Most genetics textbooks deal adequately with plant and animal genetics,
but tend to neglect fungi except for two areas. Firstly, the ascus
segregations which, in the 1960s, contributed so much to developing an
understanding of the mechanism of recombination and secondly, the
contribution that work on yeast (as a model eukaryote) is currently
making to understanding cell cycle control and its genetic regulation.
Consequently, most introductory genetics texts will leave the
reader/student with the impression that fungi are of use when
peculiarities of their structure or life style suit them to particular
experimental approaches, but are not worth mentioning otherwise. The
authors have produced a book that will compensate for this imbalance.
This book discusses the genetics of fungi in a way that is attractive
and challenging, succinct yet comprehensive, sensitive to commercial and
applied aspects, yet also theoretical, dealing with their genetics from
molecules to individuals to population. This short text will be an ideal
supplement to the established basic textbooks in genetics or can be used
as the sole text for an advanced course devoted to fungal genetics.