27 



phibian gastrula; the responding tissue (the ectoderm); heterogeneous in- 

 ductors; diffusibihty of inductive agents; chemistry of inductive agents; an 

 immunological approach to the problem of induction; conceptions of primary 

 induction and their experimental basis; and theories in the light of experi- 

 mental data. 



The authors subdivided the analysis of the primary induction process into 

 a number of episodes which they characterised as the hopeful "twenties", the 

 rather confused "thirties", the depressed "forties", the more optimistic 

 "fifties" and the coming "sixties". 



At the beginning of the sixties the comprehensive survey of the literature 

 on the analysis of this fundamental process of development will certainly be 

 highly appreciated by all embryologists. It is therefore hoped that this book 

 will give a real stimulus to further analysis in the "explosive" episode of the 

 "sixties". 



The chapters are illustrated with many diagrams, drawings and photographs. 

 The book gives a very extensive list of references and a subject index. 



36. "NEW PATTERNS IN GENETICS AND DEVELOPMENT" 



1962 



by C. H. Waddington Columbia Univ. Press 



(nr. XXI of the Columbia Biol. Series) New York and London 



271 pp., 11 figs., 24 pis. Price: $ 10.— 



We are very happy to announce this new monograph on "new patterns in 

 genetics and development" dealing with the central problem of the gejnetical 

 interpretation of differentiation, the structural organization at the supra- 

 molecular, cellular and tissue levels. The author has tried to synthesize data 

 and outlooks in the two fields of genetics and development, bringing together 

 new discoveries in microbiological genetics and molecular biology, and new 

 information from electron microscopy, autoradiography and immunology. 



The book is based on a set of six Jesup lectures given at Columbia Uni- 

 versity in April and May 1961. The author discusses possible interactions 

 between different genes and the actions of the genes upon primary and 

 secondary protein synthesis, for which fascinating new evidence has recently 

 accumulated. He then considers the significance of cellular ultrastructure in 

 the kinetics of gene action and distinguishes a number of categories of form 

 generation in the cell, and so tries to approach the ultimate biological pattern 

 formation through the study of morphogenesis in single cells and through 

 various steps of multicellular morphogenesis. 



This book demonstrates that the disciplines of embryology and genetics 

 merge completely with one another. 



Like all this author's books, the essays are written in a very clear and sti- 

 mulating form, and are of particular interest to geneticists, as well as embryo- 

 logists, as an aid to understanding each other's methods of analysis and lines 

 of thinking. 



The chapters are illustrated with original diagrams and drawings. A large 

 number of microphotographs and electron micrographs are inserted in the 

 middle of the book. The book has an extensive list of references of genetical 

 and embryological work and gives an author and subject index. 



