See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319428732 Developmental Biology . Eleventh Edition. By Scott F. Gilbert and Michael J. F. Barresi. Sunderland (Massachusetts): Sinauer Associates. $155.95. xxiii + 810 p.; ill.; G-1 - G-35;... Article in The Quarterly Review of Biology · September 2017 DOI: 10.1086/693621 CITATION READS 1 38,443 1 author: Kara L Cerveny Reed College 28 PUBLICATIONS 980 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE All content following this page was uploaded by Kara L Cerveny on 20 June 2019. The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file. September 2017 NEW BIOLOGICAL BOOKS DEVELOPMENT Developmental Biology. Eleventh Edition. By Scott F. Gilbert and Michael J. F. Barresi. Sunderland (Massachusetts): Sinauer Associates. $155.95. xxiii + 810 p.; ill.; G-1 - G-35; AI-1 - AI-20 (author index); SI-1 - SI-45 (subject index). ISBN: 978-160535-470-5. [Included with this book is DevBio Laboratory: Vade Mecum 3.] 2016. The latest edition of Developmental Biology is a significantly revised version of a modern classic. This textbook provides a diversity of views on how a single cell can give rise to a multicellular organism, enhancing learning with clear prose, colorful images, didactic diagrams, and links to multimedia resources. Although aimed at undergraduates, the volume is also suitable for beginning graduate students, providing an up-to-date compendium for nearly all of developmental biology. For those familiar with the earlier editions of Developmental Biology by Gilbert, one major change from previous editions is the reorganization of content. As before, the first part lays a cellular and molecular foundation for understanding mechanisms of animal development. However, it now includes an appreciably expanded chapter on stem cells. The next part addresses mechanisms of sex determination, gametogenesis, and fertilization. Although I appreciate the inherent difficulty in choosing a starting point on the circle of life, this organization presents some potential educational challenges. Learning about stem cells and sex determination before embryogenesis may succeed in capturing student interest, but for many developmental biologists (myself included), the context of embryology and germ layer formation is essential for understanding the power of stem cells, the complexities of sex determination, and germ cell differentiation. In addition to reordering topics, the authors have replaced the sidebar quotations from famous artists, philosophers, and scientists of previous editions with more didactic questions and summaries. I do miss the literary light these quotations shed on each chapter, but realize that this change makes pedagogical sense. The most notable changes in this edition reflect the contributions of the new coauthor, Michael Barresi, who has infused this new version of the text with his dedication to flipped classroom approaches. Links to “Dev Tutorials” provide opportunities to view fact-packed lectures, expanding access to these two accomplished professors and offering alternatives to professor-centric classes. In addition, recordings of “BioWeb Conferences” from Barresi’s classes are woven throughout the text, connecting conver- View publication stats 331 sations between Barresi’s students and authors of current high-profile developmental biology studies to particular concepts and topics in the book. Links to electronic materials including “Scientists Speak,” “Web Topics,” and “Watch Development” support each chapter, especially in Chapter 5, Stem Cells: Their Potential and Their Niches, where there are 17 opportunities for students to view supporting online material. One does not have to buy the volume to access these resources, as most are available freely on Barresi’s Smith College webpage. The expansion of multimedia resources associated with this work speaks volumes about the ways in which information is communicated and consumed, and argues against the traditional textbook. In my own developmental biology course, I recommend but do not require a physical textbook. Instead, I suggest that students use my syllabus, which includes a variety of resources, including primary literature and Web-based movies to build their own understanding of developmental biology. That said, for students or professors who need a well-rounded, clearly written overview of developmental biology principles, this is the most comprehensive textbook currently available. Kara Cerveny, Biology, Reed College, Portland, Oregon CELL AND MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Body Messages: The Quest for the Proteins of Cellular Communication. By Giamila Fantuzzi. Cambridge (Massachusetts): Harvard University Press. $39.95. xv + 276 p.; index. ISBN: 978-0-674-08894-8. 2016. I really enjoyed reading the seven chapters that compose this volume. The author takes us on a captivating journey through the history of the discovery of proteins that allow our cells to communicate and thus work in harmony. In my humble opinion, this book offers a state of the art of how biochemical messengers participate in the most prevalent physiological and pathological processes. The chapters are written by a lead scientist with an agile style that sheds light on the complexity of the subject. Fantuzzi, a professor at the University of Illinois in Chicago, is an expert in inflammation and obesity and is not shy in explaining how the molecules she chose to talk about are those that have been part of her own research. In this volume, we meet pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and annexins, soluble receptors and binding proteins, acute phase proteins, This content downloaded from 134.010.079.188 on June 20, 2019 15:43:19 PM All use subject to University of Chicago Press Terms and Conditions (http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/t-and-c).