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Archiver > GENEALOGY-DNA > 2003-07 > 1057440132


From: "Mary AsaWoman" <>
Subject: Re: [DNA] good, basic text book
Date: Sat, 5 Jul 2003 14:27:41 -0700
References: <00aa01c34335$52f39a50$d300a8c0@NancySonyIV>


Dear Nancy,

Thank you for your book recommendations. Although the price of the 4th
edition of the Watson book is a bit too steep at this time, I did purchase a
copy of his "DNA the secret of life" from amazon.com.

Also, thank you for your excellent web site which offers a clear, concise
explanation of DNA and how it works. Your explanations have helped me to
understand the building blocks of life itself. Your students are very
fortunate to have you as a teacher.

Mary
----- Original Message -----
From: "Nancy Custer" <>
To: <>
Sent: Saturday, July 05, 2003 13:37 PM
Subject: [DNA] good, basic text book


>
> >I am waiting for a good, basic text book such as one that is used in
> >college, published within the past two years (No older than 2001,
> >preferably published within the past 6 months) on DNA and genetics. I
> don't >want any politics or social issues, just the scientific facts.
>
> >Mary
>
> Most introductory level college biology textbooks will contain several
> very detailed chapters about DNA. I don't think you will find a simple
> text just devoted to DNA. Anything published in the last five years or
> so should be adequate. Most high schools teach AP Biology and will have
> some college level textbooks. You might try contacting your local high
> school biology department and see if they have a spare examination copy
> they you could borrow (or have.) At the college level, you may find
> much more detail than you want or need for your purposes.
>
> If you are really looking for something basic, I would suggest you start
> with a high school text book. The level of sophistication of tenth
> grade biology is light years ahead of what most of us studied (I
> personally spent a lot of time in tenth grade learning the mouthparts of
> the grasshopper.)
>
> Browsing through the many, fairly recent textbooks I have in my library,
> I notice that they all cover socio-political issues such as genetic
> engineering, etc. I think those topics are covered pretty thoroughly in
> biology classes today.
>
> One book that I still treasure from my college days is a tattered, much
> used copy of James Watson's "Molecular Biology of the Gene" written in
> 1965. (That is the Watson of the Nobel Prize winners Watson and Crick
> who worked out the structure and function of DNA in the early 1950's.)
> After 38 years, the book was ready for an update and this year, as a
> commemoration of the 50 year anniversary of the discovery of how DNA
> works, James Watson has published a new book called "DNA: The Secret of
> Life."
>
> I just returned from a trip and found my copy waiting for me. I haven't
> had time to read it carefully but thumbing through it shows that it is a
> worthy sequel. The writing style is clear and easy to read and
> definitely not exclusively aimed at the scientific community.
>
> Although there are chapters with social and perhaps even political
> implications, the chapters on the scientific principles are sound and
> easy to read. Since chapter titles are very definitive, it would be
> easy to skip the ones you don't care about and read the ones of
> interest--I would suggest (not having closely read them, however)
> chapters 1,2,3,7,8, and 9 would be pertinent to your interests.
>
> Chapter Titles are:
>
> 1. Beginnings of Genetics: From Mendel to Hitler
> 2. The Double Helix: This is the Life
> 3. Reading the Code: Bringing DNA to Life
> 4. Playing God: Customized DNA Molecules
> 5. DNA, Dollars, and Drugs: Biotechnology
> 6. Tempest in a Cereal Box: Genetically Modified Agricultrue
> 7. The Human Genome: Life's Screenplay
> 8. Reading the Genomes: Evolution in Action
> 9. Out of Africa: DNA and the Human Past
> 10. Genetic Fingerprinting: DNA's Day in Court
> 11. Gene Hunting: The Genetics of Human Disease
> 12. Defying Disease: treating and Preventing Genetic Disorders
> 13. Who We Are: Nature vs. Nuture
>
> The study of DNA and its functions and its implications for who we are,
> where we came from, and where we are going has consumed many lifetimes
> and is not something that can be digested in an afternoon. It is,
> however, fascinating and this book looks like a really good,
> scientifically correct, easy to read resource. It is chatty and assumes
> little scientific background.
>
> I got my copy from the Scientific American Book Club but I think the
> link I am pasting here (ends in 8172655) will take you to the right
> place at Amazon to order it.
> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0375415467/ref%3Dnosim/satisfacti
> ong-20/103-2600411-8172655
>
>
> Finally, I have taught biology for many years. Last year, anticipating
> that DNA testing for genealogy would appeal to many people who had not
> studied biology for some time (if ever,) I made a website about the
> biology basics that might be helpful to review. If you start at
> http://www.contexo.info/DNA_Basics/Basic_Chemistry.htm and work your
> way through the menu bar from left to right, I hope you will find much
> of what you need to know about DNA.
>
> Nancy
>
>
>
>
>
> ==============================
> To join Ancestry.com and access our 1.2 billion online genealogy records,
go to:
> http://www.ancestry.com/rd/redir.asp?targetid=571&sourceid=1237
>

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