Essential Cell Biology

What little I know of molecular biology was learned from reading the first edition of James Watson's Molecular Biology of the Gene (Just out in a new $$$ixth edition). It was a very good book, but that was a few decades ago, so much has been learned and forgotten (by biologists and by me, respectively) in the interim. Since I have again become interested in molecular evolution, I thought I could use a review and update.

The gold standard these days, so far as I can tell, is The Molecular Biology of the Cell, by Bruce Alberts and a team of seven, supposedly now available in a brand new (I can't find a copyright date yet) fifth edition. This, however, is a $142.00, three kilogram, 1728 page fine print monster, so I think I will pass, or at least wait until a cheap used copy is available. It has a baby brother, Essential Cell Biology by Alberts and most of the same cast, and I found it on my son's bookshelf, so I will try a read of that.

Any other advice from those in the know?

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