Clinical Chemistry 43: 1102, 1997;
(Clinical Chemistry. 1997;43:1102.)
© 1997 American Association for Clinical Chemistry, Inc.
DNA Simplified: The Hitchhiker's Guide to DNA. Daniel H. Farkas, Washington, DC: AACC Press, 1996, 110 pp, $14.95. ISBN 0-915274-84-1.
Paul C. Fu
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, UCLA School of Medicine, Harbor–UCLA Medical Center, 1000 W. Carson St., Torrance, CA 90509
I give a "thumbs up" to this concise and wittily written
text. Any driver who picks up this Hitchhiker will fully appreciate and
be entertained by the light-hearted discussion on such interesting
subjects as hairpin, lagging strand, minor groove, mismatch, SSSR,
60 000, nonsense, OJ, and others as profound as you Don't
kNow Anything. Dropping off the Hitchhiker at the
end of the trip, the driver may not necessarily sound really
intelligent, but certainly he or she can tell the difference between
bluffing and Don't kNow Anything. The
book comprises most of the common terminology used in the biomedical,
scientific, or even Wall Street Journals. Its casual style
of writing and its factual descriptions of terms are refreshing not
only to those who are professionals but also to any individual who
wants to know more about DNA and be familiar with the forefront of
biotechnology. The Hitchhiker has succeeded in giving a comprehensive
account of the "really heavy stuff" that is essential for
understanding and communicating the principles of molecular biology.
References at the end are relevant, and the index is well organized.
Along the trip, the Hitchhiker even maps out chronologically the gene
expression of the author and his family. Congratulations, Daniel H.
Farkas! Your genetic material was indeed expressed in a timely manner,
and your gene product The Hitchhiker's Guide to DNA is
solid, informative, useful, and certainly not for dummies. It will be a
valued addition to anyone's bookshelf. Now, it is time for an ORF to
STOP.
