The first edition of this book, published in 1986, became a classic exposition of gene regulation, explaining in simple molecular terms how proteins bind DNA and turn genes on and off as the virus lambda grows in bacteria. For this third edition, Ptashne (Sloan-Kettering Memorial Cancer Center) adds a chapter describing recent advances that shed light on the lambda's genetic switch, and discusses recent findings on long-range interactions between proteins bound to widely separated sites on the phage genome. Numerous two-color explanatory illustrations are included. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)