more compact book.

nonsensical environmental manifesto
A book that purports to be about taking inspiration from nature for our inventions sounds like a scientific book about genetic engineering or nanotechnology. It's not. This book is really an environmental manifesto, taking "nature is good" as an axiom and going from there, to explain unpromising technologies that will allow us to be more like nature and live in harmony with the Earth. The pseudo-religious arguments presented for why we should do this are vacuous. It's just sort of assumed we all would rather make the required sacrifices to "be in harmony with mother earth". If that's your thing, this book is for you. Just don't make the mistake I did and buy something that you think has some scientific validity. ... Read more

Book Description

AIDS Update 2005 presents a balanced review of the most current research and information on HIV infection, HIV disease and AIDS.More importantly, the book places this discussion within a biological, medical and social framework, helping readers to more fully understand this devastating pandemic. Included with each book is a subscription to Research Navigator, a web-based research tool that offers articles culled from sources including the New England Journal of Medicine, AIDS Weekly, and The New York Times. Overview of AIDS and HIV, Biological Characteristics of the AIDS Virus, AIDS and the Immune System, Biological Indicators for HIV Disease and Progression to AIDS, Opportunistic Infections and Cancers, Transmission of HIV, Prevention, Anti-HIV Therapy, Testing for HIV, Epidemiology for HIV, AIDS and Society. For all readers interested in learning a balanced review of the most current research and information on HIV infection, HIV disease and AIDS. ... Read more

Book Description

Oxford University Press is proud to present GENES VII--the latest edition of Benjamin Lewin's best-selling textbook. This authoritative work provides an integrated account of the structure and function of genes and incorporates all the latest research in the field.

THE MOST SIGNIFICANT REORGANIZATION TO DATE

The power of direct analysis of the genome has made a significant difference in the approach of GENES VII. In a departure from previous editions, which started with a traditional analysis of formal genetics, the new edition begins with the molecular properties of the gene itself. The text is now reorganized to begin with the concept of genes as a segment of DNA coding for protein, and then proceeds directly to the characterization of the genome in terms of its content of genes.

INTEGRATED APPROACH

GENES VII first explains the structure and function of the gene as a means to revealing the operation of the genome as a whole, and offers an integrated approach to prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The gene is considered from all aspects, including:

* Basic forms

* The numbers and relationships among genes in a genome

* Their packaging into chromosomes

* The process of gene expression from transcription through translation

* The reproduction and safeguarding of the gene structure

* Aspects of the overall circuitry through which genotype determines phenotype

STREAMLINED, FULL-COLOR DESIGN

GENES VII has been considerably restructured and reorganized to highlight the latest research and technology. It contains more that 800 full color illustrations that are extremely useful in teaching the key concepts presented in the book.

GENES VII CONTAINS NEW, GROUNDBREAKING INFORMATION ON:

* New technologies that count and compare expressed genes

* Accessory proteins (chaperones)

* The role of the proteasome

* Licensing

* Reverse translocation

* Connections between repair and recombination systems and human diseases

* Connections between the structure of chromosomal material and control of gene expression in eukaryotes

* The process of X chromosome inactivation

* Imprinting

* Control of gene expression by epigenetic changes

* The enzymatic activities that control chromatin structure and affect the regulatory process

* Archeael enzymes

* The mechanism of RNA editing in lower eukaryotes

* The role of RAG genes

* Interactions within and between pathways

* The use of protein degradation to control passage through the cell cycle

* Programmed cell death

* Telomerase and its role in carcinogenesis. And much more! ... Read more

Reviews (21)

It's earned a spot on my bookshelf
Although many of my college textbooks have been packed away into neat little boxes and shoved into an attic, this one sits on my shelf and will be called into duty in the future. In an ideal world, the author would have written just for me: reordered the chapters, gone into greater detail for some topics and less for others, and inserted images that pertained to the level of detail I needed. However, the world isn't ideal. The book comes as close as any text can to meeting the needs of readers who need the book as a fundamental learning aid and as a reference guide. However, although it's jam-packed with information, it's a little tedious reading through the elementary text to get to what you need. Perhaps he needs to split the book into two texts: an Introductory Genes (Green Genes?) and an advanced text. Overall, worth the money.

Thumbs down from a frustrated professor
Lewin's Genes series has dominated the market in Molecular Biology textbooks ... Unfortunately, its monopoly status seems to have insulated Lewin, his illustrators, and his editors from the corrective influences of a competitive market...so far.

I am in my second year of teaching from this book and I find it very frustrating. Lewin's writing style is unclear, difficult and distracting. Tangential ideas and subjects appear out of nowhere in the middle of chapters for no logical reason. As I write this, I should be preparing my lecture for Chapter 26 (Signal transduction). Why does this chapter start with a discussion of transporters? Later parts contain sentences that are almost unreadable and way too much detail about the alphabet soup of different kinases.

Although it is much better than some earlier editions, Genes VII still contains a variety of major and minor errors, including serious problems in explaining how lagging strand DNA synthesis is coordinated in the replication fork - several experts tell me that the model in figure 13.16 is simply wrong. The holoenyme does not lose one of its catalytic subunits with each cycle of Okazaki fragment synthesis. The clamp simply lets go and the clamp loader grabs the next fragment with a new clamp. I realized this semester that I had been ignoring the book and teaching what I knew from seminars.

Even when the content they describe is basically correct, figures in Genes VII can be astonishingly bad. Homologous recombination is illustrated with DNA strands that are only color coded and where the 5' and 3' ends are not labeled (Chapter 14). Unlabeled spliceosomal proteins change their color codes in the middle of the pathway - transesterification to form the lariat also seems to change U2 into U1 (Figure 22.10).

I am hoping that one of the newer competitors for Genes VII will prove to be a suitable replacement. I am examining Robert Weaver's Molecular Biology - I like what I've read so far - and should get a review copy of T.A. Brown's Genomes soon. ...Disclaimer - I have no financial interest in the success of any of these. All of them are available on Amazon.

By the way, I do have a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology. I'm not an expert in all of the material covered by Genes VII, but I was trained in labs whose work is cited in Genes VII.

the best book
In my opinion it is the best book i have partly read by far and every time when i have a free time i intrestingly like to read this book. In fact, i have found it very usefull to undrestand basic meaning of celular and molecular phenomenons and genes.

Great book
This book is well written and provides an excellent introduction to the subject matter. It's a comprehensive text for anyone who wishes to gain a thorough exposure to the genes, genomes and gene regulation. However, this book does have it's drawbacks. Recent advances in genomics maybe covered on a later textbook. Perfect for an undergraduate or a beginning grad student. I suggest this book as a companion for a more comprehesive text such MBOC by alberts et al. If you are faced with a choice of either alberts or Genes VII, I suggest alberts. For the seasoned molecular biologist I urge you to look elsewhere.

Good
This book is useful but if your new to genetics and want a nice reference book that is easy to read I recommend "Concepts of Genetics" by Klug and Cummings. I have the 6th version and even though it is not as popular as Lewin's texts it reads well and has great pictures. ... Read more