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Gilbert 2017

This document is a book review of the 11th edition of Developmental Biology by Scott Gilbert and Michael Barresi. The reviewer praises the book for its beautiful illustrations and enhanced coverage of topics like stem cells and neural development compared to previous editions. However, the reviewer suggests adding more emphasis on abnormal human development and how the model organisms relate to human development, to better help pre-medical students understand the relevance. Overall, the reviewer highly recommends the textbook for its authority on the subject of developmental biology.

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100% found this document useful (1 vote)
284 views1 page

Gilbert 2017

This document is a book review of the 11th edition of Developmental Biology by Scott Gilbert and Michael Barresi. The reviewer praises the book for its beautiful illustrations and enhanced coverage of topics like stem cells and neural development compared to previous editions. However, the reviewer suggests adding more emphasis on abnormal human development and how the model organisms relate to human development, to better help pre-medical students understand the relevance. Overall, the reviewer highly recommends the textbook for its authority on the subject of developmental biology.

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a0965828895
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Received: 11 January 2017 | Accepted: 16 January 2017

DOI 10.1002/ajmg.a.38166

Book Review

DEVE L OPM E N T A L B IO LO G Y , 1 1 T H ED ITI ON Even the most cursory of glances into this book will confirm what
2016 morphologists have believed since Vesalius, namely that organic form
and its genesis are beautiful and that this great beauty, intrinsic and
| extrinsic, that is, in the eyes of the beholder, deserves at the very least
S. F. Gilbert M. J. F. Barresi
respectful representation, at best the finest of illustrations contempo-
rary methods could accomplish (and money could buy), whether as
Sunderland, MA Sinauer Associates. LOC/ISBN 9781605354705. Text 810 pp
woodcuts, copper plates and later, as lithographs. I must therefore
plus Glossary 35 pp and Index 65pp. <devbio.com>. List price 155.95.
express highest appreciation to the publisher, Sinauer, for the
Scott Gilbert, a teacher's teacher, developmental biologist (turtle meticulous care bestowed on the production of this volume.
ectoderm), and formidable historian of his field, prepared the first Everything in the 1st edition was in black and white, now all is in
edition of this magisterial text over 30 years ago (1985) at which time it color, many exquisitely beautiful. It seems self-evident to me that a
rapidly became the success it has been since then in labs and textbook of such enormous didactic value as “Gilbert-Barresi-11” now
classrooms with instructors and with students. It's success then and receive the same fine illustrative support as did Vesalius (1543), or
now owes much to Dr. Gilbert's clear vision as to the requirements for Vrolik (1849), or Boveri (1899) after him. The “Further Reading” lists at
undergraduate and beginning graduate students to attain a well- the close of each chapter are sparse but sufficient to round out the
rounded introduction to developmental biology. That is—mostly for didactic intent of the section, keeping in mind that they are not in-
eukaryotic metazoans, protostomes, and deuterostomes, including depth research reviews.
snails and nematodes, Drosophila, sea urchins and tunicates, amphib- How can the value of this effort be enhanced? I hesitate to
ians, and teleosts, birds and mammals (qv. Ch. 8–12). I can understand suggest any additions that might substantially increase volume and
this circumscription; for a four semester-hour course this text covers a amount of knowledge to be mastered in one semester, especially by
huge amount of material, and terseness of style notwithstanding, could non-biology majors. However, many taking this course must be
not possibly have included plants in equal detail. premedical students with mindset: “How does this Drosophila, C.
The first ten editions were prodigious one-man efforts by Dr. Gilbert. elegans, mouse and Xenopus stuff apply to humans?” Thus, perhaps
In this, the 11th edition, he has teamed up with Michael Barresi of Smith not much more material but greater emphasis on abnormal human
College, expert in stem cells, developmental neurobiology and teaching development and pleiotropy, right up front leading to a list of
methods, with telling effect. The outstanding characteristic of the Gilbert substantial, essential queries on the nature of human development
text always was the enthusiasm, in the truest sense of the word, of the to be answered, or inferred from the animals, in the chapters to
author for his subjects and their presentation in images and words. This follow. I make this suggestion humbly and respectfully but with a
did not change in the present edition which sparkles with an appealing greater purpose in mind. The educational levels of our beginning
freshness and appreciation for the wonders of development in residents and fellows in genetics and human development generally
metazoans, a true joy to take in, beginning with the spectacular are so abysmal as to require at least a one semester tutorial in
multicolor front cover image of the developing CNS in the mouse. developmental biology; Gilbert|Barresi-11 is ideally suited for that
In its promotional cover letter, publisher's (Sinauer's) representa- purpose. Indeed, after analysis of the pertinent research literature
tive (Susan McGlew) emphasized the enhanced discussion, in this on a specific topic, Scott Gilbert's Developmental Biology has been,
edition, of stem cells; placing now sex determination and gametogen- for the last three decades, my single most important, authoritative
esis ahead of fertilization; “greatly expanded coverage of neural general source on that subject. But, in this edition I miss the image of
development,” and greater attention to more recently developed E.B. Wilson with his cello.
technical methods such as CRISPER-Cas9. This edition also benefits,
again, from electronic teaching supplements, that is, Mary Tyler's Vade John M. Opitz
Mecum, “18 developmental tutorial videos; 74 Scientists Speak Departments of Pediatrics (Division of Medical Genetics)
interviews; and Case Studies in Dev Bio, problems to accompany Pathology, Human Genetics, and Obstetrics & Gynecology
the tutorials, providing instructors with ready-to-use in-class active University of Utah Health Sciences Center
learning exercises.” Properly used these resources powerfully rein- Salt Lake City, USA
force the didactic value of this marvelous textbook. Email: [email protected]

1430 | © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/ajmga Am J Med Genet. 2017;173A:1430.

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