Craig Coleman

What sets this biography apart from others of Gregor Mendel is that it is written by a scientist and master teacher who understands the science of genetics. It is fascinating to read about the influence of leading scientists on the thinking of Mendel and how that influence led Mendel to conduct and interpret his famous experiments on pea plants. Of particular interest is the remarkable insight into the connection between Darwin and Mendel, two of the most important scientists of the nineteenth century. A bonus features in the book is a new English translation of Mendel's paper that reflects the influence of Darwin's On the Origin of Species on Mendel's experimental report. It is easy to feel Dr. Fairbanks enthusiasm and admiration for his subject and that feeling rubbed off quite well onto this reader. The book is illustrated with interesting sketches by Dr. Fairbanks's own hand of people and places important to Mendel's story. As a professor of genetics, I appreciated how this important biography contributed to our understanding of the origins of the science that has been such an important part of my own scientific research. Bravo, Dr. Fairbanks. Well done!