A Source Book for Linkage in Man

reveals the simplicity of that casual equation by detailing for us over a hundred inherited medical disorders known to afflict the Jews. This comprehensive work is filled with valuable information gleaned from sources ranging from the Bible and Talmud to the most recent medical genetics. Providing perspective, the author first comments concisely on the origins and development of the world's Jewish communities, their genetic makeup, and genetic principles and analysis. He then describes the origin and prevalence of genetic diseases amongst the Jews. The bulk of the book is a compendium of diseases grouped according to the community affected: Ashkenazi, Sephardi or Oriental Jews. These include such disorders as abetalipoproteinemia, Niemann-Pick disease, glycogen storage disease, and selective vitamin B12 malabsorption. Goodman also considers disorders of unproven inheritance, dispelling the myths that diabetes mellitus, mental illness, mental retardation, myopia, or obesity are more prevalent among Jews than among non-Jews. To be complete, he also discusses nonpathological genetic traits and variants found in Jewish lines. Included in each disease description are a short history, clinical features, diagnosis, discussion of the basic biochemical defect and genetics insofar as these are known, prognosis and treatment, and extensive references. Goodman also provides sections dealing with issues of patient management: genetic counseling, prenatal diagnosis and screening, and therapeutic methods. Genetic Disorders is fascinating and insightful, and although primarily directed to physicians, medical geneticists, and genetic counselors, it should also interest biochemists, anthropologists, and sociologists. The clarity of organization and presentation make it accessible and interesting to the layman as well. This book, written by recognized experts in quantitative genetics, is one of a series of publications in population genetics by this group of authors. It is an astonishing compendium of our knowledge on gene assignment to chromosomes and known information on linkage. It begins with a list of abbreviations used. The marker name is given along with the McKusick number so the reference to the McKusick catalogue of Mendelian Inheritance in Man can be made. The chromosome number to which the gene has been assigned is listed. Terms are very clearly defined. There is a description of several pages of how lod scores are calculated so that one can use the scores of the log for odds of the linkage to determine how solid the linkage data presented are. A set of references accompanies that discussion. There follows a table of lod scores for all of …