By M. Denny and S. Gaines Princeton University Press (2002) pp. 424. ISBN 0-691-09494-2 (pbk) £19.95 / $29.95.
As a teacher of introductory biology, I try very hard to instill in my students the fact that quantitative reasoning is an integral tool for life sciences. Thus I am constantly on the lookout for potential books that simultaneously are of interest to students of biology, exemplify the importance of mathematical skills for understanding biological phenomena, and are accessible at an introductory level. Although few, if any, books meet these criteria, Chance in Biology, by Mark Denny and Steven Gaines,is a strong contender on at least two fronts, and while it may be too sophisticated for first-year college students without much experience in biology or mathematics it can serve admirably in various contexts for more advanced undergraduates, graduate students and faculty alike.
As befits a book exploring the uses of probability theory...
