Demographic genetics / edited by Kenneth M. Weiss and Paul A. Ballonoff.

Date:
[1975], ©1975
Catalogue details

Licence: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)

Credit: Demographic genetics / edited by Kenneth M. Weiss and Paul A. Ballonoff. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/440 (page VII)
    SERIES EDITOR'S PREFACE The study of any discipline assumes the mastery of the literature of the subject. In many branches of science, even one as new as genetics, the expansion of knowledge has been so rapid that there is little hope of learning of the development of all phases of the subject. The student has difficulty mastering the textbook, the young scholar must tend to the literature near his own research, the young instructor barely finds time to expand his horizons to meet his class-preparation requirements, the monographer copes with a wider literature but usually from a specialized viewpoint, and the textbook author is forced to cover much the same material as previous and competing texts to respond to the user's needs and abilities. Few publishers have the dedication to scholarship to serve primarily the limited market of advanced studies. The opportunity to assist pro¬ fessionals at all stages of their careers has been recognized by the pub¬ lishers and by a distinguished group of editors knowledgeable in spe¬ cific portions of the genetic literature. Some have contributed heavily to the development of that literature, some have studied with the early scholars, and some have and are in the process of developing entirely new fields of genetic knowledge. In many cases, the judgments of the editors become an historical document recording their opinion of the important steps in the development of the subject. These editors have selected papers and portions of papers that demonstrate both the de¬ velopment of knowledge and the atmosphere in which that knowledge was developed. There is no substitute for reading great papers. Here you can learn how questions are asked, how they are approached, and how difficult and essential it is to obtain definitive answers and clear writing. My own pleasure in working with this distinguished panel is only exceeded by the considerable pleasure of reading their remarks and their selections. Their dedication and wisdom are impressive. This volume presents a selection of literature that constitutes Benchmark papers in demographic genetics, a field that has been em- vii