Author: Wynn Kapit, Robert I. Macey, Esmail Meisami
By Benjamin Cummings

Innovative and effective, 2007-12-24
Like the anatomy colour book by the same author, this method for learning worked well for me.

Author: Richard Dawkins
By Oxford Paperbacks

A great very accessible book on evolution, 2008-03-09
I read this one after the 30th anniversary of The Selfish Gene, and though Dawkins states in his intro that he regards this as his best work, I personally prefer the slightly expanded Selfish Gene which takes into account his extended phenotype theory. I guess one further point on this is that there is a lot of repetition between the material in the two works too! He also states that this is aimed at his academic colleagues rather than as a book for the layman but I found the science to be pretty straightforward and commonsense and only needed to check the glossary at the back for about half a dozen words. However, other than those points its pretty much faultless and the plot will keep you gripped to the bitter denoument... I'm certainly looking forward to the sequel!

Author: William H. Elliott, Daphne C. Elliott
By OUP Oxford

An easy to understand Biochemistry text book, 2005-12-31
This is a great text book for biochemistry if you need find and understand the facts fast. It has great diagrams and illustrations that make it easy to visualise the concepts and it is written in a way that makes it easy to understand complex mechanisms.

Author: Robert A. Weinberg
By Garland Science

Definitive text for understanding cancer, 2008-07-01
I am a master's student working in the cancer bioscience area of R & D. This book is excellent in all respects and I highly recommend it. I have seen other publications from this author in scientific journals and all are well written and informative and he has a very good reputation among scientists in the field. Chapters are intuitively structured and complete - figures are clear and enhance the text and the CD ROM has some great features including key figures in ppt format and audio lectures on specifics such as P53, metastases and molecular therapies. If you are starting out don't be put off by the depth of this book it takes you through the concepts in a clear and structured manor. I wish I had this book 3 years ago!!

Author: Tim D. White, Pieter Arend Folkens
By Academic Press

Very handy, 2006-10-17
I would highly recommend this book to any student of human anatomy, and to any archaeologist who may come into contact with human remains. As with the authors' earlier text "Human Osteology", this book has excellent photographs and descriptions of human bones, but has the added benefit of being small and light enough to carry about, and is cheap enough to take on site without fear. The photographs are now labelled with the names of the bones, rather than an alphabetical key, which makes this a better quick-reference text. Other sections have been expanded and updated, and the front and back covers include very handy fold out photo targets. I gave this book 4 out of 5 because in a few cases (ie the foot) the photos are displayed across two pages and so parts of the pictures are obscured. Overall, though it's great; don't buy Bass, buy this book instead.

By OUP Oxford

Maintain that resting potential, now!, 2006-12-01
The question was: what (or whatever) maintains the resting membrane potential nowadays! I always thought that it was the sodium pump (or Na K ATPase etc.). Recently, I heard: No, it is not the sodium pump that maintains the resting potential. So I checked both the Oxford and the Penguin Dictionaries of Biology. Oxford says that the resting potential is maintained by the sodium pump; however, the Penguin says it is the leaky potassium channels, and sodium pump plays a slight role. Well, it is one of those academic debates, it would seem--which really mean nothing--because nothing is at stake! The debate is from confusing maintenance, recovery, and repair--perhaps. Is it the resting potential (a thing being maintained) or is it the repolarization after a depolarization (a thing in recovery) that we are talking about? Is maintenance still maintenance if you spend energy in extruding the smaller atoms out--well: a running car can be maintained only by spending money? Perhaps, after all, it is only the usual confusion of the frogs in a well: they can only see the stars in their own horizons. The whole biological process has several components, and to know which is the one--well, just take one out and see if the process holds and functions. Which brick is the most important in a wall? Clearly, the truth is never simple, and possibly there is no such thing as the truth. Things evolve using all of the components--and are what they are. So, I guess it is always the context and it is always relative: point of view etc. There is no simple correct answer because the question is incorrectly formulated--without the necessary context. What is more important in the running of a car: the engine or the gas? So get both the Oxford and Penguin--they complement, and both are useful when viewed and understood in the right context: neither can replace the textbook; and no textbook replaces all the source materials--but you need to start somewhere. For a rich fantasy life read Ayul Zamir's Intern Beth. Now, whatever maintains that resting membrane potential!

Author: Tom Strachan, Andrew Read
By Garland Science

A must have reference book for anyone studying Human Genetic, 1999-12-09
The book clearly and accuratley setails the current state of knowledge of Human Genetics at the Molecular Level, providing examples where relevant. The book is easily accesible to biologists with little experience in molecular biology as all techniques and principles are clearly explained.

A worthwhile investment

Author: Janet RaeDupree, Pat DuPree
By John Wiley & Sons

Author: Paul Martin, Patrick Bateson
By Cambridge University Press

perfect starter, 2002-12-04
This was a brilliantly written book, it gives clear and concise information on the various methods behind measuring animal behaviour. I am an animal science student and used this book to plan and write my thesis. I would advise it as a must buy or anyone starting out in the study of animal behaviour, or merely has an interest in the subject as the book is not too long and tells you what you need to know without baffling you with scientific "lingo".

Author: Esther J. J. Verhoef-Verhallen
By Rebo Productions

Superb little book, 2008-08-20
This is a great little book. You get the feeling that the author has either kept the species written about, or has paid attention to other veteran keepers. It's one of those books you look to keep on the coffee table; it's a joy to browse through.

Well worth the money.