Biotechnology

This work by Evens (currently research professor and consultant, Tufts Univ. School of Medicine, Center for the Study of Drug Development) is, as its title signals, an overview of the various facets of biotechnology that seeks to make the complexity of the industry accessible to non-experts, and in this respect Evens is largely successful. Experts may find particular chapters to be simplistic or superficial, but this may be forgiven as the cost of providing easy entry for the novice. The noticeable inclusion of discipline-specific terms or jargon may prove challenging to some readers, but the motivated among them should not be stymied by a specialized vocabulary in a field of interest. One remarkable strength of the book is its clear demonstration that the biotech industry integrates contributions across various domains (e.g., science, business, regulatory), thereby illuminating the synergy that drives the biotech juggernaut. The author's inclusion of lengthy lists of biotech products seems unwarranted, especially as these will likely be outdated before long. Each chapter includes a substantial bibliography, a feature that would be more useful to scholars if inline references/citations were also included in the text. That said, this is an exceedingly useful overview of biotechnology for the well-informed non-expert seeking to understand or perhaps enter the industry.

--M. S. Kainz, Ripon College, Choice Reviews and Highly Recommended

Summing Up: Highly recommended. Graduate students, faculty, and professionals. General readers.