Behavioral Genetics (5th edition).

Robert Plomin, John C. DeFries, Gerald E. McClearn, Peter McGuffin. (2008). Worth Publishers, New York, 505 pp., US$115.95, ISBN 10 1 4292 0577 6 Reviewed by Timothy C. Bates, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom The purpose of Behavioral Genetics 5th edition (BG) is to cover the knowns and unknowns of behavior genetics, conveying the excitement of the field, its prospects, and something of the methods. Like the important American Psychologist (AP) paper Intelligence: Knowns and Unknowns (Neisser et al., 1996), BG is designed to convey a consensus, in this case across fields as diverse as autism and xenophobia. Establishing and communicating this consensus is especially important for behavior genetics when many students are relatively unaware of the existence of biological differences. To meet this bold purpose the book needs to be accessible to those new to genetics while remaining accurate, and this goal is met admirably. The text is suffused with a calm and even handed approach that allows it to address its pedagogical task far better than most texts. It has been honed across the decades, including a complete rewrite (3rd edition), and, now, two rounds of fine-tuning. This polish pays off: the book reads very well, is well indexed, and integrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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