From the Publisher: "A research laboratory filled with competent, busy people entirely familiar with its arcane customs and practices is a daunting place for newcomers. Kathy Barker knows this world. She was a technician, an undergraduate, then a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts, and as a postdoctoral fellow and assistant professor at Rockefeller University, she was a mentor to grad students, physicians in training, technicians, and research nurses. From this rich experience, she has written At the Bench, a unique handbook for living and working in the laboratory. Much more than a simple primer or lab manual, this book is an essential aid to understanding: how research groups work at a human level-and how to fit in; what equipment is essential, and how to use it properly; how to get started and get organized; how to set up an experiment; how to handle and use data and reference sources; how to present yourself and your results-in print and in person. Wise, light-hearted, but thoroughly practical, Dr. Barker offers advice, moral support, social etiquette, and professional reassurance along with assume-nothing, step-by-step instructions for those basic but vital laboratory procedures that experienced investigators know-but may not realize novices don't. If you are a graduate student, a physician with research intentions, or a laboratory technician, this book is indispensable. If you have to manage or mentor such people, giving a copy to each of them will greatly improve your life, and theirs."