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Indlæser... The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code (udgave 2012)af Sam Kean
Work InformationThe Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code af Sam Kean
Indlæser...
Bliv medlem af LibraryThing for at finde ud af, om du vil kunne lide denne bog. Der er ingen diskussionstråde på Snak om denne bog. I adored Sam Kean's [b:The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements|7247854|The Disappearing Spoon And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements|Sam Kean|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1438018063s/7247854.jpg|8246153] -- it was quirky, educational, fast-paced and filled with both big concepts and tiny little stories of chemistry. So even though genetics is my day job, I figured The Violinist's Thumb was worth a look. And I readily admit that after all, this is what I do all day, every day and the resultant luster loss may bias my opinion. But the Violinst's Thumb lacked the pizzazz of the Disappearing Spoon for me. It hit the genetic high points: The Human Genome Project, Cloning, etc. But what I wanted were the tiny stories; the things that add color and interest to the big stories. There were a couple (yes, I know about DNA and RNA, but not the tons of other *NAs that are not just possible, but exist.) But overall, I found the book a drag to get through. I wish I'd enjoyed it more, but it might be me, not the book. This was one of the most fascinating books I've read in a long time. Kean covers so much ground and does so in a way that is both respectful (there are some touchy subjects discussed) and engaging. I had so many good conversations with people based on things in this book that I learned or started to understand the connections of, and the references and reading suggestions has a wealth of future reading as well. The nerd in me also really relished needing to use two bookmarks to easily flip back and forth to the notes section :) Highly recommend! This was essentially a series of essays on a variety of topics associated with genetics and some history on how we know what we do. It was interesting and engaging, but sometimes gross and disconcerting(ie topic such as cannibalism and attempts to make humanizes). It would be interesting to get some updates on further stuff we have learned since it was published. Also, I didn't care for how he romanticized rape in regards to Thomas Jefferson and maybe/probably the sexual encounters between humans and Neanderthals. ingen anmeldelser | tilføj en anmeldelse
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"In The Disappearing Spoon, bestselling author Sam Kean unlocked the mysteries of the periodic table. In THE VIOLINIST'S THUMB, he explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA. There are genes to explain crazy cat ladies, why other people have no fingerprints, and why some people survive nuclear bombs. Genes illuminate everything from JFK's bronze skin (it wasn't a tan) to Einstein's genius. They prove that Neanderthals and humans bred thousands of years more recently than any of us would feel comfortable thinking. They can even allow some people, because of the exceptional flexibility of their thumbs and fingers, to become truly singular violinists. Kean's vibrant storytelling once again makes science entertaining, explaining human history and whimsy while showing how DNA will influence our species' future"-- No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Indlæser... GenrerMelvil Decimal System (DDC)572.8Natural sciences and mathematics Life Sciences, Biology BiochemistryLC-klassificeringVurderingGennemsnit:
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