<Almost every page introduces interesting, unanswered problems-a goldmine for students in search of a thesis topic 3 Lynch goes a step further by combining molecular mechanisms and evolutionary theory into a coherent evolutionary genom ics framework and cla iming it as the next phase of evolutionary biology. the ability to straddle both disciplines is rare and hardly attempted in the other direction few molecular biologists know much about evolutionary biology. Rightly Lynch laments this asymmetry This book is a must-read for every genome researcher evolutionary biolo gists will also prof it. It reviews and analyses, competently and thoroughly a huge range of topics, from the origin of eukaryotes to sex chromosomes. It is the best, most up-to-date and thorough summary of genome evolution published. Arguments hypotheses and supporting data are presented clearly and cross-referenced. Only the most necessary equations interrupt the flow. Almost every page introduces interesting unanswered problems, making it a goldmine for graduate students search of a thesis topic. Rarely have i scribbled so many pencil marks in a books margins The last chapter, distinctively entitled"Genomfart"(meaning place of passageor the way forward in Swedish), discusses how much scientif ic meat lies behind fashionable buzzwords such as complexity modular ity robustness and evolvability. It alone provides enough intellectual fodder for a stimulating seminar series. Not every evolutionary biologist, genome researcher or 'evo-devo-ist will agree with Lynch's strong op in ions that largely non-ada ptive forces shaped genomes but it is a debate worth having As long as we remain unsure what a gene is, we are a long way from understanding genome evolution. That so much is still unknown should not worry us. Rather, it shou ld reassure the next generation of evolutionary genomic biolog ists that there is much to be discoveredAlmost every page introduces interesting, unanswered problems — a goldmine for students in search of a thesis topic. Lynch goes a step further by combining molecular mechanisms and evolutionary theory into a coherent evolutionary genomics f ramework and claiming it as the next phase of evolutionary biology. The ability to straddle both disciplines is rare and hardly attempted in the other direction — few molecular biologists know much about evolutionary biology. Rightly, Lynch laments this asymmetry. This book is a must-read for every genome researcher; evolutionary biologists will also profit. It reviews and analyses, competently and thoroughly, a huge range of topics, f rom the origin of eukaryotes to sex chromosomes. It is the best, most up-to-date and thorough summary of genome evolution published. Arguments, hypotheses and supporting data are presented clearly and cross-referenced.Only the most necessary equations interrupt the flow. Almost every page introduces interesting, unanswered problems, making it a goldmine for graduate students in search of a thesis topic. Rarely have I scribbled so many pencil marks in a book's margins. The last chapter, distinctively entitled "Genomfart" (meaning 'place of passage' or 'the way forward' in Swedish), discusses how much scientific meat lies behind fashionable buzzwords such as complexity, modularity, robustness and evolvability. It alone provides enough intellectual fodder for a stimulating seminar series. Not every evolutionary biologist, genome researcher or 'evo-devo-ist' will agree with Lynch's strong opinions that largely non-adaptive forces shaped genomes, but it is a debate worth having. As long as we remain unsure what a gene is, we are a long way f rom understanding genome evolution. That so much is still unknown should not worry us. Rather, it should reassure the next generation of evolutionary genomic biologists that there is much to be discovered