Although lateral gene transfer was observed in bacteria almost fifty years ago, only recently are biologists beginning to appreciate its extent and significance. In Lateral DNA Transfer, Frederic Bushman provides a helpfully selective introduction to LGT; as the reviewer for Nature Cell Biology comments, "Rather than attempting to be an exhaustive resource for researchers in the field, his book aptly samples from the vast literature and takes special efforts to make it palatable and relevant to a wide audience." Bushman discusses LGT in bacteria and archaea, in eukaryotes (including a chapter on LGT and the AIDS epidemic), and even among the domains of life.