"Expresses an infectious sense of wonder at the uniqueness of our species; it is hard not to be affected by his enthusiasm". ("Sunday Times"). What explains the staggering diversity of cultures in the world? Why are there so many languages, even within small areas? Why do we rejoice in rituals and w[...]

This text is one of the first major review of developments in the rapidly growing areas of genomics and proteomics.It provides a strong emphasis on placing genomics and proteomics in an evolutionary context. It highlights new research in the understanding of phenotypes as well as the links between g[...]