The Coiled Spring: How Life Begins [Paperback]

Ethan Bier (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0879695633 | ISBN-13: 978-0879695637 | Publication Date: August 15, 2000 | Edition: 1st

A concise, readable account of the principles underlying embryonic development in animals and plants, illustrated with colorful artwork and interviews with prominent investigators. Highly recommended for use in undergraduate and graduate courses.

Editorial Reviews

Review

A well-illustrated and accessible account of our current understanding of how fertilized eggs are transformed into complex organisms. -- Science Magazine, November 3, 2000

From the Publisher

Richard Behringer, Univ of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, had the following to say about The Coiled Spring:

Ethan Bier has written a wonderful book that distills the essence and current highlights of modern developmental biology and genetics. It is broadly written for a general audience but detailed enough to provide a useful review for specialists. The initial chapters of the book prepare the naïve reader to understand the central dogma and the modern methods of molecular genetics and embryology. The author then presents two chapters each on Drosophila, vertebrate, and plant embryo axis formation and appendage patterning, creating a well balanced view of life. The final chapter is on the “Future of Biology and Man” , discussing the relevance of embryological studies to biomedical research and human health. The author should be praised for being particularly speculative in this last chapter yet alerting the naïve reader when discussions spill over into science fiction. This chapter is refreshingly current and should result in The Coiled Spring being a very current text for yea! rs to come. Bier writes in a very clear style that not only conveys knowledge but also great excitement for the subject. There are very helpful glossaries throughout the book and beautiful illustrations that are very clearly presented. In addition, Bier has added “Bioboxes”, vignettes on the lives and careers of some of our leading scientists in this field who provide opinions on the most important aspects of scientific discovery. These Bioboxes provide the human element to this exciting field of biology and may inspire current students. Finally, this book sets the stage for subsequent books, including one that would highlight the achievements in developmental biology that have led to knowledge of human disease and one that would go beyond the standard animal and plant model systems to show how an understanding of the core developmental mechanisms are altered to create the amazing diversity of life on earth.

Product Details

• Paperback: 252 pages
• Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press; 1st edition (August 15, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0879695633
• ISBN-13: 978-0879695637
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 6.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,157,863 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasure to read, excellent explanations, September 14, 2010

By 

IGNACIO SANCHEZ CABALLERO - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Coiled Spring: How Life Begins (Hardcover)

Beautifully written, with detailed and clear explanations. Every chapter starts with a "Cast of Characters" that defines the terms that will be used (instead of relegating them to the glossary at the back of the book). It uses great metaphors to drive the most important points home (e.g. "...Dpp suppresses neuroectodermal gene expression in dorsal cells. The idea is reminiscent of political strategy. To succeed, you both promote yourself and attack your competition." "A metamorphosing insect puts even the most sophisticated children's transformer toy to shame." Really helpful.