High-Yield Cell and Molecular Biology

From The Critics

Reviewer: Alvin Telser, PhD(Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine)
Description: This is a highly condensed review of cell and molecular biology
Purpose: It is intended to be an extremely condensed review of molecular biology with a very strong emphasis on molecular biological aspects of disease. The author states that this book should be useful for students preparing for medical board exams. These are worthwhile objectives but are only partially achieved.
Audience: According to the author, this book is written for medical students preparing for board exams. I concur — this is the appropriate target audience. The author has an appropriate level of knowledge in the field.
Features: Many aspects of molecular biology are covered, from the essentials of nucleic acid manipulation to molecular aspects of tumor cell biology, molecular immunology, and a few other topics. There is a very heavy reliance on many well-done schematic diagrams of molecular biology and the techniques used to study it. Unfortunately, there is very little cell biology in this book, despite the title. There is no coverage of the cytoskeleton, the cellular machinery for the synthesis, secretion, or degradation of proteins, glycoproteins, etc. There are quite a few typographical errors in the text.
Assessment: The content is so brief that a reader would have to have good prior knowledge of most of it before actually using the book. In a sense, this book is like a set of molecular biology flashcards in a binding. Some students may find it useful, but only if they already have a good knowledge of the material.

Alvin Telser

This is a highly condensed review of cell and molecular biology It is intended to be an extremely condensed review of molecular biology with a very strong emphasis on molecular biological aspects of disease. The author states that this book should be useful for students preparing for medical board exams. These are worthwhile objectives but are only partially achieved. According to the author, this book is written for medical students preparing for board exams. I concur -- this is the appropriate target audience. The author has an appropriate level of knowledge in the field. Many aspects of molecular biology are covered, from the essentials of nucleic acid manipulation to molecular aspects of tumor cell biology, molecular immunology, and a few other topics. There is a very heavy reliance on many well-done schematic diagrams of molecular biology and the techniques used to study it. Unfortunately, there is very little cell biology in this book, despite the title. There is no coverage of the cytoskeleton, the cellular machinery for the synthesis, secretion, or degradation of proteins, glycoproteins, etc. There are quite a few typographical errors in the text. The content is so brief that a reader would have to have good prior knowledge of most of it before actually using the book. In a sense, this book is like a set of molecular biology flashcards in a binding. Some students may find it useful, but only if they already have a good knowledge of the material.

3 Stars from Doody