Ward JM Mahler JF Maronpot RR Sundberg JP

Pathology of Genetically Engineered Mice, Ames, IA, Iowa State University Press, 394pp, 2000, ($174.95).

This book grew out of a symposium sponsored by the National Institutes of Health in 1999. The editors (three from NIH and one from The Jackson Laboratory) and the publishers deserve to be congratulated for presenting it to us so fast.

The printers cannot keep pace with the progress of science, and thus it is self evident that many data published here have been superseded by newer developments. Nevertheless, this book is an important cornerstone providing a baseline for future endeavors of this kind. Although it is not comprehensive, and accordingly does not cover all the existing mouse models of human diseases, it still contains a wealth of data. Its illustrations are well chosen, reproduced as high-quality color photographs. The text is succinct but informative and profusely referenced. A basic knowledge of pathology is needed for a good understanding of the pictures, but even those who do not use microscopes on a daily basis will profit from studying the material covered in this book.

This monograph is highly recommended to experimental pathologists dealing with biologically engineered mice, but it will be welcomed by many other scientists in academia and industry as well.