Book Description

The Biology of Belief is a groundbreaking work in the field of New Biology. Author Dr. Bruce Lipton is a former medical school professor and research scientist. His experiments, and those of other leading-edge scientists, have examined in great detail the processes by which cells receive information. The implications of this research radically change our understanding of life. It shows that genes and DNA do not control our biology; that instead DNA is controlled by signals from outside the cell, including the energetic messages emanating from our positive and negative thoughts. Dr.Lipton92s profoundly hopeful synthesis of the latest and best research in cell biology and quantum physics is being hailed as a major breakthrough showing that our bodies can be changed as we retrain our thinking. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Disappointingly lacking in any real details to be much help
(...)
As someone who has read this book and just having heard the author on the radio, I can tell you that the book is more ambiguous than the above quoted description.No where in the entire book does the author describe *how* cellular functionings are related to our spiritual natures, nor does the author detail any helpful or systematic way in which to achieve the kinds of potential he keeps repeating that we are able to attain.

Instead the author has written a book that redunantly keeps stating the premise that our biology is not controlled by genes but but how external events and stimuli get interpreted by our "subconscious programming," which develops from how we've been reared during our first formative years.For a man that is arguing against determinism of the genes, he sure does seem to be advancing a cultural determinism.

The author says until we rewrite or overrun these subconscious programs, we cannot free ourselves to attain the life we want.But no where in the entire book does he tell us *how* to do just that.Lipton bashes the scientific community for supposedly advancing the notion of being "victims" of a "dogma of DNA" mentality, but he offer no less a victimhood in saying we are effectively held hostages to this ysterious "subconscious programming" underpinning of human nature--when the author provides no means to break free from that supposed subconscious bondage.

Why did he write the book then if he is not offering a "cure," as it were?

Moreover, one has to question the validity of the original premise that Lipton is presenting.Does the human mind really work this way?The "evidence," although titilating seems too controversial and suspect and is far from being unquestionably accepted.In particular the bringing in of supposed quantum-mechanical concepts seems rather new-age in tone and given other author's use of them, like Deepak Chopra, a bit contrived and trite.Aside from the good-feel message, where's eithe the unequivocal evidence of these statements--and more important the supposed methods of healing ourselves of these underlying mechanism that the author claims is possible?

(...) The book did not deliver in what it advertised.

Captivating ideas and speaker
I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Lipton on the radio and am now just ordering the book. A friend told me about seeing him lecture, and now I'm glad that his research and ideas are provoking people to think. Obviously, after looking at a few of these reviews, it is interesting that none of them really write about the book and I would like to know if his book is as fascinating as his talk.Some of these comments do prove that he has raised the hackles of defensive scientists and it looks like others are using this review section as a Blog.

From his radio presentations and lectures, I think he has touched on something big from his work - the power of the mind - fear, hope, love, anger, chemistry, and spirituality - are all connected to our basic functioning cellular components. The trick is to learn how to be present and work with your thoughts. From his talkshow, he was clear that he isn't providing a manual on how to do this - it is up to each and every one of us to master it - rather he is giving us the insight about how our bodies work, and that our cells that keep us all alive ought to be kept in a nurturing environment, and he gives us reasons why that is important - and however we want to nurture our personal environment is up to us. Why would anyone want to argue or disagree with that thought? Thank you Lipton for helping to make this world and life that I live a good place.

It's all in the bible already child!
I been going now for some fifty-two years to the St, James Revivalist Church between William Potter and St. Mark Street.I love my Lord and do believe in the power of belief, but let me tell you a little about one Ms. Ethel-Ruth Solloways, the woman who stole my man George some forty-eight years ago come this July the eighth.Georgie was a good Christian man, but he was a mighty weak man. God rest his poor sinful soul.Ms. Solloways knew this, the floozy, and she come around all sultry and tarted up, wearing her big hat with the flowers and all her perfume, bringing her special apple-marmalade combination pie.Why Georgie went the way of the devil soon after that, the wicked good-for-nothing man, God rest his soul.Georgie now home with the Lord, I think.But now Ms. Solloways, who did never comes to the church much after her stealing of my man, is coming just about every Sundays now plus the church functions no less.Oh, she be floozying around yet again, with her same perfume no less and up to her scheming home-made cooking ways again.I do think she has her eye on poor Mr. Philips, whose dear wife Mary I did know well and whose now passed over to be with the Lord.Would you believe child that she even went so far to bake Mr. Philips the very same devil lure food she used to trap my Georgie?That's right: her apple-marmalade combination pie!Now she been lately pushing this book on usparishioners, telling us all that the book proves all she's been saying for years.She even tells us while feigning a at all convincing modesty: "Look at me 98 and don't I look younger.It's the power of belief!"Well, let me tell you child, she don't look a day younger than 90 at best.And I know for a fact that her choppers are fake.Seen them I did fall straight out of her mouth once at month's picnic when she was stepping off the bus.Oh, she quickly put them back in her mouth and acted all pretty, like nothing happened.But I saw it I did!Plus, I have it on very good authority that she been wearing a weave for quite some time now.So you ain't fooling anyone Ms. Solloways, you husband robbing, false-tooth, weave-wearing floozy phony!I am on to you girl.Sure, I would look 90 too with fake teeth and a weave and if I don me a pretty floozy hat with flowers and put on that sinful perfume, I could do all that too.Oh, I fear she be having a very bad influence on the current young reverend child.He seems mighty smitten with her many philosophical ruminations and the like.I read this Biology of Belief book I did.I too was saying these very same things, way before Ms. Solloways or Lipton was saying it too, I will tell you that.Why just read your bible child!Its all in there already.Belief is the foundation of faith child, and mighty things happen when belief comes to play.Why the Lord Himself says that if ye have but a mustard seed size of faith ye shall move mountains.Mountains now!Now that there is the power of belief.I don't know so much about all that biology stuff though.But the belief part, well I can tell you is real, for I've seen some mighty things that the power of belief can do.May the Lord bless you child.But beware of Ms. Salloways and her aplle-marmalade combo pie ways!

There is power in the Biology of Belief!
This is an amazing book that is sure to become a classic, ushering a paradigmatic change in long overdue thinking, which is holistic and spiritual-based.

Holding back little in terms of passion, Dr. Lipton reveals that the real illness of society is modern medicine and science.

Instead of such silly notions as genes having influence on illness, Dr. Lipton reveals that beliefs are more important.

Such breakthrough thinking will surely be resisted by the status quo, who want to maintained their dominance.

Instead of being hostages to their tyrannical, dogmatic hold, we have the new hope from the salvation of belief!

Surely in the years to come, the public will hail Dr, Lipton as a pioneer and history will have his name alongside Einstein's name.

At last, we as a species can now embrace the full potential we are destined to attain.

Jostling us into a new awakened state of mind, Dr. Lipton is our modern Buddha and physician of good health.

Only in the years to come will we really see the full fruits of this glorious new dawn of human understanding.

Knowledgeable and witty, Dr. Lipton leads us into this new age of humanity.

Ethel-Ruth Solloways, who I've met is 98 years old and looks only 80.The power of belief is incredible-literally.

Mind and Body Meet as One!
I don't understand why so many are bashing this book.Why is it so hard to believe that wishes or belief can affect external reality?Why?Alright, so many its counter-intuitive for the intuitive-challenged.But you can do it if you just put your mind to it!

Dr. Lipton makes us see that extra hidden layer of reality that we all know is really really there beneath all that boring scientific-speak sort of geek-talk that the scientist wants us to believe just to sell us a pill.Let's face it, what has science done other than make our lives so horribly backwards?There's all this talk about physics people and the like.I mean didn't physicists make the atomic bomb?And isn't it doctors that like cut people open every year.Hmm, humanitarians or sociopaths?I mean they lock you for cutting people, but you get a little two-letter abbreviation at the end of you name like M.D., and suddenly you can charge people to cut them!Now that's my definition of insane.

Thankfully, Dr. Lipton has come to the rescue.We are not victims of this silly notion of genes.Let's face it people, have you seen a gene?These scientist people though want us to believe this crazy stuff.Why?Because it keeps them in business and makes them money.

Dr. Lipton shows us how we can slow if not stop the aging process, not fall into the internalized expectation of becoming ill or sick.He argues that our biology responds to environmental cues, in which our subconscious programs of expectation and beliefs then interpret these environmental stimuli and react accordingly.

For instance, many have been lead to believe that aging and accompanying disease is inevitable.This is not so!We can probably live, as Dr. Lipton argues, to live much longer, if only we begin to bring about that reality by believing it and not succumbing to the negative beliefs that genes will fail and age will lead to death.

I am a believer!And I plan to put that belief to work right away.I now understand that the reason why I gained weight when I ate that super-sized double decker beefy hamburger with extra bacon and cheese wasn't because it was fattening and how my internal biochemistry reacted to that hamburger, but rather I gained weight because of my subconscious psychological program or believing that fat makes me fat.

The reason why so many overweight people eating badly and never exercising die young and have high blood-pressure is because overweight people eating poorly who never exercise believe this is bad for them and have bought into the medical community's ideology of the dogma of genes and that such lifestyles are detrimental to health.

The pharmaceutical companies are in on this too with the medical people, who write the prescriptions of the drugs that the legalized drug pushers are trying to get us to buy to keep them in business.Big science people like the National Institutes of Health are really a scam organization.It's really just the opposite, just like in George Orwell's 1984, where organizations have names opposite of what they really do.It should really be called the National Institute of Illness.And it's not just the pharmaceutical companies and government organizations; its also these universities too that do research and constantly need and supply the new armies of scientists to keep perpetuating this viscous cycle!

Thankfully Dr. Lipton is showing us we don't need these guys-if like we ever did!No, we can believe and don't have to do all this deep thinking stuff like science.We are now entering the new age of the science of connection with real reality and nature, in which mind and body become one!
... Read more

Book Description

iGenetics is the first integrated text written from the ground up and designed to provide a balanced introduction to genetics. Building on the proven strength of Russell's step-by-step problem-solving approach, iGenetics takes a modern, molecular approach. iGenetics covers basic genetics principles, with balanced coverage of Mendel, historical experiments, and cutting edge chapters on Genomics and Molecular Evolution. Over 500 class testers preferred the integrated iGenetics text and CD-ROM over their current book. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Pretty good, even if it is a bit wordy at times
I used this textbook when I took General Genetics this past semester. The book contains a wealth of information. In the course I took we focused on the basic principle of DNA and RNA, Mendelian principles, mono and dihybrid crosses, pedigrees and inheritance, multiple alleles located on different loci and multiple alleles located on the same loci, genetic mapping, damage and DNA repair mechanisms, prokaryotes gene regulation, and population genetics. This text did much to help my understanding of these topics and also contained other topics that we only touched upon in class or did not have time to cover, including the genetics of cancer, quantative genetics, and recombinate DNA technology.

At the end of each chapter in the text there are a number of conceptual questions and genetics "problems" that serve as a tool of teaching genetics by the problem based approach. These problems are helpful because my class focused on the problem based side of genetics, as most general genetics classes probably do. The book includes a CD-rom that includes the answers to ALL of the problems in the book for FREE! The CD-rom also contains movies that illustrate important mechanisms like transcribtion, translation, and DNA replication, as well as additional exercises. For me, I found it particulary helpful to be able to "see" genetic processes instead of just hearing about them in class.

Even though all of the anwsers to the book problems are included on the CD-rom, I would recommend picking on the Student Solution Guide as well because it is GREAT. It works out every single problem in the book. This is somewhat of a rarity for science books (especially biology ones). I can say that this solutions manuels is very helpful.

The only problem that I had with the textbook was that it was a bit wordy in some sections. While reading this book, I would recommend highlighting only those topics that your professor discusses in class and not getting hung up on terms that he or she has not talked about and sound like gobble-gook (Shrine-Delgado sequence, TATA box). Most likely, your class will focus on general concepts and you will not have the time to discuss the specifics in detail. I can't say that it is a bad thing that the book included detailed information from other areas of biology (biochemistry, cell biology), since these fields will be important if you are a biology major, but they probably do not need to be disscused in great detail in genetics if not prompted by the instructor.

Overall, I would say that this is a good genetics text. It contains usefull explanations and illustrations about topics that may not have been clearly explained in class, especially if your professor tends to mummble or doesn't have the best artistic style when it comes to drawing chromosomes.

Okay
I haven't been using this textbook very long, but there is one issue I think people might want to be aware of. If you buy this book used, you can't get access to the website. Mine didn't come with the CD-ROM either, but that's more to do with the person who sold it back than anything else (although if the CD-ROM were packaged so that you could just slip it into a pocket on the back cover more people might return the CD with the book). You can buy access to the website for $22/yr.

Could be better; could be worse
I haven't surveyed the entire landscape of genetics textbooks, but in general this one still left me lacking. My largest complaint: even though this is a first edition, the editing was atrocious.

Pretty colorful photos and good CD rom for extra effect
Overall, the book was well-written. I really enjoyed the color photos and the review questions at the end of the chapters was pretty good.

Also included was a CD-rom with the answers to the problems, iActivities to help us digest the chapters we read, and chapter quizzes.

I really enjoyed the chapter quizzes because they helped me focus on areas I was fuzzy about. However, I did not like the quizzes very much either, because there were wrong answers. Most of the time, I figured the answer it said was "correct" was wrong and vice versa, so if the problems with the CD can be cleared, this can be a great book. ... Read more

Book Description

The long-awaited new edition of James D. Watson's classic text, Molecular Biology of the Gene, has been thoroughly revised and is published to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Watson and Crick's paper on the structure of the DNA double-helix. Twenty-one concise chapters, co-authored by five highly respected molecular biologists, provide current, authoritative coverage of a fast-changing discipline, giving both historical and basic chemical context. Divided into four parts: Genetics and Chemistry, Central Dogma, Regulation, and Methods.For college instructors, students, and anyone interested in molecular biology and genetics. ... Read more

Book Description

The unique feature of this book's first edition was the presentation of a unified approach to the molecular biology of prokaryotes and eukaryotes. The success of this approach, and its continuation, is the result of a long string of discoveries showing similarities in solutions to biological problems that often extend across many or even all species.A six-part organization covers genes, proteins, gene expression, DNA, the nucleus, and cells.For individuals in the science community interested in genetics. ... Read more

Book Description

Following the completion of the Human Genome Project the content and organization of the third edition of Human Molecular Genetics (HMG) has been thoroughly revised.

PART ONE (CHAPTERS 1-7) covers basic material on DNA structure and function, chromosomes, cells and development, pedigree analysis and the basic techniques used in the laboratory.

PART TWO (CHAPTERS 8-12) discusses the various genome sequencing projects and the insights they provide into the organization, expression, variation and evolution of our genome.

PART THREE (CHAPTERS 13-18) focuses on mapping, identifying and diagnosing the genetic causes of mendelian and complex diseases and cancer.

PART FOUR (CHAPTERS (19-21) looks at the wider horizons of functional genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, animal models and therapy.

There are new chapters on cells and development and on functional genomics.The sections on complex diseases have been completely rewritten and reorganized, as has the chapter on Genome Projects. Other changes include a new section on molecular phylogenetics (Chapter 12) and the introduction of ‘Ethics Boxes’ to discuss some of the implications of the new knowledge. Virtually every page has been revised and updated to take account of the stunning developments of the past four years since the publication of the last edition of Human Molecular Genetics. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The book to read for an in-depth background
This book is a very complete overview of molecular biology as applied to human genetics. As someone interested in bioinformatics and computational biology, I read it to get a background in the biology/genetics behind these fields. That being said, I was glad I made the choice of this book as the authors do a fine job of explaining the relevant concepts and biological processes in genetics. In the light of the recent draft of the human genome, this edition of the book is especially timely. That being said, there is a lot of material covered, and to digest all of the terms and processes outlined takes a fair amount of time. The discussion on functional genomics and the post-genome sequencing era was particularly interesting. More could be said on gene sequencing validation as it applies to gene therapies and drug discovery. The most fascinating chapter was the one on genetic manipulation of animals as this is where genetic engineering has had its successful proving ground. Even though this is a science text, a discussion on the ethics of human genetic engineering would be appropriate, given some of the current attitudes about it. My opinion is that these technologies should move ahead with diligence; humankind cannot afford not to do so.

I would highly recommend this book to those who have the time to read through it, as it offers the necessary concepts needed to understand this fascinating area.

This is a good book in studying human genetics
This is a good book in studying genetics referring human molecular genetics. I can examine myself with it.Whwn you finish reading Molecular biology of the CELL, you can understand genetics. So, this book and the book,Human Molecular genetics, are very helpful in studying genetics.

An excellent text! For undergrad and grad students.
Very comprehensive reading. It sure gives the reader a thorough explanation of the concept. Each chapter provides clear, yet detailed illustrations. Further explanations are given on several key concepts by including "highlights" for a particular topic. Although this book tackles more general knowledge on human genetics, it sure is highly recommended to students or professionals starting to learn Human Genetics.

Excellent for the working student!
Being a graduate student in human genetics I was looking long and hard for a comprehensive text on how and why experiment are done in the lab, and the scientific basis for these experiments. This book is the closest one I have seen that accomplishes all these goals. It is a little light on the theoretical side of genetics (e.g. Mendelian etc); however, there are many other texts out there that can substitute for this flaw, but only a few that do what this one does. I recommend this book for students who are familiar with genetics but need to understand the practical side to it.

a good book, but...
This book is enough simple. Chapters regarding the POSITIONAL CLONING, the HYBRIDIZATION, the IMPRINTING and the GENETICAL MAPPAGE are really clear and they represent a big aid for students in the comprehension of these procedures which could be very difficult. But... chapters about GENETICAL DISEAES are too much treated than chapters regarding FORMAL GENETICS, moreover FISICAL MAPPAGE chapter is too detailled in pratical explanation, while the real mappege's concept is not focalized.To conclude a good book, but ... cheers ALESSIO & FEDERICO ... Read more

Book Description

Genetics: Analysis and Principles is a one-semester, introductory genetics textbook that takes an experimental approach to understanding genetics.By weaving one or two experiments into the narrative of each chapter, students can simultaneously explore the scientific method and understand the genetic principles that have been learned from these experiments. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Excellent text for self-directed learning
I used this textbook in a distance learning course and have found it to be invaluable to my learnng experience.

For anyone who has taken Genetics, you'll account for the fact that it is not an easy course. Taking it without a professor present is even more challenging. Luckily this text is well written and easy to follow. The author uses a mix of theory and experiment examples to drive important concepts home. The language is not dry like in many Biology texts. Instead, it is easy to read, almost to the point of being enjoyable.

There are a few things I really liked:
1. The illustrations in this book are paramount to learning difficult concepts. When explaining experimental procedures, the text is accompanied by step-by-step instuctions and illustrations as to how the experiment was carried out. This proved helpful in visualizing the procedure.
2. Each chapter is well organized and easy to understand. The author speaks in easy to understand terms (that is if you have had previous Biology courses.) His writing style is dynamic and never boring.
3. Difficult concepts are often explained more than once. Sometimes the book gets a little ahead of itself, but page numbers and chapters are always given so you can read about things you don't understand.
4. The end of each chapter provides the reader with provocative critical thinking questions that solidify important points from the chapter. Best of all, even numbered answers are given in the back so you can check yourself without hunting through the book.

Overall I'd give this book an A and it will remain in my collection of Biology texts.

The Best Undergraduate Textbook I've Seen for Genetics
I've just completed my first semester teaching Genetics at a small liberal arts college in Indiana. Because I was jumping into the position I was stuck using the text previously designed for the class. Almost a third of the book was classical genetics, which I enjoy, but was certainly overplayed. Molecular Biology areas were a jumble of terms to learn and lists to inscribe into their brains. The problems in the book did not reflect the material in the text, leaving the class pretty much upset with the book. By midterm it was time to find another sources for the class.

I found myself reaching for other texts, and "Genetics, Analysis and Principles" turned out to be the jewel. It is well balanced, very clearly written, and does not spend its time making students read long memory lists of genes or proteins that the class is going to forget less than two weeks after the term. I think this is largely reflected by the way he wrote the book; with input from students.

Reading the intro I was afraid that this text was going to be way over into the experimental design/ data side which I've seen in other texts mean "no content". Not so this text; experimental design has been written into the book to describe genetics and content, not replace it. I think what is truely unique about this book is the use of scientific process as a way to teach concepts. I wish I had more books like this one for other courses. I hope Dr. Brooker's format for Biology (and yes other science courses) is adopted for other courses.

If you are considering a text for your Genetics classes, I think you will be very pleased with this book. ... Read more

Book Description

The genome's been mapped. But what does it mean?

Arguably the most significant scientific discoveru of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will affect the rest of your life.

Genome offers extraordinary insight into the ramifications of this incredible breakthrough. By picking one newly discovered gene from each pair of chromosomes and telling its story, Matt Ridley recounts the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to the brink of future medicine. From Huntington's disease to cancer, from the applications of gene therapy to the horrors of eugenics, Matt Ridley probes the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues arising as a result of the mapping of the genome. It will help you understand what this scientific milestone means for you, for your children, and for humankind.

Reviews (142)

Irresistible Reading to Understand What Your Genes Mean
The field of genetics is doubling knowledge every few weeks. So Matt
Ridley had set himself an impossible task in writing one of the last
books before the completion of the Human Genome project. Yet, he has
created a book of unique value to all of us as the full impact of
genetic knowledge begins to take over our world.

Forget 99 percent
of what you have ever heard about genes. The school wasted your time
with obsolete knowledge that wasn't in the ball park, in most
cases.

What Ridley has done is given us a roadmap of the kind of
territory and effects that occur within our genes, and among our
minds, bodies, and genes. The interrelationships are extremely
complex and diverse. Beware any simple judgments about what genetics
mean, as a result.

What was most impressive to me was the remarkable
potential to use genetic information to shed light on all kinds of
issues. For example, the genetic record can give insights into the
development of species, past expansion of nomadic peoples, language,
personality, stress, memory, sex, instinct and the effect of the
environment.

To give us each a full panoply of ideas about
genetics, he adopted the interesting structure of having one chapter
about each chromosome. The chapter is not exhaustive, but picks on
one or a few aspects of what is known or is in the process of becoming
known.

Fear not! I never took biology, and know little biological
jargon. Yet the book portrayed the ideas and information simply and
clearly enough that I don't think I got lost anywhere.

The only part
of the book that I did not like was a completely unsatisfactory
discussion of what free will is in the last chapter. Skip that and
you'll enjoy the book a lot more.

How accurate is the book? In five
chapters, I had read source books or articles referred to by Ridley,
and each was well chosen for what he was trying to do and scrupulously
described. Of course, we are still up against the fact that we know
very little on this whole subject.

This is the most stimulating
science book that I have read in a long time. I even liked in better
than The Selfish Gene, which I thought was a terrific book (which is
also referred to and discussed in this book).

I found that the
book stimulated a lot of new thinking on my part. Fifteen minutes
with the book led to four hours of conjecture on several occasions. I
liked that feature of the book.

Have a great time reading this book
and thinking about its implications for your own life!

Clear, clever writing. Very sensible approach.
A review from the author of DREAMING YOUR REAL SELF: A PERSONAL APPROACH TO DREAM INTERPRETATION; and DREAM BACK YOUR LIFE: Transforming Dream Messages into Life Action--A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO DREAMS, DAYDREAMS, AND FANTASIES.

When Carl Sagan passed away, I wished other scientists would step in to bring science to the public in an engaging, readable way and with Sagan's enthusiasm and hope. Matt Ridley's GENOME is a great read, taking an optimistic view of genetic research and its benefits to us all. While we worry about cloning and interfering with DNA, Ridley tells us what such research can mean to help us lead healthier lives while working within the limitations of the genes we have. I especially enjoyed his explanation that we have choices and are not determined solely by our genes. By knowing whatever genetic shortcomings we have, we are able to alter our diets, exercise, and education to compensate for them. I've read Ridley's other books as well-THE RED QUEEN and THE ORIGINS OF VIRTUE-and was intrigued by these evolutionary concepts and what they mean in our everyday lives. This is LIFE science indeed! Thank you.

fun to read
this was a great book to read because it is a compilation of vignettes. it's easy to read one or two in a sitting and then let it rest for a day, a week or a month. i wouldn't say that this book was a favorite of mine, but i'm glad i read it.

Very educational
I'm currently a 9th grade student and find the DNA, RNA, etc. reviews extremely fascinating. I picked up this book and found it a wonderful read. You should try it if you would like to learn many news things in the molecular biology world.

Good, but has some non-fact facts. Flawed.
I got this thinking I'd get a nice airplane read out of it, maybe learn something. I've got a bioscience background.

It's quite varied. I wish he had left out his entire discussion of human history for instance. The stuff about meat, metabolism and the brain in evolution, for instance, is rather ridiculous really, because there are so many millions of people who live their entire lives without meat. The factual arguments he gave for it are simply not true.

Made me wonder what else he got wrong, and although parts are quite interesting, I found myself losing interest because I saw stuff that was misleading or untrue. ... Read more

Book Description

By identifying the structure of DNA, the molecule of life, Francis Crick and James Watson revolutionized biochemistry and won themselves a Nobel Prize. At the time, Watson was only twenty-four, a young scientist hungry to make his mark. His uncompromisingly honest account of the heady days of their thrilling sprint against other world-class researchers to solve one of science's greatest mysteries gives a dazzlingly clear picture of a world of brilliant scientists with great gifts, very human ambitions, and bitter rivalries. With humility unspoiled by false modesty, Watson relates his and Crick's desperate efforts to beat Linus Pauling to the Holy Grail of life sciences, the identification of the basic building block of life. Never has a scientist been so truthful in capturing in words the flavor of his work. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Double Helix....Stairway to Genetics
I found the book to be the complete antithesis to the expected writings hidden behind the scientific cover. Watson and his clan's quest for the helixical structure of DNA made for an entertaining voyage within these pages. Unexpectedly, as many scientific based books that I have been privy to read lately, this book was very approachable, dare I say readable. The exploits recounted by Watson were very entertaining; they could even be considered witty and humorous although it was biosciences humor. The teamwork and competition aspects of the discovery of the double helix were unexpected but welcomed because I felt that they were the driving forces behind the people. I was impressed by Watson, Crick and Franklin all bringing something to the proverbial table even though I found it a tad bit lucky or coincidental, but that is how these things work sometimes. This, accompanied with the race against Linus Pauling (already a recognized scientist of the time) helped lend to an educational, insightful and entertaining few hours of reading about the basic structure of all of us. I felt like I took a little something with me when I was finished with this work.......and I do mean literally.

REVIEW FOR PROFESSOR STEINER.
The Double Helix, by James D. Watson is a great book. I have learned a lot by reading this book. It is a simple book that contains lots of humor. I have discovered that Watson is a smart, but at the same time funny, while competing with an admired scientist, Linus Pauling. Watson makes the book fun to read because he conveys his process vividly and shows how important DNA is to the world. All of this started in a dumpy, worn down chemical lab at Cambridge University called "The Cavendish." Watson was interested in investigating the structure of DNA to gain more insight into genetics. James Watson shows that his discovery was also part of Francis Crick, his partner that helped him. However, Crick was sometimes not very helpful because he wondered off. Watson had to get use to the structure of Cambridge where they had meals and everyone sat together on a special table on an elevated platform and were expected to engage in an enlightened conversation. I also like the part where Watson is honest by showing his ignorance on X-ray crystallographic techniques. I also enjoy the sarcasm in chapter 15 where they say, "After Pauling's success, no one could claim that faith in helices implied anything but an uncomplicated brain." Also the information from page 83 describes that ratio of bases of DNA: where A-T and C-G, which is what I have learned in class. Therefore, I believe that The Double Helix is a great book worth reading because it does not contain much technical terms and is also a short book that will show important the discovery of DNA was and still is to the world.

Important Discover...but not the most invigorating book
Ok. I'm giving this book a 4 because of the importance of the discover of the structure of DNA. In terms of actual reading material, however, I'd probably give it a 2 or 3. I do believe that James Watson is a great scientist, but he is not writer. His writing style is only adequete and far from interesting and he really doesn't do a great job of putting interest into the subject matter. Someone who does not have at least a little background in the general concepts or biology/organic chemistry/physics will probably not get much out of this book.

Now on to the science side of the book. Watson describes the various events that took place while he, Franscis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, and Rosalind Franklin worked on discovering the structure of DNA. Again, Watson does not really put much vigor into these events but does describe them realistically (science can't always do interesting). He focuses on his relationship with Crick, battles with Franklin, and competetion with Linus Pauling--the Nobel prize winning chemist who ironically get the structure of DNA wrong. Through his writing, Watson at times reveals his pompousness and his ignorance of certain scientific concepts, but overall shows his devout eagerness of discovery.

I would say that this is an important book to read if you are at all interested in science. However, it is probably too boring for just a fun read.

Not a Science Nerd
Science and I have never been on a level playing field. We go together like jalapenos and cheesecake. When the opportunity arose to do extra credit for my biology class, I was ecstatic. That is until I found out exactly what the assignment was. I had to read a book, a scientific one of course, from a list compiled by my instructor, write a review, and post it on here on Amazon. If I wasn't so desperate for the extra points I would have torn that book list into a million pieces, but describing my need for an A as desperate would be an understatement. Naturally, I chose the book with the least amount of pages, James Watson's Double Helix. The title alone made me drowsy. I was in for a big surprise, though. I actually enjoyed the book and even learned a little bit in the process. The story was extremely well told and I found myself eagerly awaiting the answer to Mr. Watson's burning question, "What does DNA look like?"
James Watson was en exceptionally intelligent man, as was clearly demonstrated in his book by his eloquent writing style, extensive vocabulary, and impressive syntax. He was, however, not an intimidating scientist, which allowed me to relate to his story with ease. Watson was full of ideas, a quick study, and very receptive to the work of his superiors, but at the time of his brilliant discovery, he was merely a student, fighting to get funded for his research. He had studied biology, chemistry, and physics, but was not particularly fond of any of them. Unfortunately, Mr. Watson was at a disadvantage because all three disciplines were the building blocks for understanding the composition and structure of DNA.
Although James Watson was funded to research viruses while away in England, his immediate fascination with DNA quickly derailed his educational focus, and with several incorrect theories about DNA already spread, he was unquestionably discouraged from his desired area of study. The entire book boasted his bliss and reverence, having met and worked with some of the worlds most famous and respected scientists. Watson was clever enough to draw knowledge from each of them which assisted him throughout the stages of the project.
The best part about reading the book was that while I was devouring my literature, my Biology professor was covering DNA and genetics in class. I felt like the smartest kid in the world because I truly understood all the material he was discussing, thanks to Mr. Watson. The novel included supportive illustrations which assisted me in following some of the more difficult language, such as nitrogenous bases, and phosphate groups. I was astounded to know that I had a firm grasp of a minute portion of the scientific world.
I thought the book was great primarily because I could understand it. While it may sound facetious, it's absolutely true. Unless you love science, the terminology involved sounds completely foreign. I was utterly terrified just thinking about how I was going to attempt to comprehend my newfound author. My fright was quickly put to ease as I turned each page. Initially I was dreading reading a few pages per night, and soon found myself reading five chapters a night and finished the book, in its entirety, within just a few days. I would undeniably recommend this book to anyone like me who feels inferior when it comes to the sciences. It is a superb account of a scientific breakthrough intertwined with a story of friendship, inspiration, competition, and triumph.

Shame on you, "Doctor" Watson
Shame on Watson for "taking" data from Rosalind Franklin and not even acknowledging it. My wife and I watched the Nova program "Secret of Photo 51" and was outraged. This book is a how Watson would like the world to believe how HE discovers the structure of DNA. Stanford refused to publish this book. Watson's ethics is questionable.

If you read this, make sure you read the books about Rosalind Franklin also in order to get the truth. ... Read more

Book Description

High-quality illustrations with stepped-out art to help readers visualize complex processes.
* Human genetics and the role of the geneticist highlighted throughout.
* Two new features in each chapter: introductory "Key Questions" and closing "Basic Exercises." ... Read more

Reviews (8)

The best introductory text broadly covering the field
I would rate this as one of the best (if not the best) introductory texts in genetics. Comparing this to various other material that I've come across, Snustad and Simmons definitely exhibit superior aptitude in educational skills in this work. They have a firm grasp of what their target readers can understand and know how build up the readers' progressive comprehension while keeping the interest level high. This is the true mark of a well-constructed textbook. We all know how boring some texts can be, but I found myself always itching to read on and even go backward to review some of the concepts. The authors' use of simple language (unlike some other "introductory" texts) makes reading somewhat "light and fun" in contrast to some others who seem to not be as adept in communicating to "pre-PhD" students.

Another characteristic that makes this work stand out is it's sheer beauty. The illustrations, photographs, charts, and even the layout are absolutely gorgeous! Hey, I'm not one who judges a book by the cover, but even the cover is beautiful! The artwork is well thought out and easy to understand. Many parts of the text can be reviewed plainly by looking at the pictorial descriptions without necessitating too much re-reading of the sections.

The authors also include well-placed "sidelights" throughout the book to help the reader get a "real-life" connection to subject. And the sidelights are mostly about what we care about most...ourselves. Thus, in addition to constant reference to medical applications here and there, the sidelights help the reader appreciate what genetics is all about.

Another important aspect of this text is that it is up to date. The authors have taken into consideration the exponential advances in the field and documented it here. That is just one more plus to this already fantastic piece of work!

i want to review this book again
i have read this book once but i am very keen to read again this book so i want to read this book and for that i want to see the review of this book.

good introductory genetics textbook
It is a good written book. It explains things very well in general. It is not as complicated as other genetic textbooks

A very up-to-date genetics text
If you are looking for a book that describes classical genetics in great details, this book is not for you. To me, the main effort of the authors is to focus on the modern idea of how geneticists think and work. The organization of the text is nicely arranged so that readers can understand the concepts in one chapter that lead to the more advanced one in the next chapter. The materials presented are not too "introductory", and it is not too difficult for a typical undergraduate student to understand either. Also, It can properly serve as a good reference for a graduate student, like myself, when a time of need in some genetic concepts!

Good introduction to modern genetics
As the authors indicate, this book is meant to be an introduction to genetics. It should, therefore, be judged as such. My academic background is physics, not biology, and I can testify that this book presents a comprehensive overview of basic principles, historic info about classical experiments and important persons, and intros to modern topics. The pictures in the book illustrate the various processes and schemes quite well. In short, the book provides what it is meant to provide. More detail would blow up the size of the book, only to discourage readers new to genetics. ... Read more

Book Description

The clear, readable, concise, highly polished and refined writing is a traditional strength of HUMAN HEREDITY: PRINCIPLES AND ISSUES. Complex topics and important concepts are presented with great clarity and precise logic, without oversimplifying the topic. In this beautifully illustrated and thoroughly revised new edition, Michael Cummings guides students toward understanding the hows and whys of genetic topics and new discoveries. Using an accessible writing style to explain complex concepts, Cummings includes the right balance of detail at the right level for nonscience students. In addition, he helps student see the social, cultural, and ethical implications associated with the use of genetic technology.In light of the recent developments in these fields (completion of the human genome), Cummings has incorporated such newly acquired "knowledge" and the resulting modern methods and& technology not only in Chapter 13, but also throughout the book, wherever applicable, as a kind of "thematic update." (Before, genetics was research/experiment-driven. Now, it has become data-driven, hence the term "data mining."This edition will also feature a significantly stronger Web integration, mostly built around providing students with the appropriate tools to master the thinking skills needed to learn human genetics. The earlier chapters will feature a web-based "toolbox" which will walk students through the process of understanding, analyzing, and working out problems, and which will in turn enable them to understand the various difficult genetics concepts in the later chapters. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Great book on genetics
This book effectively conveys interesting, detailed material without confusing the reader. It is not the typical staugy textbook that we college students are so use to as this book made me want to read it, it was so enjoyable. I recommend it to all college students or anyone interested in genetics that would like to understand our genetic principles.

An accurate and concice look into Human Genetics.
This is a wonderful book for a college level exploration of Human Genetics. The chapters introduce every topic well, and in such a way that science majors will remain interested while non science majors aren't left behind. It is a great book to begin to explore the wonders of Human Genetics. ... Read more

Book Description

Probablistic models are becoming increasingly important in analyzing the huge amount of data being produced by large-scale DNA-sequencing efforts such as the Human Genome Project.For example, hidden Markov models are used for analyzing biological sequences, linguistic-grammar-based probabilistic models for identifying RNA secondary structure, and probabilistic evolutionary models for inferring phylogenies of sequences from different organisms. This book gives a unified, up-to-date and self-contained account, with a Bayesian slant, of such methods, and more generally to probabilistic methods of sequence analysis. Written by an interdisciplinary team of authors, it is accessible to molecular biologists, computer scientists, and mathematicians with no formal knowledge of the other fields, and at the same time presents the state of the art in this new and important field. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Excellent overview of probabilistic computational biology
This book is a very well written overview to hidden Markov models and context-free grammar methods in computational biology. The authors have written a book that is useful to both biologists and mathematicians. Biologists with a background in probability theory equivalent to a senior-level course should be able to follow along without any trouble. The approach the author's take in the book is very intuitive and they motivate the concepts with elementary examples before moving on to the more abstract definitions. Exercises also abound in the book, and they are straightforward enough to work out, and should be if one desires an in-depth understanding of the main text. In addition, there is a software package called HMMER, developed by one of the authors (Eddy) that is in the public domain and can be downloaded from the Internet. The package specifically uses hidden Markov models to perform sequence analysis using the methods outlined in the book.

Probabilistic modeling has been applied to many different areas, including speech recognition, network performance analysis, and computational radiology. An overview of probabilistic modeling is given in the first chapter, and the authors effectively introduce the concepts without heavy abstract formalism, which for completeness they delegate to the last chapter of the book. Bayesian parameter estimation is introduced as well as maximum likelihood estimation. The authors take a pragmatic attitude in the utility of these different approaches, with both being developed in the book.

This is followed by a treatment of pairwise alignment in Chapter Two, which begins with substitution matrices. They point out, via some exercises, the role of physics in influencing particular alignments (hydrophobicity for example). Global alignment via the Gotoh algorithm and local alignment via the Smith-Waterman algorithm, are both discussed very effectively. Finite state machines with accompanying diagrams are used to discuss dynamic programming approaches to sequence alignment. The BLAST and FASTA packages are briefly discussed, along with the PAM and BLOSUM matrices.

Hidden Markov models are treated thoroughly in the next chapter with the Viterbi and Baum-Welch algorithms playing the central role. HIdden Markov models are then used in Chapter 4 for pairwise alignment. State diagrams are again used very effectively to illustrate the relevant ideas. Profile hidden Markov models which, according to the authors are the most popular application of hidden Markov models, are treated in detail in the next chapter. A very surprising application of Voronoi diagrams from computational geometry to weighting training sequences is given.

Several different approaches, such as Barton-Sternberg, CLUSTALW, Feng-Doolittle, MSA, simulated annealing, and Gibbs sampling are applied to multiple sequence alignment methods in Chapter 6. It is very well written, with the only disappointment being that only one exercise is given in the entire chapter. Phylogenetic trees are covered in Chapter 7, with emphasis placed on tree building algorithms using parsimony. The next chapter discusses the same topic from a probabilistic perspective. This to me was the most interesting part of the book as it connects the sequence alignment algorithms with evolutionary models.

The authors switch gears starting with the next chapter on transformational grammars. It is intriguing to see how concepts used in compiler construction can be generalized to the probabilistic case and then applied to computational biology. The PROSITE database is given as an example of the application of regular grammars to sequence matching. This chapter is fascinating reading, and there are some straightforward exercises illustrating the main points.

The last chapter covers RNA structure analysis, which introduces the concept of a pseudoknot. These are not to be confused with the usual knot constructions that can be applied to the topology of DNA, but instead result from the existence of non-nested base pairs in RNA sequences. The authors discuss many other techniques used in RNA sequence analysis and take care to point out which ones are more practical from a computational point of view. Surprisingly, genetic algorithms and algorithms based on Monte Carlo sampling are not discussed in the book, but the authors do give references for the interested reader.

The best attribute of this book is that the authors take a pragmatic point of view of how mathematics can be applied to problems in computational biology. They are not dogmatic about any particular approach, but instead fit the algorithm to the problem at hand.

Brief and clear
I keep coming back to this book for its readable, applicable summaries of basic algorithms.

One chapter covers the basics of dynamic programming for string matching: a staple of bioinformatics computing. The authors come back to it a number of times as they introduce new variations on the string-matching theme. They give about the clearest description of the Needleman-Wunsch and basic variants (including Smith-Waterman) of any book I know.

The bulk of the book is devoted to Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), as one might have guessed in a book with Eddy as co-author. It covers the basics of model construction, motif finding, and various uses for decoding. Again, it covers all the basics so clearly you'll want to start coding as soon as you read it.

The later sections of the book cover phylogeny and tree building, along with the relationships to multiple alignment. Good, solid, clear writing prepares the reader for texts that may be more specialized, but possibly less transparent.

The next-to-last chapter, on RNA folding, is weaker than the ones before, in my opinion. It ties to the other chapters reasonably well in terms of algorithms, but I don't think it does justice to the thermodynamic models of RNA folding. If there is any weakness in this chapter, though, it does not detract from the strengths elsewhere.

The final chapter, the "background on probability", is the one that I think needs the most support. If you don't already understand its topics, I doubt that this will help very much. (If you do understand them, you won 't need the help.) There's nothing inherently tricky about probability, but individual distributions carry many assumptions, and I did not see those spelled out well.

This shouldn't be the only book in your bioinformatics library. If you really want algorithms, though, it's a good book to have in the collection and one you'll keep coming back to.

Good bargain, but...
not suffciently precise for being an academic textbook. The definitions are sometimes incomplete, correctness proofs are missing, some exercises are incorrect. On the positive side, it does cover important topics, and brings good examples to illustrate main concepts and algorithms (which partially compemsates for the lack of precisenss).

Simply Excellent!
This book explained topics I was interested in above my personal expectations. All the mathematics and probabilistic models were explained in detail with a practical approach. I was even able to refine some of those models for specific needs without much previous experience nor knowledge. I highly recommend this book, it is one of the best I ever read.

Don't let the title mislead you.
Don't let the title fool you. This book is a great if you'd like to understand the algorithms used in any type of sequence analysis, for example speech recognition, speech synthesis, and natural language understanding.

I used this book for a bioinformatics class. The instructor's notes were basically a rehash of the textbook. This didn't bother me as there really is no way to improve on what's already in the text. Explanations of the different ways to use HMMs made it easy to write the genefinder we did for our final programming project.

I've also written natural language processing software (for text and speech) and I've found this book to be a great reference for probabilistic language modeling algorithms. The material is similar to that found in Jurafsky and Martin, or Manning and Schutz, but the presentation in DEKM provides more insight into how the algorithms work. This should come as no surprise, as the human genome project is perhaps the most successful artificial intelligence project ever undertaken and the authors were instrumental in creating the software used by the HGP.

The book by Gusfield is also great for sequence analysis, but there the emphasis is on deterministic modeling, which has it's place if one can't make a probabilistic sequence model.

Mining databases of text, image, and sound sequences is becoming more important as more data is available on the web. Books like DEKM are valuable algorithm resources for extracting knowledge all sorts of sequence data. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Not all good...
I agree with some of the comments of the other reviewers: the book seems comprehensive and is very attractively laid out. However I am attempting to read the book on my own, not as the textbook to a course, and I am finding that it is quite badly organized. For instance, the first chapter rushes through a whole lot of stuff which is presumably covered in more detail later in the book, but they don't really tell you that, nor do they simplify it as they should if it's just an overview. In later chapters, several terms are used without being defined, and often it's impossible to tell what's going on in the figures from the captions and the text. I can imagine the book being good if you're taking a genetics course, but if you're just trying to read it and teach yourself, be prepared to be often confused...

Excellent genetics textbook and reference
I've used this book quite extensively in my introductory Genetics class, and I'm sure I'll be using it often as a reference in the future. It is superbly written, with clear explanations of the material.

There are many, many diagrams and photographs which help to solidify understanding, and they are all in full color. It is organized very well, although this organization has changed from edition to edition and any teacher or student using it in their courses should be aware that chapters and problems in this newer version do not always coincide with those in previous editions. The questions are excellent as well, although purchasing the solutions manual is a wise idea (it is also very well done, with long, detailed explanations of the answers to the problems).

Overall, of the 3 or 4 genetics textbooks I've looked at, this is by far the best one. In fact, it's one of the best textbooks I've ever used for any class. This one's a keeper.

Superb
I work in a Mammalian Genetics lab, I have referenced this book numerous times and I have only had it a little over a month. It is those little things we forget, but now that information is at my fingertips. Excellent, would recommend it to anyone in the field.

Great Textbook of genetics
I used this Genetics textbook of Griffiths et.al when I was an undergraduate student at University of Michigan. The best part that I got from this book was its excellent problem sets given at the end of each chapter. Having taken several courses of Genetics, I believe that the best way to master this class is to practice as many problems as we can. This book is therefore a good start of a long road. Another strong part of this text is its clear and beautiful pictures. The authors may not use many words to explain the concepts but the pictures they show is spectacular. The organization is up-dated to balance between classical and molecular genetics. This book might be a bit expensive. yet it is worth having it if you plan to work in this field.

I don't know HOW they keep DOING it!
I have kept up with all of the editions of 'An Introduction to Genetic Analysis' since the first (a thin, red textbook that covered the bare basics of gene mutations and chromosome mechanics), and found every single one of them to be absolutely outstanding! I would recommend this as an introductory genetics textbook for every university that teaches basic genetics. There is enough material in this book to allow individual instructors to pick and choose which chapters and which subjects they would like to cover, without having to sacrafice anything. If you buy this book you have it all. It has chapters on basic genetics, chromosome mechanics, human genetic diseases, population genetics, genetic engineering, forensics, molecular biology, and biotechnology. No subject is neglected. It is well written, highly lucid, and VERY pleasing to the eye (with beautiful photographs and illustrations). Every chapter includes a problem solving section with solved problems. Therefore the instructor has the option of teaching either a conceptual course or a more problem oriented course. Problems range in difficulty from the trivial to the impossible. (Well, at least to the 'full pot of coffee and a bottle of asparin' level of difficulty.) These problems also represent a valuable resource from which examiners could potentially derive exam questions.) One can't say too many good things about these books. If the more recent editions are not available, but you have access to the earlier editions, I would still recommend using them. The basic material is so well dealt with that the older editions are still useful. Greg Doheny (Vancouver B.C.) ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Outdated, but good introduction
It helped me as a lay person to get some insight into genetics and genetic technology. I knew nothing about it before that book and was quite surprised how far they already are. It shows genetic principles and many methods to operate on genes to learn more or to make them do what we want. But remember: It's totally outdated. Missing are a presentation how far genetic engeneering did already change the world. It's not just a few plants in a test lab, but tens of thousands of changed plants and microbes. DNA research is no more isolated from it's application. Whatever they discover is soon built into nature.

A good book for students
This book shows the basic concepts in the DNA study. It's good to have as a reference book.

Now hopelessly outdated
Still a decent, but hardly exceptional, introduction to Recombinant DNA. The writing is often hazy, especially if you are not familiar with DNA-speak. I find it a frustrating and unsatisfying read and scientific experience.

Update in 2003: they want $100 for this?!?

GMZ, PhD

Lacking the sauce....
For those who are just entering the world of genetics, this would be a good overview to basic principles and an easy read. For those who are in search of a guidebook to identify details about genetic recombination procedures, you are wasting your money. The text goes into no in-depth analysis of PCR techniques to Human Genetic experiments. Very disappointed, yet what would you expect from a non-traditional scientists such as James Watson.

Mediocre attempt for a difficult subject.
This book leaves readers with tons of questions. In some instances, information vital to understanding of the material is left out. The diagrams, however, are very helpful. Authors use confusing lingo which make a visual picture very unclear. Overall, the book lacks the technicality required for a good textbook. In-depth knowledge of the topics presented in this text requires the use of other resources. ... Read more

Book Description

Transgenic and knockout mutations provide an important means for understanding gene function, as well as for developing therapies for genetic diseases. This engaging and informative book discusses the many advances in the field of transgenic technology that have enabled researchers to bring about various changes in the mouse genome. Equal emphasis is given to both the principles of transgenic and knockout methods and their applications. A clear and concise format provides researchers with a comprehensive review of the behavioral paradigms appropriate for analyzing mouse phenotypes.

What's Wrong with My Mouse? explains the differences between transgenic knockout mice and their wild-type controls, while providing critical information about gene function and expression. This volume recognizes that newly identified genes can provide useful insights into brain functioning, including brain malfunctioning in disease states. Written by a world-renowned expert in the field, the material also covers:
* How to generate a transgenic or knockout mouse
* functions (open field, holeboard, rotarod, balance, grip, circadian activity, etc.)
* Sensory abilities (olfaction, vision, hearing, taste, touch, nociception)
* Reproductive behavior, social behavior, and emotional behavior

Researchers in neuroscience, pharmacology, genetics, developmental biology, and cell biology will all find this book essential reading. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Valuable Book
"...this valuable book is currently the most complete overview of behavioral procedures available...it is a must have and a must read book..." (Genes, Brain, and Behavior, 2002)

Essential Book
"I would recommend that every behavioral scientist has at least two copies, one for their own use and one that will be on permanent loan to their students, post-doctoral students and colleagues in molecular biology." -- TRENDS in Pharmacological Sciences (Gerard R. Dawson, Merck Sharp & Dohme Research Laboratories)

Expert Review
"[T]his volume succeeds as a useful introduction to the realm of behavioral phenotyping for those interested in creating or using the large and increasing number of promising targeted mutant mice." -- TRENDS in Neurosciences (John K. Belknap, Oregon Health Sciences University)

Review
It is a much prized addition... and fulfills a heretofore unmet need for a comprehensive sourcebook of mutant mouse literature and procedures. In addition to its reference utility, Dr. Crawley's text can exert a valuable influence on the future of transgenic and knockout mouse research by standardizing behavioral phenotyping methods according to the present state-of-the-art. --Stephen C. Heinrichs, Ph.D., Boston College

an excellent resource
Very timely given the increasingly recognized importance of providing behavioral phenotypes of mutant mice. I would recommend the book with enthusiasm. --Eric Nestler, Yale University School of Medicine ... Read more

Book Description

Richard Dawkins' brilliant reformulation of the theory of natural selection has the rare distinction of having provoked as much excitement and interest outside the scientific community as within it.His theories have helped change the whole nature of the study of social biology, and have forced thousands of readers to rethink their beliefs about life.

In his internationally bestselling, now classic volume, The Selfish Gene, Dawkins explains how the selfish gene can also be a subtle gene. The world of the selfish gene revolves around savage competition, ruthless exploitation, and deceit, and yet, Dawkins argues, acts of apparent altruism do exist in nature.Bees, for example, will commit suicide when they sting to protect the hive, and birds will risk their lives to warn the flock of an approaching hawk.

This revised edition of Dawkins' fascinating book contains two new chapters.One, entitled "Nice Guys Finish First," demonstrates how cooperation can evolve even in a basically selfish world.The other new chapter, entitled "The Long Reach of the Gene," which reflects the arguments presented in Dawkins' The Extended Phenotype, clarifies the startling view that genes may reach outside the bodies in which they dwell and manipulate other individuals and even the world at large. Containing a wealth of remarkable new insights into the biological world, the second edition once again drives home the fact that truth is stranger than fiction. ... Read more

Reviews (147)

THE BEST POPULAR SCIENCE BOOK I HAVE EVER READ
The Selfish Gene is the best popular science book I have ever read, PERIOD. In it, Dawkins provides clear explanations of the mechanism of evolution, to the point that the reader can teach someone about evolution right after reading. It does not in any way patronize the reader, but instead delves deep into complex subjects, ranging from game theory to psychology, to explain evolution.

The main idea in the book is to change the perspective of evolution: it is genes that use bodies and organisms to reach their goals of reproduction. In my opinion, however, the most brilliant part of the book is the very beginning, in which Dawkins explains how it could come about that some chemicals (genes) actually would grow a "wish" to reproduce. The answe