The publication of the 3rd edition of this established text-book comes at a time when both public and professional in-terest in clinical genetics is escalating. The breadth of top-ics covered, using clear text and an accessible format, willbe welcomed by any reader needing information about thespecialty of clinical genetics and what it can offer.

Basic concepts, such as Mendelian inheritance, com-mon chromosomal disorders, single gene disorders, dys-morphology and teratogenesis, risk assessment and thegenetics of common disorders, are well covered in this asin many other medical genetics textbooks. The notablefeature in the ABC books is the intelligent use of summaryboxes, tables and high quality colour illustrations, makingthem particularly easy for the non-expert to comprehendquickly.

What sets this book apart is the coverage of topicsrarely addressed in other basic texts on medical genetics.Novel chapters on the development and configuration oftypical clinical genetics services and on the process of ge-netic assessment and genetic counselling are included.These explain what is likely to be offered to the patients

that are referred and outline the sorts of problems that aClinical Genetics Department can help with. In addition,most family doctors will find the new chapter on cancergenetics particularly helpful, as more and more patientsseek information about the likely impact of a family his-tory of cancer on their own risk. If anything, in these earlychapters the authors could perhaps have made clearer thefact that not all UK Genetics Departments operate in thesame way. Protocols for predictive genetic testing, for ex-ample, can vary and referral and management guidelinesfor familial cancer differ widely. Chapters on the tech-niques of DNA analysis, gene mapping and molecular pa-thology, chromosome analysis and prenatal diagnosis il-lustrate well the complexity of the field of clinical genet-ics and the fundamental importance of the multidiscipli-nary approach used by genetics services. Some may besurprised to see a chapter on the treatment of genetic dis-orders, but readers will appreciate how much can be donealready to help those disadvantaged by inherited disease,as well as seeing the potential that gene therapy might of-fer. The final chapter on the internet and human geneticsis a useful guide for those interested in finding out more.

Medical students, family doctors and indeed all healthprofessionals involved in the care of those with, or at riskof, genetic disorders, will find the ABC of Clinical Geneticsto be an excellent introductory text. It is an ambitious bookthat will answer many of their questions, as well as stim-ulating further interest in this fascinating field.

Julia Rankin

Helen M. Kingston: ABC of Clinical Genetics (3rd edn)BJM Books, ISBN 0727916270, softcover, £17.95

Hum Genet (2003) 112 : 321DOI 10.1007/s00439-002-0879-z

Published online: 18 January 2003

BOOK REVIEW

J. Rankin (✉)Department of Clinical Genetics, Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Exeter, EX2 5DW, UKTel.: +44-1392-403151, Fax: +44-1392-403151,e-mail: julia.rankin@rdehc-tr.swest.nhs.uk

© Springer-Verlag 2003