Medical Biotechnology Doody's Expert Review Review Questionnaire ISBN: 9781555817053 ISBN-10: 155581705X Copyright: 2014 Edition: 1st Authors: Glick, Bernard R., Delovitch, Terry L., Patten, Cheryl L., Doody's Expert Review    Score: 93 Doody's Star Rating™ and Doody's Expert Review provide by Doody Enterprises, Inc. Reviewer: Sophie La Salle,  PhD  (Midwestern University) Description This book illustrates how biotechnology has impacted the practice of medicine in the last 40 years, relating relevant foundational information to therapeutic agent discovery, disease diagnosis, and clinical intervention. Purpose The purpose is to demystify the discipline of medical biotechnology and its impact on modern medicine by providing an appreciation of methods pursued by scientists to develop better diagnostic, prevention, and treatment options. The authors have undoubtedly achieved their goal: those seeking a fundamental understanding of biotechnological advances will surely be satisfied. Audience The book is written for individuals seeking a deeper understanding of biotechnological advances impacting the practice of modern medicine. Therefore, premedical and medical students, students from related healthcare fields (e.g. dentistry, pharmacy, nursing), as well as genetic counselors, physicians, and hospital administrators will find this book relevant. All three authors are well-established professors with vast teaching and research experience in areas directly related to this field. Drs. Glick and Patten have also coauthored Molecular Biotechnology: Principles and Applications of Recombinant DNA, 4th edition (ASM Press, 2010). Features This beautifully illustrated book is jargon-free and presents information in an easy-to-follow format. The first of its three main sections covers the fundamental principles of biology, immunology, genetics, microbiology, and pathology required to understanding biotechnologies. The two chapters in the second section introduce various approaches to produce therapeutic agents, while the final section discusses diagnostic methods currently used in the laboratory and the therapeutic approaches developed through the use of biotechnologies, including vaccines. The final chapter is especially refreshing since it broaches safety, ethical, patent, and economic issues related to biotechnology. As readers might expect, techniques used in the laboratory and experimental approaches used in the development of biotechnological advances are strongly emphasized, which greatly enhances the value of the book. The table of contents and the detailed index allow for easy navigation, while the glossary simplifies the learning experience. Some interesting features include the use of boxes to highlight topics or emphasize key concepts; end-of-chapter summaries; and the series of review questions to monitor reader comprehension. This book does not have any shortcomings per se, but readers should appreciate that topics it covers are those specifically relevant to the understanding of biotechnologies -- in other words, this book is not designed to fully cover any given subject. Altogether, it is a valuable learning tool for individuals seeking a deeper understanding of the application of biotechnologies to the practice of medicine. Assessment This book is a unique blend of basic knowledge and experimental strategy that will surely be beneficial for anyone wishing to understand how biotechnology enhances the practice of medicine. Readers should keep in mind that it is not meant to be a medical textbook or an all-encompassing reference. It instructs on the application of biotechnology to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, and it does so efficiently and intelligently. Review Questionnaire Range Question Score 1-10 Are the author's objectives met? 8 1-10 Rate the worthiness of those objectives. 8 1-5 Is this written at an appropriate level? 5 1-5 Is there significant duplication? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 5 1-5 Are there significant omissions? (1=significant, 5=insignificant) 4 1-5 Rate the authority of the authors. 5 1-5 Are there sufficient illustrations? 5 1-5 Rate the pedagogic value of the illustrations. 5 1-5 Rate the print quality of the illustrations. 5 1-5 Are there sufficient references? 5 1-5 Rate the currency of the references. 4 1-5 Rate the pertinence of the references. 5 1-5 Rate the helpfulness of the index. 5 1-5 If important in this specialty, rate the physical appearance of the book 5 1-10 Is this a worthwhile contribution to the field? 10 1-10 If this is a 2nd or later edition, is this new edition needed? N/A ©2024 Doody Enterprises, Inc.