We are poised at the doorway to a future which could surpass the Industrial Revolution in its impact on the world. We are beginning to scrutinize genes in order to read the very history of evolution, and to alter plants and animals in ways undreamed of only a few years ago. As the tools of science have become more sophisticated, scientists have been able to delve deeply into the inner recesses of cells. The fruit of their labor, the new biology, promises us an unprecedented understanding of genes, offering an illuminating view into the most intimate operations of living things from microbes...

This is a study of genetic mapping. The first six chapters address "molecular biology in a historical framework...Mapping and various kinds ofmaps (genetic, physical, sequence) are discussed...(Genetic disease), diagnosis, and therapy, constitute Chapter 8. Chapter 9 outlines the evolution of the sequencing plan as it grew out of a series of conferences...Chapter 10 reviews the questions involving science policy and allocation of available funds among various sectors of the biomedical research establishment. Chapter 11 covers the relationship of genome sequencing to disease, ethical issues,...