Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics

This is a beautifully illustrated non-fiction work written in conjunction with the Field Museum in Chiacgo, who were creating an exhibition of Mendel's life and work using many of the artefacts from the convent in Brno. This exhibition did a two-year tour of the US ending in September 2008. In a sense the book was a companion to the exhibition, enlarging on many of its themes. However, it stands alone as an exploration of Mendel and his legacy, dealing with his life and his great discoveries in some detail. Mendel occupies the first two-thirds of the book; the final third puts his discoveries into the context of the subsequent development of genetics, from T H Morgan to Crick and Watson, and then on into the 21st century. While it does not baulk at some of the complexities of the genetics, this is a book for the general reader who may be interested in knowing how the science of genetics got to where it is now.

Gregor Mendel: Planting the Seeds of Genetics is published by Harry N Abrams.

Gregor Mendel, a photoessay...