An Introduction to Genetic Analysis. Third Edition

The authors of An Introduction to Genetic Analysis have turned a very good introductory textbook into an even better one. Beside undergoing a change in size and shape (300 pages shorter with a larger page size), the third edition presents a more balanced view of modern genetic analysis. The addition of a new co-author, Jeffrey H. Miller, provides an emphasis on the present-day explosion of molecular genetics. The text also contains over 100 new illustrations, in addition to improving on the old ones. The first part of this book treats the historical development of classical genetics. From the beginning, the authors stress the notion that genetics is the basis of life and they try to make the material as interesting as possible. For example, in the chapter "Mendelian Analysis," the authors discuss the historical context of Mendel's work. They also present relevant cases involving genetic analysis, such as in the breeding of hybrid rice strains and in the medical diagnosis of genetic disorders. As the title of the textbook states, this book is about genetic analysis, and the authors appropriately provide explanations and illustrations of the various tools of the geneticist. One of the merits of this book is the wealth of information that can be gained from its illustrations. The abundance and clarity of the illustrations make reading the book much easier for the student. For example, in the discussion of sickle-cell trait, the authors provide an electron micrograph of a red blood cell from a patient with sickle-cell anemia, a diagram of a gel electrophoretic apparatus, and a diagram of the resultant electrophoresis of hemoglobin from a normal individual, an individual with sickle-cell anemia, and an individual with sickle-cell trait. The second part of the book addresses molecular genetics. From chapters on such topics as "DNA Structure and Gene Mutation," the authors move to topics such as "Manipulation ofDNA" and "Mechanisms of Genetic Change." The book does a good job in handling the tremendous amount of material which molecular genetics encompasses. In addition, this new edition examines a great deal of the new and exciting research going on in the areas of homeoboxes, retroviruses, and transposons, to name just a few. The last two chapters deal with "Quantitative Genetics" and "Population Genetics." These chapters are very well organized, and they address such interesting issues as eugenics and its infeasibility. The second edition was a highly popular first-year genetics textbook, and the third edition should prove even more popular. The authors do a very good job of integrating the concepts of genetic analysis with research methodologies. In addition, it is evident that the authors care a great deal about helping students to learn genetics. There are many problems at the end of each chapter, and spread throughout the text are "messages" to the student about the main point of each section.