Genetics: Analysis and Principles

Rating:
Summary: Excellent text for self-directed learning
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: The Best Undergraduate Textbook I've Seen for Genetics
Review: 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.