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An eminent geneticist, veteran author, OMMG Series Editor, and noted archivist, Peter Harper presents a lively account of how our ideas and knowledge about human genetics have developed over the past century from the perspective of someone inside the field with a deep interest in its historical aspects.Dr. Harper has researched the history of genetics and has had personal contact with a host of key figures whose memories and experiences extend back 50 years, and he has interviewed and recorded conversations with many of these important geneticists.Thus, rather than being a conventional history, this book transmits the essence of the ideas and the people involved and how they interacted in advancing- and sometimes retarding- the field.From the origins of human genetics; through the contributions of Darwin, Mendel, and other giants; the identification of the first human chromosome abnormalities; and up through the completion of the Human Genome project, this Short History is written in the author's characteristic clear and personal style, which appeals to geneticists and to all those interested in the story of human genetics. ... Read more

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This handbook offers guidance on selections of appropriate computational methods and software packages for specific genetic problems. Coverage strikes a balance between methodological expositions and practical guidelines for software selections. Wherever possible, comparisons among competing methods and software are made to highlight the relative advantages and disadvantage of the approaches.

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This book introduces the basic concepts and methods that are useful in the statistical analysis and modeling of the DNA-based marker and phenotypic data that arise in agriculture, forestry, experimental biology, and other fields. It concentrates on the linkage analysis of markers, map construction and quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping, and assumes a background in regression analysis and maximum likelihood approaches. The strength of this book lies in the construction of general models and algorithms for linkage analysis, as well as in QTL mapping in any kind of crossed pedigrees initiated with inbred lines of crops.

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Genetic Health Services Victoria and Murdoch Children's Institute, Melbourne, Australia. Discusses genetic counseling and how to help concerned parents make informed decisions. Covers the basics of genetics, parents with chromosomal abnormality, and prenatal diagnosis. Previous edition: c1996. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Chromosomal Abnormalities and Genetic Counseling
A good book, I reviewed it in the context of a pathology resident.I used it in conjunction with the Cytogenetics chapter in Henry's.

Some parts were fairly difficult to grasp, such as the numerous literature references with in vitro fertilization studies.The book is pretty well written, even if you only have a basic understanding of cytogenetics as I did.I thought the chromosomal breakage syndrome chapter was good, with good photos.Overall, worth the money and the book is fairly high quality, durable pages that facilitates note taking in the margins.

Outstanding
One of the most important books you will need for education in genetic counselling and interpretation of cytogenetic results. Its a pleasure to read and additionally, delivers insight into psychological problems rising from integration of cytogenetically "abnormal" individuals in the human society. ... Read more

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Advances in genetics are transforming estimates of an individual’s risk of developing cancer and approaches to prevention and management of cancer in those who may have increased susceptibility. Identifying and caring for patients with hereditary cancer syndromes and their family members present a complex clinical, scientific and social challenge. This textbook, by leading experts at Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, highlights the current understanding of the genetics of hereditary cancers of the breast, ovary, colorectum, stomach, pancreas, kidney, skin, and endocrine organs. Practical guidelines for the use of genetic testing, cancer screening and surveillance, prophylactic surgery, and promising targeted therapeutic agents are discussed.

In addition, ongoing research involving genome-wide screens to identify novel modest risk-associated genetic loci are explored, along with new approaches to the application of genetic markers in guiding therapeutic options.

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No one wants to be sued. A lawsuit is an assault on one’s self-image, reputation, and livelihood. It is physically, mentally, and financially draining. The purpose of this book is (1) to provide genetic counselors with varying levels of experience and expertise with heightened awareness of the sources and processes of the law as it can affect their practice; (2) to offer them strategies for minimizing the potential for their being named in a lawsuit; and (3) to provide guidance for the management of current and emerging situations. This is the first book specifically addressing genetic counseling, as opposed to general healthcare risk management.

Customer Reviews (1)

MD's can learn from "Lessons Learned"
I recently read this book; as a physician I noted how people can get into a patient/counselor relationship by seemingly innocuous conversation.

All physicians should be aware of this. Schmerler outlines the minefields quite nicely and also has a lot to say about genetics in general.

Doctors and nurses should read this book. ... Read more

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There’s no easier, faster, or more practical way to learn the really tough subjects

Genetics Demystified offers an up-to-date, highly readable explanation of the basic principles of genetics, covering key topics such as human genetics, DNA, heredity, mutations, traits, chromosomes, and much more. This self-teaching guide comes complete with key points, background information, quizzes at the end of each chapter, and even a final exam. Simple enough for beginners but challenging enough for advanced students, this is a lively and entertaining brush-up, introductory text, or classroom supplement.

Customer Reviews (8)

Very nice "Demystified" book
I have"Idiots Guide to Decoding your Genes" but this one is much better.I really feel that I have gotten a toehold on this subject after reading "Genetics Demystified."Recommended.

Good re-intro for ex-students, light on classical genetics
A reasonably good introduction to the subject for someone who has not done it, or is re-learning it after a long lay-off.
Tends to be more biased towards the molecular level of genetics, which is probably due to the advances in this area in the 20 years since I did it.
Does not tackle Classical or Population genetics in any depth.
Nevertheless, a good book to get you re-interested in learning the subject of genetics again, and learning newer technologies.
However, you will need to move onto bigger and better books very soon.

Good Solid Entry Level Book
If you are a beginner wishing to learn genetics, or in need for a quick refresher, then this book serves the purpose well. It is organised in a logical fashion, doesn't go down to too much details and does a fair coverage of the topic. My two minor issues with the book are: (a) there are some editorial errors and (b) the mulitple choice questions are too easy - they test your memory rather than your understanding of the topics. However both can be forgiven if in you need a entry level book on genetics.

A good book for review of basic genetics and delving into harder aspects too
Goose-
Do not be fooled by the cover!This book is extremely informative and even a fair amount beyond my understanding, being in the middle of biology honors.Therefore this book would be great to read, since it outlines many concepts of genetics in biology honors, in AP biology.This way one can get the basic concepts of biology and genetics while also being able to delve into advanced genetics in the later part of each chapter.
Now on to the science.The most interesting part of this book to me was about genetics outside of the nucleus in chapter 10.I was amazed to learn that mitochondria actually have their own DNA, and that they were once bacteria, and that they had gained relationships of helping with bacteria that couldn't create energy from oxygen, urkaryotes, and eventually merged with them when they came completely dependent of each other.The mitochondria gave some DNA to the urkaryote so the mitochondria became dependent as well. The DNA in the mitochondria is almost all inherited maternally, which is what makes them great for studying humanity's evolution.By looking at DNA from people around the world, scientists were able to pinpoint the earliest human, from which all other's are descendents, was an African women living 200,000 years ago by seeing that mitochondrial mutations in greatest difference were between Africa and the rest of the world.By seeing how many mutations there were from the African mitochondria compared to the rest of the world, scientists figured out this date by rate of mutations which occur in DNA.
Another big concept I begun to understand in this book was how evolution is really driven by economics.Darwin himself could not really understand how offspring got characteristics from their parents, but nonetheless knew that variations occurred over time in species because he was ahead of his time.The answer, we now know, is that mutations will occur in DNA, either beneficial, neutral, or detrimental, and for the most part the animal with the beneficial mutation will reproduce and survive better, then replacing the nonmutated DNA.An example where a detrimental mutation will be dominant, however, is sickle-cell anemia (explained in class one day), which will cause disease when homozygous (having two of the same alleles for a gene), but when heterozygous are resistant to malaria, making it dominate in areas with malaria like parts of Africa.A bad "gene pool", or a mixture of all genes in an area, of an area like this can be very hurtful to a society.
Going more into gene pools and so-called "population genetics", equilibrium (no change in allelic frequencies, meaning no change in genes) can occur in a population if there are five things occurring in it, which really shows the different ways in which a species can mutate and evolve.The formulas for this Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (founding scientists) are the following: 1. A closed population, meaning no individuals leave or come in, which would change the gene pool left in the population.2. Normal meiosis, so that only chance determines the genes in the child after mating.3. No mutations in allelic states, which will occur unless the states cancel the other out.4. No natural selection, meaning that all genotypes can survive and reproduce equally well, basically making all alleles equal.5.Infinite population and random mating within it, making it so small sot of "cliques" of genes don't form from repeated mating of the same genes, making pockets of the population different from the rest.This mainly occurs in smaller populations so don't really affect larger ones.
These 5 ways to prevent evolution will always be broken, showing the number of interesting theories involved in evolution.I hope you enjoy this book like I did, and take out of it as much of the genetics you can understand on your own, like me.

Only for beginners
Think of this as being a very basic high-school book. It is not bad but it only covers the most fundamental stuff. So, it does an OK job (but not great) of covering the basic vocabulary in genetics: allele, codon, DNA, gene, wild-type, etc. but it has nothing on many topics that are needed to understand modern genetics or the bioinformatics for genetics. If you need to know about SNPs, microarrays and gene expression methods you will need to supplement it with other sources. If you are trying to refresh your memory on that genetics class you had 20 years ago (like me) it is a good place to start but it is only a start.

I would give it 4 stars if the answer key at the back was 100% accurate but sadly it is not.
... Read more

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Genetic syndromes and neurodevelopmental disorders that have a genetic basis are associated with cognitive and academic disabilities. Genes, Brain and Development reviews the connections between genes, brain, and behavior for a range of genetic disorders, and also considers lifespan and treatment issues. The content further explores what is known about development in neurogenetic disorders, particularly in the domains of language and mathematics, and shows how this knowledge is pertinent to understanding both these specific disorders, and disorders of language and math more generally. This will be essential reading for a wide range of brain scientists and developmental clinicians, including neuropsychologists, cognitive psychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, neuroscientists and geneticists. ... Read more

Product Description
Rockefeller Univ., New York, NY. Theoretic aspects of linkage analysis for advanced researchers in human genetics. Includes a new chapter on genes causing diabetes, some cancers, and psychiatric conditions. Previous edition: c1991. DNLM: Linkage (Genetics). ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Too many mistakes!
I can not believe that One can make so many mistakes for such a 400 pages book.On page 12, there are 2 major mistakes which will lead anyone who is not an expert in this area to hell.

THE book.
This is THE book on the subject. The bible of the field by a master. ... Read more

Product Description
Written By Two Renowned Authorities, Genetics: Analysis Of Genes And Genomes, Seventh Edition Provides The Most Current, Clear, Comprehensive And Balanced Introduction To Genetics And Genomics At The College Level. Expanding Upon The Key Elements That Have Made The Text A Success, The Authors Have Added Important New Material To Virtually Every Chapter, Including Sections On High-Throughput Genotyping, Massively Parallel Sequencing, Comparative Genomics, Genomic Islands, Copy Number Polymorphisms, Characteristics OfQuantitative Trait Loci For Disease Risk Factors, And Much More.They Continue To Treat Transmission Genetics, Molecular Genetics, And Evolutionary Genetics As Fully Integrated Subjects And Provide Students With An Unprecedented Understanding Of The Basic Process Of Gene Transmission, Mutation, Expression And Regulation.Integrated Critical Thinking Exercises And Problem Sets Allow For A Mastery Of Key Genetic Concepts, While The End-Of-Chapter Guide To Problem-Solving Sections Demonstrate The Concepts Needed To Efficiently Solve Problems And Understand The Reasoning Behind The Correct Answer. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Error filled
This is the 7th Edition, and has an orange cover.There have been so many errors in this textbook as well as the solutions manual that our course professor gives extra credit to those who point the errors out first in the problem sets.And this is the 7th Edition? Give me a break.
Errors include giving the wrong fractional values for specific genetics problems.Equations needed on the test are stated incorrectly in the text.The few answers that they give you in the back of the text book also contains errors.In the solutions manual I recall they were base pairing A with G and T with C, which resulted from a formatting error.
How do you get to the 7th Edition of a book and have so many GROSS errors in a college level textbook?This leads me to believe that the source is Greed, when I see the price this book cost at the university bookstore and the gross negligence of failing to even proofread parts of the text before printing this error filled text.

Terrible!
This is probably the worst textbook I have ever had to use after finishing a bachelors in biology! There is an incredible amount of errors that make this book lose all credibility. I would not trust any other book from either of these authors. I wonder if they ever had it proof read. There was a minimum of 5 errors PER CHAPTER! In my opinion, there shouldn't even be 5 errors in an entire textbook being used at universities. After reading just 2 chapters in this book I couldn't trust any of the information it was giving me because I was afraid it was another error. It makes the learning process take MUCH longer. If you ever have a choice, do not get this book. Plead with professors to use another book because this book will stunt your learning and put you in risk of getting the wrong information and a bad grade. AVOID THIS BOOK!

Too much fluff
This book might be good if used as a secondary reference for an introductory class, but it is definitely not a title I would recommend for someone trying to teach themselves about the subject.I felt constantly like I was being talked down to.The authors waste your time with unnecessary stories about so-and-so with such-and-such genetic disorder, along with space in the book for accompanying pictures.Sentence structure is poor; the text feels as if it were written around a multiple-choice test.

Another reviewer said that this text could be used for grad students; I would tend to disagree.Grad students are accustomed to getting a bit more respect from their textbooks.By this point in our academic careers, we aren't going to pay attention just because you threw in a picture of a cat (yep, see page 29)-- we're here for the science.

Generally speaking, it's not a book to read if you just want to know the science of genetics and understand the moving parts.

Well written but pricey
This book is written by two Harvard professors for their introductory life sciences course.I had to take this course because it's a requirement, and I'm annoyed that they assigned such an expensive, self-written textbook.

Personal annoyance aside, however, I have to say that this is a well-written textbook.I'm not so sure it's worth the steep price, but the writing is clear, the diagrams are helpful, and it really assisted me in understanding and clarifying fundamental biological concepts.I can't say this for most of the textbooks I've used.(The textbook was certainly a lot clearer than the lecture, unfortunately.)Given that textbooks in general cost a fortune, I wouldn't consider this a bad investment.

BEAUTIFUL DESCRIPTION ABOUT GENES AND GENOMES ! SUPERB
GOOD PICTURE REPRESENTATION WITH EXCELLENT NOTES AND LOTS OF EXTRA INFORMATION ABOUT GENE AND GENOMES . PROBLEMS HAVE SOME ERRORS ITS LITTLE CONFUSING BUT OVERALL A FABALOUS TEXT BOOK OF GENETICS. GOOD FOR STANDARD EXAM PREPARATIONS AND ALSO FOR UNDERGRAD/GRAD STUDENTS . ALL THE BEST CHECK FOR FOR MINNOR ERRORS IN THE TEXT .... TAKE THE BEST OUT OF IT .....
... Read more

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Every parent hopes for a healthy, "normal" baby, but not all babies fall into that category. On a daily basis, genetic counselors help clients, at whatever stage of intended or actual pregnancy, navigate both the purely clincial manifestations of a complicated birth and the short and long term emotional impact. This manual helps students learn how to guide clients through this complex and difficult process. Designed to help students learn these basic counseling skills, FACILITATING THE GENETIC COUNSELING PROCESS takes a "how to" approach to these complex and emotionally charged client interactions. ... Read more

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John C. Avise, an award-winning geneticist, guides this delightful voyage around the planet in search of answers to nature's mysteries. He clearly demonstrates how scientists directly examine DNA to address long-standing questions about wild animals, plants, and microbes. Through dozens of stories that span the Earth - from the arctic to tropical jungles to the depths of the ocean - nature emerges as a realm where truth can be far stranger than fiction. From a 100-ton mushroom to egg-swapping birds, extinct ground sloths to microbes inside our bodies, Avise examines a cornucopia of natural-history topics and explains in clear language how today's modern genetic techniques offer novel insights. Do armadillo litters really contain clones? Why do female roly-poly pillbugs outnumber males? When is a fig tree not just a single tree? Where have migratory whales traveled? Who are the mothers of the embryos carried by pregnant male seahorses? What insect was the world's earliest farmer? How closely related are Neanderthals to modern humans? Answers to these and many more questions are presented here in a straightforward manner that reveals Avise's enthusiasm for uncovering nature's hidden ways. Each entry is accompanied by a beautiful illustration from Trudy Nicholson, widely recognized as one of today's leading nature artists. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

School books...
I obtained this book for school. Even though it was just a suggested text, my teacher said everyone who got it would do better than just using the notes we got in class. Overall the book was in great condition, it got here on time but the only thing that miffed me was the fact that there was NO INVOICE!

Quick & Easy Purchase
The book I purchased was exactly as advertised on Amazon.com.It was nicely secured in packaging and arrived promptly.I am very satisfied with using Amazon.com for my online shopping experiences. ... Read more

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The first edition of Mark Ptashne's 1986 book describing the principles of gene regulation in phage lambda became a classic in both content and form, setting a standard of clarity and precise prose that has rarely been bettered. This edition is a reprint of the original text, together with a new chapter updating the story to 2004. Among the striking new developments are recent findings on long–range interactions between proteins bound to widely separated sites on the phage genome, and a detailed description of how gene activation works. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A classic book on bacterial gene regulation
"A Genetic Switch" by Mark Ptashne is a modern classic of science writing.This book details the mechanism and presents the supporting data for the paradigm of bacterial gene regulation, the bacteriophage lambda repressor.What sets this book apart is not just the subject matter, but the clarity of Ptashne's writing and the superb illustrations that accompany his text. The combination of the two make the book useful for graduate students but also accessible for the general reader with an interest in science.Whenever new people join my laboratory, I have them read this book.Highly recommended.

a classic of scientific exposition
I found out about this unassuming little book in Sean Carroll's
"Endless forms most beautiful" and was delighted. When I first started reading it, a stranger who saw me with it smiled and I soon found out why. It can be read by anyone with a modest scientific education (little more than high school) but it takes you up to the frontiers of research on gene regulation. Readers who remember the way "Scientific American" used to cover molecular biology in 1960's through the '80's (or have read reprints from that era) will appreciate the highly visual style and the clear prose. The genetic switch
in question determines whether the genes of a virus that infects a bacterial cell will quietly integrate themselves into the bacterial genome and be copied along with the bacteria's genes each time the cell divides or use the cell's machinery to make many copies of itself, quickly destroying the cell in the process. If you are like me you'll be fascinated to learn how this switch works and about the experiments that revealed its secrets. ... Read more

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Product Description
Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits brings together the diverse array of theoretical and empirical applications of quantitative genetics under one cover, in a way that is both comprehensive and accessible to anyone with a rudimentary understanding of statistics and genetics. What was originally envisioned as a single text has now become two, with the focus of this first book being on the basic biology and methods of analysis of quantitative characters. (The second book, Evolution and Selection of Quantitative Traits, will address the basic principles that govern the evolutionary dynamics of quantitative characters under the forces of mutation, random genetic drift, and natural and/or artificial selection, integrating the theory of evolution of such characters with existing empirical data from natural and domesticated plant and animal populations.) Written as a general text in quantitative genetics, the book will also be useful as a basic reference for the seasoned professional. Throughout, central theoretical concepts are developed from first principles. To aid the less statistically sophisticated reader, several chapters and appendices focus on the basic statistical tools needed to digest the book. Wherever possible, theoretical and analytical concepts are illustrated with empirical examples from diverse settings.Three major features of Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits distinguish it from earlier work. First, it reflects the explosive influx over the past few years of quantitative-genetic thinking into evolutionary biology. Second, in animal breeding, enormous strides have been made in the development of new techniques for estimating breeding values (for the purposes of identifying elite individuals in selection programs) and for estimating variance components from samples of complex pedigrees. In this text's last two chapters, the authors outline the basic principles of complex pedigree analysis, without getting bogged down in technical details. Third, Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits provides a broad overview of the newly emerging array of techniques for quantitative-trait loci (QTL) analysis, currently one of the most active fields of quantitative-genetic research.Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits contains numerous fully-worked examples and illustrations of theoretical concepts, as well as over 2,000 references with indices by subject, author, and organism. In addition, the authors maintain a World Wide Web site featuring up-to-date lists of computer programs and on-line resources, and added information on various topics presented in the text. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Infomative book
This book is an excellent resource in the field of genetics, a classic in the area of quantitative trait analysis. Beware, however, that it is a bit dated. The field has moved a lot in the last 10 years.

Review of Genetics and Analysis of Quantitative Traits
More plant breeders should read and understand this book.It is a great basis on which to build the future of plant breeding.

Lacks exercises
This is overall a decent treatment of what its title claims it to be. The main flaw, as I see it, is the lack of exercises. The material is fairly heavy on mathematics and statistics and I find it hard to internalize a lot of the mathematical machinery without going through the calculations myself.

Apart from this lack of exercises I like the book. It is a bit too long (and far too heavy!), and it contains more historical background than what I need, but it gives a very thorough overview of the theory of the field, which is what is most important in the end. The great amount of text makes it more useful as a book to learn from than as a reference, but since there isn't anything else out there I suppose we are stuck with this for reference as well.

You will get the point
This book is great when you want to understand quantitative genetics. I used it for my major thesis in dairy cattle breeding en fount it very useful. It will help you get the point in the confusing world called genetics.

Genetics......I got the book in fastest time possible
I am happy with the book and fastest delivery at my door, it was well packed and now sitting on my study table making me think of Amazon for any of the books I want.
Thank you Amazon. ... Read more

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Product Description
Behavior Genetics Principles: Perspectives in Development, Personality, and Psychopathology presents work that addresses both historical and novel approaches to the study of genetic and environmental influences on behavior. Contributors to this volume use behavior genetics as a means for understanding the etiology of mental illness as well as normal development. They ask: what genes predispose a person to develop a specific personality trait? What about an inclination to a psychological disorder? How do environmental factors enhance or mute genetic factors? Do they regulate inherited individual differences in behavior and personality throughout a lifetime? Behavior Genetics Principles explores the many connections between genes, personality, development, and psychopathology. It focuses on research influenced by Irving I. Gottesman, a pioneer in behavioral genetics research. As a mentor and a colleague, Gottesman has worked to examine the role of genes and environmental factors using both traditional and novel study designs and analytic methods. This stimulating volume, by colleagues who have helped shape the field of behavioral genetics, presents cutting edge work that carries on his legacy. This volume should interest researchers, practitioners, and students alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Knowledgeably compiled and professionally edited
Knowledgeably compiled and professionally edited by psychologist and academician Lisabeth DiLalla (Associate Professor, School of Medicine, Southern Illinois University) Behavior Genetics Principles: Perspectives In Development, Personality, And Psychopathology is a compilation of contributions by experts in the field of behavior genetic research. Behavior Genetics Principles is a superbly organized and presented introduction to the cause/effect connections between genes, personality development, and the frontiers of research into genetically based psychopathologies. Behavior Genetics Principles is a seminal work and strongly recommended for academic library collections and supplemental reading lists in the fields of genetics and human behavior.

Behavior Genetics and I. I. Gottesman
"A certain mother habitually rewards her small son with ice cream after he eats his spinach.What additional information would you need to be able to predict whether the child will: a. Come to love or hate spinach, b. Love or hate ice cream, or c. Love or hate mother?"

This quote from Gregory Bateson's preface to his Steps to An Ecology of Mind (1972) returns to haunt a fine chapter by Eric Turkheimer, Spinach and Ice cream: Why Social Science is So Difficult.The chapter is one of fourteen that summarize the current status of behavioral genetic research in development, personality, and psychopathology as they celebrate the career of one of the truly outstanding psychologists of our time, Irving I. Gottesman.

If any career can be said to be the defining touchstone of research into the genetics of mental disorder, especially schizophrenia, over the past half-century, it is that of Gottesman.Mention the genetics of schizophrenia to informed behavioral scientists anywhere on the globe, and Irv Gottesman is the first name that will come to mind.Since the publication of his Schizophrenia Genesis (1991), now dated because of its publisher's indolence in supporting a revision, the same can be said of many thousands of educated laypersons.

These chapters were initially prepared as presentations for a gathering of his colleagues and former students who are now themselves accomplished investigators in the field of behavior genetics, organized by the book's editor, Lisabeth DiLalla, in Minneapolis in June, 2001, on the occasion of Gottesman's retirement from the University of Virginia, and his return to his doctoral alma mater, the University of Minnesota (UM), after a forty year (and counting) career.

It is a tribute to Gottesman's influence that the contributions DiLalla invited and assembled here are much longer on the meat of good thinking, research, news, and informed outlook than on the soft flesh of praise and genteel honorifics.And for the nonspecialist reader like myself, there are some big surprises.

For example, Thomas Bouchard, et al. report and summarize research on the genetics of social attitudes.(Recall that Bouchard is the principal investigator of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart [MISTRA], a study that commanded worldwide attention in news reports of amazing similarities of twins separated at birth or shortly after and reunited as adults at UM.For example, the Jim twins, reunited 39 years after their separation at 4 weeks: both men had performed well at school at math but struggled with spelling, enjoyed mechanical drawing and carpentry, had first wives named "Linda" and second wives named "Betty," named their sons "James Allan," owned dogs names "Toy," got headaches at the same time of the day, drove the same color and model of Chevrolet, chain smoked Salem cigarettes, bit their fingernails, and vacationed in the same spot each year.)Of course, the heritability of things like IQ and personality traits such as introversion-extroversion have been known for some time, but social attitudes?The things one learns at mother's knee?Yes.Such attitudes as authoritarianism, religiousness, even political conservatism are shown to be strongly influenced by genetic factors.And there are other surprises that await the reader.

The book closes on a brief warm note by Gottesman himself, reflecting on his career, a few of his influences and colleagues, behavioral genetics and human rights, and the future.

A perfect book?No.I would have liked to have had a complete list of Gottesman's publications included.However, given their number, such a list would have added considerably to the length of the book.

Behavior Genetics and I. I. Gottesman
"A certain mother habitually rewards her small son with ice cream after he eats his spinach.What additional information would you need to be able to predict whether the child will: a. Come to love or hate spinach, b. Love or hate ice cream, or c. Love or hate mother?"

This quote from Gregory Bateson's preface to his Steps to An Ecology of Mind (1972) returns to haunt a fine chapter by Eric Turkheimer, Spinach and Ice cream: Why Social Science is So Difficult.The chapter is one of fourteen that summarize the current status of behavioral genetic research in development, personality, and psychopathology as they celebrate the career of one of the truly outstanding psychologists of our time, Irving I. Gottesman.

If any career can be said to be the defining touchstone of research into the genetics of mental disorder, especially schizophrenia, over the past half-century, it is that of Gottesman.Mention the genetics of schizophrenia to informed behavioral scientists anywhere on the globe, and Irv Gottesman is the first name that will come to mind.Since the publication of his Schizophrenia Genesis (1990), now dated because of its publisher's indolence in supporting a revision, the same can be said of many thousands of educated laypersons.

These chapters were initially prepared as presentations for a gathering of his colleagues and former students who are now themselves accomplished investigators in the field of behavior genetics, organized by the book's editor, Lisabeth DiLalla, in Minneapolis in June, 2001, on the occasion of Gottesman's retirement from the University of Virginia, and his return to his doctoral alma mater, the University of Minnesota (UM), after a forty year (and counting) career.

It is a tribute to Gottesman's influence that the contributions DiLalla invited and assembled here are much longer on the meat of good thinking, research, news, and informed outlook than on the soft flesh of praise and genteel honorifics.And for the nonspecialist reader like myself, there are some big surprises.

For example, Thomas Bouchard, et al. report and summarize research on the genetics of social attitudes.(Recall that Bouchard, is the principal investigator of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart [MISTRA], a study that commanded worldwide attention in news reports of amazing similities of twins separated at birth or shortly after and reunited as adults at UM.For example, the Jim twins, reunited 39 years after their separation at 4 weeks: both men had performed well at school at math but struggled with spelling, enjoyed mechanical drawing and carpentry, had first wives named "Linda" and second wives named "Betty," named their sons "James Allan," owned dogs names "Toy," got headaches at the same time of the day, drove the same color and model of Chevrolet, chain smoked Salem cigarettes, bit their fingernails, and vacationed in the same spot each year.)Of course, the heritability of things like IQ and personality traits such as introversion-extroversion have been known for some time, but social attitudes?The things one learns at mother's knee?Yes.Such attitudes as authoritarianism, religiousness, even political conservatism are shown to be strongly influenced by genetic factors.And there are other surprises that await the reader.

The book closes on a brief warm note by Gottesman himself, reflecting on his career, a few of his influences and colleagues, behavioral genetics and human rights, and the future.

A perfect book?No.I would have liked to have had a complete list of of Gottesman's publications included.However, given their number, such a list would have added considerably to the length of the book.

Behavior Genetics and I. I. Gottesman
"A certain mother habitually rewards her small son with ice cream after he eats his spinach.What additional information would you need to be able to predict whether the child will: a. Come to love or hate spinach, b. Love or hate ice cream, or c. Love or hate mother?"

This quote from Gregory Bateson's preface to his Steps to An Ecology of Mind (1972) returns to haunt a fine chapter by Eric Turkheimer, Spinach and Ice cream: Why Social Science is So Difficult.The chapter is one of fourteen that summarize the current status of behavioral genetic research in development, personality, and psychopathology as they celebrate the career of one of the truly outstanding psychologists of our time, Irving I. Gottesman.

If any career can be said to be the defining touchstone of research into the genetics of mental disorder, especially schizophrenia, over the past half-century, it is that of Gottesman.Mention the genetics of schizophrenia to informed behavioral scientists anywhere on the globe, and Irv Gottesman is the first name that will come to mind.Since the publication of his Schizophrenia Genesis (1990), now dated because of its publisher's indolence in supporting a revision, the same can be said of many thousands of educated laypersons.

These chapters were initially prepared as presentations for a gathering of his colleagues and former students who are now themselves accomplished investigators in the field of behavior genetics, organized by the book's editor, Lisabeth DiLalla, in Minneapolis in June, 2001, on the occasion of Gottesman's retirement from the University of Virginia, and his return to his doctoral alma mater, University of Minnesota (UM) after a forty year (and counting) career.

It is a tribute to Gottesman's influence that the contributions DiLalla invited and assembled here are much longer on the meat of good thinking, research, news, and informed outlook than on the soft flesh of praise and genteel honorifics.And for the nonspecialist reader like myself, there are some big surprises.

For example, Thomas Bouchard, et al. report and summarize research on the genetics of social attitudes.(Recall that Bouchard, is the principal investigator of the Minnesota Study of Twins Reared Apart [MISTRA], a study that commanded worldwide attention in news reports of amazing similities of twins separated at birth or shortly after and reunited as adults at UM.For example, the Jim twins, reunited 39 years after their separation at 4 weeks: both men had performed well at school at math but struggled with spelling, enjoyed mechanical drawing and carpentry, had first wives named "Linda" and second wives named "Betty," named their sons "James Allan," owned dogs names "Toy," got headaches at the same time of the day, drove the same color and model of Chevrolet, chain smoked Salem cigarettes, bit their fingernails, and vacationed in the same spot each year.)Of course, the heritability of things like IQ and personality traits such as introversion-extroversion have been known for some time, but social attitudes?The things one learns at mother's knee?Yes.Such attitudes as authoritarianism, Religiousness, even political conservatism are shown to be strongly influenced by genetic factors.And there are other surprises that await the reader.

The book closes on a brief warm note by Gottesman himself, reflecting on his career, a few of his influences and colleagues, behavioral genetics and human rights, and the future.

A perfect book?No.I would have liked to have had a complete list of of Gottesman's publications included.However, given their number, such a list would have added considerably to the length of the book. ... Read more