Although published in the Methods in Molecular Biology series, this book offers a lot more than a collection of recipes. They are there in full - but are accompanied with comprehensive troubleshooting notes and pitfall-avoidance tips. Interspersed are concise reviews focusing on current growth areas in the prion field. Just as well, because it is the rule for this subject that any 'advance' will be attended by controversy and disagreement. That is not because the workers are particularly disputatious; they arise from the appallingly difficult technical problems they face. Simple clean experiments are pipe dreams. Viciously sticky proteins and infectivity assays that sooner or later depend on tests in mice make them so. The reviews in the book do a good analytical job in navigating these issues. The protocols are clear and authoritative. For those entering the field it would be an excellent guide.