Survival of the Sickest LP

by Sharon Moalem, Jonathan Prince

book data

643 ratings, 4.07 average rating, 187 reviews (more data...)

rating	frequency	%
5		34%
4		41%
3		20%
2		3%
1		0%

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published

June 1st 2007 by HarperLuxe (first published February 1st 2007)

details

Paperback, 372 pages

isbn

0061232963 (isbn13: 9780061232961)

description

Was diabetes evolution's response to the last Ice Age? Did a deadly genetic disease help our ancestors survive the bubonic plagues of Europe? Will a

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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 1,097)

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Sep 02, 2007

Shoshanapnw rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

bookshelves: 2007, medicine-medical

Ignore the title and the hype about "a medical maverick." In fact, just take the dust jacket off. It was clearly constructed to be provocative, but it's not accurate.

Moalem marshals evidence for the positive or effective aspects of diseases that we might other characterize as harmful. He is able to do so (and stick to this theme) fairly consistently throughout the book. Afficionados of popular medical non-fiction will recognize some of the diseases and their associated anec...more

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Jun 30, 2008

Christina rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

Read in July, 2008

recommends it for: anyone interested in evolution

This book is extremely interesting and engaging. The first four chapters each talked about how specific common diseases and conditions (like diabetes and high cholesterol) actually may have been naturally selected because they provided an adaptive advantage in a particular environment. (Of course, they are no longer advantageous today.) That was really interesting and it certainly held my attention. But then the book got even better. The last four chapters discussed recent scientific advances in...more

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May 06, 2008

Kevin Denham rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

Read in March, 2007

Marketing looked like a complete ripoff of Freakonomics. Style reads like Freakonomics with a personal health/medicine spin.

Too boldly mixes well accepted medical observations: Sickle Cell Anemia is related to genes that provide resistance to Malaria. Get one you're good, get two you're screwed.

With absolutely left field speculation: African-Americans have high incidents of hypertension and heart disease due to a artificial selectional pressure exerted on them by thei...more

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Jul 08, 2009

Thomas rated it:

(review of isbn 0061155764)

bookshelves: audiobook, medicine, science

Read in July, 2009

recommends it for: Hippopotamus Wannabes

A slick production this is. The musical transitions are snappy and the narrator converts what might have been prosaic pitfalls to satisfying conversational tidbits. Yes, the book has sentences like, "Compromises, compromises." Probably, some readers will find the tone condescending. Even worse, some readers will feel they have read everything before. So why did I rate this book so highly?

This is a wonderful book because it ties together disparate facts from the world of mo...more

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May 27, 2008

Carrie Paxson rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

This is an interesting read, about why we need disease, and what role it played in our evoluation as human beings.

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May 24, 2008

Yosafbridg rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

Read in January, 2008

I think my original interest in this book came about with my hypothesis that some people (perhaps me in particular) might have stronger immune systems than others simply in the fact that they have weaker immune systems than everyone else. Ultralong oxymoron? Let me try and explain: I seem to have a continual cold (especially in winter) or a cold that comes, gets better for a day or two, and then returns. My mother shows constant concern for this and is always urging me to a doctor (said doctors ...more I think my original interest in this book came about with my hypothesis that some people (perhaps me in particular) might have stronger immune systems than others simply in the fact that they have weaker immune systems than everyone else. Ultralong oxymoron? Let me try and explain: I seem to have a continual cold (especially in winter) or a cold that comes, gets better for a day or two, and then returns. My mother shows constant concern for this and is always urging me to a doctor (said doctors can never do much~neither can airbourne or Theraflu) but of course i am constantly exposed to the public and every virus that comes their way (basically every virus that comes into our community~especially since those lovely people who are too sick to go into work must come into the library to pick up their movies to keep them entertained at home.) Anyway, i'm known to have a weak immune system, but i sometimes wonder if my immune isn't very strong for fighting off all those viruses it gets and not getting any major complications~perhaps when the major superbug hits i will have already developed and immunity to it because i will have already had one of its original permutations. It's a theory anyway...
Survival of the Sickest: a medical maverick discovers why we need disease isn't quite so much a defense of my theory as it is a rather fascinating study of evolutionary epidemiology (among other things~and perhaps if i had read the subtitle before placing the hold i might have picked up on that~but maybe i read a review and had an entirely different reason for wanting to read the book in the first place~one never knows these things). The medical maverick of the subtitle is Dr. Sharon Maolem (Jonathan Prince is co-credited~a not-so-much ghost writer?) The reading is pretty easygoing, if you are new to the subject area it is incredibly interesting~if you are not new to the subject area there might not be that much new information here but the presentation is such that might still come across a few "a-has" or "I hadn't thought of that one".
His basic premise is that evolution and the climatic conditions of our ancestry contributed to our genetic heritage (perhaps not such a huge intellectual leap) but that the genetic predisposition to certain diseases such as diabetes was an advantage in colder climates such as Northern Europe or Scandinavia where increased sugar levels might be a protection against the cold.
I'm not sure how much of a "maverick" Dr. Moalem is (a Ph. D. in human physiology and in the "emerging fields of neurogenetics and evolutionary medicine"), much of this has been at least postulated before; but he does an excellent job of synthesizing it for the general reader (i enjoyed it anyway.)
(less)

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2 comments

Apr 02, 2008

Chris Keefe rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

Read in April, 2008

Very good.
As I wrote to Dr. Moalem,

Dear Dr. Moalem,
I found your book, Survival of the Sickest, on a table in the bookstore that employs me. The title and concept intrigued me. The material has proved fascinating, and, for the large part, very well researched. I am concerned, though, with a statement you make on page 87, regarding psoralen production in organically grown celery. It reads,

Farmers who use synthetic pesticides, while creating a whole host of o...more Very good.
As I wrote to Dr. Moalem,

Dear Dr. Moalem,
I found your book, Survival of the Sickest, on a table in the bookstore that employs me. The title and concept intrigued me. The material has proved fascinating, and, for the large part, very well researched. I am concerned, though, with a statement you make on page 87, regarding psoralen production in organically grown celery. It reads,

Farmers who use synthetic pesticides, while creating a whole host of other problems, are essentially protecting plants from attack. Organic farmers don’t use synthetic pesticides. So that means organic celery farmers are leaving their growing stalks vulnerable to attack by insects and fungi – and when those stalks are inevitably munched on, they respond by producing massive amounts of psoralen. By keeping poison off the plant, the organic celery farmer is all but guaranteeing a biological process that will end with lots of poison in the plant.

Within these few sentences, whether by intent or by oversight, you perpetuate a very dangerous fallacy. Your subtext implies that organic farmers, because they choose not to use synthetic pesticides, fungicides, etc, are in some way failing to protect their plants, and in turn the consumers of their foods. The crucial word here is “synthetic.” Even glancing research into the nature of organic farming will yield a wealth of information on natural pest control. For example, using companion planting (e.g. garlic and marigolds protect crops planted near them), natural pest-prevention methods (e.g. ladybugs to manage aphids), and perhaps most importantly, effective crop rotations and management strategies, effective organic farmers are often capable of creating an environment or ecosystem that is simply less accessible to animal, fungal, and even microbial predators. With proper management, the system protects itself without the need for synthetic help.
You might be interested to know that genetics play a strong hand here as well. Plant species, like the marigold, that have developed natural defenses have greatly multiplied their species’ success by harnessing the help of human agriculturalists. The flower helps the garden, the gardener breeds the flower. In the same way, the growth of corn provides structure for the growth of beans, and shade for the growth of squash. The beans fix nitrogen in the soil for use by the other plants, and the squash provides ground cover which minimizes weed growth. By carefully selecting the plants and animals he cultivates, and thereby manipulating the ecosystem he manages, an organic farmer uses naturally occurring genetic predispositions, in diet, toxicology, and even plant structure to the benefit of all of the partners in the system.
On the other side of things, conventional industrial monocropping, and, admittedly, most organic industrial agriculture, bring their own inherent dangers to bear on the celery plant. Machine weeding, machine spraying, machine fertilization, and machine harvest, not to mention preparation, packaging, storage, and shipping, all tend to batter the plants. It is rare that I see conventionally grown, bagged, and shipped lettuce at my local supermarket without a chunk or two taken out of it somewhere during it’s trip from seed to shelf. I would hazard a guess (admittedly, an uneducated one) that at least the pre-mortem processes listed here drive psoralen production as strongly as the odd bug bite does.
In looking through your notes and cited sources, your citations of two papers discussing adverse reactions to celery (with exposure to UV radiation) did catch my eye. Admittedly, I was not able to track down the second of the two articles. Unless its title fails to disclose its focus, though, it does not appear to concern itself with the “organic versus conventional” debate you spark with the throwaway comment quoted above. My apologies if my own failure to read your cited sources has provoked unmerited criticism, but your careless choice of words, and/or your failure to provide discussion of psoralen levels in organic and conventional produce lead me to find your “celery comment” reactionary, at best.
Please, Dr. Moalem, take a deeper look into the subtext of your statement above before you decide to publish the next edition of your book. Even if there were data that implied higher psoralen levels in some organic celeries, your writing goes beyond this in discrediting the work of organic growers. You equate the use of highly toxic, environmentally and politically unsustainable synthetic pesticides with pest control. You then equate the use of any other system with a failure in pest control. To quote, “Organic farmers don’t use synthetic pesticides. So that means organic celery farmers are leaving their growing stalks vulnerable to attack by insects and fungi”.(Moalem 87,my italics) The logical fallacy here is one produced by not taking into account all of the variables present. You left this out: Organic farmers use effective alternative systems for managing environmental stresses on their plants. Please, as a published expert, and as a future medical doctor, do not let a lack of research, or an unqualified judgement like that quoted above, turn good reporting into dangerous, normative spin. And otherwise, thank you for your book. It was a wonderful read.
Sincerely,
Christopher Keefe(less)

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1 comment

Nov 08, 2007

Laura rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

bookshelves: science

Read in November, 2007

This is a fascinating read. Reminds me of _Freakonomics_ in that both authors don't take "accepted wisdom" for granted. Instead, they investigate the situation with fresh eyes.

Moalem and his colleagues have found that many of the genes that make us prone to long-term illnesses ALSO protect us from deadly acute ones. For example, the gene that makes us prone to Alzheimer's also protects us from bubonic plague.

Moalem also address an issue that has long annoyed me ...more

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Feb 18, 2008

Allanna rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

Read in May, 2008

A wonderfully-written book about some of the reasons that some diseases are so prevelant (e.g., If an individual has one [of two copies] of the gene for sickle-cell anemia, s/he has an added resistance to malaria) and how some of these diseases have adapted for maximum benefit for their species.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I need my own copy.

(I also found out, as a carrier for Cystic Fibrosis, that I have an immunity to tuberculosis. Makes me feel LOTS better about the...more

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Apr 13, 2009

Jacqueline rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

bookshelves: 2009

Read in April, 2009

In a catchy, funny narrative, Dr. Moalem combines theories about evolutionary biology, molecular biology, and more, to show us how and why diseases such as high cholesterol and diabetes are so common (and becoming more so), and why our evolutionary interaction with everything is so important.

The biology is a bit overly "dumbed down" so that while the information may be good there were times it wasn't quite accurate. If I were reading this book for research, I'd be picking a...more

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Jan 04, 2009

Chris rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

Read in April, 2007

This book is one of the best books I've ever read. I learned so much and have recommended it to so many people (and have given it as gifts). I learned things I would have never known...so many pieces came together in this book. I would suggest it to anyone who needs a break from their "novel" reading. Switch it up and read this book. You'll be glad you did!

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Mar 15, 2009

Lindsay rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

Read in December, 2008

I enjoyed the book. The subject matter covers some of the topics I learned in college for my degree. Its written for someone who doesn't have a genetic background could understand, but you probably want to have some knowledge of biology or a friend handy who does. However, I wish the book was more like the first two chapters. Those chapters actually deal with traits that are thought of as detrimental or negative. However, under the right circumstances, those same traits could have helped ou...more

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Feb 25, 2010

Laura Davis rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

bookshelves: anthropological, science-y

Read in March, 2010

"Oh, and for those Joe Six-packs out there playing a drinking game at home -- Maverick." --Tina Fey/Sarah Palin

This book was both intensely interesting and thoroughly frustrating. The author does make a lot of surprising arguments, which inspired some Deep Thoughts, but the justifications didn't often feel complete.

For one thing, he makes some points with very little supporting evidence: "In the mid-1990s an Argentinian pediatrician reported that three ...more

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Feb 02, 2010

Fiona McGier rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

Read in July, 2008

Have you ever heard of a malaise that affects the human condition, and wondered "What was evolution thinking?" Then this book is for you. Why did we develop the foibles that we have...what possible use were they? The one most people are familiar with is: sickle cell anemia. People who have this genetic anomaly often die quite young from its affects...so why would evolution have favored this to be added to the human genome? Simple answer, if most people in an area were dying of mal...more

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Sep 20, 2009

James rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

Read in September, 2009

The thesis sounds interesting, but the author doesn't provide very many examples, and for those he does, the evidence is speculative at best.
Do people have diabetes today because it "may" have helped during the ice age?
Prove it.

While he tries to explain the past, he offers no ideas as to how things may change now that the ice age is over and plague is rare.

He cites his sources, but if you check them out, many turn out to be ordinary newspaper...more

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May 28, 2008

Erin rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889667)

bookshelves: biology, health, owned

Read in May, 2008

One of the best books I've ever read. Not only do the authors have a thoroughly entertaining writing style, they seriously expanded my understanding of evolution on both a macro and micro level. If I were back in college, this book might have inspired me to switch majors!

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Sep 08, 2009

Lynn Pribus rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

Read in September, 2009

Saw this on my SIL's booklist. Interesting and provocative. I enjoyed the beginning with the "case histories", but must admit I rather skimmed the end.

I had THE HELP waiting for me and I expect that to be more entertaining. This is especially true, since I have been editing a book for a white woman who went to rural SC in the 60s to help with voter registration. This, after never meeting a black person socially.

We've been working hard on the portrayal of...more

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Apr 05, 2009

Anita rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

bookshelves: medical, non-fiction

Read in August, 2007

Light, yet informative read covering the interrelationship between cells, germs, viruses, bacteria, genetics, and disease, and how we've evolved as humans with varied environmental sensitivities. Good coverage regarding how evolution works along with some clarification about general assumptions. Some cutting edge research is introduced as well as a gentle introduction to some of the ongoing debates in the scientific community. Fun, educational, and practical. I read this one quickly. For an...more

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Oct 16, 2008

Aerin rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

bookshelves: nonfiction

Read in December, 2009

My sister bought this book after developing a crush on the author during his appearance on The Daily Show. So the answer to my question of "Do people ever actually buy the books promoted on The Daily Show?" is apparently, "Yes, if the author is cute."

I was pretty meh about this book in general. First of all, even though Moalem was something of a child prodigy, he seems entirely too young and lacking experience to be writing a book about medicine. He's certainly...more

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Jun 25, 2008

Brittany rated it:

(review of isbn 0060889659)

bookshelves: nonfiction

Read in February, 2007

recommended to Brittany by: Harper Collins
recommends it for: Medical professionals & students, People who have an interest in evolution/medicine/health

How I Came To Read This Book: Harper Collins sent me a free copy of it as part of their 'First Look' program.

The Plot: Being a nonfiction book, there isn't so much a plot...but the gist of the book is Dr. Moalem takes medical occurrences - some common (diabetes), some not (hemochromatosis - a condition that effectively 'rusts' your insides) - and dissects them, showing how these 'diseases' came to be part of our existence, and how at one point, many of them actually helped us. Each c...more