If you can imagine talking someone down from a very high ledge, you will immediately recognize the calming tone used throughout this book. It is presumably intended to lull computer and net-phobic novices into lowering their defences long enough to learn something useful, and will probably work. Subject coverage is broad, but patchy and lacks depth. This can be a little frustrating at times, especially when it veers from basic to advanced topics with little warning. These problems are ameliorated somewhat by the extensive list of links to web-based tools and resources, all of which appear to be current and active, but which won't last forever. Given that it is fairly costly, it is probably most suitable for laboratories and institutions rather than individuals - anywhere there is likely to be a healthy supply of first-timers who need guiding through their first experiences of biological computing.