Vogel and Motulsky's Human Genetics, 4th Edition

Abstract

When I was asked to review the new, fourth edition of Vogel and Motulsky's Human Genetics for AJHG, I had mixed feelings. On the one hand, the third edition from 1997 was so out of date even when I joined the field that it is not among the reference books I have read during my training or in the years that followed. On the other hand, I always find it interesting to see how editors brave the task of compiling a book that does justice to the ever-expanding field of human genetics. I have to say that upon reading this book, that interest turned into high level of admiration for the editors' work; they did a phenomenal job that paid off with the production of a fine book.The book starts with what I found to be an interesting, albeit at times too philosophical, review of the history of genetics and then delves into the various aspects of human genetics in a span of 29 chapters, some of which are further divided into sections. The order of the chapters was reasonable, although one can make a case for rearranging the order of some. The book covers an impressive array of topics that are of immediate relevance to the field of human genetics. The chapters on behavioral genetics, model organisms, genetic databases, and genetic medicine and global health represent a welcome assortment of topics that are not typically found in books of this class and attest to the careful consideration the editors have given to what a contemporary textbook on human genetics should contain. While it is inevitable that a book dealing with such a quickly developing field as genetics will always be years behind, it is clear that the authors have put a lot of effort to keep the book reasonably current after its publication by frequently contemplating on where the latest advances are likely to lead in the future.While different authors have different writing styles, a common theme of the different chapters of this book is the ease with which the material is presented, starting from a very basic level before then getting into the details. Obviously, some chapters are easier to grasp than others, and nonspecialists may find the mathematical handling of a couple of chapters intimidating, but the book nonetheless makes a friendly textbook for entry-level students and trainees in human genetics. Another attractive feature of this book is the richness of the illustrations, most of which I found to be of excellent quality. In fact, I was disappointed to see that there was no accompanying CD or website that can unlock the potential of these illustrations as a resource used in teaching slides. The level of depth of the chapters is generally adequate but at times disproportionate; for example, epigenetics and oligogenetics were given roughly equal weight despite the vastly different state of knowledge surrounding these two topics. With the very large number of authors contributing, it is quite impressive that there is very little redundancy between the different chapters, which attests to the thoroughness of the editorial process.With the breathtaking pace at which human genetics is advancing, an obvious question would be: Why should one have this book when the latest can be obtained from PubMed? Because having a solid foundation in human genetics requires more than the reading of a number of review articles, it is only natural that this book, which has between its two covers the essentials of human genetics presented in a logical and well thought-out sequence, will be a good choice for those starting in the field. But even more senior readers will find this book a handy reference for certain topics for which authoritative reviews are not readily available.In summary, I found this book to be very easy to read and abundantly referenced. In order to keep it as a viable resource, the editors should plan on preparing a new edition within the next three to five years. Alternatively, and perhaps more practically, they should consider dedicating a website in which hot topics are updated at regular intervals. The impressive list of authors these editors have summoned, who represent the elite of the human genetics community, will make such a website an attractive resource for students and educators alike, just as this book is.