~-]OOK []~EVIEWS

the coming years. The numerous 'red boxes' - explanatory notes illuminating concepts and techniques mentioned in the text - are another useful feature of these earlier chapters, good examples being two particularly concise explanations of epistasis, a concept fundamental to genetic analysis that non-geneticists frequently find difficult to grasp.

The middle chapters of the book lead the reader through the author's home territory with a comprehensive description of the compartment hypothesis and selector genes, although it is unfortunate that the Antennapedia complex merits less than one page to the Bithorax complex's 17. For the uninitiated, this is a fascinating account of the link between cell lineage re- strictions and homeotic gene activity; yet it is here that the reader should be particularly aware of the author's own beliefs. Lawrence sees the selector gene as an 'ideal' to which many other

homeotic genes have been compared but only one of which, engrailed, nearly matches. Domains of engrailed ex- pression become synonymous with compartments, so the existence of anterior and posterior compartments in the locust embryo (and by extension, one might be led to believe, in the vertebrate brain) is proved simply by the expression of this gene! Despite this crit- icism, I would not hesitate to encourage students to read these chapters; these are topics that I try" to teach each year, a task that will now be much easier with the availability of these reviews.

Perhaps the weakest link comes in chapter 8, an all too brief account of the development of the Drosophila eye. One almost senses the beginnings of fatigue as Lawrence embarks upon this final section with an unconvincing ex- planation of why genetic analysis should be more successful in the eye than in the embryo. Of'all the chapters, this is the most vulnerable to premature

senescence, and even now it already appears somewhat out of date. It seems a pity that the true potential of the eye for mutational dissection - so stunningly illustrated by papers published in the past 12 months - could not have been incorporated here; but no doubt this will be remedied in the next edition.

In summary this book is, as the cover notes proclaim, the vital synthesis of the subject many have been waiting for. Not only will it be a source of inspiration to a new generation of students; it also will sustain those who have seen the field transformed since the compartment hypothesis was first born. There is no substitute for a live per formance by the author - but this is certainly the next best thing!

EW. Ingham

ICRF Developmental Bioloxi, Unit, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks"

Road, Oxford, UK OXI 3PS.

h T W O TEXTS REVIEWED WELL RECEIVED WISDOM PREVAILS

Molecular Biology and Biotechnology (Molecular and Cell Biochemistry Series) by C,A. Smith and EJ. Wood

Chapman & Hall, 1991. £14.95 (xiv + 247 pages) ISBN 0 412 40750 7

Molecular Genetics: A Workbook by Peter Smith-Keary

Guilford Press, 1991. $19.95 (xvi + 255 pages) ISBN 0 89862 483 5

Call me pedantic, but walking in Richmond Park the other week I found myself perplexed by a notice that read 'DOGS MUST BE KEPT ON A LEAD BALL GAMES PROHIBITED NO PICNICKING OFFENDERS PROSECUTED'. Where, I wondered, would you find a lead ball to attach to your dog? Is 'I-spy-with-my-little-eye' that antisocial? And why should those offenders who happened to be picnicking be let oft? This same attitude left me scratching my head uncertainly when I tried my hand at some of the questions in Molecular Biology and Biotechnologo:. Surely the answer to 'Which of the following statements are true or false?' is 'All of them!'? Can there be a statement that is neither true nor false? (Philosophers, please restrict your answers to not more than 15 sides.) It reminded me of those immigration forms, given to you on aeroplanes, that ask you whether you're entering the country for business or for pleasure.

That said, I had few other criticisms of this book. In places the profusion of figures, explanatory boxes and other

notes becomes distracting rather than interesting and enlightening, and there are a few typos here and there, but not enough to be really annoying. However, I wonder if a T/G reader can settle for me the name of the lady who gave rise to HeLa cells, since Molecular Biology and Biotechnology adds Henrietta Lacks to Henrietta Lack and Helen Lane which I've come across elsewhere. (Which reminds me to thank the many readers who wrote in about the etymology of chaulmoogric acid after a previous review of mine.) But I must be careful not to offend the authors - at least one of them must be very dangerous to know, as the answer to 'Look around you at home, at work or in the street and record the names of products in common use that are derived from plants' includes opium, heroin, marijuana and cocaine - so I'm relieved to be able to recommend this text with no prompt- ing. It would make a good, readable, clear and thorough general textbook, particularly for first-year undergraduates. It forms part of a series in Molecular and Cell Biochemistry*, but I haven't read any of the others, so 1 can't say

how well it complements them. Likewise, I'm happy to recommend

another textbook in a similar area and at a similar level, Molecular Genetics: A Workbook. The presentation here is very different, with brief introductory material followed by extensive questions and answers, which are used to put across more information as well as test what you've already been told. In this case the emphasis is more (but not exclusively) on classical genetics, which is a pleasant change from so many books that abandon it in favour of the molecular stuff. Again, I found it good, clear and thorough. As long as the question-and answer approach is to your taste 1 am sure you would be very happy with this particular example. Speaking just for myself, I found it a little difficult to adjust to, and felt that Molecular Genetics.. A Catechism might be a more appropriate title. In which case, I look forward to receiving in due course Molecular Genetics.. A 6bmmination to review.

Christopher Howe

Department of Biocbemistr),, University ~f Cambridge, Tennis Court Road. Cambridge,

UK CB2 1QW.

*The other parts are Biological Mol- ecules, Energy in Biological Syswms, Biosynthesis- and Cell Biolol4I'. Cell Biology will be reviewed in a future issue of T/G.

TIG JUNE 1992 VOL. 8 NO. 6