The 10 Best Genetics Textbooks

Geared toward those breaking into the subject at the college level, Genetics: A Conceptual Approach (appx. $214) focuses on big-picture principles and how they relate to each other. And if you're a visual learner, you'll be glad of its abundance of full-color photographs and diagrams.

If you're interested in learning about varied concepts in an uncomplicated fashion, then you'll appreciate Biotechnology, 2nd Edition (appx. $112), which covers everything from basic DNA structures and plant and animal transgenics to up-and-coming sequencing technologies, like CRISPR.

Stemming from the work of an internationally-recognized authority, The Biology of Cancer (about $236) is exhaustive, yet still manages to be an interesting read. It emphasizes gene instability and mutations with clarity, but bear in mind that it's geared toward advanced students.

Now in its twelfth edition, Concepts of Genetics (around $178) emphasizes fundamental principles while exploring modern techniques and applications to give readers a well-rounded foundation. It has been extensively updated to include important emerging topics, too.

Genetics: Analysis and Principles (appx. $90) uses an intriguing tactic to introduce students to the material: it weaves a few experiments into the narrative of every chapter, thereby exposing readers to the scientific method while presenting the theories behind each inquiry.

In addition to understanding complex processes, students of this discipline need to know how to analyze data and draw their own conclusions, which is where Introduction to Genetic Analysis (about $228) comes in. The authors focus on landmark experiments to get their points across.

Human Genetics (around $104) seeks to empower people by informing them of their hereditary backgrounds and the environments they can thrive in. It chronicles the evolution of humankind and highlights the fascinating commonalities we share while examining the clues to our diversity.

If botany is your field, then you'll find much to enjoy in Principles of Plant Genetics and Breeding (about $59). It details the exhaustive effort that goes into global feeding systems and hits on everything from molecular tools to how we propagate the largest, most common crops.

Introduction to Veterinary Genetics (appx. $56) is one of the few volumes out there written specifically for animal science students, but it would prove quite useful for breeders, too, since it provides guidance on inheritance, chromosomal aberrations, and cosmetic characteristics.

Genetics: Analysis of Genes and Genomes (about $75) employs an unconventional structure. Rather than building on each section as it progresses, it uses self-contained chapters that can be applied to fit any course design, whether they use a genome-first or chromosome-early approach.