Principles of Genetics

by D. Peter Snustad, Michael J. Simmons

The cover shows many facets of genetics. Top row, The DNA double-helix, here imaged in a scanning tunneling micrograph, is central to all genetics research. Experimentation has shown that some social behaviors, such as nest cleaning by honeybees, is under genetic control. Second row, Inherited disorders such as albinism, manifested here in a bullfrog, have provided many insights about the genetic control of metabolism. Gregor Mendel's 19th-century work with pea plants elucidated the basic principles of inheritance. Third row, Efforts to combat HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, depend on knowing how the virus expresses its genes inside the cells of the immune system. The fruit fly is ideally suited for studies on the genetic control of embryonic development and organ formation. Fourth row, The identification of mutations that cause unregulated cell division facilitates the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of breast cancer. HeLa cells, derived in 1951 from Henrietta Lacks, a woman who died of cervical cancer, thrive in the laboratory and are used in research worldwide. Bottom The replication of chromosomes (left) is a prerequsite for cell division (right).

Genres: Science, Biology, Genetics, Nonfiction, Reference, Textbooks, Academics

896 pages, Hardcover

First published January 15, 1997

Reviews

[Mayuri · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent textbook. Major flaw is that it goes from too basic to too advanced in 0 seconds flat!

[Nu Jahat Jabin · Rating 5 out of 5]

আই লাভ দিস বুক।
এরচেয়ে সহজবোধ্য,সাবলীল জেনেটিক্স বা মলিকুলার বায়োলজির বই বোধ হয় আর নাই

[Kimberly Hallahan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first half (12 chapters) of the Sixth Edition. It could have been more clearly written. Overall, it contains the necessary information for a basic genetics course, and overall the organization and layout of the material are good. The pictures and diagrams are attractive and helpful. I think this book could work well for a student in a college classroom, with regular lectures and professorial explanation. I read this book as a homeschooling parent, with a Biology degree, having studied Genetics myself in the past, helping an 18-year-old student to learn Genetics. I hope there's a text out there better suited to the independent learner.

Sometimes a topic is presented as if the reader should be aware of it, then it is introduced in a later chapter. The Questions and Problems at the end of each chapter do help the student explore and understand the material. Occasionally in those Questions and Problems we'd run across an unfamiliar word. It became our joke early on that the glossary is useless, never defining any word that we looked up. Usually we could not find the word in the index, either, making us wonder where we had read the word, or whether we had at all. (Google and Wikipedia helped then.) Some concepts and words are repeated to the point of distraction, whereas others are introduced only vaguely and are hard to follow. Some concepts and words are used interchangeably, apparently at random, and I craved a greater structure to help me understand the interconnection of these concepts and words.

My biggest gripe is with Wiley Education, the company providing the online support materials for this book. They were most cryptic and unhelpful when my daughter and I were trying to access their online materials. We bought the text used, and I am not a teacher affiliated with an accredited institution. I imagine Wiley will be more amenable to a student purchasing this book because his/her college professor assigned it.

[Jafar Isbarov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Optimal book as introduction to genetics
The reason I choose this book, was its contents and now I see that I was not mistaken. Thus, book covers nearly every topic related to genetics-classical and molecular genetics, role of inheritance in regulation and behavior, cancer etc. In addition different parts of the book are connected and ordered really nicely.
I do not have much to say about explanations, because they even hardly vary among courses(especially in advanced ones). However, illustrations are really nice (and in fact, my second reason to choose the book).

[Lynn Wohlwend]

I have a rule on here that I don't add a book unless I read that book completely. And, baby, I read this whole thing from first to last for my genetics class. And got an A to boot. Might be my one lasting claim to greatness in life.

[Tom Menke · Rating 4 out of 5]

solid baseline

[Rafał Grochala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite definition-heavy. Comprehensive, touching almost all topics around genes - almost, because describes any use of bioinformatics as "done by computer".

[Marit · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think it's a very good introductory textbook. It offers a broad overview of all the basics one should know and does so in depth. I found it very easy to read and understand. I think it would be well-suited to complement a high-school level 'introduction to genetics' course.
I only wish I could've got my hands on a more recent edition. Alas, I had to make do with the 2nd. The new editions come with study guides and extra problem solving assignments + access to online tutorials.

[Lafcadio · Rating 2 out of 5]

Changes too fast... can't sell it back...

[Tiffany · Rating 1 out of 5]

this textbook is so bad, they don't even put the chapter number in the heading of each page. i hate this book and this class.

[Farah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the book! Worth the money although bought it from a senior.

[Meghana Rastogi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good and detailed explanation of topics :)