Sunday, 19 April 2009

The Lehnninger Biochemsitry

The Lehnninger text has a long history, but given that biochemical knowledge doubles every 5 years or so, it matters what a text offers now, not in the past. The writing style is simple, direct, engaging, not too easy but neither too esoteric. The principles (as the title suggests) and the unity in diversity are emphasized, so that the student understands biochemical principles not merely facts, acronyms, pathways. The graphics are very professional. They are comparable to any review article in hot journals such as Nature, Science, Cell, etc. The rendering of protein surfaces, and the different angles through which a structure is seen is outstanding (a good example is the section on the ribosome). The structures have been rendered from the PDB (protein data bank) coordinates.


Click to download

Immunology

It's easy to read, easy to understand, very good graphics; Kuby is a very friendly book for new students, and for refreshing many concepts if you are very busy (and I bet you are!). I love it. But if you have more time available for reading, I would recommend Fundamental Immunology (Paul) and Cellular and Molecular Immunology by Abbas.
And try to keep up-to-date with new material on scientific magazines. See, in research you don't depend on books, that's only at the beginning or if you have to refresh some concepts. Once you have your knowledge, you will be reading papers on scientific magazines and less books. Many times, the concepts you have learned on books can change very fast. Science is a dynamic field, always changing.


Microbiology, 5th by Lannsing M. Preescott

Prescot, Harlley and Kleein's 5th edition provides a balanced, comprehensive introduction to all major areas of microbiology. Because of this balance, Microbiology, 5/e is appropriate for students preparing for careers in medicine, dentistry, nursing, and allied health, as well as research, teaching, and industry. Biology and chemistry are prerequisites. The Fifth Edition has been updated extensively to reflect the latest discoveries in the field.This book is nicely done, all together. The flow of information is well organized, with great cross-references and detailed graphs and pictures to help understand important concepts. Also, several appendices, a glossary, serve as helpful resources. The material is presented in a tasteful manner, not reducing the book to a mere picture book. This book, written for undergraduate and graduate students, gives serious information and is very detailed.
Click here to download

Genes 8

Genes 8 changed the approach to begin with the sequence of the human and other genomes and starts with complete coverage of recent advances in genomics. The coverage of genomics is then integrated throughout the text.Two decades ago Benjamin Lewin’s Genes revolutionized the way we think about and teach molecular biology and molecular genetics. His approach unified the discipline by providing an integrated account of the structure and function of genes in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes.
Setting a standard for currency, Genes continually embraces emerging trends in this field, such as introducing the molecular aspect of the gene before the traditional analysis of formal genetics. Genes VIII continues to innovate; expanding the early discussion of the genome and integrating new information on gene sequencing throughout the text.