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  <description><![CDATA[In his introduction to <em>The Best American Science Writing 2003,</em> Dr. Oliver Sacks, &quot;the poet laureate of medicine&quot; <em>New York Times</em> writes that &quot;the best science writing . . . cannot be completely 'objective' -- how can it be when science itself is so human an activity? -- but it is never self-indulgently subjective either. It is, at best, a wonderful fusion, as factual as a news report, as imaginative as a novel.&quot; Following this definition of &quot;good&quot; science writing, Dr. Sacks has selected the twenty-five extraordinary pieces in the latest installment of this acclaimed annual.<br/><br/>This year, Peter Canby travels into the heart of remote Africa to track a remarkable population of elephants; with candor and tenderness, Floyd Skloot observes the toll Alzheimer's disease is taking on his ninety-one-year-old mother, and is fascinated by the memories she retains. Gunjan Sinha explores the mating behavior of the common prairie vole and what it reveals about the human pattern of monogamy. Michael Klesius attempts to solve what Darwin called &quot;an abominable mystery&quot;: How did flowers originate? Lawrence Osborne tours a farm where a genetically modified goat produces the silk of spiders in its milk. Joseph D'Agnese visits a home for retired medical research chimps. And in the collection's final piece, Richard C. Lewontin and Richard Levins reflect on how the work of Stephen Jay Gould demonstrated the value of taking a radical approach to science.<br/><br/>As Dr. Sacks writes of Stephen Jay Gould -- to whose memory this year's anthology is dedicated -- an article of his &quot;was never predictable, never dry, could not be imitated or mistaken for anybody else's.&quot; The same can be said of all of the good writing contained in this diverse collection.]]></description>
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    <![CDATA[The Best American Science Writing 2003]]>
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    <![CDATA[In his introduction to <em>The Best American Science Writing 2003,</em> Dr. Oliver Sacks, &quot;the poet laureate of medicine&quot; <em>New York Times</em> writes that &quot;the best science writing . . . cannot be completely 'objective' -- how can it be when science itself is so human an activity? -- but it is never self-indulgently subjective either. It is, at best, a wonderful fusion, as factual as a news report, as imaginative as a novel.&quot; Following this definition of &quot;good&quot; science writing, Dr. Sacks has selected the twenty-five extraordinary pieces in the latest installment of this acclaimed annual.<br/><br/>This year, Peter Canby travels into the heart of remote Africa to track a remarkable population of elephants; with candor and tenderness, Floyd Skloot observes the toll Alzheimer's disease is taking on his ninety-one-year-old mother, and is fascinated by the memories she retains. Gunjan Sinha explores the mating behavior of the common prairie vole and what it reveals about the human pattern of monogamy. Michael Klesius attempts to solve what Darwin called &quot;an abominable mystery&quot;: How did flowers originate? Lawrence Osborne tours a farm where a genetically modified goat produces the silk of spiders in its milk. Joseph D'Agnese visits a home for retired medical research chimps. And in the collection's final piece, Richard C. Lewontin and Richard Levins reflect on how the work of Stephen Jay Gould demonstrated the value of taking a radical approach to science.<br/><br/>As Dr. Sacks writes of Stephen Jay Gould -- to whose memory this year's anthology is dedicated -- an article of his &quot;was never predictable, never dry, could not be imitated or mistaken for anybody else's.&quot; The same can be said of all of the good writing contained in this diverse collection.]]>
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  <read_at>Thu Nov 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Tue Dec 11 16:00:12 -0800 2007</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[This book lived up to its title.  The 25 essays were all interesting and well written and they covered a wide range of disciplines.  My favorite essay was probably &quot;1491.&quot;  This essay considered the controversy concerning estimates of the pre-Columbian Native American population, its crash...<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/10288240">more...</a>]]></body>
    
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    <![CDATA[In his introduction to <em>The Best American Science Writing 2003,</em> Dr. Oliver Sacks, &quot;the poet laureate of medicine&quot; <em>New York Times</em> writes that &quot;the best science writing . . . cannot be completely 'objective' -- how can it be when science itself is so human an activity? -- but it is never self-indulgently subjective either. It is, at best, a wonderful fusion, as factual as a news report, as imaginative as a novel.&quot; Following this definition of &quot;good&quot; science writing, Dr. Sacks has selected the twenty-five extraordinary pieces in the latest installment of this acclaimed annual.<br/><br/>This year, Peter Canby travels into the heart of remote Africa to track a remarkable population of elephants; with candor and tenderness, Floyd Skloot observes the toll Alzheimer's disease is taking on his ninety-one-year-old mother, and is fascinated by the memories she retains. Gunjan Sinha explores the mating behavior of the common prairie vole and what it reveals about the human pattern of monogamy. Michael Klesius attempts to solve what Darwin called &quot;an abominable mystery&quot;: How did flowers originate? Lawrence Osborne tours a farm where a genetically modified goat produces the silk of spiders in its milk. Joseph D'Agnese visits a home for retired medical research chimps. And in the collection's final piece, Richard C. Lewontin and Richard Levins reflect on how the work of Stephen Jay Gould demonstrated the value of taking a radical approach to science.<br/><br/>As Dr. Sacks writes of Stephen Jay Gould -- to whose memory this year's anthology is dedicated -- an article of his &quot;was never predictable, never dry, could not be imitated or mistaken for anybody else's.&quot; The same can be said of all of the good writing contained in this diverse collection.]]>
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  <read_at>Fri Aug 28 00:00:00 -0700 2009</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Mon Aug 31 10:50:49 -0700 2009</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[It's sad, because this book had some very interesting essays, and then it had some really boring ones that I started but ended up skipping.  I'll give it 3 stars, but it would have been 4 if they hadn't included the boring ones.  ]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[The Best American Science Writing 2003]]>
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    <![CDATA[In his introduction to <em>The Best American Science Writing 2003,</em> Dr. Oliver Sacks, &quot;the poet laureate of medicine&quot; <em>New York Times</em> writes that &quot;the best science writing . . . cannot be completely 'objective' -- how can it be when science itself is so human an activity? -- but it is never self-indulgently subjective either. It is, at best, a wonderful fusion, as factual as a news report, as imaginative as a novel.&quot; Following this definition of &quot;good&quot; science writing, Dr. Sacks has selected the twenty-five extraordinary pieces in the latest installment of this acclaimed annual.<br/><br/>This year, Peter Canby travels into the heart of remote Africa to track a remarkable population of elephants; with candor and tenderness, Floyd Skloot observes the toll Alzheimer's disease is taking on his ninety-one-year-old mother, and is fascinated by the memories she retains. Gunjan Sinha explores the mating behavior of the common prairie vole and what it reveals about the human pattern of monogamy. Michael Klesius attempts to solve what Darwin called &quot;an abominable mystery&quot;: How did flowers originate? Lawrence Osborne tours a farm where a genetically modified goat produces the silk of spiders in its milk. Joseph D'Agnese visits a home for retired medical research chimps. And in the collection's final piece, Richard C. Lewontin and Richard Levins reflect on how the work of Stephen Jay Gould demonstrated the value of taking a radical approach to science.<br/><br/>As Dr. Sacks writes of Stephen Jay Gould -- to whose memory this year's anthology is dedicated -- an article of his &quot;was never predictable, never dry, could not be imitated or mistaken for anybody else's.&quot; The same can be said of all of the good writing contained in this diverse collection.]]>
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  <read_at>Thu Aug 21 00:00:00 -0700 2008</read_at>
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  <date_updated>Sun Aug 24 11:16:31 -0700 2008</date_updated>
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    <body><![CDATA[I love this series, and this was one of the better books in it.  Shorter articles that were easy to read and comprehend.]]></body>
    
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      <review>
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    <![CDATA[In his introduction to <em>The Best American Science Writing 2003,</em> Dr. Oliver Sacks, &quot;the poet laureate of medicine&quot; <em>New York Times</em> writes that &quot;the best science writing . . . cannot be completely 'objective' -- how can it be when science itself is so human an activity? -- but it is never self-indulgently subjective either. It is, at best, a wonderful fusion, as factual as a news report, as imaginative as a novel.&quot; Following this definition of &quot;good&quot; science writing, Dr. Sacks has selected the twenty-five extraordinary pieces in the latest installment of this acclaimed annual.<br/><br/>This year, Peter Canby travels into the heart of remote Africa to track a remarkable population of elephants; with candor and tenderness, Floyd Skloot observes the toll Alzheimer's disease is taking on his ninety-one-year-old mother, and is fascinated by the memories she retains. Gunjan Sinha explores the mating behavior of the common prairie vole and what it reveals about the human pattern of monogamy. Michael Klesius attempts to solve what Darwin called &quot;an abominable mystery&quot;: How did flowers originate? Lawrence Osborne tours a farm where a genetically modified goat produces the silk of spiders in its milk. Joseph D'Agnese visits a home for retired medical research chimps. And in the collection's final piece, Richard C. Lewontin and Richard Levins reflect on how the work of Stephen Jay Gould demonstrated the value of taking a radical approach to science.<br/><br/>As Dr. Sacks writes of Stephen Jay Gould -- to whose memory this year's anthology is dedicated -- an article of his &quot;was never predictable, never dry, could not be imitated or mistaken for anybody else's.&quot; The same can be said of all of the good writing contained in this diverse collection.]]>
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    <![CDATA[In his introduction to <em>The Best American Science Writing 2003,</em> Dr. Oliver Sacks, &quot;the poet laureate of medicine&quot; <em>New York Times</em> writes that &quot;the best science writing . . . cannot be completely 'objective' -- how can it be when science itself is so human an activity? -- but it is never self-indulgently subjective either. It is, at best, a wonderful fusion, as factual as a news report, as imaginative as a novel.&quot; Following this definition of &quot;good&quot; science writing, Dr. Sacks has selected the twenty-five extraordinary pieces in the latest installment of this acclaimed annual.<br/><br/>This year, Peter Canby travels into the heart of remote Africa to track a remarkable population of elephants; with candor and tenderness, Floyd Skloot observes the toll Alzheimer's disease is taking on his ninety-one-year-old mother, and is fascinated by the memories she retains. Gunjan Sinha explores the mating behavior of the common prairie vole and what it reveals about the human pattern of monogamy. Michael Klesius attempts to solve what Darwin called &quot;an abominable mystery&quot;: How did flowers originate? Lawrence Osborne tours a farm where a genetically modified goat produces the silk of spiders in its milk. Joseph D'Agnese visits a home for retired medical research chimps. And in the collection's final piece, Richard C. Lewontin and Richard Levins reflect on how the work of Stephen Jay Gould demonstrated the value of taking a radical approach to science.<br/><br/>As Dr. Sacks writes of Stephen Jay Gould -- to whose memory this year's anthology is dedicated -- an article of his &quot;was never predictable, never dry, could not be imitated or mistaken for anybody else's.&quot; The same can be said of all of the good writing contained in this diverse collection.]]>
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    <![CDATA[In his introduction to <em>The Best American Science Writing 2003,</em> Dr. Oliver Sacks, &quot;the poet laureate of medicine&quot; <em>New York Times</em> writes that &quot;the best science writing . . . cannot be completely 'objective' -- how can it be when science itself is so human an activity? -- but it is never self-indulgently subjective either. It is, at best, a wonderful fusion, as factual as a news report, as imaginative as a novel.&quot; Following this definition of &quot;good&quot; science writing, Dr. Sacks has selected the twenty-five extraordinary pieces in the latest installment of this acclaimed annual.<br/><br/>This year, Peter Canby travels into the heart of remote Africa to track a remarkable population of elephants; with candor and tenderness, Floyd Skloot observes the toll Alzheimer's disease is taking on his ninety-one-year-old mother, and is fascinated by the memories she retains. Gunjan Sinha explores the mating behavior of the common prairie vole and what it reveals about the human pattern of monogamy. Michael Klesius attempts to solve what Darwin called &quot;an abominable mystery&quot;: How did flowers originate? Lawrence Osborne tours a farm where a genetically modified goat produces the silk of spiders in its milk. Joseph D'Agnese visits a home for retired medical research chimps. And in the collection's final piece, Richard C. Lewontin and Richard Levins reflect on how the work of Stephen Jay Gould demonstrated the value of taking a radical approach to science.<br/><br/>As Dr. Sacks writes of Stephen Jay Gould -- to whose memory this year's anthology is dedicated -- an article of his &quot;was never predictable, never dry, could not be imitated or mistaken for anybody else's.&quot; The same can be said of all of the good writing contained in this diverse collection.]]>
  </description>
  <published>2003</published>
</book>

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  <date_added>Mon Jan 26 16:50:00 -0800 2009</date_added>
  <date_updated>Mon Jan 26 16:50:00 -0800 2009</date_updated>
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