Concepts of Genetics and Student Companion Website Access Card Package (8th Edition) [Hardcover]

William S. Klug (Author), Michael R. Cummings (Author), Charlotte Spencer (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 013169944X | ISBN-13: 978-0131699441 | Publication Date: March 28, 2005 | Edition: 8

For one or two term courses in genetics in the departments of Biology, Zoology, Agriculture or Health Science.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

A proven bestseller, the Fifth Edition of Concepts of Genetics continues to set the standard for introductory genetics texts. The text is known for its clear writing style, emphasis on concepts, visual art program and thoughtful coverage of all areas of genetics. Noteworthy enhancements of the Fifth Edition include revised organization, modernization of cutting-edge topics and research, expansion of problem sets, and extensive revision of population and evolutionary genetics. New supplements for the professor and student include a CD-ROM presentation tool, World Wide Web connection for students and a New York Times genetics supplement. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

The cover illustration depicts the X-ray crystal structure of the nucleosome core particle at a resolution of 2.8 ÅA. The nucleosome is an integral part of the structure of eukaryotic chromatin. The double-helical ribbon represents 146 base pairs of DNA surrounding four pairs of histone proteins. The nucleosome core particle is repeated over and over in the chromatin fiber and is the principal packaging unit of DNA in the nucleus. --This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 784 pages
• Publisher: Benjamin Cummings; 8 edition (March 28, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 013169944X
• ISBN-13: 978-0131699441
• Product Dimensions: 10.8 x 8.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #881,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended text on genetics, July 18, 1999

By 

James Turner (Menlo Park, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Concepts of Genetics (Hardcover)

Concepts of Genetics is an outstanding book. It is the assigned text for a course in genetics that I am taking which is taught through the UC Berkeley Extension program. Course reading assignments cover all but two chapters and so far we have covered about 2/3 of them.

I really like the authors' approach to the subject. They do an excellent job of describing complex material in a way that makes it clear and understandable. The many diagrams, drawings and tables are an integral part of the coverage and help significantly to clarify the written explanations. The authors also have a good sense for the history of genetics, describing clearly many key experiments that have been done to establish the key principles.

The material has obviously been updated with most recent available results. The authors frequently point out areas of most intense current research. The text is definitely not light reading but if you want to learn the material, you will find it very well presented here.

24 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A descent book for beginners, February 7, 2004

By 

"ndbrown6" (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Concepts of Genetics (7th Edition) (Hardcover)

Before making any critics about this book I should stress upon the fact that the authors well deserve a four star rating for this most readable book, both for the writing style and for the contents. Almost everything written is clear, concise and well presented. The captions are of high quality and if you ever buy this book feel sure that you are not wasting your money! I am referring in particular to chapter 16: Genetics of Bacteria and Bacteriophages which in reality is quite tricky but here presented with simple words. You may not have to read it more than once for you will understand it right from the first lecture. For in-depth study though you might need something more advanced!
However I did not really appreciate the way the fluctuation test of S.Luria and M.Delbruk was presented nor was the following work of J.Cairns and B.Hall in chapter 14: Gene mutation, DNA repair and Transposable elements. There seems to lack the true essence of it. Furthermore the existence of mutational hotspots is limited to a subsection only of chapter 14 and a few lines on the work of S.Benzer. Even B.Lewin in Genes VII gives a better treatment of mutational hotspots. Finally I would have expected a chapter on Mutations to talk about mutator mutations as possible ways to increase or decrease the spontaneous mutation rate but no such references were made.
Despite these few things, if you love genetics or need an introductory course be sure that this book is meant for you!

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars I loved this book., October 27, 1999

By 

Ananda (New York City) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Concepts of Genetics (Hardcover)

I used this textbook in as an undergraduate student at Trenton State College. Not only did I find the course incredibly fascinating, the text book was a great complement to the material. I found it to be readable and by no means did it resemble a research paper as one reviewer commented. On a personal note, Dr. Klug, the author of the book, was infact my professor. I imagine that this may have influenced my appreciation of the text but in any case I enjoyed the book and course immensely. Also, for the reviewer who suspected that Dr. Klug was some snobby PhD, he was one of the best professors I had during my college career!