Book excerpt: Interest in theoretical biology is rapidly growing and this 1981 book attempts to make the theory more accessible to experimentalists. Its primary purpose is to demonstrate to experimental molecular and cellular biologists the possible usefulness of mathematical models. Biologists with a basic command of calculus should be able to learn from the book what assumptions are implied by various types of equations, to understand in broad outline a number of major theoretical concepts, and to be aware of some of the difficulties connected with analytical and numerical solutions of mathematical problems. Thus they should be able to appreciate the significance of theoretical papers in their fields and to communicate usefully with theoreticians in the course of their work.