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a clarity that can be relished by first-timers and seasoned biotechnologists alike. The new edition also starts with a promise of richness in terms of content and illustrations, and includes new chapters and chapter subtopics. With the timely and much desired addition of microarray technology, and a new chapter on `omics (genomics, proteomics), it leaves no area of current biotechnology research untouched. The chapter on societal issues is most relevant in present-day context as it is very important to present the facts to students who may be variously influenced by anti GM groups while assisting them in making informed decisions. The information in many of the chapters is appropriately updated (new subtopics like cyclic array sequencing, biofilms, padlock probes-diagnostics, etc.), while the book retains the topic headings in the chapters almost the same as before. For instance, the chapter on therapeutic agents from the earlier version is more fortified with latest bioengineering applications, and now extends into two distinct chapters: Protein Therapeutics, and Nucleic Acid Therapeutics. The chapter on vaccines is appended, and contains lots of new information on viruses such as SARS, making it a very interesting read. Though some chapters do have new and interesting additions, chapters on bioremediation and microbial insecticides remain more or less the same, despite huge progress in these areas since the last edition. Repositioning of monoclonal antibodies into the molecular diagnostics unit, and inclusion of gene therapy with nucleic acid therapy, makes sense. The illustrations are most helpful in explaining the concepts and the references, and are updated and beneficial. Topics like replication, transcription, electrophoresis, and autoradiography are incorporated in the body of chapters in a succinct and helpful way, freeing students from the need to constantly refer to other sources to get the details of basic techniques and concepts. The incorporation of boxed items, such as success of clinical trials, new recombinant drugs, etc., highlights milestone developments in the field of recombinant DNA technology. These boxes are also helpful in designing short quizzes and other in-class competitive assessments. Review questions at the end challenge readers to think beyond the limitations of the chapter, and encourage the habit of reading research papers and other primary sources, thus encouraging analytical thinking. Direct questions that are given at the end of the chapter are a handy tool in tutorial classes to assess the understanding by students. However, provision of an e-version of illustrations and important topics would have been helpful for teaching and learning purposes. I would like to conclude by saying that the book is a perfect choice for apprising students of advances in the field of molecular biotechnology. S. Krishna Sundari Jaypee Institute of Information Technology, Noida, India E-mail: krishna.sundari@jiit.ac.in 102

Sherris Medical Microbiology as a Resource for Doctor of Pharmacy Students DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v13i1.403 Review of: Sherris Medical Microbiology, 5th edition; Kenneth Ryan et al.; (2010). McGraw Hill, New York, NY. 1026 pages. A challenge in teaching microbiology within a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) program is to convey the fundamentals of microbial pathogenesis, explain the basic principles of infectious disease, describe major pathogens, and introduce relevant drugs and their targets within the course of one semester. To meet this challenge, I searched for a microbiology textbook that covered the basic principles of microbiology, related these principles to medically-relevant microorganisms, and addressed specific infectious agents from epidemiology to therapeutic options. Sherris Medical Microbiology (5th Ed.) fulfilled many of these requirements. Sherris Medical Microbiology focuses on medically relevant pathogens and diseases, and gives enough background information to allow students to understand the fundamentals of infectious disease without straying into areas of microbiology that are not medically related. The text introduces basic principles of infectious disease, with individual chapters devoted to the immune response, diagnostic tools and epidemiology. Later chapters refer to these introductory chapters by page number when concepts are discussed again with regard to specific microorganisms. Groups of chapters are dedicated to pathogenic bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites. Each section contains chapters that address the general nature of each microorganism, as well as chapters that discuss specific agents (e.g., herpesviruses) or diseases (e.g., diarrheal viruses). The chapters regarding pathogenesis were especially useful, as they concisely described mechanisms by which each group of microorganisms cause disease without getting lost in experimental detail. For our PharmD students, the chapters on antimicrobial agents and resistance were very useful in initiating discussions on how resistance develops in different classes of microorganisms and the students own professional responsibility in helping to prevent such resistance. The book concludes with a series of chapters that reorganize some of the previous information by infectious syndromes (e.g., skin and wound infections or central nervous system infections), and these were very useful for considering case studies. Chapters dedicated to specific microorganisms are well organized and represent a major advantage of this textbook. They begin with a brief description of the basic biology of the microorganism, noting unique aspects of the life cycle or significant proteins.This is followed with a section on disease characteristics including succinct explanations of epidemiology, pathogenesis, and the development of immunity against the microorganism. The chapters conclude with clinical aspects addressing manifestations, treatment, and prevention. The clinical sections end with a case study, followed by questions regarding the disease and therapeutic treatment. While Volume 13, Number 1

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the Clinical Case questions are more focused on medical education, these questions were helpful in highlighting the clinical relevance and applications for each microorganism for PharmD students. A useful, though not unique, feature is an online assessment tool that provides multiple-choice questions to test a basic understanding. Additionally, margin notes are scattered liberally throughout the chapters, and provide concise bullet points to aid in emphasizing the main concepts. A criticism of this text is that some of the figure legends are underdeveloped, causing students to ask for clarification about details in the figure. While further clarification of the images is sometimes provided within the text, this feature was frustrating for many students. However, the figures as a whole are visually clear and compelling. Overall, Sherris Medical Microbiology addresses a wide range of information on medically relevant pathogens in a relatively concise format. The text is easy to read and approachable for a student who is delving into medical microbiology for the first time in their career, and could be a helpful resource for any student in the health sciences. Lauren A. ODonnell Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA E-mail: odonnel6@duq.edu A Useful Roadmap Through the World of Algae, Protozoa, and Fungi DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v13i1.405 Review of: Eukaryotic Microbes; Moselio Schaechter; (2012). Academic Press, San Diego, CA. 479 pages. At some point during the semester, instructors of Introductory Biology courses tell their students (rightly so) that, Protists are not a true group of related microbes; this is merely a catchall term for eukaryotic microbes. Eukaryotic Microbes, edited by Moselio Schaechter, does a good job in helping the reader understand this complexity, demonstrating the diversity of algae and protozoa, and highlighting some of the more interesting aspects of fungi. The book is logically separated into two partsfungi and protists. There is so much information on these microorganisms that one would expect a work composed of multiple volumes, but that is not the case. The authors have distilled the information into a reasonable 479 pages. The content appears to be current in taxonomic classifications and topics of interest in these fields of microbiology. The book is for people interested in the significant connections of these microorganisms to the environment. I really like two things about this book. First, the book is not an encyclopedia with entries for every single eukaryotic microbe discovered. The authors chose current and emerging topics in the study of algae, protozoa, and fungi. There is no attempt to discuss every single organism known. For example, fungi do not have a chapter devoted to each Volume 13, Number 1

major taxonomic group (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota, etc.) discussing every possible detail. Instead, chapter titles are Aspergillus, Endophytic Microbes, Yeasts, Fungal Infections, Lichens, and so on. I believe readers will find these selections more exciting than the traditional entries for fungi. The protists section of the book is just as interesting. This section is a bit more traditional in the fact that the chapters focus on the diversity of this group (Trypanosomes, Stramenopiles, Ciliates, and so on), but there are also chapters discussing secondary endosymbiosis and microbial food webs. Second, many chapters have ecological themes. Reading about significant connections between these microorganisms and the environment is more attention grabbing in my opinion, and may encourage more people to explore these areas in their research pursuits. The book is very straightforward and is definitely for readers with a science background. However, the writing is not so complicated that readers new to these topics will have difficulty grasping the information. Chapters end with a list of articles and books for those interested in investigating further, which is helpful to readers who want to learn more about specific concepts or the research discussed in the chapter. Many times the Further Readings lists alone are worth the price of the book. The chapters have a fair number of figures and tables to complement the text. They are well organized and designed. The illustrations are black and white, which never discourages scientists. Eukaryotic Microbes is a valuable desk reference for instructors who wish to refresh their own memories or pick up some engaging nuggets of information to use in their class presentations. I can definitely see the tables, figures, or illustrations making their way into lectures. Students will find it valuable in making connections between these important organisms and their environments. I can also see the book being used as a textbook for an upper-division undergraduate or graduate course that wants to highlight current knowledge in this field of microbiology. Jerry H. Kavouras Lewis University, Romeoville, IL E-mail: kavourje@lewisu.edu Mushrooms for the Millions DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.v13i1.407 Review of: MycophiliaRevelations from the Weird World of Mushrooms; Eugenia Bone; (2011). Rodale Press, Emmaus, PA. 348 pages. My first Biology class was a mushroom foraya hundred freshmen romping the woods collecting oysters, cramp balls, ink caps, fly agarics, liberty caps, and birds nest fungi. I was hooked for life. Several texts likewise capture these seductive creatures. So what does Eugenia Bones breezy and passionate Mycophilia brings to the table? She is a past president of the New York Mycological Society 103

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