CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON
DEPARTMENT OF EMBRYOLOGY
WOLFE AND MADISON STREETS
BALTIMORE 5, MARYLAND

Dr. Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics
Stanford University
School of Medicine
Stanford, California

Dear Josh:

For several years I have been concerned with the
content and quality of teaching of basic biology at high
school and introductory college levels. The newer concepts
of cellular and molecular biology are, with a few notable
exceptions, not taught in our colleges, hence not in the
high schools. Most elementary courses are cut and dried,
failing to arouse the enthusiasm of the better students.
Perhaps I am motivated to think about these problems
because my own children are nearing high school age —
or perhaps because in leaving university ranks for my
present position I gave up personal contact with students —
apart from graduate students. But leaving my personal
motivations aside, I am writing Specifically to try to
persuade you (if persuasion is necessary) to play an
important role in the teaching of basic college biology.
Several of us are planning a new venture, a series of
basic biology books, in cooperation with Rinehart and
Company. We expect to publish a Basic Blology Series,
oriented about cell biology, a series of eight short
books, which we hope will replace the conventional general
biology textbook. Each of these books, which will be about
150 pages long, will be written not just by someone well
schooled in the subject, but by someone who is capable of
presenting new ideas with enthusiasm, with zest — in the
new setting demanded by the problems that are evolving.

In short we seek an unconventional and inspiring, yet
precise approach. We would like very much to have
manuscripts for the first four volumes (Cell Biology,
Genetics, Growth and Development, Evolution) in hand by
about January, 1961. Ariel Loewy who has been teaching
an exciting course in Cell Biology at Haverford will do
the book on Cell Biology, and I am tackling the book on
Growth and Development. We would like very much to have
you present the elements of genetics, as you see them,
Dr. Joshua Lederberg -2- July 15, 1959

to beginning students. It will not be easy to present one's
ideas in about 150 pages — it will take imagination and
serious thought -— and hard work — to produce something
other than a series of notes.

You may ask why Rinehart instead of one of the publishers
usually associated with biology textbooks? This is a new
venture; Rinehart pioneered in producing first-rate works
(low cost, often paper-back, as we believe our series should
be) in other fields, e.g. English — and is now prepared to
enter the field of biology. They are anxious that their debut
be successful from the point of view of scholarship (as well
as being a commercial success). We are assured of full
cooperation — the best artist available — etc. I hardly
need add that I expect the series to be financially rewarding

to the authors. In fact, Rinehart has prepared a very generous
and unusual contract.

I know how busy you must be in establishing your new
laboratory and in tackling the problems of somatic cell genetics.
At the same time, your leadership in the latter area makes it

all the more important that you think seriously about this
invitation. I do hope you will elect to talk further about it;
you name the place and time.

pest Do you see Cliff Grobstein often? Please give him my
est.

Cordially yours,

JDEzeg1 angs D. Ebert