Chromosomes, Genes, and Traits: An Introduction to Genetics [Revised Edition]

Reviewed by Matthew Fujita, Professor, University of Texas at Arlington on 5/5/25

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

This is a second edition textbook for an introductory genetics course. It is comprehensive and suitable for a semester-long course in genetics. The level of detail is great; it is not too much as to overwhelm students (such as some current textbooks), but also not so cursory as to make the topic unchallenging. I like how the book includes genomics topics (such as an early introduction into repetitive elements making up the bulk of eukaryotic genomes), which increases the relevance to today’s audience. I do wish there was some discussion on next and third generation sequencing technology; the authors do state that such topics change quickly, but in an education environment that is increasingly focused on skills development, this inclusion would be helpful. Another relevant topic to include is genetic engineering, given its popular appeal today (CRISPR).

Content Accuracy rating: 5

The book is accurate and I did not find any issues.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 4

The textbook covers nearly all of the material that is taught in introductory genetics, and as such is very relevant. Some contemporary subjects, such as genomics, is integrated throughout the chapters rather than as its standalone chapter that we see in some textbooks. I do think that some topics should be included in future editions, most important being CRISPR given its relevance in genomics research today.

Clarity rating: 5

For the most part, the text is clear. It is straight to the point and succinct, which is probably good for some students who do not like verbose reading. For some concepts, such as supercoiling, the book links some very useful videos; these will be helpful in instruction.

Consistency rating: 5

The book seems to be internally consistent, which provides stability for the students. It will be easy to adopt the textbook as an instructor will know what to expect from chapter to chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

The book seems designed so that the topics can be arranged according to an instructor's preference. For instance, in many courses, genetics starts with Mendelian inheritance, while others start with the biology of DNA. Both are perfectly fine ways to conduct a genetics course, and this book is modular enough to do either.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics are organized into units that are appropriate so that one or two chapters can cover a week in an introductory genetics course. Each chapter starts with learning objectives and an introductory scenario that brings relevance to the chapter. Sprinkled throughout the chapter are occasional questions to check the understanding of the material. The end includes a wrap up and exercises. This is fairly standard for a textbook that is effective and efficient.

Interface rating: 4

The book is generally consistent but I think there is some room for improvement. The interface is good and is very much like a traditional textbook, which allows it to be adaptable. If I were to change one thing, I would make it so that the “Test Your Understanding” exercises are embedded into the text rather than having to click to go to another website. I understand that this is nice to have interactive questions but I found they interrupted the flow of reading the book.

Some chapters have fairly extensive review questions, while others just have a few. Some figures are clear, while others tend to be blurry and/or pixelated. These are minor and can be addressed during lecture or additional homework. For the figures, many of these are well-known and open source, so unless original figures are drawn, it would be hard to fix. The chapter on DNA structure is missing Figure 16.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The book was largely free of grammatical errors. If there were any, they were not major and/or are easily fixable.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

I was very impressed with how the book highlights diverse individuals beyond the typical historical figures that we see in standard genetics textbooks. This will provide students with an increased sense of belonging. Furthermore, the book includes contemporary trends that will be familiar to students today; as an example, in introducing the topics of linkage, the authors have a short discussion about the ice bucket challenge as a way to raise awareness for ALS.

Comments

This is an impressive OER for genetics. I think with an expanded problem sets at the end of the chapter and perhaps even a study guide with answers, this will be a formidable resource for students and a strong competitor to publishers' books.