Methodology for Genetic Studies of Twins and Families

for each condition v; orientate the reader and give th personal flavour. There are inconsistencies in logy, for example, Down synd under D, other trisomies under syndrome is under K, triple X mosome XXX syndrome', XX under X, Turner syndrome u 45,X/48,XXYY mosaicism und minor criticism, but it adds to produced by the book's inflex and its air of encyclopaedic aut] Although it may be useful a prenatal diagnosis publication' this is not an ideal source o: when advising families about a is doubtful whether the format for a practical reference boc rapidly moving field. Methodology for Genetic Twins and Families. Mich Lon R Cardon. (Pp496; £99. Kluwer Academic Publishers. This book deals with the analys family data by model fitting, the computer package LISRE widely used package for struct modelling which has recently t particularly by quantitative ger The first few chapters focus etics and statistics before movin nations of model fitting. T chapters are fairly clear a chapters 6 and 7 are difficult fo maticians, the authors do say Lo be the most tents of these two chapters can be skipped. yout results in However, for those unfamiliar with LISnd findings of REL, the assimilation of chapter 8 is crucial an inordinate in order to understand the successive ive and critical chapters and to comprehend the LISREL vould help to scripts. The remaining chapters deal with the e book a more application of LISREL to univariate and multivariate genetic analyses and become the terminoprogressively more difficult, so that the last [rome is listed few chapters are hard to follow for those T, Klinefelter unfamiliar with LISREL. under 'ChroThe positive aspects of this book are that YY syndrome the beginning chapters start from scratch and under T, and allow for the reader having little previous ler 4. This is a experience in this field. The chapter on ithe irritation matrix algebra is particularly clear. Although ;ible approach on first glance this book looks very mathemahority. tical, if followed carefully and in order, the as a survey of authors take the reader logically through s up to 1991, each step. Thus with perseverance, most f information explanations can be followed by those with pregnancy. It little mathematical expertise. In addition, the is appropriate inclusion of real twin data to illustrate the )k in such a different types of model is very helpful. The main criticism of the book is that the title suggests more than the book actually N R DENNIS gives. The book is primarily focused on the LISREL program and its applications. LISREL scripts are incorporated into each Studies of chapter. Thus it consists of a specific introLael C Neale, duction to the uses and methods of LISREL . 00. ) London: in analysing data, rather than a general text 1992. on the analysis of twin data. In conclusion this book is not suitable as sis of twin and general reading for those who want an intromainly using duction to analysing twin data. It is too _L. This is a specific, requires too much perseverance and tural equation motivation to work through, and may be been taken up offputting to a novice. However, it is likely to neticists. be useful and of great interest to those who on basic genare specifically planning to learn how to use ig on to explaLISREL. More experienced quantitative he first five geneticists, who are non-LISREL users, will nd although also find it useful as an overview. ir non-mathethat the conANITA THAPAR