The motivation for us to conceive this work on regulation was mainly our belief that it would be fun, and at the same time productive, to approach the subject in a way that differs from that of other treatises. We thought it might be interesting and instructive-for both author and reader-to examine a particular area of investigation in a framework of many different problems. Cutting across the traditional boundaries that have separated the sub- jects in past volumes on regulation is not an easy thing to do-not because it is difficult to think of what interesting topics should replace the old...

The motivation for us to produce a treatise on regulation was mainly our convic- tion that it would be fun, and at the same time productive, to approach the subject in a way that differs from that of other treatises. We had ourselves written reviews for various volumes over the years, most of them bringing together all possible facts relevant to a particular operon, virus, or biosynthetic system. And we were not convinced of the value of such reviews for anyone but the expert in the field reviewed. We thought it might be more interesting and more instructive-for both author and reader-to...