Mutants, Clones, And Killer Corn: Unlocking The Secrets Of Biotechnology

by Samantha Seiple

Describes the history of genetics and biotechnology, and discusses their uses in the future, including growing human organs for transplants and re-creating the dinosaurs.

112 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Samantha Seiple’s latest book is Louisa on the Front Lines: Louisa May Alcott in the Civil War (Seal Press), the first narrative nonfiction book focusing on the least-known aspect of Louisa May Alcott's career – her time spent as a nurse during the Civil War. Though her service was brief, the dramatic experience was one that she considered pivotal in helping her write the beloved classic  Little Women. It also deeply affected her tenuous relationship with her father and solidified her commitment to human rights. 

Louisa on the Front Lines has been praised as “Lively, well-researched… engaging and informative… Alcott herself would have marveled at how Seiple's biographical and historical account reads like a novel!” by leading Alcott scholar Daniel Shealy, co-editor of The Journals of Louisa May Alcott and The Selected Letters of Louisa May Alcott.

Seiple enjoys uncovering forgotten and little-known aspects of history and meticulously crafting the factual story to read like a novel. Louisa on the Front Lines is her first biographical account for the adult audience.

Her previous narrative nonfiction books for young adults include Ghosts in the Fog: The Untold Story of Alaska’s WWII Invasion, a YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction Nominee and a Junior Library Guild Selection; Lincoln’s Spymaster: America’s First Private Eye, a Junior Library Guild Selection; Byrd & Igloo: A Polar Adventure; and Death on the River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Amazon Adventure, a Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Gold Award winner.

Seiple lives in Asheville, North Carolina with her husband, Todd, and tiny toy poodle, Lucy.

Reviews

[Peter.b · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I person in this book that should be really noted is a man, called Robert, who had a failing liver. There were no available human livers available, so they had to used a cloned pigs liver, called Wilbur, and they transferred his liver to Robert to save his life. So then Robert had the xenotransplant, which is the process of making a animal's organ go into a human body. The xenotransplant succeeded and he was back to normal. But the scientist had strict guidelines that Robert had to follow. He had to practice safe sex, have no children, and donate his body to research so they can see the effects that the pig's liver had on the human body. I think he still lives today, but I am not sure about that.