"Historically, genetics has been a student’s worse nightmare. This book by Professor Ed McConkey should change all that. Drawing on many years of experience teaching genetics, the author knows just how to say things to make this complex subject understandable. Part of the “trick” is to concentrate on the concepts rather than on the boring details. Equally important, this text is “disease-centered,” so the reader never loses sight of the real reason for studying this topic: understanding the genetic basis of human disease. I wish I had had this book when I was learning genetics!"

—Lauren Sompayrac, PhD
Retired Professor
Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology
University of Colorado
Boulder, CO

How The Human Genome Works…is a basic and introductory genetics primer especially written for students of the health sciences. It is a meticulously accurate survey of the natural history of the human genome, including mechanisms of mutation, genetic diseases, the role of the genome in medical practice, and so much more, which will prove fascinating and accessible to non-specialist general readers with an interest in human genetics as well. An excellent scientific instructional, explicit in its point-by-point detail, How The Human Genome Works is a superb introduction to one of the most inherently fascinating and quickly evolving of the biological sciences today.

—The Midwest Book Review

"Manages to be both accessible and sophisticated. A brief and accessible introduction to current human molecular genetics."

—Lawrence I. Grossman
Professor and Interim Director
Center for Molecular Medicine & Genetics
Wayne State University School of Medicine
Detroit, MI

“Seven lectures in this slender volume explain what the human genome is, what it does, and its implications in health and disease.  McConkey conveys the essential known information about genes and gene expression, mutations and disorders, and medical applications.  Particular attention is given to genetic diseases, mitochondria disorders, cancer, and developmental biology.

—Book News