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| By: Lillian E. Forman ISBN: 1599288648 Publisher: Abdo Publishing Company Release Date: September, 2007 Bioscience book rank: 2567757 | ||
| By: UNKNOWN ISBN: Publisher: Biotech Patent News Release Date: 01 August, 2005 Bioscience book rank: 3398689 | ||
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| By: Elaine Dewar ISBN: 0786716835 Publisher: Carroll & Graf Release Date: 29 November, 2005 Bioscience book rank: 1679002 | +++++
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<br />This fascinating book, by Canadian journalist Elaine Dewar, is her personal journey into the science of what she calls "revelationary biology," the bioethics of trying to come to grips with complex moral issues raised by this new biology, and the politics of working to regulate this new biology.
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<br />Revelationary biology is cutting-edge biology. Examples of this biology are stem cell research, reproductive cloning technology, and a "cure" for human mortality.
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<br />Where does the title of this book come from? From the "sad tale of Adam and Eve" that "deals with two trees not just one." They "eat the fruit of the first [tree], but it is the second tree that matters, the tree of life...[and today] biologists are definitely swarming all over this [second tree]."
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<br />Throughout this book, the reader will come into contact with science, history and historical science, mini-biographies of key people, business and conflicts of interest, patents, the private versus the public spheres of society, bioethics, eugenics and, of course, politics.
<br />
<br />Dewar (who admits she's a non-scientific type) frequently injects herself into the main narrative giving her impressions, observations, thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Some readers may see this as a negative attribute of this book but I, however, see it as a positive. She also asks many good questions when interviewing the leading figures of revelationary biology from around the world.
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<br />This book is a challenging but not an overwhelming read both technically and emotionally. Dewar explains both the scientific concepts well and the associated ethical and moral dilemmas encountered. Anyone who has the impression that modern science is a noble and dull undertaking that's untouched by human feelings and vices will be surprised.
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<br />A note on the science in this book. It is not difficult to understand as Dewar defines any new terms as they are encountered. Remember, though, when reading this book, not to get hung up on the scientific and technical points that are made but to mainly consider the overall result. Thus, when we're told the steps done in fusing the embryos of a goat and sheep together, we get essentially a new animal, a "geep."
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<br />With respect to the science presented, I think this book would have benefited from a glossary. Instead, the reader is expected to remember a scientific term as it is encountered and defined once in the main narrative.
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<br />The author states in the acknowledgements the following:
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<br />"Despite all their [that is, those she interviewed] efforts to set me on the path of truth, I have no doubt that many errors still remain. Responsibility for error is, of course, mine."
<br />
<br />Finally, because Dewar is Canadian she focuses naturally on Canadian politics near the end of her book. Her political discussion should be seen as a template for the political atmosphere in other countries (such as the United States) as their politicians try to regulate revelationary biology.
<br />
<br />In conclusion, the information presented in this book is "terrifying" but "magnificent" as well. For those enthralled with the revelations coming out of the laboratories around the world and onto the front pages of newspapers, this is the book to read!!
<br />
<br />(first published 2004; introduction; 18 chapters; loose ends and acknowledgements; main narrative 460 pages; notes; bibliography; index)
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<br />+++++
<br /> +++++ <br /> <br />This fascinating book, by Canadian journalist Elaine Dewar, is her personal journey into the science of what she calls "revelationary biology," the bioethics of trying to come to grips with complex moral issues raised by this new biology, and the politics of working to regulate this new biology. <br /> <br />Revelationary biology is cutting-edge biology. Examples of this biology are stem cell research, reproductive cloning technology and a "cure" for human mortality. <br /> <br />Where does the title of this book come from? From the "sad tale of Adam and Eve" that "deals with two trees not just one." They "eat the fruit of the first [tree], but it is the second tree that matters, the tree of life...[and today] biologists are definitely swarming all over this [second tree]." <br /> <br />Throughout this book, the reader will come into contact with science, history and historical science, mini-biographies of key people, business and conflicts of interest, patents, the private versus the public spheres of business, bioethics, eugenics and, of course, politics. <br /> <br />The author (who admits she's a non-scientific type) frequently injects herself into the main narrative giving her impressions, observations, thoughts, emotions, and feelings. Some readers may see this as a negative attribute of this book but I, however, see it as a positive. She also asks many good questions when interviewing the leading figures of revelationary biology from around the world. <br /> <br />This book is a challenging but not an overwhelming read both technically and emotionally. Dewar explains both the scientific concepts well and the associated ethical and moral dilemmas encountered. Anyone who has the impression that modern science is a noble and dull undertaking that's untouched by human feelings and vices will be surprised. <br /> <br />A note on the science in this book. It is not difficult to understand as Dewar defines any new terms as they are encountered. Remember, though, when reading this book, not to get hung up on the scientific and technical points that are made but to mainly consider the overall result. Thus, when we're told the steps done in fusing the embryos of a goat and sheep together, we get essentially a new animal, a "geep." <br /> <br />With respect to the science presented, I think this book would have benefited from a glossary. Instead, the reader is expected to remember a scientific term as it is encountered and defined once in the main narrative. <br /> <br />The review below this one (dated July 23, 2005) claims that the author says something scientifically wrong and even quotes her. This is not quite true. The author actually is telling the reader what a Nobel Prize winner said in a speech to his colleagues. The actual sentence on page (452) reads as follows: <br /> <br />"There are over one thousand different kinds of cells in the brain, he reminded them, and different kinds of cells appear in the kidneys." <br /> <br />Dewar states in the acknowledgements the following: <br /> <br />"Despite all their [that is, those she interviewed] efforts to set me on the path of truth, I have no doubt that many errors still remain. Responsibility for error is, of course, mine." <br /> <br />Finally, because Dewar is Canadian she focuses naturally on Canadian politics near the end of her book. Her political discussion should be seen as a template for the political atmosphere in other countries (such as the United States) as their politicians try to regulate revelationary biology. <br /> <br />In conclusion, the information presented in this book is "terrifying" but "magnificent" as well. For those enthralled with the revelations coming out of the laboratories around the world and onto the front pages of newspapers, this is the book to read!! <br /> <br />(first published 2004; introduction; 18 chapters; loose ends and acknowledgements; main narrative 460 pages; notes; bibliography; index) <br /> <br />+++++ <br /> Unfortunately, in my opinion, this is not a very good book. It does not present enough science well enough to be useful to learn about stem cells or any other areas of "cutting-edge biology." In fact, some of the science is questionable, for example, on page 452, the author states "There are over one thousand different kinds of cells in the brain . . and different kinds of cells appear in the kidney." Web references indicate there are approximately 250 different kinds of human cells, making me question this comment. On the back of the book, Dewar is described as "one of Canada's best muckrakers" - maybe that is the problem, one gets the feeling that this book is too much muckraking and too little substantial science. This reader also gets the feeling that Dewar does not really like scientists much in the first place. There is an odd section on Darwin - seems she got interested in Darwin and felt she had to include her "discoveries" but it is less than clear how this fits into her overall theme. But the book has an interesting perspective on some Canadian researchers (not always very positive) and we do not often get this perspective, therefore I think it might be of interest to Canadians. In my opinion, a better book would be The Proteus Effect by Ann Parson. | |
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| By: Robert Lanza, Irving Weissman, James Thomson, Roger Pedersen, Brigid Hogan, John Gearhart, Helen Blau, Douglas Melton, Malcolm Moore, Catherine Verfaillie ISBN: 0124366430 Publisher: Academic Press Release Date: 14 September, 2004 Bioscience book rank: 1059148 | ||
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| By: Amar Agarwal ISBN: 1556427514 Publisher: Slack Incorporated Release Date: 01 March, 2006 Bioscience book rank: 1976915 | ||
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| By: John M Barrett, Jennifer G. Treleaven ISBN: 1899066705 Publisher: Informa Healthcare Release Date: 15 September, 1998 Bioscience book rank: 2026426 | ||
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| By: Belleruth Naparstek ISBN: 1881405524 Publisher: Image Paths Release Date: 30 January, 2002 Bioscience book rank: 2082605 | The tape work wonderfully, I was skeptic at first but now I believe | |
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| By: Irina Klimanskaya, Robert Lanza ISBN: 012373648X Publisher: Academic Press Release Date: 22 November, 2006 Bioscience book rank: 1730566 | ||
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| By: Christopher S. Potten, Robert B. Clarke, James Wilson, Andrew G. Renehan ISBN: 0824728998 Publisher: Informa Healthcare Release Date: 24 April, 2006 Bioscience book rank: 1791072 | ||
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| By: Committee on Establishing a National Cord Blood Stem Cell Bank Program, Emily Ann Meyer, Kathi Hanna, Kristine Gebbie ISBN: 0309095867 Publisher: National Academies Press Release Date: 28 October, 2005 Bioscience book rank: 1616470 | ||
Related books in this category:
cell culture, methods in cell biology, apoptosis, cell cycle, mitosis, signal transduction, receptor, mitochondria, ribosome, stem cell, flow cytometry
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