Book Description

In situ hybridization is a powerful technique used to characterize and locate nucleic acid sequences within the cell. These methods of molecular cytogenetics have become increasingly important over the last 10 years, and have had an important impact on many different areas of the life sciences.

Practical in situ Hybridization is aimed at researchers who wish to use efficient and reliable protocols in their work and those who need to check the validity and interpretation of published data. This book presents a reliable, tried-and-tested approach to the methodologies in current use in many laboratories. The book has a user-friendly and open format for easy access to information, comprehensive coverage of many in situ hybridization techniques, full color sections illustrating results clearly, and an extensive guides to troubleshooting

The book is an invaluable guide for all researchers who need to understand the principles and practice of in situ hybridization. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent book
A real treat for Insitu field. Describes the procedure from step one to the end. Good for both beginers and experienced workers. Only complete book available in the field. ... Read more

Book Description

The long-awaited story of the science, the business, the politics, the intrigue behind the scenes of the most ferocious competition in the history of modern science—the race to map the human genome.
On May 10, 1998, biologist Craig Venter, director of the Institute for Genomic Research, announced that he was forming a private company that within three years would unravel the complete genetic code of human life—seven years before the projected finish of the U.S. government’s Human Genome Project. Venter hoped that by decoding the genome ahead of schedule, he would speed up the pace of biomedical research and save the lives of thousands of people. He also hoped to become very famous and very rich. Calling his company Celera (from the Latin for “speed”), he assembled a small group of scientists in an empty building in Rockville, Maryland, and set to work.
At the same time, the leaders of the government program, under the direction of Francis Collins, head of the National Human Genome Research Institute at the National Institutes of Health, began to mobilize an unexpectedly unified effort to beat Venter to the prize—knowledge that had the potential to revolutionize medicine and society.

The stage was set for one of the most thrilling—and important—dramas in the history of science. The Genome War is the definitive account of that drama—the race for the greatest prize biology has had to offer, told by a writer with exclusive access to Venter’s operation from start to finish. It is also the story of how one man’s ambition created a scientific Camelot where, for a moment, it seemed that the competing interests of pure science and commercial profit might be gloriously reconciled—and the national repercussions that resulted when that dream went awry. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A complex story well told
This is a ferciously well-written account of the race to map the human genome, one of the most sordid and expensive races in the history of science. Virtually alone amongst the books available out there on the genome race, this book tells the story from the point of view of Craig Venter. Not only that, but James Shreeve had a complete fly-on-the-wall view of the inner workings of Celera, allowing Shreeve to give a full-blooded account of the implosion of Venter's dream, that of becoming the Bill Gates of Biotech.

Shreeve has done the impossible by pulling the threads of this immense story into a tight coherent narrative. At the end of the story, we understand how Venter ended up in the embarassing situation of negociating a so-called "tie" in the race for the human genome. Shreeve has a novelistic eye for detail in painting memorable portraits of the many people involved in the story. The science is vividly introduced when needed, but the complex financial and political moves are also explicated with authority. This is very very good writing.

Although Craig Venter has often been demonized amongst scientific circles, it was always an open question whether Venter was the devil incarnate, or an incredibly naive scientist who made one stupid faustian bargain after another. While there is no doubt that Venter is a brilliant man, Shreeve' account portrays Venter as a financial masochist, a victim of financial forces beyond his understanding.

In the preface, Shreeve explained that he had originally wanted a balanced account of the race as he tried to get access to the head of the public Human Genome Project, Francis Collins. He was refused. Because of that, Shreeve has structured the book as a character study of Venter, where we are privy to all his inner trials and tribulations. From being embedded in the private side of the race, Shreeve introduces a subtle bias in the account. The private researchers at Celera are fun and daring, even glamorous, whereas the public scientists are inefficient, stodgy, yawningly boring white-lab coats, especially when they talk about the ethical stuff. In my experience, it's been the opposite. I know researchers who have come back into academia because industry research was so achingly boring.

One big gripe I have with this book is that Shreeve glides over why the public project was so fixated on trying to keep the map open, free and accessible. Shreeve makes the leaders of the public project sound like shrill ideologues, constantly harping on over some kind of utopian ideal. This subtle bias ignores the heavily documented, though much ignored, literature over the pathological behaviour of the pharmaceutical industry. A commercial monopoly over the human genome would have been a disaster for public health (as opposed to rich men's health), and Celera came close to destroying the fragile consensus in academia science.

Apart from this gripe, I do recommend that you read this book if you want a sophisticated guide to one of the most fascinating collisions between commerical and public science, as well as a superb study of scientific ambition.

A zesty story of a great struggle for discovery
The business, science and controversial politics affecting genome studies are outlined by James Shreeve in The Genome War: How Craig Venter Tried To Capture The Code Of Life And Save The World, a history of the race to map the human genome. From the efforts of both private and government industries to unravel the complete genetic code of life to accounts of individual ambitions and motivations for participating in the project, The Genome War offers a zesty story of a great struggle for discovery.

Informative and exciting
This book has it all: brilliant, extraordinary personalities; big egos and big visions, high stakes political and business maneuvering, scientific breakthroughs and feats of technical virtuosity - all making up a very thrilling and important story. James Shreeve relates a complex history of a monumental scientific achievement in a way that is lucid, engaging, informative and exciting. Once you start this book, it is hard to put down. Craig Venter personal story is incredible and intriguing enough, but there are several other interesting and gifted individuals in both the private and public sector chronicled in the book whose genius, dreams and hard work lead to the mapping of the human genome.

Pure joy! A science writing masterpiece.
If you read only one science book this year, it has to be James Shreeve's inside view of the race to sequence the human genome. The story of this tumultuous competition between the prestigious Human Genome Project and the brash visionary Craig Venter is a joy ride. Shreeve's irreverent, charming and ultimately thrilling tale is a masterpiece of science writing. The white coats (and white hats) drop away in this book as Shreeve reveals the majesty of science for what it has always been, a very human story. Bravo!

And now for the other side
Several books have already covered many aspects of the race to sequence the human genome. These books were either written by outsiders with limitted access or in the case of The Common Thread by an insider from the public human genome project. For the first time this book gives the perspective of someone who had intimate access to the people, premises and meetings at Celera Genomics. As an insider at Celera I can vouch for the accuracy of the events covered in the book that I was present for as well as the spirit of the endeavor captured by this book. While I am undoubtedly biased, I found the quality of the narative for this book to be better than that of its rivals and the content more compelling. Shreeve also covers the concurrent public effort and does a nice job of explaining many of the technical challenges in an understandable fashion, but what is unique to this book is the story from behind the scenes at Celera as well as some in depth descriptions of the people involved. If you are at all interested in the whole story about this moment in history you need to read this book! ... Read more

Book Description

This collection of specially commissioned articles looks at fragmented habitats, bringing together recent theoretical advances and empirical studies applying the metapopulation approach. Several chapters closely integrate ecology with genetics and evolutionary biology, and others illustrate how metapopulation concepts and models can be applied to answer questions about conservation, epidemiology, and speciation.

The extensive coverage of theory from highly regarded scientists and the many substantive applications in this one-of-a-kind work make it invaluable to graduate students and researchers in a wide range of disciplines.

* Provides a comprehensive and authoritative account of all aspects of metapopulation biology, integrating ecology, genetics, and evolution
* Developed by recognized experts, including Hanski who won the Balzan Prize for Ecological Sciences
* Covers novel applications of the metapopulation approach to conservation ... Read more

Book Description

Complex interacting networks are observed in systems from such diverse areas as physics, biology, economics, ecology, and computer science. For example, economic or social interactions often organize themselves in complex network structures. Similar phenomena are observed in traffic flow and in communication networks as the internet. In current problems of the Biosciences, prominent examples are protein networks in the living cell, as well as molecular networks in the genome. On larger scales one finds networks of cells as in neural networks, up to the scale of organisms in ecological food webs.
This book defines the field of complex interacting networks in its infancy and presents the dynamics of networks and their structure as a key concept across disciplines.
The contributions present common underlying principles of network dynamics and their theoretical description and are of interest to specialists as well as to the non-specialized reader looking for an introduction to this new exciting field.
Theoretical concepts include modeling networks as dynamical systems with numerical methods and new graph theoretical methods, but also focus on networks that change their topology as in morphogenesis and self-organization. The authors offer concepts to model network structures and dynamics, focussing on approaches applicable across disciplines.

... Read more

Reviews (1)

Crosses Many Disciplines
The attraction of this book is the chance of serendipity. The sheer joy and possibility of thumbing through it and stumbling across something germane to your research, but totally unforeseen by you or others.

The book sits astride several disciplines. Mostly biology. But also computer networks, of which, of course, the Internet is the primary and largest example. But the book also covers some portions of sociology. The classic six degrees of separation between any two people in the world. Actually this is more a metaphor than the literal truth. But still useful in understanding human networks.

If you are currently working with some type of network, your expertise in it, while being a strength, may also be a weakness if it makes you unaware of qualitatively different networks that yet have some commonality with yours. ... Read more

Book Description

Genetic programming (GP) is a method for automatically creating computer programs. It starts from a high-level statement of what needs to be done and uses the Darwinian principle of natural selection to breed a population of improving programs over many generations.Genetic Programming IV: Routine Human-Competitive Machine Intelligence presents the application of GP to a wide variety of problems involving automated synthesis of controllers, circuits, antennas, genetic networks, and metabolic pathways. The book describes fifteen instances where GP has created an entity that either infringes or duplicates the functionality of a previously patented 20th-century invention, six instances where it has done the same with respect to post-2000 patented inventions, two instances where GP has created a patentable new invention, and thirteen other human-competitive results. The book additionally establishes: + GP now delivers routine human-competitive machine intelligence.+ GP is an automated invention machine.+ GP can create general solutions to problems in the form of parameterized topologies.+ GP has delivered qualitatively more substantial results in synchrony with the relentless iteration of Moore's Law. ... Read more

Book Description

As human threats to the Earth's biota span unprecedented temporal and spatial scales, it has become urgent to integrate currently disparate areas of conservation biology into a unified framework. Combining conservation genetics, demography, and ecology, this book presents an integrative approach to managing species as well as ecological and evolutionary processes. The contributions are intended for students, professionals, and researchers in conservation biology, ecology, genetics, and evolution. ... Read more

Book Description

/* 9126D-2, KLUG/CUMMINGS, Essentials of Genetics, 4E */ Presents a succinct overview of the discipline, with balanced coverage of both classical and modern genetics. Known for their clear writing style, emphasis on concepts, visual art program, and thoughtful coverage of all areas of genetics, the authors capture interest with up-to-date coverage of cutting edge topics and research. This book will help readers connect the science of genetics to the issues of today through interesting and thought provoking applications. Revision features 3 new chapters: Chapter 5, Sex Determination and Sex Chromosomes, Chapter 18, Genomics and Proteomics, and Chapter 24, Conservation Genetics—Genenomics and Proteomics put this book at the cutting edge of a rapidly moving field. The Conservation Genetics chapter is the first really new chapter that has appeared in any genetics book over the past decade. The Population Genetics and Evolutionary Genetics chapters are updated and significantly enriched by Jon Herron (co-author of Evolutionary Analysis, 2/e). The Technology and Society Essays include numerous revisions and several new topics—Genetically Modified Foods is addressed with a new essay in Chapter 1; new essay in Chapter 18 addresses Gene Therapy in the context of Genomics; there are two short boxes that represent “molecular snippets” in the transmission genetic chapters (3 and 5); and new section on molecular genetics in Chapter 1. Two biotechnology chapters cover technologies and analysis, and applications and ethics. Human behavior genetics includes recent findings on genes controlling manic depression (Chapter 20). Up-to-date coverage of contemporary topics includes ethical questions raised by genetic testing and the human genome project. It will appeal to evolutionarily-oriented professionals in the biological sciences, zoology, agriculture, and health science fields. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Difficult for Beginners
If you are taking an introduction to genetics course, this book is difficult to understand. It seemingly presents the concepts for those that have had previous knowledge of genetics. The chapters on Mendelian Genetics, Mitosis, and Meiosis are done well, but later chapters dealing with regulation, mutation, transcription, and translation are difficult to understand. The pictures are not very helpful, either. If this book is required for your introductory genetics course, i recommend getting another book in addition to this one.

very interesting concepts for learning
I took this course because it is a required course for my major. After getting into the first month of classes, I started to read the textbook. Genetics is a very interesting topic, and this book displays this. It breaks down concepts for the student to understand, and has great photos and figures. There are also one to two page "stories" which relate to the concept of the chapter at the end of each chapter. These are real stories of history or happenings of how Genetics has severely affected people. There is also a review and questions at the end of each chapter. Overall, I would give the book a four star rating. ... Read more

Book Description

A practical resource for everyone involved in the gene therapy field and in the design of effective gene delivery systems, this volume presents an overview and update of recent advances in the field of non-viralmethods for the in vivo transfer of therapeutic genes to biological targets using conventional routes of administration.Methods to control the spatial and temporal modulation of gene function in vivo as well as the level, duration, specificity, and fidelity of gene expression are described.
The rational design and the applications of a variety of non-viral gene delivery systems, such as cationic lipid-, polymer-, and (poly) peptide-based systems, are exemplified for the control oflocation of therapeutic genes administered by various routes. Current and potential clinical applications of gene-based medicines are presented for the prevention, correction or modulation of diseases. Examples of current applications of plasmid-based systems for genetic vaccination, treatment ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Too many mistakes!
I can not believe that One can make so many mistakes for such a 400 pages book. On page 12, there are 2 major mistakes which will lead anyone who is not an expert in this area to hell.

THE book.
This is THE book on the subject. The bible of the field by a master. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

STUPID
I CAN'T RATE IT BECAUSE I CAN'T READ THE STUPID BOOK. I CNA'T EVEN READ A STUPID EXCERPT OF THE STUPID BOOK. AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW I THINK THIS BOOK IS STUPID.

A Versatile, Accessible Introduction
I came away very impressed from Dr. Brown's latest edition. The book is extremely readable but does not dumb down the material. I'm taking an upper-level molecular genetics lab and am doing independent work in genetics, and this book is a great reference. However, I think that this book would be pretty easy for someone with introductory level biology--heck, I think some AP Biology high school teachers may be able to use this text for their classes.

Brown takes you through all the basics of molecular genetics: from the basic mechanics of DNA manipulation to PCR, bacteriophages, and even a review of basic genomics and genomic analysis, which are still very new and rapidly evolving fields. Every chapter has references for more in-depth study. This is a great book to introduce you to modern molecular genetics. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Wasted My Money - Addition To My Circular File
I bought this book in late 1998 and sifted through a chapter here and a chapter there. It is a book of short reviews on different neurological diseases. For the price and the contributing authors, I was hoping for something special, but it was pretty poor fare, certainly of no greater quality or insight than a typical journal review article. What a waste of my money - I would not even recommend it as part of a library collection.

Alternatively, I would strongly recommend buying individual books on neurological areas of interest - for example, "McAlpine's Multiple Sclerosis" is stunning in its excellence (some flaws in what was left out). The same type of recommendation would hold for genetics and molecular biology - buy a premium textbook and scan it for what is needed. ... Read more

Book Description

A raucous tour of the fast-fading borderland between fringe and mainstream science.

In California, a woman desperately hoping to usher in a new spiritual age conspires with her scientist boyfriend to clone herself. In Massachusetts, the founder of a famous biotech company strives to deliver on the apocalyptic vision of human immortality. In Arizona, an iconoclastic billionaire establishes a handful of fledgling companies promising an enhanced human future and super-long life. Meanwhile, some of the world's most renowned scientists begin speaking openly about genetically engineering people and rebuilding human bodies. The two sides are merging, and Brian Alexander takes readers to the on ramp.

Alexander traces the story of William Haseltine, one of the most famous, and richest, of a new breed of biotechnology entrepreneurs. A former Harvard professor and now CEO of Human Genome Sciences, Haseltine is considered the father of "regenerative medicine." With his reputation as a biotech bad-boy and lover of controversy, he has become a high priest of the new biotech religion, looked upon by life extensionists as "a hero." Alexander examines his career and shows how little separates the science elite from the dreamers who believe a new human age is about to begin. Funny, bizarre, yet always fascinating, Rapture takes readers into the surprising stories behind cloning, stem cells, miracle drugs, and genetic engineering to explore how we got here and why we'll go where nobody thought we could. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Excellent Book - Noteworthy History of Transhumanism
This book has got the buzz and the facts clear. It is a book about the "pioneers" of transhumanism and what they did early on that has set the pace for the futurists today.

Who else is going to tell the story but a writer that admires the ideas of transhumanists and also can laugh with us? If you cannot laugh at yourself, what is the point of living a long and enjoyable life? There isn't, and this is to Brian Alexander's credit.

We owe a lot to the Los Angeles Transhumanists - FM Esfandiary, Natasha Vita-More, Eric Drexler, Max More, Ralph Merkle, Greg Fahy - the entire gang.

If you want to read a book that literally gets you to go to the frig and get a beer, kick back on the sofa, and dream of a long life - this is the book!

Left of Center - but thinking toward the future.

Jason Jefferson

A brilliant history of scientific & spiritual thought
I know many of the people outlined in this book and am deeply involved in cloning. Alexander's portrayal of me and my activities was accurate & pithy but was unduly one-dimensional.
However, this is a brilliant work which ties together ideas that have combined within the past decade or so to become a movement called Transhumanism.
By connecting the thoughts of early scientific dreamers with the realities of modern day biotechnology, Brian Alexander deserves the glowing cover blurb by Glen McGee:
"Brian Alexander has turned the most important scientific revolution since Galileo into an adventure story that touches your mind and soul. No writer has ever dug this deep or looked forward this imaginatively. With Rapture, Alexander has become the voice of biotechnology for the 21st Century."
As a cloning activist, I usually end up debating McGee on the air. However, he is right on target here. Alexander is quite right that science and biotechnology have become a new religion for disparate groups that believe in cryonics, cloning, life extension, etc. Many don't like the label "religion" because religionists are usually the ones persecuting them. The historic philosophical roots of this religion versus science debate provide a useful perspective to the new debates we are having in this new age.
If I could give it ten stars, I would. It is really the most informative "connecting" book I have ever read.

It's not "religious" if you can do it
Brian Alexander writes about many people I happen to know. In fact, his description of the Extropian movement in the early 1990's made me rather nostalgic.

But he doesn't seem to understand why people would want to conquer aging and death, and he performs a disservice by characterizing the movement as a "religion," by which he means a belief system that's impractical or lacking factual support. Scientists have radically extended the lives of certain species of laboratory animals in apparent good health. Because of the conservative nature of the genome across species, similar biochemical pathways probably exist in humans that we might be able to use to retard aging and greatly extend our healthy lives well past 120 years.

Religions, by contrast, don't have anything like an animal model to demonstrate that their beliefs can send animals' "souls" to otherworldly heavens, much less human "souls." So comparing physical immortalism with a religion is patently absurd.

Still, I gave the book three stars because Alexander provides some valuable information and historical insight into a social movement that promises to revolutionize the human condition, unless the Kassian "Yuck" faction succeeds in suppressing it. ... Read more

Book Description

From the bestselling author of The End of Nature comes a passionate plea to limit the technologies that could change the very definition of who we are

We are on the verge of crossing the line from born to made, from created to built. Sometime in the next few years, a scientist will reprogram a human egg or sperm cell, spawning a genetic change that could be passed down into eternity. We are sleepwalking toward the future, argues Bill McKibben, and it’s time to open our eyes.

In The End of Nature, nearly fifteen years ago, McKibben demonstrated that humanity had begun to irrevocably alter—and endanger—our environment on a global scale. Now he turns his eye to an array of technologies that could change our relationship not with the rest of nature but with ourselves. He explores the frontiers of genetic engineering, robotics, and nanotechnology—all of which we are approaching with astonishing speed—and shows that each threatens to take us past a point of no return. We now stand at a critical threshold, poised between the human past and a post-human future.

Ultimately, McKibben offers a celebration of what it means to be human, and a warning that we risk the loss of all meaning if we step across the threshold. His wise and eloquent book argues that we cannot forever grow in reach and power—that we must at last learn how to say, “Enough.”
... Read more

Reviews (16)

Enough: Staying Human in an Engineered Age by Bill McKibben
Although this book should get 5 stars for imagination and style,
I disagree with its premise.
We humans already have built into our systems, the trait of curiosity as well as the strong desire to survive as a species.
We're going to move forward with genetic research, stem cell
research and cloning organs in the 21st Century. We're also
excited with the prospect of space travel and intelligent life
elsewhere in the universe.
The author thinks that we must stop developing our human-ness, at
this time because we need to stick with what's "natural."

Is it natural to have the ability to cure all diseases by manipulating genes and stem cells, but NOT do it?...for fear of
not being "natural?" Is it natural NOT to live 200 years, if we
have it within our power to do so? As long as we solve the
problems of overpopulation, what's wrong with living 200 years?

At this time, we're replacing damaged human parts with new high
tech man-made materials? Is it unnatural to have a prosthetic
arm, leg, hand, etc.? In some cases, we're also using animal
cells to cure human brain diseases. Some people have used
transplanted animal hearts. Is this unnatural...to want to live,
no matter what? Would it be better to die then to have an
animal or prosthetic part?
Cloning human organs simply refines the above procedures, and
nothing more.

In the 21st Century we already know that machines are putting many out of work. We know that computers can "think" faster than most humans, and yet we want them to make our lives more
convenient. Our desire to choose our own destiny could come to
an end if we were NOT to enhance our brain power vis a vie these
existing machines. What is wrong with that?

Is it unnatural to want to have higher intelligence than the machines in our lives?
Through the development of machines, computer chips, satellites,
space ships, and the e*world in general, we have changed our
environment. The "medium is the message" should be pretty clear
here. Now, we need to adapt to the very environment that we
have wrought. The reason that homo sapiens have come this far, is the ability of our brains to adapt to an assortment of environments. Of course, we need to develop our intelligence so
that we are the masters of the machines and...beyond. Wouldn't
it be grossly unnatural NOT to be smarter than the machines we
build?

There's no doubt that most humans who think about space travel,
are smart enough, in the present time, to know that we humans
will NOT be able to do this, in our present form. If we ever reach the point of being able to chart a destination...it wouldn't be possible to arrive at that goal, in our present state. No doubt, to send a space ship out into the universe to
some distant planet or moon with humans on board to inhabit that
celestial place, our Planet Earth ancestors will have to create
a nearly new species... a more sophisticated primate. Perhaps,
humanoids with highly enhanced brains and no legs will navigate
a cargo of suspended fertilized eggs, as well as humans long in
hibernation. But how is this not natural? Isn't it very natural to want to explore our universe? Isn't it extremely
natural to want to survive a collision with a meteor or comet, if
it's "humanly" possible?

It would seem that NOT to do all of the above, would hold back
our VERY NATURAL human drives of survival and exploration.
I applaud the author for pointing out some pitfalls that technology might lead us into. Taking these into consideration,
we humans, have no choice but to move forward into gradually
expanding brave new worlds, which is what we have always done, in
order to make our species stronger and able to survive.

He's right!!!!! .....ENOUGH
Very readable. A minor knowledge of genetics and cursory knowledge of robotics will get you through this book without confusion. Nanotechnology is so new that few of us have even a fundamental knowledge of its workings. Fortunately, Mr. McKibben recognizes this and spares us baffling jargon on most all issues. Recommended reading for any parent having more than half a child, or considering having a child.

Perhaps I was fortunate to have read Francis Fukuyama's "Our Posthuman Future" and Greg Stock's "Redesigning Humans" just prior to reading Mr. McKibben's book. As Mr. McKibben says in his book, Fukuyama used an [unremarkable] style to get the message across that something must be done now to begin to internationally regulate the ethical boundaries of, and path forward for, genetics.

Mr. McKibben is clearly well read on a number of subjects and takes a pragmatic yet fatalistic view of the future considering the current trend of science. He talks of the perils and pitfalls that could accompany the genetic revolution, while giving a fair and balanced view of the merits of the field in disease prevention. What he does extremely well in this book, "Enough", is to draw attention to the paralleling emerging technologies of genetics, nanotechnology and robotics (GNR as he has labeled it), and the confluence of these three fast-paced advancing technologies.

Although an interesting and well written book, I cannot refrain from commenting (as Mr. McKibben politely did) on the conclusions drawn in Gregory Stock's book. Mr. Stock takes the view that the momentum is too great now and is unstoppable (heaven forbid that he is correct). Mr. McKibben is thorough and visionary in helping us understand the burning issue at hand in the bioethical decisions we must make in thwarting this burgeoning push towards germinal technology. The burning issue.... the future of our children (or wandering humans without meaning...whatever...) in that they will inevitably bear the consequences of inaction within the coming ten, twenty or fifty years from now if this current generation of commercial decision makers is left to their own devices. The exact timing is debatable. The outcome, if unchecked, is only a question of severity of the consequences, not when.

Mr. McKibben's forward thinking scenarios of what the human may evolve to if some or all of this modification occurs paints a stark... no dark, picture of the "human" of the future. Wandering aimlessly without family ties and wondering if the enhancements bequeathed upon them by their ancestors predisposed them to their calling in life, or if their physical and intellectual successes were of their own ability, or the results of their modifications.

He closes with several brief conclusions shared by other academics in that it is a "freight train" (my words) that could only be stopped by a police state. The choice...Aldous Huxley's "Brave New World", a return to a caste system liking that of India in past years, or George Orwell's "1984". Take your pick.

I admit to be one to worry about what the future holds for my children in any event. That's my job. However, this book helped me to finally draw a clear conclusion that a sad destiny is upon us if something is not done. As Mr. McKibben points out, we are a species that has, in the past, said "Enough" when the consequences were unmistakably too grave. It can be done again. I am of the mind that we should do it again. That we just say enough, and begin to regulate it in the face of the commercial proponents.

I was truly taken aback by Mr. McKibben's simple comment that we may be the last generation to be able to make this choice. The Mother of all choices as it may turn out.

For the immediate, the best thing we could do would be to see a few more books realizing the need for a fast track plan to educate our children about the oncoming freight train. This would allow them to at least begin to understand and be aware of the potential danger of the outcome, and hopefully, to choose to oppose it in the coming years.

Well done Bill. One of the best books on bioethics I have read to date. It should be mandatory for all parents. Five Stars in my book.

By Stephan Agnitsch, an American in Malaysia
sagnitsch@pc.jaring.my

Look out Galileo, Copernicus, Dr. Frankenstein, et al!
The only thing new about this book is the author and the printing date. Its premise is as old as recorded history. "Man dare not venture into some areas or he risks waking the demon, being eaten by the sea monster, incurring the wrath of the gods, creating the Frankenstein monster, etc."

First of all, these dire predictions seldom (if ever) come to pass. Nuclear power is an excellent example. In spite of the dire warnings and gloomy scenarios, some how we've managed to avoid annihilation (I can hear the collective "well, not yet" issuing from the Naderites), much to the chagrin of doom-prophets like McKibben, I'm sure. We seem to manage to stay alive and even prosper whatever technologies we happen develop.

Most importantly, McKibben's proposal that we ban, cease, outlaw, restrict, move backwards, whatever, is untenable. You cannot stop people from eventually exploring these areas. The technologies will be developed. Pass all the laws you want. Set up all the inquisitions you can muster. Burn all the heretics you can round up. The Bible will still be translated into English. The printing press will still disseminate information to the masses. The world will still revolve around the sun, not vice versa. Even though God didn't give man wings he can still fly. The automobile will replace the horse. It will still be possible to exceed the speed of sound. Man will still be descended from lower life forms, and on and on.

McKibben challenges us to face the "fact" that things are as good as we need them to be. He asks us to imagine how life could actually be any better and believes that we must admit that we can't. Well, horse hockey! Ask someone at the end of the 19th century the same question and they would probably not be able to imagine the world we live in. They would probably have agreed with the statement, "Life can't get any better than it is right now." Point is we can't know what all this will mean for the future of mankind. I, for one, am not willing to abandon possibilities based on the fear mongering of a twenty-first century naysayer.

As for his argument that all this is somehow dehumanizing, nothing is more human than improving who we are and how we live. That is exactly how we've survived for the past 3.5 million years. Sorry Bill, but you can take your place with the old wives and leave the rest of us alone.

I'm glad McKibben has the ability to say what he says. He needs to thank technological advancement for the opportunity. Other wise, he'd still be plowing a field to put bread on the table instead of cashing a check and going to the store. This book is one of the best examples of cultural lag that I've seen lately. The sad thing is that so many agree with the premise out of ignorance and fear. But, that too has had it evolutionary advantages. Fortunately, it's always been the progressives that adapted and survived. Sorry Bill, I think you're headed for extinction.

Good enough
The book is a discussion of McKibben's opinions of genetic manipulation of humans, the history of stem cell and cloning research and the possible outcomes. It is not a scientific work, but succeeds as a discussion in bioethics.
The book would be very useful for those who are unfamiliar with the subject and those who are only beginning to study bioethics. Some of the information seems too superficial for me, since I am a Family Physician studying for a Master's in Bioethics. I still learned new information and am definitely informed by the author's viewpoint.
I disagree with some of his pessimism about the reaction of the subjects of genetic manipulation since all children have struggled with identity and we've done fairly well so far. However, Dr Leon Kass and other more informed minds agree with McKibben. (I wonder how much of our differing opinions and optimism/pessimism are due to *our* genetics and how much due to that very struggle? How much is nature, how much nurture and the specific portion of our environment that includes these discussions?)

Are we about to make ourselves obsolete? Read the book!
This is one of the most thoughtful, and sobering, books I've ever read. McKibben takes a deep, serious and well-researched look at the implications of genetic engineering, nanotechnology, robotics and artificial intelligence, and the view is chilling. Whether you are a technophile or a technophobe, read this book. Some version of the post-human future McKibben envisions is racing toward us. Robert Adler, author of _Medical Firsts: From Hippocrates to the Human Genome_ and _Science Firsts: From the Creation of Science to the Science of Creation_. ... Read more

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

I am going to say it clearly and succinctly: this brand-new book is one of the most important scholarly works of the year. Seeking to understand why some people were poor, homeless, criminally inclined, mentally ill, and in other ways socially inadequate, 19th-century theorists turned to the science of eugenics, the concept of genetically unfit people. This stunning book is an exploration of the profound contemporary resonance of this concept and how it directly contributed to such persecutions as the Holocaust.

Certain individuals were judged "degenerate" as early as biblical times, and the condition was viewed as a punishment for religious transgression. Noted author Elof Axel Carlson traces the idea that degeneracy was biologically determined and shows how the social application of the label changed throughout the last century as the new academic discipline of sociology emerged. Carlson describes the failures and abuses of the social movements in the United States and Europe with their sorry history of racism, anti-Semitism, and violations of basic human rights.

Carlson writes beautifully, but I want to warn readers that this is not a book to be looked at lightly. It probably couldn't have the power it does if it did not include the wealth of illustrations and extensive notes, but it is indeed a serious study of this disturbing science. As Carlson writes in his Introduction, "Readers of this book may feel uncomfortable, as I certainly did, when they realize that there is a lot of mythology associated with the origins of the eugenics movement. It is embarrassing to see many strange bedfellows in the development of the idea of unfit people, and it should give us pause if we believe that the Holocaust could have been predicted from its earliest roots." I shivered when I read that statement. --Charles Decker ... Read more

Reviews (1)

the finest work on Eugenics to date
This book is by far the best I have ever seen on this facinating topic. It is an extremly insightful work that is a pure joy to read. Mr. Elof Carlson is a brillant writer and this is some of his best work. I feel it is the quientessential work on Eugenics ... Read more

Amazon.com

Will the genetic research that gave us the Flavr Savr tomato also give us the power to customize our children? Medical thinker Gregory Stock believes that this is precisely what's happening and that we'd better get used to it fast. Redesigning Humans: Our Inevitable Genetic Future explores gender selection, gene therapy, germinal choice, and many more options available now or in the near future, but lays aside the hysteria common to such discussions.

Stock sees the cloning controversy as a distraction from issues of real importance, such as balancing offspring trait selection against eugenics. Writing with the clarity and precision of a philosopher, Stock engages his readers with thought exercises and real-life examples. While not a brainless cheerleader for big science, he believes that we can, and certainly will, use any means necessary to give our children an edge, even if it means profound changes for our species. Redesigning Humans offers the hope that these changes need not be catastrophic if we pay attention now. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (20)

An uncompromising look at our human future
With insight and intelligence Gregory Stock discusses the future possibilities of human genetic engineering. He is willing to state that when these technologies are safely available and we have the ability to alter our genes and control our genetic destiny, it will be very difficult for us to walk away and decide to ignore or criminalize the ability to cure hereditary disease or extend life. Stock has written a brave and uncompromising book, and whether you are thrilled or angered by his words, it is likely to be a book that helps frame our human future.

Gene therapy on the horizon
Germline gene therapy is the manipulation of the genome at the germinal stage (i.e. at conception) as distinct from somatic gene therapy, which involves the manipulation of living cells. What I got out of this book was a clear understanding of how germline engineering (the author's area of expertise) will be easier to achieve, arrive sooner and be more ethically provocative than genetic manipulation that alters our bodies directly.

Early on in the book, Stock addresses some of the Kurzwellian predictions for our future biology and finds areas of disagreement with previous authors. This debate centres on Cyborgism, Fyborgism and the extent to which humans and machines will fuse. I didn't agree with him, but this is not to say he lacks structure or clarity in his arguments.

Be aware that Stock is an expert in germline engineering, a particularly controversial biotechnology. Perhaps understandably, he devotes much of the latter part of the book to addressing ethical dilemmas and social responsibility (something to note if this type of hand wringing doesn't exactly set you alight).

This is a timely book, generally well written. I particularly liked Stock's fascinating thesis on the potential of artificial chromosomes. This is worth the book's price alone.

An interesting but narrow view of extraordinary new science.
I picked up this book just based on its title (a highly inadvisable practice), which was the first of many dissapointments I had with this book. First off, "Redesigning Humans, Our Inevitable Genetic Future" would be more appropriately named "Redesigning Our Children, Humanities Inevitable Genetic Future". You see, this book isn't really about redesigning "us", it's about a technological process called "germline engineering". This technology intervenes with "germ cells" (like sperm and egg) to alter their blueprint (from which our biology originates).

Granted, germline engineering is interesting, and I think the author makes a good case for its "inevitability", but in my humble opinion if you're broadly interested in how science will one day alter mankind's basic physical makeup, or specifically interested in how science will alter our biology, there far more interesting reads than this one.

Which brings me to the meat of my point...I'm not arguing Gregory Stocks credentials, and clearly he's a very well educated, well researched scientist (Director of the Medicine, Technology, and Society program at UCLA), but from the outset of this book, he seemed way too biased towards germline engineering, and almost arrogant about germlines superiority as an agent of future change vs. other interesting technology vectors. On page 20 he summarily dismisses an entire scientific school of thought centered around machine augmentation of biology and capability (headed by such credentialed scientists as R. Kurzweil) with the following statement:

"People may dream of enhancing their minds by embedding chips in their brains, but a sophisticated interface between our nervous systems and silicon would be incredibly complex"

...Duh! Augmenting mankind's basic physical essence (that we've had for hundreds of thousands of years) isn't childs play for any scientific approach. But that was pretty much his "that's that on that" basis. VERY FRUSTRATING inadequacy to someone who believes the contrary (I'd at least like someone to offer better basis in approach than that).

And in considering the benefits of machine or biological augmentation of capability (sensory or performance related) he writes:

"Indeed, I cannot imagine any apparatus that would serve us better than our own healthy heart, which responds so perfectly to our changing activity and emotions and is so well matched to the capacities of the rest of our circulatory system. A healthy human heart represents the ideal to which any replacement must aspire..."

What about 10X durability, what about real-time diagnostic feedback, or predictive capability? That's just off the top of my head! It's a bit ironic that this kind of narrow mindedness is coming from such a proponent of change...

Ok, so setting aside my problems with the book, I did find a number of interesting new understandings. In particular, this book gave me a firmer grasp of the extraordinary and near-term potential to modify our offspring, it solidified my position on human cloning (as a benign diversion from the real important decisions we as a species will need to face), and reinvigorated my interest in "somatic therapy" (the altering of existent biology with gene-loaded viral pathogens).

If you're a physco for this kind of stuff, read the first 80 pages of this book, and skim through the rest. If you're passively interested in this kind of science, consider reading Ray Kurzweil "Age of Spiritual Machines", Hans Moravecs' "Robot", or "The Spike" by Damien Broderick.

I hope this was helpful.

Preparing for the Next Addition to the Culture Wars!
As E.O Wilson notes in his blurb for the back cover of this book, it is amazing how few philosophers are really willing to pay attention to and write about genetic engineering. Especially in light of Stock's thesis: Genetic engineering, like it or not, is comming, ready or not.

Honestly, I thought that Stock's book would be one of the few to really provide moral arguments for genetic engineering, particularly 'extratherapeutic' engineering. While there is a little of that, the book devotes much more time to exploring the inefficacy (in a utilitarian sense) of government regulations and bans on therapy. In that sense, his book is not quite a moral response to ethical luddites like Kass and McKibben, but governmental luddites like Fukuyama.

Without spoiling the book for you, I will summarize some of his reasons (so you get the flavor: 1.) like abortion, there is simply too much demand for such therapies (and those that don't believe this should look at how much we spend on 'anti-aging' pills and surgeries). Thus, there is too much incentive for consumers to form black markets should bans be in place. 2.) Due to the plurality of world politics, such bans are, at best, regional. While Germany might ban research, China surely will not. 3.) Like abortion and drugs, black markets will be more dangerous that publically visible and monitorible legal ones. 4.) Bans or strict controls are going to cost astronomical amounts of money (and privacy) to prevent and catch law-breakers.

There. I've only given you a taste, and if any of those arguments sound frail, read the book. The elaborations are first rate! This brings me to two small complaints.

First, Stock tends to get ahead of himself in that the first half of the book is filled with sweeping proclomations like, "In the future we might be able to do x. Even though most scientists don't believe me on the feasibility on x, I really do think it could happen." In other words, he makes strangely radical predictions, reminds you that they are stragely radical predictions and simply defends them by saing that anything is possible.

Second, Stock will occasionally come off as a will-o-the-wisp cheerleader. Particularly when he addresses concerns about the efficacy of unregulated markets, Stock simply tells us that we need not worry and that markets have taken care of themselves in the past, therefore they will work in the present. While I believe him (being the libertarian that I am), too many people i know share a scepticism of the market for Stock to dismiss the argument so curtly (assuming he wants to convince anyone). Other examples of this will-o-the-wisp style are in the book (though not enough to get annoying).

To conclude, as this book has much more to do with cost/benefit analysis of regulation (that more or less winds up in favor of free markets) rather than ethical philosophy, the book will be much more interesting to political thinkers than bioethicists or philosophers. In fact, I would suggest reading this book and Fukuyama's "Our Posthuman Future" together as they take the same questions (where to regulate biotech) and come to different conclusions.

If we could make better humans ... why shouldn't we?
James Watson, codiscoverer of the structure of DNA, asked, "If we could make better humans ... why shouldn't we?" That question is at the core of this book, and Gregory Stock responds in the affirmative. Not that we have a choice, he asserts; genetic engineering is coming whether we like it or not. And he makes a damn good case.

Rather than getting right to it, however, he begins with an anti-Kurzweil chapter. Ray Kurzweil is the author of the Age of Spiritual Machines, which projects the rapid development of artificial intelligence during the next few decades and the integration of human and machine intelligence (see my review). Stock argues that the interface between the human nervous system and silicon would be incredibly complex, making it highly unlikely we will be physically integrated with our computers within this timeframe. He believes that we will communicate much more effectively with the machines through our senses, becoming fyborgs (functional cyborgs).

Then he moves on to the main course, beginning with preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). Physicians have been performing genetic testing of embryos since 1989, with screening now available for a handful of genetic diseases. This technology will continue to expand, allowing parents to select specific embryos for implantation in the uterus, effectively enabling us to have children with certain genetic tendencies. The next advance, germinal choice technologies (GCT), will arrive within the next decade or two, allowing us to enhance our children's naturally occurring genetic inheritance. Artificial chromosomes, loaded with selected genes, might be the foundation.

Stock understands how divisive this issue will be, but argues that it can't be halted (not that he wants to stop it). He argues effectively for a reasonable degree of regulation, although he believes that the ultimate decision must remain in the hands of parents.

This is a book focused more on ethics and issues rather than technology. If you're interested more in the nuts and bolts of genetic engineering, look elsewhere. Whether you agree with him or not, Stock lays out the issues and his answers in a clear and compelling manner. It's an excellent exposition of the subject, one worth studying. ... Read more

Book Description

This volume of Methods in Cell Biology, the second of two parts on the subject of zebrafish, provides a comprehensive compendia of laboratory protocols and reviews covering all the new methods developed since 1999. This second volume covers advances in forward and reverse genetic techniques, provides an update on the zebrafish genome and gene/mutant mapping technologies, examines the new systems for efficient transgenesis in the zebrafish, provides an in-depth view of informatics and the emerging field of comparative genomics, and considers the extensive infrastructure now available to the zebrafish community. ... Read more

Book Description

Genome Transcriptome and Proteome Analysis is a concise introduction to the subject, successfully bringing together these three key areas of research. Starrting with a revision of molecular genetics the book offers clear explanations of the tools and techniques widely used in genome, transcriptome and proteome analysis. Subsequent chapters offer a broad overview of linkage maps, physical maps and genome sequencing, with a final discussion on the identification of genes responsible for disease.

An invaluable introduction to the basic concepts of the subject, this text offers the student an excellent overview of current research methods and applications and is a good starting point for those new to the area.

• A clear, concise introduction to the subject of modern genomic analysis
• A technology-oriented approach including the latest developments in the field
• Invaluable to those students taking courses in Bioinformatics, Human Genetics, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 

Reviews (3)

the best book on the subject!
this book is simply the best on the subject, and it shows how proper nutrition with suplements can control genetic diseases.in the past ,the world of medicine was sure that there is nothing to do with genetic-diseases,but no more!.this book explains these mecanisms in a realy wonderful way.you will have a better understanding on genetics wether you are an unhealthy person or a therapist of any kind(especialy natural-healer).we are not changing our genes,we are only give them a better nutrition in order to make them express themselves in the best healthy way.this book is highly recommanded!.

A book that helped
Too often health books fail to deliver anything other than conjecture and unsubstantiated claims. This is one book on my health that made sense and gave me the tools to make rationale decisions about my health future. I liked the way the book took complicated scientific issues and made them accessible to me years before my doctor would understand them. I recommend this book for anyone wanting the latest in health research that can be applied to their own lives.

21st Century Medicine and Nutrition
The focus on this book is to bring the latest research on how to create from a person's genetic template the best health outcomes as they age using personalized nutrition and lifestyle tailoring. The book is science-based from both the clinical research experiences of the author in the Functional Medicine Research Center and from the hundreds of scientific studies from other researchers cited in the extensive bibliography. This is a "how to" book as much as a description of when, why and where medicine will be changing to become "personalized medicine" in the 21st century. ... Read more

Book Description

This textbook provides a clear and comprehensive introduction to the importance of genetic studies in conservation. The text is presented in an easy-to-follow format with main points and terms clearly highlighted. Each chapter concludes with a concise summary, which together with worked examples, problems and answers, emphasize the key principles covered. Text boxes containing interesting case studies and other additional information enrich the content throughout. Over 100 beautiful pen and ink portraits of endangered species help bring the material to life. ... Read more