Disease genetics

This is a text that can be used as a companion for any human genetics course either in medicine or biology, but it is no substitute for one of those large, flashy American genetics textbooks that are obligatory for first-year undergraduates, because it builds upon the framework that they provide. Nevertheless, it makes an excellent text for second and third-year courses and I even used the chapter on gene therapy for my first-year medics. The book is nicely illustrated, all technical terms are in bold, and Peter Sudbery is crystal clear in explaining the technology surrounding human molecular genetics, without too much boring detail. It is methods oriented and this is its strength. "How did they do that?" Read this and see. It covers most of the important areas, from mutations to gene therapy, through genome maps, to population biology, as well as straying onto the thin ice of the ethics of using genetic information. It is not a large book, so you will not find much detail on your favourite genetic disease, but I thoroughly recommend it.

Charalambos P. Kyriacou is professor of genetics, University of Leicester.