This page is managed by the BiGCaT Bioinformatics group and gives a selection of interesting and useful books on bioinformatics and genomics in general.

A number of interesting books written for the general public. Books that anyone interested in genomics or genetics simply shouldn't miss.

1. Matt Ridley: Genome.
   

   The genome's been mapped. But what does it mean? Arguably the most significant scientific discovery of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will affect the rest of your life. Genome offers extraordinary insight into the ramifications of this incredible breakthrough. By picking one newly discovered gene from each pair of chromosomes and telling its story, Matt Ridley recounts the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to the brink of future medicine. From Huntington's disease to cancer, from the applications of gene therapy to the horrors of eugenics, Matt Ridley probes the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues arising as a result of the mapping of the genome. It will help you understand what this scientific milestone means for you, for your children, and for humankind. Ook verkrijgbaar in het Nederlands: Matt Ridley: Genoom het recept voor een mens.

2. Bryan Sykes: The Seven Daughters of Eve.
   

   This bestseller reveals reveals how we are descended from seven prehistoric women. One of the most dramatic stories of genetic discovery since James Watson's The Double Helix, The Seven Daughters of Eve reveals the remarkable story behind a groundbreaking scientific discovery. After being summoned in 1997 to an archaeological site to examine the remains of a five-thousand-year-old man, Bryan Sykes ultimately was able to prove not only that the man was a European but also that he has living relatives in England today. In this lucid, absorbing account, Sykes reveals how the identification of a particular strand of DNA that passes unbroken through the maternal line allows scientists to trace our genetic makeup all the way back to prehistoric times, to seven primeval women, the Seven Daughters of Eve. Ook verkrijgbaar in het Nederlands: Bryan Sykes: De zeven dochters van Eva.

3. Bryan Sykes: Adam's curse a future without men.

   The inside story of the Y chromosome's fatal flaw, as told by one of the world's leading geneticists. Male reproductive fragility has been the subject of much highly publicized recent research. Is it possible, asked the New York Times, that men face extinction? Bryan Sykes examines the validity of these shocking reports, focusing on the defining characteristic of men: the Y chromosome in their DNA. Guiding his readers through chapters like "The Blood of Vikings" and "Ribbons of Life," Sykes masterfully blends natural history with scientific fact, elucidating the biology of sexual reproduction, modern genetics, and evolutionary biology. He reveals that, while the Y chromosome makes man's existence possible, it also carries within it the seeds of his destruction. Timely and fascinating, this major work covers a wealth of controversial topics, including whether there is a genetic cause for male greed, aggression, and promiscuity; the possible existence of a male homosexual gene; and what, if anything, can be done to save men from a slow, but certain, extinction.   Ook verkrijgbaar in het Nederlands: Bryan Sykes: Een toekomst zonder mannen.

Books that help us to get the general things right

1. Barnes and Kolling: Objects First with Java: A Practical Introduction Using BlueJ
   

   We use this book as the standard book for our Java course. In this course gene expression timecourse data from microarray studies are clustered using K-means and custom made clustering methods which coded in Java. Clustering results are visualized. Students work in small groups. They reach useful results after a single Java course working with real data.   Veel studenten zullen de Nederlandse versie prefereren.

If you need to program specific for bioinformatics needs here are some books that might be useful

1. Dwyer: Genomic Perl – From Bioinformatics Basics to Working Code
   

   “To my knowledge, there wasn’t a single book which related genomic information to script-oriented programming and the other way around in a simple and effective manner. Rex Dwyer made it possible by writing this masterpiece which can be used by biologists who want to further develop their programming skills and by programmers who want to know more about the biological background of a genomic issue. Each chapter is well-structured. First a biological background is presented in which a problem occurs. The solution is presented through writing a Perl script which is explained thoroughly through step by step descriptions. A small drawback can be found in the absence of a proper explanation of some basic programming principles, for example ‘What is a hash?’ and ‘Why choose a hash above an array?’. In general this book spans a great area (DNA Transcription, Phylogeny, Sequence databases, multiple alignments, etc.) and instantly focuses on the need of the development of several programs.   On a personal note I recommend this book to all biologists who posses some basic programming skills in order to further refine their knowledge. Experienced programmers with an interest in a detailed genomic background will find this book an excellent reference. “ S. Gaj – Dept. of Human Biology (BiGCaT BioInformatics)   “This book gives a review of major topics in computational molecular biology. Dwyer describes each problem in a clear way, both from biological as computational view, making the book well suited for readers from both disciplines. Starting with the basic definitions, he step by step builds up complete Perl scripts. These scripts are also included on CD-ROM, inviting you to experiment further.“ A. van Erk – BiGCaT BioInformatics