Amazon.com

A growing number of aspects of human nature are proving to be genetically based, but it is important not to jump to the conclusion that everything about human nature is determined by genes. Richard Lewontin, eminent geneticist from Harvard and founding member of "Science for the People," has written an accessible and important book about the limits of genetic determinism, especially in defining putative differences between races. In technical terms, his basic argument is that thegenetic differences between races are not significantly greater than the genetic differences between randomly selected humans within any race. The first edition in 1982, based largely on studies of protein polymorphisms, was prompted in large part by his concerns with the potential dangers ofE.O. Wilson's encyclopedic, masterful (but now somewhat dated) Sociobiology, andthis 1995 edition includes a considerable amount of more recent evidence from DNA analyses for Lewontin's argument. Recommended. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

We're all different
Easy-to-read book intended for the general reader demonstrating the large amount genetic variation present in the human population. However, the specific migration of early humans throughout the world and the establishment of diverse populations worldwide is not covered in this reference.

Indepth and interesting
This book is labeled as "for the lay reader" but it ranges from lay language to very technical language regarding chemistry and DNA.The author integrates genetics, evolution, migration, and psychology into avery useful book which supports acceptance of diversity and offers theevidence required to debunk stereotypes and prejudices. ... Read more

Book Description

This brief and specialized book is designed for general non-major biology courses and includes, Unit 1 (Principles of Cellular Life), and Unit II (Principles of Inheritance) from BIOLOGY: THE UNITY AND DIVERSITY OF LIFE, Tenth Edition. The authors include characteristics of life, scientific methods, basic chemistry, cell biology, metabolism, mitosis and meiosis, classical genetics, human genetics, molecular genetics, recombinant DNA, and genetic engineering.Research has given us a better understanding of the interconnectedness of molecular biology, structure, function, and evolution. In this Tenth Edition, Starr and Taggart take that important connection out of the research realm and actually interweave these insights into the text. These unifying biological concepts encourage student understanding instead of memorization. For example, Chapter 1 includes a preview of life's unity and diversity with an evolutionary perspective. Similar sections in Chapters 3, 5, and 6, on the structure and function of enzymes and other molecules prepare students for chapters on cell structure and metabolism, genetics, evolution, anatomy, and physiology.The accompanying improvements in the media package meet the high standards instructors and students have come to expect from the Starr and Taggart media package. Students automatically receive a new version of the complimentary Interactive Concepts in Biology CD-ROM (featuring nearly 800 interactions to clarify and reinforce text concepts), and four months free access to InfoTrac College Edition (featuring full text articles from 4,000 periodicals). Also available is Engage Online, which provides a rich online version of the text, plus animations and learning resources for every chapter. The instructor package includes a Multimedia Manager presentation tool with art and graphics from the text, as well as CNN ® Today video clips (294 in all)-now available digitally as well as on Video. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What a tough biology class!!!
I used this book for a biology course I took in college. Man, what a tough course!! The teacher was nice, but she sure made the tests tough! This book, while having nice pictures and illustrations, is fairly difficult to follow as well. Maybe if I had used the included cd the class would have been easier. I am glad to be done!! ... Read more

Book Description

Methods in Cell-Matrix Adhesion contains integrated coverage on cell-matrix adhesion methods. It brings the classical methodologies and the latest techniques together in one concise volume.This coverage includes experimental protocols and their conceptual background for all aspects of cell-matrix adhesion research: the extracellular matrix, adhesion receptors, and the growing number of functional applications of matrix-adhesion in molecular cell biology. Also covered is the purification of the extracellular matrix to functional analyses of cellular responses. ... Read more

Book Description

This unique book integrates knowledge from a wide range of expertise, specifically applied to the mouse and addressed at a wide audience from those new to the field to experts who want an update on the state of the art. Mouse Genetics and Transgenics: A Practical Approach covers all aspects of using the mouse as a genetic model organism: care and husbandry; archiving stocks as frozen embryos or sperm; making new mutations by chemical mutagenesis; transgenesis; gene targeting; mapping mutations and polygenic traits by cytogenetic, genetic, and physical means; and disseminating and researching information via the Internet. ... Read more

Book Description

"A fascinating history--. Literate and authoritative--.Marvelously exciting." --The New York Times Book Review

Jonathan Weiner, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Beak of the Finch, brings his brilliant reporting skills to the story of Seymour Benzer, the Brooklyn-born maverick scientist whose study of genetics and experiments with fruit fly genes has helped revolutionize or knowledge of the connections between DNA and behavior both animal and human.

How much of our fate is decided before we are born?Which of our characteristics is inscribed in our DNA? Weiner brings us into Benzer's Fly Rooms at the California Institute of Technology, where Benzer, and his asssociates are in the process of finding answers, often astonishing ones, to these questions. Part biography, part thrilling scientific detective story, Time, Love, Memory forcefully demonstrates how Benzer's studies are changing our world view--and even our lives. ... Read more

Reviews (16)

The best book I've read all year.
This book is a work of art. It has everything! It is not just a great book about an unsung hero in science. It is a suspenseful story (will they or won't they discover the genes for time, love, and memory?), a touching story (Seymour Benzer is a character--a real character that is--you will remember forever), and an important story (all the headlines of a gene for this kind of behavior, a gene for that kind of behavior: This is the real story, the science behind the headlines). You might not think a serious book about science is a good summer book, but it is! Take it to the beach, the mountains, wherever you go--or read it at home. You will not be sorry. Your life will be greatly enriched. I loved The Beak of the Finch (which won the Pulitzer). I love this book even more.

The story behind the headlines
There is so much about genes in the news these days, especially how they affect our behavior, our personality, etc. A lot of the headlines are overblown--"popularizations" of the science. If you want to really know the connection between genes and behavior--and the remarkable scientists who are figuring it out, read Time, Love, Memory. It explains it all so simply and clearly that you can actually explain it to others (a feat for me since I did not take any science courses beyond the requirements Freshman year of college!). Plus Mr. Weiner is obviously an incredibly well-read person because he pulls in all kinds of things from literature, poetry, and myth. These references illuminate the science, bringing it home, so to speak, so that you can really draw the parallels between flies and human beings, between science and literature. I loved The Beak of the Finch and I adore this book. Time, Love, Memory just won the National Book Critics Circle Award, I understand. It deserved it, and it deserves to be read--and enjoyed--by all. Bravo! I can't wait for the next one by this talented writer.

Timeless
An evocative and wholely compelling portrait of one man that illiminates some of the most significant insights in 20th century biology. Marvelously done. An excellent introduction to molecular genetics. Literary, insightful, witty and precise.

Looking at little people with wings
Far, far back in time, a group of molecules, tangled in crystals of clay, learned the trick of replication. Over time, joined by other molecules of similar talent, they grew complex, finally forming organisms. Seeking food, needing rest, hiding from hungry fellows, developing sex as an offshoot of replication skills, patterns of activity emerged - behaviour. The molecules altered form as external environment changed. Successful changes were kept, while others were left inert in storage. None were discarded, and those controlling basic body structure and fundamental behaviour patterns remained intact across the wide span of living things. After over 3 billion years of life traversing this path, one of the organisms set out to determine how it all worked.

Jonathan Weiner's relation of a century of research teasing into view DNA's mechanisms for guiding behaviour is a brilliant piece of science writing. His focus is Seymour Benzer and his research team studied flies, recording how changing conditions modified conduct. It became clear that 'dumb' animals could adapt through learning. Not only adapt, but retain memories to repeat the new behaviour when needed. By the end of the 20th Century, the research began to identify where along the structure of DNA the operational level of these behaviour codes resided. As often as not a single 'letter' change in the gene was found to trigger the change. More immediately, the information revealed in fruit flies was repeated in other animals. Duplicating the finds in mammals has overwhelming implications for humans.

Weiner's account is forcefully presented in a clear, direct style. This book is a supreme example science writing at its very summit. He offer no judgements of his own. It isn't necessary for him to flaunt the victory Benzer's research grants E. O. Wilson's sociobiology. In fact, Weiner's account of Richard Lewontin's objections to relating genetic bases of behaviour to humans simply lets Lewontin hang himself out to dry. Weiner clearly values the effort invested in the research by Benzer, Tim Tully, Chip Quinn, and, of course, the paramount figure of all, Thomas Hunt Morgan who, with Alfred Sturtevant, initiated the work so long ago.

If you wish to gain insight into your place in the natural universe, this book is a must read. If you adhere to the idea that evolution is a progressive path to humans as the ultimate goal, this book is a must read. If you feel that some divinity has plunked you on this planet with a special role, read this book. Whoever you are, read this book.

Flies Ahead of Time
Weiner's biography of Seymore Benzer is a well written history of modern genetics/politics. A loner, a genius, Benzer was clearly years ahead of his time and changed career directions several times to explore areas that fascinated him. Inspite of derision from colleagues, he believed that behaviors are genetically determined traits, not a popular theory. The clever, simple experiments conducted in flies are well described. Would the NIH would have funded his novel theories? It is not stated, yet Benzer appeared to have a successful career spanning many decades. The tale was inspirational, a joy to read, and funny - with flies dancing in conga lines. It induced hope and courage to continue onward - Thanks to Weiner and Benzer! ... Read more

Book Description

The critically acclaimed laboratory standard for more than forty years, Methods in Enzymology is one of the most highly respected publications in the field of biochemistry. Since 1955, each volume has been eagerly awaited, frequently consulted, and praised by researchers and reviewers alike. Now with more than 300 volumes (all of them still in print), the series contains much material still relevant today--truly an essential publication for researchers in all fields of life sciences. ... Read more

Book Description

Phylogeography is a discipline concerned with various relationships between gene genealogies-phylogenetics-and geography. The word "phylogeography" was coined in 1987, and since then the scientific literature has reflected an exploding interest in the topic. Yet, to date, no book-length treatment of this emerging field has appeared. Phylogeography: The History and Formation of Species fills that gap. The study of phylogeography grew out of the observation that mitochondrial DNA lineages in natural populations often display distinct geographic orientations. In recent years, the field has expanded to include assessments of nuclear as well as cytoplasmic genomes and the relationships among gene trees, population demography, and organismal history, often formalized as coalescent theory. Phylogeography has connections to molecular evolutionary genetics, natural history, population biology, paleontology, historical geography, and speciation analysis. Phylogeography captures the conceptual and empirical richness of the field, and also the sense of genuine innovation that phylogeographic perspectives have brought to evolutionary studies. This book will be essential reading for graduate students and professionals in evolutionary biology and ecology as well as for anyone interested in the emergence of this new and integrative discipline. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A good overview
This book accomplishes what it sets out to do, synthesize existing material into a simplified text. If you are looking for a good overview, this is a good book. If you are looking for mathmatical detail and methods, this may not be the book for you. ... Read more

Amazon.com

After centuries of outsiders carping about scientific reductionism, the promised synthesis is finally on its way. Immunology, genetics, medicine, neurology, and other fields are starting to overlap more and more, and prominent neuropsychiatrist Nancy C. Andreasen explores one exciting intersection in Brave New Brain. The author's broad understanding and straightforward writing offer readers a penetrating glimpse into new and future treatments for mental illness. Focusing on four devastating maladies (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and dementia), she shows what scientists have learned about them recently thanks to powerful imaging and biochemical tools. This knowledge, growing exponentially and integrated with data from diverse scientific research including the Human Genome Project, is used to propose mechanisms underlying diseases and potential cures--from genetic repair to bold new pharmacologic interventions.

Well-illustrated and lucidly explained, the book is an excellent lay primer on the brain and its disorders. Though Andreasen's prose isn't as elegant as some of her colleagues', it is clear and always to the point; many readers will appreciate the lack of distraction from the book's content. The hope she holds out to sufferers of mental illness, if not immediately promising, is certainly brighter than has been offered in recent years. Despite its moderately sinister title, Brave New Brain is an enlightening and even uplifting look at the convergence of several important scientific disciplines. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (3)

An Excellent Overview of the Genetics of Mental Illness
Nancy Andreasen is one of the top researchers in the field of Schizophrenia so is a good person to write this book. This is a very good book on the underlying causes of schizophrenia and other brain diseases and prospects better treatments and cures based on this knowledge. Great reading for a person who wants a better understanding of how the genetics revolution is impacting our knowledge of mental illness. Writen for a layman with some background or interest in science and biology.

A Liberating Book of Knowledge
Having experienced schizophrenia firsthand in my immediate family beginning in the 1950s, I was interested in seeing what medical explanations are being explored and what progress has been made regarding this devastating illness. This book beautifully presents necessary background data on brain function and on basic chemistry and genetics, and then gives lucidly presented information about new strategies and treatments. Various fields of medicine, genetics, and chemistry are coming together to present the real albeit complex picture of what these awful illnesses are about and how we can work to live with them or overcome them. Mental illness must be liberated from individual guilt, shame, and social stigma, which are still very strong in human society. Only knowledge of the facts can free us from these crippling attitudes, and this terrific book goes a long way to help. The author's PhD in literature also adds a humanistic touch to a scientific work, which I deeply appreciated.

Another Medical Classic
BRAVE NEW BRAIN follows up the classic THE BROKEN BRAIN, both written by Dr. Nancy Andreasen. She is a recent winner of the National Medal of Science, and a great thinker in the fields of medicine and philosophy of medicine. The book is written for the general public so they will become part of the great revolution of knowledge in the neurosciences. She details not only traditional psychiatric illnesses, but expands this view into the neurological illnesses. This is important as now psychiatry and neurology begin to merge, each developing a new respect for the field of the other. She details how psychiatry cannot solve all of our modern day society's woes, but must turn these over to individuals to seek answers. A recommended book for any public or private library. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Ditto below review
Many transcriptionists do not work just for one specialty like OB/GYN, but cover hospitals and clinics where many types of work are done and dictation must be transcribed. I have a shelf full of Stedman's books, and this is one that I refer to often. While much of my work is in heme-onc, that includes a couple of GYN heme-onc specialists, and so the book gets quite a workout.

Although the other review here is several years old, I cannot say "ditto" enough to the comments provided by that reviewer. Stedman's books, in general, are very helpful for the MT, and they update their publications on an ongoing basis. The hundreds of pages of cross-referenced terms specific to this field will be very helpful if you need correct terminology and spelling, etc., and are unconcerned with definition, photos, etc. These are just word books, and Stedman's books excel within that niche of the medical publishing marketplace.

This book is a must-have for the OB/GYN transcriptionist.
I have recently started working as a medical transcriptionist for several OB/GYNs. This book has been invaluable to me (and would be to anyone new to the field) because it not only lists each word, as a medical dictionary does, but also lists phrases as you would hear them, and matches words that would follow or preceed other words. When the doctor mumbles "lichen ___" I can just look up "lichen" and find 10 choice phrases that would include this word. This book has made my job much easier for me. ... Read more

Book Description

A council of leading scientists and philosophers offers wise and provocative insights into the ethical implications of one of the most momentous developments of all-cloning.

Few avenues of scientific inquiry raise more thorny ethical questions than the cloning of human beings, a radical way to control our DNA. In August 2001, in conjunction with his decision to permit limited federal funding for stem-cell research, President George W. Bush created the President's Council on Bioethics to address the ethical ramifications of biomedical innovation. .Over the past year the Council, whose members comprise an all-star team of leading scientists, doctors, ethicists, lawyers, humanists, and theologians, has discussed and debated the pros and cons of cloning, whether in the service of producing children or as an aid to scientific research. The questions the Council members confronted do not have easy answers, and they did not seek to hide their differences behind an artificial consensus.Rather, the Council decided to allow each side to make its own best case, so that the American people can think about and debate these questions, which go to the heart of what it means to be a human being.Just as the dawn of the atomic age created ethical dilemmas for the United States, cloning presents us with similar quandaries that we are sure to wrestle with for decades to come. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Very powerful.
I am a science major and philosophy minor and I have found this book very provocative, well written and useful.

A collection of opinions with no firm ethical foundation.
The subject of human cloning has gained considerable press recently, due mainly to claims made by various individuals in successfully producing a human clone. These claims have remained unjustified, due to the refusal of these individuals to permit their scientific verification. The successful birth of a healthy human clone would be a major achievement, both from a scientific standpoint, and from an ethical one. It would give humans yet another option of how they are to reproduce themselves, and far from demeaning or devaluing human life, would actually celebrate it. There is no question that the first human clones will be viewed as somewhat of a novelty by many, but like all other humans born as the result of advances in technology, such as in vitro fertilization, they will be accepted as another unique and valuable addition to the human species, deserving of every legal right and every measure of respect.

Having unique fingerprints does not distinguish us as individuals, only our achievements do. It is the total contributions we have made in the entire span of our lives that distinguishes us as individuals. But Leon Kass, the main author of this book, and the chairman of the President's Council on Bioethics, has chosen the fingerprint as its focal point. Indeed, in the first sentence in the forward, he states that "the fingerprint has rich biological and moral significance", and that it "signifies our unique personal identity." It is ironic perhaps that he has chosen to address the issue of human cloning by beginning with a purely physical characterization of human individuality. Why worry about how different we are from others anyway? If a handful of clones, all with the same fingerprints, make brilliant contributions to humanity, should we not celebrate this? And if a physical attribute is needed to differentiate us as individuals, then should not human clones be regarded as unique by reference to the way they came into this world, i.e. by asexual reproduction?

The main virtue of this book is that it omits the vituperation that frequently accompanies discussion of genetic engineering and human cloning. It addresses the main issues calmly, without hype and without personal attacks against those who advocate the genetic engineering of or cloning of human beings. It does however present a very narrow view of the ethical philosophy behind the technology of genetic engineering. The authors cannot seem to find a sound ethical framework in which to speak. Utilitarian considerations behind reproductive cloning for example are abandoned, and are to be replaced with a "different frame of reference". The Council Members (interesting use of capital letters here) though never articulate in detail just what this ethical "frame of reference" is, but only seek a "deeper meaning" in that act of human procreation, which in their view will then give meaning to the raising of children.

The reproductive cloning of humans has, interestingly, a certain shock value for the council members (no caps are needed). It, to them, is the "most unusual, consequential, and most morally important" of the ways of bringing children into the world. Why indeed is this so? If the council members were suddenly to find several children in the world that were brought into the world as a result of cloning, would they find these children that much different than any other children born as the result of "ordinary" reproduction? The actions taken to produce cloned children are certainly different than taken to produce "ordinary" children, but will the children themselves be any different in terms of their humanity? Cloned children will play in the sand box, get into fights with each other, face the same struggles, and require the same kind of nurturing as any other children. The moral significance of the actions taken to voluntarily produce children shrink in comparison to their value as humans.

It is perhaps ironic that the council members believe that sexual procreation gives each human being a "sense of individual identity". They inadvertently express a belief that genetic structure is primarily responsible for making humans unique as individuals. Genes and not life experiences and the accumulated wisdom obtained from these experiences are believed by the council members to have great weight in determining our uniqueness as individuals. They don't believe in total genetic determinism though, as further analysis of the book reveals, but their emphasis on the genetic makeup is actually quite surprising given their anti-cloning stance. It is usually the technophilic pro-cloning groups who over-emphasize the role of genetics. One can safely bet though that both the council members and these groups would forget their differences if they saw a lovely cloned human child in a crib, one that is deserving of all the warmth and care that should be given to any other human on this planet.

Stem cell research has complicated the cloning debate, and with the announcement last month of promising work involving pluripotent human embryonic stem cell cells derived from a cloned blastocyst, and with the reorganization of the President's Council of Bioethics to make it more anti-cloning and anti-stem cell in its beliefs, one can certainly expect much more contention in the near future. Scientists, geneticists, and genetic engineers must make sure their work and its ethical justification are not left to the sometimes myopic and unjustified opinions such as can be found in this book. The members of the Council of Bioethics do not speak for everyone, and any authority regarding scientific or ethical matters imputed to them is incorrect. Any advice they give is purely their own personal opinion, a result of their own biases and personal history. As such it does not have moral or legal binding for anyone.

A Different Perspective on Cloning and Stem Cell Research
I found this report to be invaluable in determining where some in the scientific community and many politicians and bureacrats stand on the subject of cloning and stem cell research.

If you favor such research, for whatever reason, whether it be the development of tissues for the cures of disease or for other reasons, the Human Cloning and Human Dignity report will definitely give you an idea regarding the ideology of those who composed the report. The position of many of the members is common and frequently theological in nature, with much of the discussion concerning the subject of the earliest cell divisions, before recognizable human features have developed.

The position against human cloning in the report is recognizable, honest, and thorough so someone hoping to change public opinion in favor of cloning and stem cell research can determine what they need to do to address public opinion on the subject.

I found the report very informative.

A Balanced Appraisal
This book is the result of a special inquiry ordered by US President Bush to examine these contentious issues. Late in 2001 he announced the formation of a bioethics council to weigh into the many related issues involved in the cloning debate. Chaired by bioethicist Leon Kass of the University of Chicago, a panel of experts was quickly convened, and after 6 months of research and reflection, this final report was presented to the President in July 2002.

This 350-page book presents the findings of the Council. The Council was comprised of 18 experts in science, medicine, public policy and ethics. Some were secular, some religious. Some were fully against any form of human cloning - even for research purposes - while others were much more open to therapeutic research involving embryos, whether deliberately created for that purpose, or "surplus" from assisted reproduction programs. The majority however seem quite concerned about all types of human cloning.

The report begins with an overview of the debate, including scientific, historical and ethical components. Terminology is also clearly defined. Then the pros and cons of the ethics of reproductive cloning are examined in detailed. Similarly, the ethics of therapeutic cloning, both for and against, are closely discussed.

The book concludes with public policy options and recommendations. Finally, thirteen Council members contribute personal statements on the proceedings. These include William Hurlbut, Charles Krauthammer, Gilbert Meilaender and William May. In these statements the various authors are allowed to express personal preferences, disagreements, or endorsements of the Council report. Many of these alone are worth the price of the book.

But as I mentioned, the great majority of Council members seem to have a strong ethical basis on which they make their pronouncements. Thus the report, while allowing various sides to be heard, often gives room for extensive moral reasoning and reflection.

For example, in the discussion on cloning for research, the Council acknowledges that we should not ignore the needs of the suffering, but even this must be kept in balance: "the relief of suffering, though a great good, is not the greatest good". It continues, "As highly as we value health and longer life, we know that life itself loses its value if we care only for how long we live, and not also for how we live."

On the issue of the moral status of the human embryo, again, differing points of view are expressed. But it does deserve special respect, and should not be treated as a means to another's end. It is more than a clump of cells, and it clearly is the means by which all of us began. The report recommends that all embryo research be subject to a new and thorough review and be part of a larger regulatory scheme.

Because this report is a collection of viewpoints, and an assemblage of differing options and proposals, it cannot come out with clear-cut and definite conclusions. But the overall direction and tone of the report is one of balance, prudence and caution. It realises the limitations of science and medicine, and recognises the importance of a comprehensive ethical underpinning of any discussion on the issue. It thus makes for an important contribution to the overall debate.

Save Your Money
This document is the first (and currently only) report of President Bush's 17-member Council on Bioethics. The issue is whether it is in society's best interest to continue research to develop perfectly transplant-tolerant tissues by exploiting the capability of stem cells to differentiate into cells of any tissue type. This includes liquid "tissue" such as blood and lymph cells, which hold promise for curing leukemias and lymphomas.

The members of the Council, all political appointees, split 10 to 7 against cloning for the purposes of research toward cures of disease. Not surprisingly, those members currently working as doctors or scientists tended to favor further research, including the development of new stem cell lines, as will ultimately be necessary for transplant tolerance, should research lead to new cures.

For some, the ethical problem arises because stem cells require the production of an egg, which, in principle, has the potential to become an adult human being. However, the 10 members making up the opposing majority tended to favor what some have called "slippery slope thinking." They worry about where man's efforts to play God will ultimately lead. In the report they draw an analogy between their doubts about continuing stem cell research using newly cloned cells, and drinking from a glass of wine whose rich color might conceal a spider.

The Council's Chairman states that the report fairly reflects the diverse views expressed by council members, for and against, during 6 months of inquiry, and I have no reason to quarrel with that assessment. However, I do not find the opposition of these two different world views -- which is essentially a difference between optimism and pessimism with respect to man's ability to control the worst impulses of those empowered by scientific success -- to constitute a particularly enlightening debate. To me, it evades the real question of whether the greater immorality is to deny the potential of the human life of a developing egg, or to deny the potential of a cure for a deadly disease. ... Read more

Book Description

Although less than a decade old, the field of microarray data analysisisnow thrivingand growing at a remarkable pace. Biologists, geneticists, and computer scientists as well as statisticians all need an accessible, systematic treatment of the techniques used for analyzing the vast amounts of data generated by large-scale gene expression studies. And there is arguably no group better qualified to do so than the authors of this book.Statistical Analysis of Gene Expression Microarray Data promises to become the definitive basic reference in the field. Under the editorship of Terry Speed, some of the world's most pre-eminent authorities have joined forces to present the tools, features, and problems associated with the analysis of genetic microarray data. These include::"Model-based analysis of oligonucleotide arrays, including expression index computation, outlier detection, and standard error applications"Design and analysis of comparative experiments involving microarrays, with focus on \ two-color cDNA or long oligonucleotide arrays on glass slides "Classification issues, including the statistical foundations of classification and an overview of different classifiers"Clustering, partitioning, and hierarchical methods of analysis, including techniques related to principal components and singular value decompositionAlthough the technologies used in large-scale, high throughput assays will continue to evolve, statistical analysis will remain a cornerstone of their success and future development. Statistical Analysis of Gene Expression Microarray Data will help you meet the challenges of large, complex datasets and contribute to new methodological and computational advances. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Excellent book for data analyst
Thorough converage of statistics involved in microarray data analysis. It presents important knowledge for biologists who use data analysis tools but would like to know what is behind the scene. Understanding the book needs some statistical background and hence not a easy book for biologists and genetists who do not have that knowledge.
I would like to emphasize that experiment design issue is presented in a very clear way and should be read by all who plan to start project related to gene expression. Clustering and classification are two major analysis methods for microarray data, and the comprehensive discussion of the statistical mechanisms for each method in the last two chapters will help analysts to choose the right methods when mining the data. The first chapter seems to be a little out of the place, because it mainly discusses model-based genechip data analysis. This chapter touches a little about preprocessing and gene selection but far from complete.
A chapter with thorough discussion of pre-processing techniques and gene selection techniques would make this a prefect book. Overall it is a great reference for anyone who is interested in microarray data analysis! ... Read more

Book Description

A major refutation of the almighty status of genes in evolution and human behavior.

Over the last thirty years, many scientists have come to insist that our behavior is governed by our genes—above all when it comes to sex, which, we are told, is how genes perpetuate themselves.

Not so, argues evolutionary biologist Niles Eldredge in this powerful book. Sex certainly seems to us more complicated than a matter of our DNA struggling to survive, and that's because it is. Eldredge directly confronts those who would cast us as puppets of biological imperatives rooted deep in our hunter-gatherer past. Their models, he points out, are based on lower forms of life. In humans, there is an intricate interplay between meeting our needs for day-to-day survival, sex, and reproduction ("the human triangle")—further complicated by cultural forces (customs, laws) that routinely override selfish-gene behavior.

Authoritative and delightfully combative, Why We Do It challenges us to rethink the assumptions of today's science in the important task of understanding ourselves. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Economics and Sex: A Closer Look at Selfish Genes
It is about time someone stood up for the use of solid data to back up "scientific" claims about the human psyche. Niles Eldredge has now written, I think, a nearly perfect rebuttal to the currently popular, but often undocumented, "selfish gene" view of human nature in his new book "Why we do it."

It is obvious to Eldredge that humans are animals. Indeed it has been known since at least the time of the early Greeks that humans were animals. This is thus not a new discovery, whatever the evolutionary psychologists may claim. It is, however, also true that we (and indeed all organisms) are more than the sum of our genes. Sure there is a "Human Nature." Sure we are not born with a "Blank Slate" personality, infinitely malleable. We are, however, more plastic in our behavior than the extreme "selfish gene" concept would allow. We have to have some plasticity in our behavior because we live in a complex society that requires cooperation. It seems to me that our ability to cooperate is thus as much a part of our nature as our "baser instincts." The question that scientists should ask is not whether murder, rape, thievery, and carnage characterize humans, but why most people do not participate in these antisocial activities!

Eldredge touches on many of these problems in his new book, especially in regard to sex and economics. By economics he means the functions (ingestion of food, drinking water, respiration, digestion, elimination of wastes and undigested food) that allow the organism to survive. Without survival there is no reproduction. In his characteristically clear prose he does a good job of demolishing the strict genetic determinist view of human behavior. Indeed, the so-called genetic determinists are not quite so deterministic in their real lives or in the details of their writing. So-called "blank slate" proponents ("environmental determinists") are often equally closer to "genetic determinists" than they or their rivals would like to admit. Much of the hype about human nature being the determinant of every human action, or conversely nurture being paramount, comes from the popular press and the profit motive (ah- proof of human basic depravity!)

Actually I have quite a bit of respect for (although I don't always agree with) many researchers often lumped as evolutionary psychologists, sociobiologists, or ultra-Darwinists (as Eldredge characterizing them). Of these, works by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, Daniel Dennett and John Alcock are especially worth reading. Again one has to be careful in characterizing individuals in one "school" of thought as being always in lockstep every other "member." My main gripe is that when some sociobiologists or evolutionary psychologists get carried away by their own rhetoric they will often resort to value-laden anthropomorphic prose (words do matter!), extrapolation beyond their data, and refusal to present valid counter arguments and evidence. Such works, whether based on right or left-leaning political perspectives are nothing more than polemics, and while far too common, have no valid place in science. Despite human failings, the goal of science should be to approach to the closest approximation of reality as possible. Darwin would be appalled by the lack of honest debate often shown in such works! In his "Origin of Species," Darwin summarized and answered (or admitted the apparent validity) of numerous criticisms of his theory.

An example of a spacious argument for a rather bestial human nature is the hypothesis that a tendency to rape is an adaptive feature of human males. I think Eldredge does an especially good job of demolishing this view, based on a critical review written by Frans de Waal. In fact, most rapes do not occur with reproduction in mind as many (if not most) rape victims are either above or below the age of reproduction. Also (although Eldredge mentions it only in passing) many women die as a result of the attack (as the number of young women murdered over the last few years in Juarez testifies), especially in war time. If rape causes pregnancy the fetus is often aborted or the baby is put up for adoption, as noted by Eldredge. When criticized about the fact that rape is obviously currently maladaptive (many, but unfortunately not most, rapists wind up in jail), proponents fall back on the view that it must have evolved back in Pleistocene times, when it was adaptive! How this could ever be documented, short of inventing a time machine, is beyond me. However, as Eldredge points out studies on our close ape relatives and of modern hunter-gatherers do not support the hypothesis. Other rather tenuous arguments for "hard wired" behavioral tendencies have been made by Michael Ruse for wife beating and Stephan Pinker for infanticide.

What it all comes to is that, as near as I can see, humans are a complex weave of genetic and environmental influences that are nearly impossible to separate from each other. Because of this I trust the "expert" no more than I trust religious fanatics or fascists to make social policy.

It is perhaps my own bias that I prefer an at least somewhat indeterminate universe to a totally deterministic one, but I am willing to change my opinion if I am ever shown reasonable evidence that is unequivocal. Certainly Daniel Dennett has tried to make a convincing argument that free will can result from a deterministic system (he can have his cake and eat it too!). At least Dennett is aware of the problem and tries to solve it. However, I (for one) am not yet convinced and Niles Eldredge has, I think, published solid arguments as to why I probably will not be, at least any time soon.

Even if you disagree with him, read this book. For that matter, also read books by Dennett, Hrdy, Alcock, as well as E. O. Wilson, Richard Dawkins, Steven Jay Gould, Ernst Mayr and Richard Lewontin if you are at all interested in the subject. Then make up your own mind!

The Tide is Turning
30 years from now, people will look back on the claims made by sociobiologists today and laugh. This book masterfully demonstrates why. ... Read more

amazon.com

Bryan Sykes follows up The Seven Daughters of Eve with the equally challenging and well-written Adam's Curse. This time, instead of following humanity's heritage back to the first women, Sykes looks forward to a possible future without men. The seeds of the book's topics were sown when Sykes met a pre-eminent pharmaceutical company chairman who shared his surname. Using the Y chromosome, which is passed nearly unchanged from father to son, the author found that he shared a distant ancestor with the other Sykes. Along the way, he discovered that the Y chromosome was worth examining more closely. The first third of Adam's Curse is devoted to a clear and comprehensive lesson about genetics, the second narrates several fascinating stories of tracing ancestry via the Y chromosome, and the last chapters explore the history of male humanity and its future. Some readers will eagerly skim until they reach Chapter 21, where Sykes gets to the heart of the matter--why and how the Y chromosome has created a world where men overwhelmingly own the wealth and power, commit the crimes, and fight the wars. He uses the structural puniness of the Y chromosome to demonstrate that men are as unnecessary biologically as they are dominant socially. Sykes' provocative and quite personal book is likely to be unpopular among science readers who prefer their biology divorced from sociology, but his points taken in context will be difficult to refute. --Therese Littleton ... Read more

Reviews (9)

This book sucks
If you casually read the book's jacket you'd probably think this book is about evolutionary biology:
"In Adam's Curse, Brian Sykes - one of the world's foremost geneticits- investigates the possibility of a man-free future..."

Unfortunately its not a book about science at all, although Mr. Sykes would like you to believe that it is for it sure has all the trappings of science, without any of the rigor. Read with a critical eye, the book's jacket tells you exactly what this book is about...one man's (a man who happens to be a scientist) self-hatred about being a man. Here is one (loaded) question the books advertises to answer:
"Are the male trademarks of greed, aggression and promiscuity genentically based?" hmmm...not a loaded question? How about men who are altruistic, caring, and faithful? Simply put this book is crap.

One more critisism: As you read this book, you keep saying to yourself..."get to the point already!" The book has been horribly edited (if there was editing at all!).

Adam's Curse
This was an excellent follow-up to "The Seven Daughters of Eve". It provides insight into the origin of human life based on genetic testing and historical events. It is a great balance of scientific data and recorded history, with all the intrigue of a mystery novel. The author maintains his factual focus throughout the book with the exception of Chapter 21, in which he momentarily mutates into a flaming liberal, explaining how "The blind rage of the male..... deliberately enslaved the female". In all other chapters he maintains a scientific focus on "natural selection", concluding with a carefully calculated prediction about the demise of the Y chromosome.

Sykes needs to retake Bio 101
Mr. Sykes needs to read a small work known as "The Origin of Species" by a Mr. Charles Robert Darwin. Disregarding the post-publication discoveries of mitochondrial DNA's ability to undergo recombination with the Y chromosome and the fact that Y chromosome is capable of some sophisticated self-repair (unlike other chromosomes). Sykes has sadly, started with some false assumptions and jumps to some poor conclusions.

He says: "Originally the Y-chromosome was a perfectly respectable chromosome [sic] but its fate was sealed when it took on the mantle of creating males. This probably happened in the early ancestors of mammals, perhaps 100m years ago when a mutation on the ancestor of the Y-chromosome suddenly, and quite by chance, enabled it to switch on the embryonic pathway to male development." This is a false assumption, the chromosome didn't become enabled "quite by chance" on a organism/populational scale. This trait was, according to theory, selected for the advantages it conferred on the species. In accordance with this theory, the ticking time-bomb type of number that Sykes gives as 125K years seems whimsical, especially, given the approximate age of homo sapiens of 250K years. First off, I don't beleive for a second that given the rate of information tech and biotech advancement that anyone can make any predictions more than about 100-200 yrs. in advance. Clearly, we males won't all lose function at the same rate and end at the magical 1% fertility at 125K years. Intrinsically, those who are less fertile won't reproduce as prolifically as those who, for any number of reasons (some of which are already being uncovered), maintain functionality.

Interestingly, Sykes cites only one other species who is/has this problem, the vole. This is astonishing for two reasons: 1)Lots of other sexed animals turnover much faster/slower than us reproductively speaking, which would accelerate/decelerate their demise. 2) Lots of other sexed animals developed their sex much earlier/later than us, which would make their extinction much sooner/later than ours. Given the possible spread of species extinction, it's hard to believe that we're the only species with an impending doom in the next 125K years. Additionally, the vole's sex determination is nothing like our own and is arguably not comparable.

Finally, Sykes suggests that a solution to the problem is to do away with men using some form of embryonic fusion for reproduction and he merely passes it off as that simple. Once again, Sykes needs to read up on his most fundamental of genetics. Bacteria permeate virtually every environment on the planet. They reproduce quickly and mutate easily. These two facts allow them to explore lots of adaptations quickly. Without mutation, bacteria (and other non-sentient organisms) couldn't adapt. So, some degree of mutation is required in order to cope with a changing world. Now, if you fuse two eggs, you inherently lose the 'hypermutability' of the y chromosome, thus making the species arguably less adaptable (think of all the times you've heard that women find stronger, more-rugged men more attractive because they seem better able to survive). In addition, you also homogenize the human race. So, much more pressing and as yet uncurable, diseases like cervical/ovarian/breast cancer, TSS, depression, and other women-biased diseases become a species-endangering threat. Not to mention that you're talking about the systematic sterilization/elimination of half the world's current population (statistically speaking, the bigger, and stronger half).

Given the obvious bias Sykes has against males and the huge gaps in his theory (just with Darwin's theory alone). It's hard to believe he either a)doesn't have a financially or politically motivated agenda or b)isn't just a skewed, bombastic eccentric. Either way, his assertions don't pass the muster of theories laid down over one hundred years ago. To hold this work up as great scientific work would be a lark. His theories are bad even for science-fiction. I was going to give Sykes two stars for his engaging writing ability but then I remembered he's the head of human genetics at Oxford, so his writing should be good and being the head he should have a more sound theory. One star.

The genetics of real people
According to Bryan Sykes, a 300 million year long experiment is about to conclude. The experiment is mammalian sex. The investigation into how best to reproduce and extend the species is running out of material - the Y chromosome. In a beautifully written, if somewhat suspect, work, Sykes surveys how sex became the driving force of evolution and what that means for humanity today - and tomorrow.

He describes the years of research, including many false starts, leading to the identity of the chromosomes determining our gender. Knowledge of the chromosomes came soon after Darwin's revelation of evolution by natural selection. Darwin realized that sex played a fundamental role in the mechanism of evolution, but the details remained an enigma. Unaware of genes, he still managed to envision the role of sexual selection among animals. When the process of cell division was understood, it led to searching for the means by which traits were transmitted through generations. "Dark blobs" observed by a Canadian military physician began the quest for their identity and significance. The find led to identity of the X-chromosome that forms females. The Y-chromosome, which drives a foetus to become a male, was a later discovery.

In Sykes' view, the human male's chromosome has been the major factor in human evolution and cultural development. Not only determining gender, it acts through a feedback loop. More powerful, aggressive males tend to reinforce their role in selecting mates and propagating traits in offspring. While the Sykes' progenitor has nearly ten thousand descendants, the MacDonald clan, long dominant in Scotland, has proliferated around the planet with nearly half a million progeny. The most numerous progeny, however, has resulted in 16 million descendants of Asia's Ghengis Khan scattered throughout Eurasia. The Khan is the most extreme example of the male's propensity for war, conquest, and, in Sykes' view, the "enslavement" of women. His descent into the depths of "political correctness" is brief and shallow, but telling for his thesis.

Today the planet is carpeted with humanity, the result of a society dominated by the Y-chromosome. When hunter-gatherer societies took up agriculture, it "chained women" to "serial pregnancies", depriving them of the "relaxation of a sedentary existence" while producing additional farm workers. The resulting population explosion ultimately drove the creation of our industrialized, polluting society. This condition, in Sykes' view, is now leading to a depletion of the Y-chromosome's prowess. Ultimately, he argues, human males will be replaced by a society of women. Whether men will be kept as breeding stock he doesn't predict.

A practiced adept at metaphor, Sykes' finesse in describing cellular mechanics is unusual in a scientist. He portrays a slow-motion ballet, with chromosomes gently finding their opposite number to "delicately lie alongside each other" until "they are entwined". It's very sensuous genetics. The tone changes when he portrays the head of a sperm entering an egg. The ensuing scene is a battle reminiscent of a Hollywood war film. Mitochondria launch vicious assaults on invaders, slaughtering whatever can be attacked. One wonders how conception ever occurs. It does, of course, but he makes clear that a decline in success is inevitable.

Although Sykes builds a compelling case for the roots of our society's ills, there are too many ignored aspects. He challenges the recent paper by a team demonstrating the Y-chromosome's prowess at self-repair. His arguments require further study, but his adamant insistence smacks of desperation, not evidence. Although this book is a valuable study, there's more work to do. With so much of human evolutionary history to be assessed, we can consider this an important, but not a final, step. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

Catchy Title, Serious Book
Written by a prominent geneticist, Adam's Curse has two main themes:

One is a fascinating story of using the Y chromosome to trace ancestry - The people of Iceland commonly believe themselves to be directly descended from the Vikings. True, but only from the men, the Icelandic women came from Scotland and Ireland. And there is a an equally fascinating story of tracing homosexuality, boy/girl ratios, etc. through history.

The second message is about the Y chromosome - what in the human species determines gender. For a long time (centuries perhaps?) the Y chromosome has been decaying. It has lost many of its genes, and become much less healthy. If this continues, it will go away. And if it goes away, there will be no men. And of course, with no men, there are no women either. Delightful book. ... Read more

Book Description

In July 1993, a scientific event made front-page news: the discovery that genetics plays a significant role in determining homosexuality. In The Science of Desire, Dean Hamer -- the scientist behind the groundbreaking study -- tells the inside story of how the discovery was made and what it means, not only for our understanding of sexuality, but for human behavior in general.

In this accessible and remarkably clear book, Dean Hamer expands on the account of his history-making research to explore the scientific, social, and ethical issues raised by his findings. Dr. Hamer addresses such tough questions as whether it would be possible or ethical to test in utero for the gay gene; whether genetic manipulation could or should be used to alter a person's sexuality; and how a gay gene could have survived evolution.

A compelling behind-the-scenes look at cutting-edge scientific inquiry, as well as a brilliant examination of the ramifications of genetic research, The Science of Desire is a lasting resource in the increasingly significant debate over the role that genetics plays in our lives. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Getting your money's worth
Dean Hamer, the scientist, and Peter Copeland, the writer have produced an informative entre to the complex world of the genome for the general reader. They've done the job in a very interesting but measured manner. While the book is dated, it is not outdated.

Bloody brilliant book
A really good piece of scientific writing that is not only good, well researched science, but is also well written. Dean Hamer has proved something that I'd already known since I was knee high to a grasshopper, but its good to see proof for those who dont already know this from personal experience.

Excellent lay description of one search for a gay gene
I very much enjoyed reading this book and learned a lot from it both about the way in which these particular researchers are going about their work and about genetics in general.

Hamer is the Chief of the Section on Gene Structure and Regulation in the Department of Biochemistry at the National Cancer Institute. This book describes in lay terms the work that led to the publication of the scientific paper entitled "A Linkage Between DNA Markers on the X Chromosome and Male Sexual Orientation". The goal of the study was to determine whether male sexual orientation was "genetically influenced" and what they found was "a statistically significant correlation between the inheritance of genetic markers on chromosomal region Xq28 and sexual orientation in a selected group of homosexual males." The statistical significance was strong: the odds of the correlation happening by chance was only 1 out of 100,000.

Before they started looking at genes, Hamer and his group considered the family histories of the pairs of gay brothers who he used in his study. The researchers found more gay men on the maternal side and eventually realized that this was due to recessive X-linked inheritance. "X-linked traits always are passed to men through the mother's side of the family, which is the pattern we were seeing for homosexuality."

The book carefully explains how the research was done and what conclusions could and could not be drawn from it. They did not find a gay gene; they only showed that one exists. It does not "determine" homosexuality; it is only one factor in the makeup of those gay men who inherited it. There may be other genes that play a role and there are surely many environmental factors that influence the expression of homosexuality. Some of the evidence from Hamer's study "suggests that Xq28 plays some role in about 5 to 30 percent of gay men."

The book closes with a chapter on the social implications of this research. There is also an interesting chapter addressing the question "How could a gay gene survive consistent with the facts of evolution?" ... Read more

Amazon.com

Yesterday's science fiction is today's litigation, and nobody knows that better than Lori B. Andrews, an attorney specializing in genetic and reproductive technology. Her book The Clone Age is a personal look at the sweeping changes that have affected the way we think of making babies: in vitro fertilization (IVF), surrogate motherhood, and, of course, the very real prospect of human cloning. Andrews has advised physicians, legislatures, and various governments on the legal and ethical aspects of these technologies, defending the rights of prospective parents and donors and blazing trails through territory that was literally inaccessible just a few years ago. Imagine Solomon confronted with the dilemma of a child born to a surrogate mother from donated egg and sperm at the request of an infertile couple: Would she have five parents, two, or none? Andrews has confronted this and many other puzzlers, and her report from the front is both entertaining and thought-provoking.

While she has spent much of her career arguing for the use of IVF and other technology to further reproductive choices, she does favor regulation to curb the field's dark side, such as the thinly veiled racism of nouveau eugenicists who want to "boost" the gene pool with (mostly American and European) Nobel Prize-winners' sperm. She herself has drawn the line at human cloning, which she feels serves no useful purpose and is too easily abused to be allowed as a reproductive strategy. Whether this view will prevail, as so many of her others have, will be decided in time, as today's litigation becomes tomorrow's policy. --Rob Lightner ... Read more

Reviews (10)

A must-read for anyone who's ever been an embryo
Lori B. Andrews, the foremost expert on legal issues related to reproductive matters, has written what must be one of the most important books ever to address the fundamental building blocks of all human life.Anyone who cares deeply about any issue surrounding in vitro fertilization, cloning, sperm donors, the use of body tissue by science and the ethics related to these matter must read this book.In clear, exciting, entertaining and occasionally very humorous language, Andrews gives frightening details of the latest breakthroughs in research technology.Here's are just a few of the many provocative topics introduced:did you know that technology exists for harvesting eggs from human female fetuses? That it's technically possible to abort a girl child, but use it's eggs to create another human being at a later date?That sperm has been frequently 'harvested' from dead men?Or the fact that, although cloned animals often have severe defects, this procedure is being pushed forward in different places around the world?And government oversight of radical new reproductive technology is practically non-existent, while other medical procedures are always exposed to extreme scrutiny.Read this book!You'll never read another story about human reproduction or cloning the same way again.

superb
I think is one of the best b ooks (in the field) that I ever read.

(Howcould I get in touch with L.B.A?

Scarier than any horror movie!
Did you know that a doctor can take a sample of your tissues, isolate some factor and then SELL it to drug companies for big bucks without asking your permission or paying you a dime?

I didn't, until I read this book.

Whatabout the profits that gene researchers are making by patenting YOUR genes? Or about the undisclosed financial interest that regulators have inallowing such patents to proceed.

It's all in here and it makes for somevery scary reading.

While most of us weren't looking, that portion of themedical community motivated primarily by greed has ventured into some veryodd territory. The repercussions may make medicine even more expensive tothe consumer at the same time as it makes health insurance even moreunattainable.

In a world where medical mistakes already cost more liveseach year than Cancer or AIDS, we cannot afford to trust our doctors towatch out for our best interests.This book makes it painfully clear theextent to which profit, rather than care for patients drives genetic andreproductive medicine.

A MUST read.

a lot to think about
I have no medical or legal background, but consider myself to be quite well-read and thus to have a good basic understanding of med/legal issues. I found "The Clone Age" raised issues on nearly every page that Ihad not previously considered.These issues, I feel, are ones that now, orwill, impact myself, my community, my society.This book was veryenlightening of numerous issues that are my responsibility to consider,evaluate, judge.I think this book is very important reading forthoughtful people.

Not what I expected - too bad!
You might think that a law professor and female bioethicist would share some legal insights and be sympathetic to infertile women, but Prof. Andrews is neither. Did she right this book too fast for the money? To cashin on news about cloning? Appears so. She has nothing much to say. ... Read more

Book Description

This much-needed book introduces chemical engineers and bioengineers to important problems in receptor biology and familiarizes cell biologists with the insights that can be gained from engineering analysis and synthesis. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A book for the modern biologist
This book will surely be thought of as the first structured presentation of principles of modern systems biology. This book introduces the application of Chemical Engineering to biologists and molecular biology and pharmacology of receptors to Chemical Engineers. The top-down picture of coupled processes is not only new to biologists but introduces a whole new way to look at biological problems. Especially the chapter which has cell migration explained introduces one to multi-dimensional thinking: cell mechanics, biochemistry, kinetic modeling and molecular biology all in the same problem. This may seem mystical to many. Would probably be read more by Engineers than biologists, who are yet to take the leap in thought to multi-dimensional science.This book would be remembered after many years to be a pioneer in the new science of systems biology, although it was written much before the Human Genome Project. Systems thinking and Chemical Engineering has been much beneficial in solving some very important biomedical problems like Drug Delivery(Robert Langer), Tumor Biology(Rakesh Jain) and Tissue Engineering(Robert Langer et.al.). Lauffenburger's work would be counted among these shining lights when these methods and tools bear fruit sooner than later.(Lauffenburger has already provided a glimpse of success of this approach when he worked with Amgen to produce a much pharmacokinetically improved biologic using physiologically based pharmacokinetic model coupled with cellular modeling of receptor-ligand trafficking and binding model)Nature,5 August 2002.Lauffenburger and Linderman are geniuses seeking support for "return to science" for biology. ... Read more

Book Description

Reviews (14)

A provocative and -- at times -- humorous look at monomgamy
In this book, authors Lipton and Barash take a look at mating patterns throughout the animal kingdom (though they seem to spend more time on behavior in birds than on other animals). The conclusions they draw can be anticipated from the title -- that monogamy is not natural, at least based on biological, physiological, anthropological, and other evidence, and in fact is not as widely practiced as once thought. However, this is not to say, as some reviewers seem to think, that they believe that monogamy is thereby unnatural. In fact, in one place they say, "...even if human beings were more rigidly controlled by their biology, it would be absurd to claim that monogamy is unnatural or abnormal, especially since it was doubtless the way most people lived..." (p. 153) And later on, they affirm that "human inclinations may be able to fit whatever matrimonial pattern hap