The fast pace of modern molecular biology research is driven by intellectual curiosity and major challenges in medicine, agriculture, and industry. No discipline in biology has ever experienced the explosion in growth and popularity that molecular biology is now undergoing. There is intense public interest in the Human Genome Project and genetic engineering, due in part to fascination with how our own genes influence our lives, from tracing ancestry through at-home DNA testing, to the promise of gene therapy and personalized genetic medicine. But the amount of data that accumulates within the space of a few months can be mind-boggling, even to the experienced researcher. How then can students’ best be prepared to cope with the fast-paced movement of this field? The answer lies in a textbook of manageable size—one that allows students to develop a solid foundation in the essentials of molecular biology, and also provides them with the tools for understanding new discoveries.