|
|
Books : Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters (P.S.)In association with Amazon.comby: Matt Ridley  List Price: $14.95 Amazon.com's Price: $10.17 You Save: $4.78 (32%)Prices subject to change. Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping.
Binding: PaperbackDewey Decimal Number: 599.935 EAN: 9780060894085 ISBN: 0060894083 Label: Harper Perennial Manufacturer: Harper Perennial Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 368 Publication Date: June 01, 2006 Publisher: Harper Perennial Release Date: May 30, 2006 Studio: Harper Perennial Sales Rank: 12547 Related Items:
Editorial Review: Product Description: The genome's been mapped. But what does it mean? Arguably the most significant scientific discovery of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will affect the rest of your life. Genome offers extraordinary insight into the ramifications of this incredible breakthrough. By picking one newly discovered gene from each pair of chromosomes and telling its story, Matt Ridley recounts the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to the brink of future medicine. From Huntington's disease to cancer, from the applications of gene therapy to the horrors of eugenics, Matt Ridley probes the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues arising as a result of the mapping of the genome. It will help you understand what this scientific milestone means for you, for your children, and for humankind. Amazon.com Review: Science writer Matt Ridley has found a way to tell someone else's story without being accused of plagiarism. Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters delves deep within your body (and, to be fair, Ridley's too) looking for dirt dug up by the Human Genome Project. Each chapter pries one gene out of its chromosome and focuses on its role in our development and adult life, but also goes further, exploring the implications of genetic research and our quickly changing social attitudes toward this information. Genome shies away from the "tedious biochemical middle managers" that only a nerd could love and instead goes for the A-material: genes associated with cancer, intelligence, sex (of course), and more. Readers unfamiliar with the jargon of genetic research needn't fear; Ridley provides a quick, clear guide to the few words and concepts he must use to translate hard science into English. His writing is informal, relaxed, and playful, guiding the reader so effortlessly through our 23 chromosomes that by the end we wish we had more. He believes that the Human Genome Project will be as world-changing as the splitting of the atom; if so, he is helping us prepare for exciting times--the hope of a cure for cancer contrasts starkly with the horrors of newly empowered eugenicists. Anyone interested in the future of the body should get a head start with the clever, engrossing Genome. --Rob Lightner Average Rating:
 Rating:  - So much more than geneticsThis is a book that is at it's core about genetics and genetic research, but the author does an amazing job of tying what has been discovered in the field to how it affects our upbring, our society and even our individual moods. One point that Matt Ridley seems to want to drive home is that the old nature vs. nurture controversy is obsolete and borderline ridiculous. Rather, he feels that the fabric of our being is a much more complex system than any reductionist theory could capture. This is ... Read More Rating:  - Great Read, Interesting Primer on Our GenesThis is a wonderful read as: science, non-fiction generally, and as a primer on our genes, what they do, and how they work. I find Ridley to be one of the best science writers for the general public and this book is no exception. Ridley leads us on an interesting and informative tour of some of the aspects of our genes. He touches on the junk DNA, mechanisms for changes in the chromosomes, how genes express them selves in proteins and the phenotype, some genetic diseases (he opines ... Read More Rating: - serendipitous genesI am not a geneticist and therefore have a very tiny knowledge of our genes. I am however, intensely interested in them, and in learning about them, so I bought this book as a result of searching and recommendations. And I am THOROUGHLY enjoying it! I am not understanding all of it, of course. The entire book is crammed with information, but in such a wonderful writing style that it becomes joyful to be fed massive treasure troves of facts and figures. One thing that I have come to realize with ... Read More Rating: - Excellent BookI read this book with only a moderate amount of background in Genetics. My interest is more like a hobbie so when I first started to read Matt Ridley's Genome I was afraid there would be alot I wouldn't understand. Thankfully, I was very wrong. The subject matter is very interesting and told in a helpful, nonacademic manner. I would recommend this book to everyone who has an interest in biology and genetics. Rating:  - Good science read, flawed by unnecessary political opiningHaving read a number of books on this topic, I picked up this one while on vacation. I did enjoy the book overall and would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. It is not a textbook of genetics by any reach, more of a layman's approach to what is a very complicated area of biology that does have some core ideas that even a non scienetist can grasp. It is a shame that the author cannot hold back his political opinions, which seem to just surface for no particular reason in various ... Read More Browse for similar items by category:
|
||