Life from an RNA World

platelet serotonin levels. Curiously, both groups of rats differ noticeably from their wild-type counterparts only when confronted with an environmental or pharmacological challenge. The book then goes on to describe the interaction between the serotonin system and other neurotransmitters, particularly dopamine, in models of drug reward. Primates, like humans, have complex social lives yet can be reared under controlled conditions and subjected to behavioral experiments. Simian primates possess a promoter polymorphism similar to humans and also show comparable behavioral traits. Chapters 10 and 11 are a fascinating discussion of the serotonin system in human and primate social behavior. The interaction between genes and the environment emerges as a central theme in neural development with alleles conferring differential sensitivity to adverse life experiences. Importantly, variation in SERT expression could predispose individuals to psychiatric disorders and, more generally, contribute to interindividual personality differences. This volume will be of greatest interest to specialists, both basic scientists and clinicians, but the relevance of the serotonin system to various aspects of human behavior may make it a useful reference for curious outsiders. In such complex fields where a great diversity of models and experimental methods are used, a collection of expert reviews should be of great value in making sense of the complicated and sometimes conflicting results.