Gillespie (evolution, U. of California-Davis) takes a minimalist approach to population genetics in this text for short courses by focusing on that part of the field that is central and incontrovertible. He begins with genetic variation, describing the Hardy-Weinberg law, and variation in Drosopila. He describes genetic drift, including the roles of mutation and molecular evolution. He then describes natural selection, two-locus dynamics, nonrandom mating, and quantitative genetics, and concludes by describing the evolutionary advantage of sex, including the principles of Muller's ratchet and Kondrashov's hatchet. Gillespie gives the answers to exercises after each chapter, and includes a summary of the mathematical necessities, including probability, inherent in population genetics. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)