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December 2015 - Violinist's Thumb
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November 2015 - Being Mortal
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By Betsy , co-mod · 55 posts · 111 views
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What Members Thought
This is a very good, and entertaining survey of the history of genetics. I learned a great deal about DNA, how it works, and how scientists are trying to unravel its secrets.
Every chapter contains some fascinating facts, histories, and insights. For example, Kean makes analogies between music, linguistics, and the structure of DNA. The frequency of various notes in classical music follows a power law. The frequency of words in literature also follows a power law. Note: Kean does not mention the ...more
Every chapter contains some fascinating facts, histories, and insights. For example, Kean makes analogies between music, linguistics, and the structure of DNA. The frequency of various notes in classical music follows a power law. The frequency of words in literature also follows a power law. Note: Kean does not mention the ...more
Fun. Covers everything from the attempt to breed humanzees and why humans have 46 rather than 48 chromosomes, to why you should decline any invitation to eat polar bear liver.
Sam Kean does a very good job of providing an overview of modern genetics and research into heredity in layman's terms. I enjoy his sense of humor and the balance that he provides in his writing and observations.
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Sam Kean doesn't dissapoint. Another book that makes you want to drop what you are doing and go back to school to learn everything about the subject at hand. DNA researcher? Sounds like fun! As with the Dissappearing Spoon, Kean tells a superb story of DNA.. What it is, how it was found, where it leads... all by interweaving intriguing stories that interacted with it in its history. Stories that tell of how it was discovered, how it shaped us through evolution, and how we are still struggling to
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A dense book but basically an attempt to bring a mass-audience update to the subject of genetics. Again it was another science-y book written in an unnecessarily breezy style. There was a lot I liked about this book - pieces of history I hadn't heard, characters I wasn't familiar with. But in the end I was just tired of it.
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Another great book by my fellow South Dakotan, Sam Kean. Funny, quirky and the first time, despite the efforts of some great microbiology professors, that I really understand the Central Dogma. Very much recommended regardless of if you are a science buff or just like a good tale told well.
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