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books tagged “Genes”
books tagged “Genes”
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An A to Z of DNA Science: What Scientists Mean When They Talk About Genes and Genomesby Jeffre L. Witherly, Galen P. Perry, Darryl L. LejaISBN 0879696001 (0-87969-600-1)
Softcover, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Pr
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Adaptation and Diversity: Natural History and the Mathematics of Evolutionby Egbert Giles LeighISBN 0877354073 (0-87735-407-3)
Hardcover, Freeman, Cooper
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The Agile Gene: How Nature Turns on Nurtureby Matt RidleyISBN 006000679X (0-06-000679-X)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Agile Gene: How Nature Turns on Nurture'Book summary:In the follow-up to his bestseller, Genome, Matt Ridley takes on a centuries-old question: is it nature or nurture that makes us who we are? Ridley asserts that the question itself is a "false dichotomy." Using copious examples from human and animal behavior, he presents the notion that our environment affects the way our genes express themselves.
Ridley writes that the switches controlling our 30,000 or so genes not only form the structures of our brains but do so in such a way as to cue off the outside environment in a tidy feedback loop of body and behavior. In fact, it seems clear that we have genetic "thermostats" that are turned up and down by environmental factors. He challenges both scientific and folk concepts, from assumptions of what's malleable in a person to sociobiological theories based solely on the "selfish gene."
Ridley's proof is in the pudding for such touchy subjects as monogamy, aggression, and parenting, which we now understand have some genetic controls. Nevertheless, "the more we understand both our genes and our instincts, the less inevitable they seem." A consummate popularizer of science, Ridley once again provides a perfect mix of history, genetics, and sociology for readers hungry to understand the implications of the human genome sequence. --Therese Littleton [via]
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Almost Like a Whale: The Origin of Speciesby Steve JonesISBN 1862300259 (1-86230-025-9)
Softcover, Trafalgar Square
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Almost Like a Whale: The Origin of Species'Book summary:Containing anecdotes, facts and humour, this work uses 20th-century science to update the theories presented in Darwin's "The Origin of Species". [via]
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Amazing Schemes Within Your Genesby Fran Balkwill, Mic RolphISBN 0876146353 (0-87614-635-3)
Softcover, Lerner Pub Group
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The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolutionby Richard Dawkins, Yan WongISBN 061861916X (0-618-61916-X)
Softcover, Mariner Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution'Book summary:Just as we trace our personal family trees from parents to grandparents and so on back in time, so in The Ancestor's Tale Richard Dawkins traces the ancestry of life. As he is at pains to point out, this is very much our human tale, our ancestry. Surprisingly, it is one that many otherwise literate people are largely unaware of. Hopefully Dawkins's name and well deserved reputation as a best selling writer will introduce them to this wonderful saga.
The Ancestor's Tale takes us from our immediate human ancestors back through what he calls concestors, those shared with the apes, monkeys and other mammals and other vertebrates and beyond to the dim and distant microbial beginnings of life some 4 billion years ago. It is a remarkable story which is still very much in the process of being uncovered. And, of course from a scientist of Dawkins stature and reputation we get an insider's knowledge of the most up-to-date science and many of those involved in the research. And, as we have come to expect of Dawkins, it is told with a passionate commitment to scientific veracity and a nose for a good story. Dawkins's knowledge of the vast and wonderful sweep of life's diversity is admirable. Not only does it encompass the most interesting living representatives of so many groups of organisms but also the important and informative fossil ones, many of which have only been found in recent years.
Dawkins sees his journey with its reverse chronology as cast in the form of an epic pilgrimage from the present to the past [and] all roads lead to the origin of life. It is, to my mind, a sensible and perfectly acceptable approach although some might complain about going against the grain of evolution. The great benefit for the general reader is that it begins with the more familiar present and the animals nearest and dearest to usour immediate human ancestors. And then it delves back into the more remote and less familiar past with its droves of lesser known and extinct fossil forms. The whole pilgrimage is divided into 40 tales, each based around a group of organisms and discusses their role in the overall story. Genetic, morphological and fossil evidence is all taken into account and illustrated with a wealth of photos and drawings of living and fossils forms, evolutionary and distributional charts and maps through time, providing a visual compliment and complement to the text. The design also allows Dawkins to make numerous running comments and characteristic asides. There are also numerous references and a good index.-- Douglas Palmer [via]
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Baa!: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read About Genes and Cloningby Cynthia Pratt Nicolson, Rose CowlesISBN 1550748866 (1-55074-886-6)
Softcover, Kids Can Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Baa!: The Most Interesting Book You'll Ever Read About Genes and Cloning'Book summary:The Mysterious You series explores the mysteries of the human body using an exciting mix of thoroughly researched factual information, amazing anecdotes and surprising try-it activities. In Baa!, kids unravel the mysteries of genes and see how traits like dimples and hair colour are passed down through their family tree. They can then explore the secrets of cloning -- what it is and what changes it may bring in the future. Kids can learn about * natural selection * genetic mutations * DNA and forensics * gene mapping * cloning in nature and in the lab * future predictions With simple language and kid-friendly examples, Baa! helps demystify an intriguing, but often difficult-to-grasp, subject in a way that kids can understand. [via]
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The Biological Worldby Robert L. Dehaan, Alvin NasonISBN 0471630454 (0-471-63045-4)
Hardcover, Wiley
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The Blind Watchmakerby Richard DawkinsISBN 0393022161 (0-393-02216-1)
Hardcover, Norton
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Blind Watchmaker'Book summary:Richard Dawkins is not a shy man. Edward Larson's research shows that most scientists today are not formally religious, but Dawkins is an in-your-face atheist in the witty British style:
I want to persuade the reader, not just that the Darwinian world-view happens to be true, but that it is the only known theory that could, in principle, solve the mystery of our existence.
The title of this 1986 work, Dawkins's second book, refers to the Rev. William Paley's 1802 work, Natural Theology, which argued that just as finding a watch would lead you to conclude that a watchmaker must exist, the complexity of living organisms proves that a Creator exists. Not so, says Dawkins: "All appearances to the contrary, the only watchmaker in nature is the blind forces of physics, albeit deployed in a very special way... it is the blind watchmaker."
Dawkins is a hard-core scientist: he doesn't just tell you what is so, he shows you how to find out for yourself. For this book, he wrote Biomorph, one of the first artificial life programs. You can check Dawkins's results on your own Mac or PC. [via]
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Blind Watchmaker 1.2: An Evolution Simulation/Mac Versionby Richard DawkinsISBN 0393993418 (0-393-99341-8)
Hardcover, W W Norton & Co Inc
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Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Designby Richard DawkinsISBN 0393315703 (0-393-31570-3)
Softcover, W W Norton & Co Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Blind Watchmaker: Why the Evidence of Evolution Reveals a Universe Without Design'Book summary:Richard Dawkins is not a shy man. Edward Larson's research shows that most scientists today are not formally religious, but Dawkins is an in-your-face atheist in the witty British style:
I want to persuade the reader, not just that the Darwinian world-view happens to be true, but that it is the only known theory that could, in principle, solve the mystery of our existence.
The title of this 1986 work, Dawkins's second book, refers to the Rev. William Paley's 1802 work, Natural Theology, which argued that just as finding a watch would lead you to conclude that a watchmaker must exist, the complexity of living organisms proves that a Creator exists. Not so, says Dawkins: "All appearances to the contrary, the only watchmaker in nature is the blind forces of physics, albeit deployed in a very special way... it is the blind watchmaker."
Dawkins is a hard-core scientist: he doesn't just tell you what is so, he shows you how to find out for yourself. For this book, he wrote Biomorph, one of the first artificial life programs. You can check Dawkins's results on your own Mac or PC. [via]
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Can Reindeer Fly?: The Science of Christmasby Roger HighfieldISBN 0753813661 (0-7538-1366-1)
Softcover, Trafalgar Square
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Cetagandaby Lois McMaster BujoldISBN 0671877011 (0-671-87701-1)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Cetaganda'Book summary:Attending a diplomatic ceremony on Cetaganda, Miles and Cousin Ivan get into a heap of political trouble when the late empress's lifelong attendant is murdered, and Ivan gets involved with several beautiful and well-connected aliens. [via]
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Cetaganda: A Vprlpsogam Advemtireby Lois McMaster BujoldISBN 0671877445 (0-671-87744-5)
Softcover, Baen Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Cetaganda: A Vprlpsogam Advemtire'Book summary:Miles is stuck visiting Cetaganda with his doltish cousin Ivan, representing Barrayaran nobility at an Imperial funeral. Miles must have suspected that it wasn't going to be dull after the bogus docking instructions and the odd man who launched himself into their ship and started to pull a weapon on them. Three attacks and a mysterious murder later, Miles is juggling two emperors, two secret services, and a half-dozen traitors--nd that's not even counting the women. [via]
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Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Futureby James HughesISBN 0813341981 (0-8133-4198-1)
Hardcover, Perseus Books Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future'Book summary:A provocative work by medical ethicist James Hughes, Citizen Cyborg argues that technologies pushing the boundaries of humanness can radically improve our quality of life if they are controlled democratically. Hughes challenges both the technophobia of Leon Kass and Francis Fukuyama and the unchecked enthusiasm of others for limitless human enhancement. He argues instead for a third way, "democratic transhumanism," by asking the question destined to become a fundamental issue of the twenty-first century: How can we use new cybernetic and biomedical technologies to make life better for everyone? These technologies hold great promise, but they also pose profound challenges to our health, our culture, and our liberal democratic political system. By allowing humans to become more than human - "posthuman" or "transhuman" - the new technologies will require new answers for the enduring issues of liberty and the common good. What limits should we place on the freedom of people to control their own bodies? Who should own genes and other living things? Which technologies should be mandatory, which voluntary, and which forbidden? For answers to these challenges, Citizen Cyborg proposes a radical return to a faith in the resilience of our democratic institutions.[via]More editions of Citizen Cyborg: Why Democratic Societies Must Respond to the Redesigned Human of the Future:
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Climbing Mount Improbableby Richard Dawkins, Lalla WardISBN 0393316823 (0-393-31682-3)
Softcover, W W Norton & Co Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Climbing Mount Improbable'Book summary:Few scientific theories have been as influential or controversial in the past few centuries as Darwin's thoughts on natural selection; even now, laymen and scientists find fault with Darwin's argument. Richard Dawkins, the chair of the communication of science at Oxford University, has delivered a well-researched book supporting and supplementing Darwin's theories. Although not a work of Darwinian proportions, Climbing Mount Improbable is an advancement of those theories for scientists and general readers alike. [via]
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Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of Species Updatedby Steve JonesISBN 0345422775 (0-345-42277-5)
Softcover, Ballantine Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Darwin's Ghost: The Origin of Species Updated'Book summary:Biologists have a dirty little secret: while practically everyone knows of The Origin of Species (and owes much to it), almost nobody has read it. British geneticist Steve Jones wants to make the arguments contained in that great text accessible to modern audiences, and succeeds with the delightful Darwin's Ghost. Approximating the structure of Darwin's opus, Jones uses the original chapter headings and summaries as a scaffolding to build an up-to-date demonstration of the power of a few simple ideas. Heredity, variation, and natural selection are all you need to infer evolution over time, and now that Jones can fill in the gaps in Darwin's pre-Mendelian understanding of genetics, the case becomes airtight.
More than a polemic, though, Darwin's Ghost is nearly as pleasurable a read as its ancestor is--one suspects that part of Jones's mission is to inspire today's readers to turn back to the grand but humble Origin of Species. While he may not be able to quite match Darwin's vast erudition or hawk's eye for detail, he still makes the theory of evolution shudder and breathe on the page. Dog breeding, mass extinctions, and weird fossils of tiny elephants all march to his drumbeat and--just when you least expect it--return to the main point that all living things share a common ancestor. Whether you're one of the elite who's had the pleasure of Darwin's literary company or you'd like a taste of what you're missing, Darwin's Ghost will bring the spirit of the great man back into your world of ideas. --Rob Lightner [via]
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Decoding Life: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Genomeby Ron FridellISBN 0822511967 (0-8225-1196-7)
Hardcover, Lerner Pub Group
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A Devil's Chaplain: Selected Essaysby Richard Dawkins, Latha MenonISBN 0297829734 (0-297-82973-4)
Hardcover, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
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› Find signed collectible books: 'A Devil's Chaplain: Selected Essays'Book summary:Richard Dawkins has an opinion on everything biological, it seems, and in A Devil's Chaplain, everything is biological. Dawkins weighs in on topics as diverse as ape rights, jury trials, religion, and education, all examined through the lens of natural selection and evolution. Although many of these essays have been published elsewhere, this book is something of a greatest-hits compilation, reprinting many of Dawkins' most famous recent compositions. They are well worth re-reading. His 1998 review of Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont's Fashionable Nonsense is as bracing an indictment of academic obscurantism as the book it covered, although the review reveals some of Dawkins' personal biases as well. Several essays are devoted to skillfully debunking religion and mysticism, and these are likely to raise the hackles of even casual believers. Science, and more specifically evolutionary science, underlies each essay, giving readers a glimpse into the last several years' debates about the minutiae of natural selection. In one moving piece, Dawkins reflects on his late rival Stephen Jay Gould's magnum opus, The Structure of Evolutionary Theory, and clarifies what it was the two Darwinist heavyweights actually disagreed about. While the collection showcases Dawkins' brilliance and intellectual sparkle, it brings up as many questions as it answers. As an ever-ardent champion of science, honest discourse, and rational debate, Dawkins will obviously relish the challenge of answering them. --Therese Littleton [via]
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A Devil's Chaplain: Reflections on Hope, Lies, Science and Loveby Richard DawkinsISBN 0618485392 (0-618-48539-2)
Softcover, Houghton Mifflin
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DNA for Beginnersby Israel RosenfieldISBN 0863160239 (0-86316-023-9)
Softcover, Writers & Readers
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The Double Helixby James D. WatsonISBN 0393950751 (0-393-95075-1)
Softcover, W W Norton & Co Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Double Helix'Book summary:"Science seldom proceeds in the straightforward logical manner imagined by outsiders," writes James Watson in The Double Helix, his account of his codiscovery (along with Francis Crick) of the structure of DNA. Watson and Crick won Nobel Prizes for their work, and their names are memorized by biology students around the world. But as in all of history, the real story behind the deceptively simple outcome was messy, intense, and sometimes truly hilarious. To preserve the "real" story for the world, James Watson attempted to record his first impressions as soon after the events of 1951-1953 as possible, with all their unpleasant realities and "spirit of adventure" intact.
Watson holds nothing back when revealing the petty sniping and backbiting among his colleagues, while acknowledging that he himself was a willing participant in the melodrama. In particular, Watson reveals his mixed feelings about his famous colleague in discovery, Francis Crick, who many thought of as an arrogant man who talked too much, and whose brilliance was appreciated by few. This is the joy of The Double Helix--instead of a chronicle of stainless-steel heroes toiling away in their sparkling labs, Watson's chronicle gives readers an idea of what living science is like, warts and all. The Double Helix is a startling window into the scientific method, full of insight and wit, and packed with the kind of science anecdotes that are told and retold in the halls of universities and laboratories everywhere. It's the stuff of legends. --Therese Littleton [via]
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The Double Helixby Gunther S. Stent, James D. WatsonISBN 0684852799 (0-684-85279-9)
Hardcover, Simon & Schuster
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Double Helix'Book summary:"Science seldom proceeds in the straightforward logical manner imagined by outsiders," writes James Watson in The Double Helix, his account of his codiscovery (along with Francis Crick) of the structure of DNA. Watson and Crick won Nobel Prizes for their work, and their names are memorized by biology students around the world. But as in all of history, the real story behind the deceptively simple outcome was messy, intense, and sometimes truly hilarious. To preserve the "real" story for the world, James Watson attempted to record his first impressions as soon after the events of 1951-1953 as possible, with all their unpleasant realities and "spirit of adventure" intact.
Watson holds nothing back when revealing the petty sniping and backbiting among his colleagues, while acknowledging that he himself was a willing participant in the melodrama. In particular, Watson reveals his mixed feelings about his famous colleague in discovery, Francis Crick, who many thought of as an arrogant man who talked too much, and whose brilliance was appreciated by few. This is the joy of The Double Helix--instead of a chronicle of stainless-steel heroes toiling away in their sparkling labs, Watson's chronicle gives readers an idea of what living science is like, warts and all. The Double Helix is a startling window into the scientific method, full of insight and wit, and packed with the kind of science anecdotes that are told and retold in the halls of universities and laboratories everywhere. It's the stuff of legends. --Therese Littleton [via]
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The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNAby James D. Watson, L. BraggISBN 0689706022 (0-689-70602-2)
Softcover, Simon & Schuster, Incorporated
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA'Book summary:"Science seldom proceeds in the straightforward logical manner imagined by outsiders," writes James Watson in The Double Helix, his account of his codiscovery (along with Francis Crick) of the structure of DNA. Watson and Crick won Nobel Prizes for their work, and their names are memorized by biology students around the world. But as in all of history, the real story behind the deceptively simple outcome was messy, intense, and sometimes truly hilarious. To preserve the "real" story for the world, James Watson attempted to record his first impressions as soon after the events of 1951-1953 as possible, with all their unpleasant realities and "spirit of adventure" intact.
Watson holds nothing back when revealing the petty sniping and backbiting among his colleagues, while acknowledging that he himself was a willing participant in the melodrama. In particular, Watson reveals his mixed feelings about his famous colleague in discovery, Francis Crick, who many thought of as an arrogant man who talked too much, and whose brilliance was appreciated by few. This is the joy of The Double Helix--instead of a chronicle of stainless-steel heroes toiling away in their sparkling labs, Watson's chronicle gives readers an idea of what living science is like, warts and all. The Double Helix is a startling window into the scientific method, full of insight and wit, and packed with the kind of science anecdotes that are told and retold in the halls of universities and laboratories everywhere. It's the stuff of legends. --Therese Littleton [via]
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The Double Helix:a Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNAby James D. WatsonISBN 0297760424 (0-297-76042-4)
Hardcover, Weidenfeld & Nicolson
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Double Helix:a Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA'Book summary:"Science seldom proceeds in the straightforward logical manner imagined by outsiders," writes James Watson in The Double Helix, his account of his codiscovery (along with Francis Crick) of the structure of DNA. Watson and Crick won Nobel Prizes for their work, and their names are memorized by biology students around the world. But as in all of history, the real story behind the deceptively simple outcome was messy, intense, and sometimes truly hilarious. To preserve the "real" story for the world, James Watson attempted to record his first impressions as soon after the events of 1951-1953 as possible, with all their unpleasant realities and "spirit of adventure" intact.
Watson holds nothing back when revealing the petty sniping and backbiting among his colleagues, while acknowledging that he himself was a willing participant in the melodrama. In particular, Watson reveals his mixed feelings about his famous colleague in discovery, Francis Crick, who many thought of as an arrogant man who talked too much, and whose brilliance was appreciated by few. This is the joy of The Double Helix--instead of a chronicle of stainless-steel heroes toiling away in their sparkling labs, Watson's chronicle gives readers an idea of what living science is like, warts and all. The Double Helix is a startling window into the scientific method, full of insight and wit, and packed with the kind of science anecdotes that are told and retold in the halls of universities and laboratories everywhere. It's the stuff of legends. --Therese Littleton [via]
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Exons, Introns, and Talking Genes: The Science Behind the Human Genome Projectby Christopher WillsISBN 0465021697 (0-465-02169-7)
Softcover, Perseus Books Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Exons, Introns, and Talking Genes: The Science Behind the Human Genome Project'Book summary:This study reveals the inside story of the Human Genome Project. When completed in the next century, it will have mapped out every gene sequence in the human body, illuminating some central problems in human biology - the genesis of cancer, how foetuses develop and the mechanisms of aging. Christopher Wills is the author of "The Wisdom of the Genes". [via]
More editions of Exons, Introns, and Talking Genes: The Science Behind the Human Genome Project:
- Exons, Introns, and Talking Genes: The Science Behind the Human Genome Project: ISBN 0465021689 (0-465-02168-9)
Hardcover, Perseus Books Group - Exons, Introns, and Talking Genes: The Science Behind the Human Genome Project: ISBN 0465050204 (0-465-05020-4)
Hardcover, BasicBooks - Exons, Introns, and Talking Genes: The Science Behind the Human Genome Project: ISBN 0465021697 (0-465-02169-7)
Softcover, Perseus Books Group
- Exons, Introns, and Talking Genes: The Science Behind the Human Genome Project: ISBN 0465021689 (0-465-02168-9)
Gene Dreams: Wall Street, Academia, and the Rise of Biotechnologyby Robert TeitelmanISBN 0465026583 (0-465-02658-3)
Softcover, Perseus Books Group
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Gene Machinesby Frances R. Balkwill, Mic RolphISBN 0879696117 (0-87969-611-7)
Softcover, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Gene Machines'Book summary:Enjoy Your Cells is a new series of childrens books from the acclaimed creative partnership of scientist/author Fran Balkwill and illustrator Mic Rolph. Once again, they use their unique brand of simple but scientifically accurate commentary and exuberantly colorful graphics to take young readers on an entertaining exploration of the amazing, hidden world of cells, proteins, and DNA. It's over ten years since Fran and Mic invented a new way of getting science across to children. Think what extraordinary advances have been made in biology in that time and how often those discoveries made headlines. Stem cells, cloning, embryo transfer, emerging infections, vaccine development here in these books are the basic facts behind the public debates. With these books, children will learn to enjoy their cells and current affairs at the same time. And they're getting information that has been written and reviewed by working scientists, so it's completely correct and up-to-date. Readers aged 7 and up will appreciate the stories lively language and with help, even younger children will enjoy and learn from the jokes and illustrations no expert required! This series is a must for all elementary school students and those who care about educating them to be well-informed in a world of increasingly complex health-related and environmental issues. [via]
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Genes & DNAby Steve JonesISBN 0753456214 (0-7534-5621-4)
Hardcover, Kingfisher Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Genes & DNA'Book summary:Genes & DNA explores modern genetics, from an investigation of genes and their function, to forensics, therapy, and cloning.[via]More editions of Genes & DNA:
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Genes, Peoples, and Languagesby Luigi Luca Cavalli-SforzaISBN 0520228731 (0-520-22873-1)
Softcover, Univ of California Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Genes, Peoples, and Languages'Book summary:Jared Diamond says, "It would be a slight exaggeration to say that L.L. Cavalli-Sforza studies everything about everybody, because actually he is 'only' interested in what genes, languages, archaeology, and culture can teach us about the history and migrations of everybody for the last several hundred thousand years." Cavalli-Sforza has been the leading architect of a revolution (even a paradigm shift) in human genetics since the 1960s. Because of his work, geneticists no longer think that the human species is divided into color-coded races. Cavalli-Sforza's studies of the transmission of family names in Italy, of the relationship between human genes and languages, of migration and marriage, are the benchmarks of our biological self-understanding.
Genes, Peoples, and Languages is less personal than Cavalli-Sforza's preceding book, The Great Human Diasporas: The History of Diversity and Evolution. And it is far more compact than the magisterial The History and Geography of Human Genes (available abridged for those who prefer not to buy books by the pound). Instead, it is a an excellent overview of Cavalli-Sforza's many-faceted approach to human history and our present condition. It is that rarest of achievements, holistic without any trace of mushy-mindedness. --Mary Ellen Curtin [via]
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Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chaptersby Matt RidleyISBN 0060894083 (0-06-089408-3)
Softcover, Harpercollins
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters'Book summary: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 [via]
More editions of Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters:
- Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters: ISBN 0060194979 (0-06-019497-9)
Hardcover, HarperCollins Canada, Limited - Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters: ISBN 0060932902 (0-06-093290-2)
Softcover, Harpercollins - Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters: ISBN 0060894083 (0-06-089408-3)
Softcover, Harpercollins
- Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters: ISBN 0060194979 (0-06-019497-9)
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The God Delusionby Richard DawkinsISBN 0618680004 (0-618-68000-4)
Hardcover, Houghton Mifflin
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The God Delusion'Book summary:A preeminent scientist -- and the world's most prominent atheist -- asserts the irrationality of belief in God and the grievous harm religion has inflicted on society, from the Crusades to 9/11.[via]
With rigor and wit, Dawkins examines God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. The God Delusion makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong but potentially deadly. It also offers exhilarating insight into the advantages of atheism to the individual and society, not the least of which is a clearer, truer appreciation of the universe's wonders than any faith could ever muster.More editions of The God Delusion:
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The God Gene: How Faith Is Hardwired Into Our Genesby Dean H. HamerISBN 0385720319 (0-385-72031-9)
Softcover, Random House Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The God Gene: How Faith Is Hardwired Into Our Genes'Book summary:LEADING GENETICIST DEAN HAMER CRACKS THE CODE BEHIND WHY WE ARE PREDISPOSED TO BELIEVE IN GOD. IN A BOOK THAT BRIDGES THE GAP BETWEEN RELIGION AND SCIENCE, HAMER BRILLIANTLY ILLUMINATES HOW OUR INCLINATION TOWARD FAITH IS INFLUENCED BY OUR GENES.
[via]
The overwhelming majority of Americans believe in God, expressing a conviction that has existed since the beginning of recorded time and is shared by billions around the world. In The God Gene, Dr. Dean Hamer reveals that this inclination toward religious faith is no accident; it is in good measure due to our genes. In fact, he argues, spiritual belief may offer an evolutionary advantage by providing humans with a sense of purpose and the courage and will to overcome hardship and loss. And, as a growing body of evidence suggests, belief also increases our chances of reproductive survival by helping to reduce stress, prevent disease, and extend life.
Hamer shows that new discoveries in behavioral genetics and neurobiology indicate that humans inherit a set of predispositions that make their brains ready and eager to embrace a higher power. By analyzing the genetic makeup of over a thousand people of different ages and backgrounds, and comparing their DNA samples against a scale that measures spirituality, Hamer actually identified a specific God gene that appears to influence spirituality.
Popular science at its best, The God Gene is an in-depth, fully accessible inquiry into the cutting-edge research that is changing the way we think about ourselves, our world, and our culture. Written with balance and integrity, without seeking to confirm or deny the existence of God, The God Gene brilliantly illuminates the mechanism by which belief itself is biologically fostered. Its a book that bridges the gap between science and religion, and one that will appeal to the readers of Genesis and Genome alike.More editions of The God Gene: How Faith Is Hardwired Into Our Genes:
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The Great Human Diasporas: The History of Diversity and Evolutionby Francesco Cavalli-Sforza, Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza, Sarah ThorneISBN 0201442310 (0-201-44231-0)
Softcover, Basic Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Great Human Diasporas: The History of Diversity and Evolution'Book summary:The title The Great Human Diasporas implies that this book is a history of human migration, but it is much more. It is a readable, accessible summary of the lifework of Luca Cavalli-Sforza, who has done more than anyone else to reveal the genetic makeup of human populations. Originally written in Italian with Cavalli-Sforza's filmmaker son Francesco, it maintains some qualities of an interview: The Great Human Diasporas is full of anecdotes about the Pygmies with whom Cavalli-Sforza works, the text is frequently personal yet not self-serving, and it clearly shows how he helped tie together population genetics, linguistics, and anthropology to offer a new, non-racist view of human diversity. [via]
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How the Y Makes the Guy: Microexplorers A Guided Tour Through the Marvels of Inheritance and Growthby P. A. Baeuerle, Norbert LandaISBN 0764150642 (0-7641-5064-2)
Hardcover, Barrons Juveniles
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In the Beginning Was the Worm: Finding the Secrets of Life in a Tiny Hermaphroditeby Andrew BrownISBN 0231131461 (0-231-13146-1)
Hardcover, Columbia Univ Pr
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Ingenious Genes: Microexplorers Learning About the Fantastic Skills of Genetic Engineers and Watching Them at Workby Norbert Landa, P. A. BaeuerleISBN 0764150634 (0-7641-5063-4)
Hardcover, Barrons Juveniles
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The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odysseyby Spencer WellsISBN 0812971469 (0-8129-7146-9)
Softcover, Random House Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey'Book summary:Spencer Wells traces human evolution back to our very first ancestor in The Journey of Man. Along the way, he sums up the explosive effect of new techniques in genetics on the field of evolutionary biology and all available evidence from the fossil record. Wells's seemingly sexist title is purposeful: he argues that the Y chromosome gives us a unique opportunity to follow our migratory heritage back to a sort of Adam, just as earlier work in mitochondrial DNA allowed the identification of Eve, mother of all Homo sapiens. While his descriptions of the advances made by such luminary scientists as Richard Lewontin and Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza can be dry, Wells comes through with sparkling metaphors when it counts, as when he compares genetic drift to a bouillabaisse recipe handed down through a village's generations. Though finding our primal male is an exciting prospect, the real revolution Wells describes is racial. Or rather, nonracial, as he reiterates the scientific truth that our notions of what makes us different from each other are purely cultural, not based in biology. The case for an "out of Africa" scenario of human migration is solid in this book, though Wells makes it clear when he is hypothesizing anything controversial. Readers interested in a fairly technical, but not overwhelming, summary of the remarkable conclusions of 21st-century human evolutionary biology will find The Journey of Man a perfect primer. --Therese Littleton [via]
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Life: The Unfinished Experimentby S. E. LuriaISBN 0684133091 (0-684-13309-1)
Hardcover, Scribner
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Mapping Human History: Discovering the Past Through Our Genesby Steve OlsonISBN 0618352104 (0-618-35210-4)
Softcover, Houghton Mifflin
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Mapping Human History: Discovering the Past Through Our Genes'Book summary:In this sweeping narrative of the past 150,000 years of human history, Steve Olson draws on new understandings in genetics to reveal how the people of the world came to be.[via]
Traveling across four continents, Olson describes the African origins of modern humans and the migration of our ancestors throughout the world. He offers a genealogy of all of humanity, explaining, for instance, why everyone can claim Julius Caesar and Confucius as their forebears and how the history of the Jewish people jibes with, and diverges from, biblical accounts. He shows how groups of people differ and yet are the same, exploding the myth that human races are a biological reality while demonstrating how the accidents of history have resulted in the rich diversity of people today.
Celebrating both our commonality and our variety, MAPPING HUMAN HISTORY is a masterful synthesis of the human past and present that will forever change how we think about ourselves and our relations with others.More editions of Mapping Human History: Discovering the Past Through Our Genes:
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Middlesexby Jeffrey EugenidesISBN 0312422156 (0-312-42215-6)
Softcover, Picador USA
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Middlesex'Book summary:"I was born twice: first, as a baby girl, on a remarkably smogless Detroit day in January of 1960; and then again, as a teenage boy, in an emergency room near Petoskey, Michigan, in August of 1974." And so begins Middlesex, the mesmerizing saga of a near-mythic Greek American family and the "roller-coaster ride of a single gene through time." The odd but utterly believable story of Cal Stephanides, and how this 41-year-old hermaphrodite was raised as Calliope, is at the tender heart of this long-awaited second novel from Jeffrey Eugenides, whose elegant and haunting 1993 debut, The Virgin Suicides, remains one of the finest first novels of recent memory.
Eugenides weaves together a kaleidoscopic narrative spanning 80 years of a stained family history, from a fateful incestuous union in a small town in early 1920s Asia Minor to Prohibition-era Detroit; from the early days of Ford Motors to the heated 1967 race riots; from the tony suburbs of Grosse Pointe and a confusing, aching adolescent love story to modern-day Berlin. Eugenides's command of the narrative is astonishing. He balances Cal/Callie's shifting voices convincingly, spinning this strange and often unsettling story with intelligence, insight, and generous amounts of humor:
Emotions, in my experience aren't covered by single words. I don't believe in "sadness," "joy," or "regret." & I'd like to have at my disposal complicated hybrid emotions, Germanic traincar constructions like, say, "the happiness that attends disaster." Or: "the disappointment of sleeping with one's fantasy." ... I'd like to have a word for "the sadness inspired by failing restaurants" as well as for "the excitement of getting a room with a minibar." I've never had the right words to describe my life, and now that I've entered my story, I need them more than ever.
When you get to the end of this splendorous book, when you suddenly realize that after hundreds of pages you have only a few more left to turn over, you'll experience a quick pang of regret knowing that your time with Cal is coming to a close, and you may even resist finishing it--putting it aside for an hour or two, or maybe overnight--just so that this wondrous, magical novel might never end. --Brad Thomas Parsons [via]
More editions of Middlesex:
- Middlesex: ISBN 0312991738 (0-312-99173-8)
Softcover, Picador USA - Middlesex: ISBN 0374199698 (0-374-19969-8)
Hardcover, Farrar Straus & Giroux - Middlesex: ISBN 0786257008 (0-7862-5700-8)
Hardcover, Thorndike Pr - Middlesex: ISBN 8433970100 (84-339-7010-0)
Softcover, Editorial Anagrama - Middlesex: ISBN 0312422156 (0-312-42215-6)
Softcover, Picador USA
- Middlesex: ISBN 0312991738 (0-312-99173-8)
Molecular Biology of the Geneby James WatsonISBN 0805396039 (0-8053-9603-9)
Hardcover, W. A. Benjamin
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Molecular Biology of the Gene'Book summary:A comprehensive and authoritative coverage of the field, with the lively, incisive writing style for which earlier editions were famous. [via]
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Molecular Biology of the Gene: Specialized Aspectsby James D. WatsonISBN 0805396136 (0-8053-9613-6)
Hardcover, Addison-Wesley
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Molecular Biology of the Gene: Specialized Aspects'Book summary:Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Complete in 2 volumes. [via]
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The Nature of Diversity: An Evolutionary Voyage of Discoveryby Deborah A. McLennan, D. R. BrooksISBN 0226075907 (0-226-07590-7)
Softcover, Univ of Chicago Pr
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Nature Via Nurture: Genes, Experience, and What Makes Us Humanby Matt RidleyISBN 0060006781 (0-06-000678-1)
Hardcover, Harpercollins
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Next: A Novelby Michael CrichtonISBN 0060873035 (0-06-087303-5)
Softcover, Harperluxe
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Next: A Novel'Book summary:Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct? Is everyone at your dinner table of the same species? Humans and chimpanzees differ in only 400 genes; is that why a chimp fetus resembles a human being? And should that worry us? There's a new genetic cure for drug addiction--is it worse than the disease?
What's coming Next? Get a hint of what Michael Crichton sees on the horizon in this short video clip: high bandwidth or low bandwidthWe live in a time of momentous scientific leaps, a time when it's possible to sell our eggs and sperm online for thousands of dollars and to test our spouses for genetic maladies.
We live in a time when one fifth of all our genes are owned by someone else, and an unsuspecting person and his family can be pursued cross-country because they happen to have certain valuable genes within their chromosomes...
Devilishly clever, Next blends fact and fiction into a breathless tale of a new world where nothing is what it seems and a set of new possibilities can open at every turn.
Next challenges our sense of reality and notions of morality. Balancing the comic and the bizarre with the genuinely frightening and disturbing, Next shatters our assumptions and reveals shocking new choices where we least expect.
The future is closer than you think. [via]
Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolutionby Francis FukuyamaISBN 0312421710 (0-312-42171-0)
Softcover, St Martins Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Our Posthuman Future: Consequences of the Biotechnology Revolution'Book summary:Maybe we have a future after all: Our Posthuman Future is political historian Francis Fukuyama's reconsideration of his 1989 announcement that history had reached an end. He claims that science, particularly genome studies, offers radical changes, possibly more profound than anything since the development of language, in the way we think about human nature. He makes his case thoroughly and eloquently, rarely dipping into philosophical or critical jargon and consistently maintaining an informal tone.
Fukuyama is deeply concerned about the erosion of the foundations of liberal democracy under pressure from new concepts of humans and human rights, and most readers will find some room for agreement. Ultimately, he argues for strong international regulation of human biotechnology and thoughtfully disposes of the most compelling counterarguments. While readers might not agree that we're at risk of creating Huxley's Brave New World, it's hard to deny that things are changing quickly and that perhaps we ought to consider the changes before they're irrevocable. --Rob Lightner [via]
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Primer of Population Biologyby Edward Osborne WilsonISBN 0878939261 (0-87893-926-1)
Softcover, Sinauer Associates Inc
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A Question of Genes: Understanding Life in Contextby Craig HoldregeISBN 0863152392 (0-86315-239-2)
Hardcover, Floris
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River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Lifeby Richard Dawkins, Lalla WardISBN 0465069908 (0-465-06990-8)
Softcover, Perseus Books Group
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› Find signed collectible books: 'River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life'Book summary:Nearly a century and a half after Charles Darwin formulated it, the theory of evolution is still the subject of considerable debate. Oxford scientist Richard Dawkins is among Darwin's chief defenders, and an able one indeed-- witty, literate, capable of turning a beautiful phrase. In River Out of Eden he introduces general readers to some fairly abstract problems in evolutionary biology, gently guiding us through the tangles of mitochondrial DNA and the survival-of-the- fittest ethos. (Superheroes need not apply: Dawkins writes, "The genes that survive . . . will be the ones that are good at surviving in the average environment of the species.") Dawkins argues for the essential unity of humanity, noting that "we are much closer cousins of one another than we normally realize, and we have many fewer ancestors than simple calculations suggest." [via]
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The Selfish Geneby Richard DawkinsISBN 0199291152 (0-19-929115-2)
Softcover, Oxford Univ Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Selfish Gene'Book summary:Inheriting the mantle of revolutionary biologist from Darwin, Watson, and Crick, Richard Dawkins forced an enormous change in the way we see ourselves and the world with the publication of The Selfish Gene. Suppose, instead of thinking about organisms using genes to reproduce themselves, as we had since Mendel's work was rediscovered, we turn it around and imagine that "our" genes build and maintain us in order to make more genes. That simple reversal seems to answer many puzzlers which had stumped scientists for years, and we haven't thought of evolution in the same way since.
Why are there miles and miles of "unused" DNA within each of our bodies? Why should a bee give up its own chance to reproduce to help raise her sisters and brothers? With a prophet's clarity, Dawkins told us the answers from the perspective of molecules competing for limited space and resources to produce more of their own kind. Drawing fascinating examples from every field of biology, he paved the way for a serious re-evaluation of evolution. He also introduced the concept of self-reproducing ideas, or memes, which (seemingly) use humans exclusively for their propagation. If we are puppets, he says, at least we can try to understand our strings. --Rob Lightner [via]
More editions of The Selfish Gene:
- The Selfish Gene: ISBN 0192860925 (0-19-286092-5)
Softcover, Oxford Univ Pr - The Selfish Gene: ISBN 0192177737 (0-19-217773-7)
Hardcover, Oxford Univ Pr - The Selfish Gene: ISBN 0195200004 (0-19-520000-4)
Hardcover, Oxford University Press - The Selfish Gene: ISBN 019857519X (0-19-857519-X)
Hardcover, Oxford University Press - The Selfish Gene: ISBN 0199291144 (0-19-929114-4)
Hardcover, Oxford Univ Pr - The Selfish Gene: ISBN 0199291152 (0-19-929115-2)
Softcover, Oxford Univ Pr
- The Selfish Gene: ISBN 0192860925 (0-19-286092-5)
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The Seven Daughters of Eveby Bryan SykesISBN 1417625929 (1-4176-2592-9)
Hardcover, Bt Bound
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Seven Daughters of Eve'Book summary:The national bestseller that reveals how we are descended from seven prehistoric women.
One of the most dramatic stories of genetic discovery since James Watson's The Double Helix, The Seven Daughters of Eve reveals the remarkable story behind a groundbreaking scientific discovery. After being summoned in 1997 to an archaeological site to examine the remains of a five-thousand-year-old man, Bryan Sykes ultimately was able to prove not only that the man was a European but also that he has living relatives in England today. In this lucid, absorbing account, Sykes reveals how the identification of a particular strand of DNA that passes unbroken through the maternal line allows scientists to trace our genetic makeup all the way back to prehistoric times, to seven primeval women, the Seven Daughters of Eve. illustrated and includes a map [via]More editions of The Seven Daughters of Eve:
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The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestryby Bryan SykesISBN 0393020185 (0-393-02018-5)
Hardcover, W W Norton & Co Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry'Book summary:The Seven Daughters of Eve is a thrilling work of science that reveals how biological research can enrich our tangled lives. It is a book that chronicles many of the most exciting developments in genetics over the past decade by a man who is not only a brilliant scientist but also a gifted and thoroughly engaging writer. It ultimately demonstrates how much more we still have to discover about the absorbing story of human evolution.
One of the most dramatic stories of genetic discovery since James Watson's The Double Helixa work whose scientific and cultural reverberations will be discussed for years to come. In 1994 Professor Bryan Sykes, a leading world authority on DNA and human evolution, was called in to examine the frozen remains of a man trapped in glacial ice in northern Italy. News of both the Ice Man's discovery and his age, which was put at over five thousand years, fascinated scientists and newspapers throughout the world. But what made Sykes's story particularly revelatory was his successful identification of a genetic descendant of the Ice Man, a woman living in Great Britain today. How was Sykes able to locate a living relative of a man who died thousands of years ago? In The Seven Daughters of Eve, he gives us a firsthand account of his research into a remarkable gene, which passes undiluted from generation to generation through the maternal line. After plotting thousands of DNA sequences from all over the world, Sykes found that they clustered around a handful of distinct groups. Among Europeans and North American Caucasians, there are, in fact, only seven. This conclusion was staggering: almost everyone of native European descent, wherever they may live throughout the world, can trace their ancestry back to one of seven women, the Seven Daughters of Eve. Naming them Ursula, Xenia, Helena, Velda, Tara, Katrine, and Jasmine, Sykes has created portraits of their disparate worlds by mapping the migratory patterns followed by millions of their ancestors. In reading the stories of these seven women, we learn exactly how our origins can be traced, how and where our ancient genetic ancestors lived, and how we are each living proof of the almost indestructible strands of DNA, which have survived over so many thousands of years. Indeed, The Seven Daughters of Eve is filled with dramatic stories: from Sykes's identification, using DNA samples from two living relatives, of the remains of Tsar Nicholas and Tsaress Alexandra, to the Caribbean woman whose family had been sold into slavery centuries before and whose ancestry Sykes was able to trace back to the Eastern coast of central Africa. Ultimately, Sykes's investigation reveals that, as a race, what humans have in common is more deeply embedded than what separates us.
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Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behaviorby Jonathan WeinerISBN 0679763902 (0-679-76390-2)
Softcover, Vintage Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Time, Love, Memory: A Great Biologist and His Quest for the Origins of Behavior'Book summary:In the words of Jonathan Weiner, "Time, love, and memory are ... three cornerstones of the pyramid of behavior." While some find it difficult to view humans as mere machines, molecular biologists maintain that most behavior is genetically based. Even skeptics and opponents agree that molecular biology may well change the way we all live in the 21st century. Little-known outside this exploding field, Seymour Benzer, his mentors, and his generations of students have studied the common fruit fly, Drosophila, and discovered genes that seem to have some influence upon our internal clock, our sexuality, and our ability to learn from our experiences.
Weiner (whose last book, The Beak of the Finch, won a Pulitzer Prize) has written an affectionate history about the development of the science while offering charming glimpses of the people involved--trading haircuts to stretch their grant money in the early years, roaming the laboratory into the wee hours, naming the genes associated with learning after Pavlov's dogs. It's not all sweetness and light, however; ethical questions are raised, some of the hype (and hysteria) surrounding the human genome project is dissipated, and the complicated "clockwork" gene "looks less like an invitation to human intervention and more like a cautionary tale or object lesson for anyone who might try, in the 21st century, to improve on nature's four-billion-year-old designs." That said, the scientists in Weiner's tale reveal a very human side of this fast-moving science, and their belief that they'll find answers to important questions is contagious and compelling. As Benzer himself said, "It's a wonderful, fabulous world, and it's been kicking around a long time." --C.B. Delaney [via]
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Turn Off the Fat Genes: The Revolutionary Guide to Losing Weightby Neal BarnardISBN 0609809040 (0-609-80904-0)
Softcover, Three Rivers Pr
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Turn Off the Fat Genes: The Revolutionary Guide to Losing Weight'Book summary:Breakthrough genetic research indicates that genes are not just on/off switches for characteristics we cant control (like gender or eye color). Some genes, including those that shape our bodies, actually adapt to outside influences. In Turn Off the Fat Genes, Dr. Neal Barnard draws on this cutting-edge research to create a revolutionary new program to help your body sculpt away excess pounds by activating thin genes and suppressing fat ones. The heart of Dr. Barnards book is a three-week gene-control program specifically designed to help you identify your gene types by asking questions like:
Whats your genetic taste type?
Do you strongly dislike Brussels sprouts? Are some desserts too sweet to eat?
Is black coffee undrinkable?
If you answered yes to all three questions youre a genetic bitter taster or
supertaster (as opposed to a nontaster ). On page 24 youll find out how to work with your genetic taste type.
Is your appetite becoming harder to control?
Have diets made your appetite unpredictable? If so, your hunger-suppressing leptin gene might need a tune-up. (See page 59.)
Do you gain weight more easily than your friends?
Do you have difficulty losing weight no matter what you do? If so, the genes that set your metabolism might need a boost. (See page 71.)
Do you hate exercise?
If so, your genes may have overloaded you with sluggish Type II muscle cells. Learn how to change them on page 100.
Once we understand how the genes that control shape can be influenced, we can enjoy virtually the same effortless weight control as naturally thin people and reveal the healthy, vital body that nature intended us to have. [via]More editions of Turn Off the Fat Genes: The Revolutionary Guide to Losing Weight:
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Turn Off the Fat Genes: The Revolutionary Guide to Taking Charge of the Genes That Control Your Weightby Neal D. Barnard, Jennifer RaymondISBN 060960631X (0-609-60631-X)
Hardcover, Random House Inc
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Turn Off the Fat Genes: The Revolutionary Guide to Taking Charge of the Genes That Control Your Weight'Book summary:All of us have both "fat genes" that encourage weight gain and "thin genes" that tame the appetite, block fat storage, and increase metabolism, writes Neal Barnard, M.D., a clinical researcher in preventive medicine and president of the Physicians' Committee for Responsible Medicine. According to Barnard, scientific research reveals that "genes are not dictators; they are committees" when it comes to weight loss. His goal here is to teach you how to turn on the "thin genes" and turn off the "fat genes," using food, exercise, and other strategies.
Barnard introduces five key genetic influences on weight loss--all of which can be affected by diet:
- Taste genes that determine which foods attract you
- Leptin, the gene that tames appetite when it's working right, and leads to overeating when it's not
- LPL, the enzyme storing fat in your cells
- Insulin, which can stimulate your fat burning or turn it off
- A gene for muscle-cell types that influences whether exercise is easy for you
Part 1 explains how each of these genetic influences works, how to figure out if and how much it affects you, and how to counter it. For example, you can boost a sluggish calorie burn with aerobic exercise and plant foods high in complex carbs and fiber. Part 2 argues the benefits of a "diet makeover" consisting of a vegan (pure vegetarian, no animal products), low-fat diet emphasizing whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruits.
Part 3 offers menus and dozens of recipes from Jennifer Raymond. In case you think that eliminating meat and dairy would leave nothing substantial on your plate, you'll be pleasantly surprised by her varied, innovative, and satisfying recipes. For example, try Breakfast Sweet Potato Pudding, made with oats and soy milk; Breakfast Scramble, made with polenta, spinach, and mushrooms; Oatmeal Waffles; the Garbanzo Salad Sandwich; Tofu, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwich; Portobello and Red Pepper Wrap; Zucchini Corn Fritters; and Lasagna Roll-ups. --Joan Price [via]
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- Taste genes that determine which foods attract you
Unraveling Genes: A Layperson's Guide to Genetic Engineeringby David McKay, Mark WalkerISBN 1865080861 (1-86508-086-1)
Softcover, Unwin Hyman
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Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonderby Richard DawkinsISBN 0618056734 (0-618-05673-4)
Softcover, Mariner Books
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder'Book summary:Why do poets and artists so often disparage science in their work? For that matter, why does so much scientific literature compare poorly with, say, the phone book? After struggling with questions like these for years, biologist Richard Dawkins has taken a wide-ranging view of the subjects of meaning and beauty in Unweaving the Rainbow, a deeply humanistic examination of science, mysticism, and human nature. Notably strong-willed in a profession of bet-hedgers and wait-and-seers, Dawkins carries the reader along on a romp through the natural and cultural worlds, determined that "science, at its best, should leave room for poetry."
Inspired by the frequently asked question, "Why do you bother getting up in the morning?" following publication of his book The Selfish Gene, Dawkins set out determined to show that understanding nature's mechanics need not sap one's zest for life. Alternately enlightening and maddening, Unweaving the Rainbow will appeal to all thoughtful readers, whether wild-eyed technophiles or grumpy, cabin-dwelling Luddites. Excoriations of newspaper astrology columns follow quotes from Blake and Shakespeare, which are sandwiched between sparkling, easy-to-follow discussions of probability, behavior, and evolution. In Dawkins's world (and, he hopes, in ours), science is poetry; he ends his journey by referring to his title's author and subject, maintaining that "A Keats and a Newton, listening to each other, might hear the galaxies sing." --Rob Lightner [via]
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Usborne Internet Linked Introduction to Genes and DNAby Anna Claybourne, Felicity Brooks, Carrie A. Seay, Stephen MoncrieffISBN 0794504442 (0-7945-0444-2)
Softcover, Edc Pub
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Destejiendo El Arco Irisby Richard DawkinsISBN 8483106698 (84-8310-669-8)
Softcover, Ediciones Urano
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› Find signed collectible books: 'Destejiendo El Arco Iris'Book summary:Desde la astronomia y la genetica hasta el lenguaje y la realidad virtual, Richard Dawkins nos demuestra -y nos convence con ejemplos irreprochables- que la ciencia tambien entrana belleza; y que el descubrimiento de los mecanismos que rigen los fenomenos naturales no solo no destruye su poesia sino que la ensalza, revelandonos aspectos sorprendentes que de ninguna otra manera podriamos apreciar o imaginar. Con un enorme caudal de citas poeticas, Destejiendo el arco iris sugiere que puede aprenderse mucho de los poetas, que la ciencia deberia saber recurrir a imagenes y metaforas inspiradoras que facilitarian una comprension profunda y una investigacion fertil. / Mysteries don't lose their poetry because they are solved: the solution often is more beautiful than the puzzle, uncovering deeper mysteries. Bestselling author, Dawkins takes up important topics in modern science, from astronomy and genetics to language and virtual reality, combining them in a landmark statement of the human appetite for wonder. [via]
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Escalando El Monte Improbableby Richard DawkinsISBN 8483105837 (84-8310-583-7)
Softcover, Ediciones Urano
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Genoma: La Autobiografia De Una Especie En 23 Capitulosby Matt RidleyISBN 8430604146 (84-306-0414-6)
Softcover, Santillana USA Pub Co Inc
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