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| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Gene Siddhartha Mukherjee, 2016-05-17 The #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller The basis for the PBS Ken Burns Documentary The Gene: An Intimate History Now includes an excerpt from Siddhartha Mukherjee’s new book Song of the Cell! From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies—a fascinating history of the gene and “a magisterial account of how human minds have laboriously, ingeniously picked apart what makes us tick” (Elle). “Sid Mukherjee has the uncanny ability to bring together science, history, and the future in a way that is understandable and riveting, guiding us through both time and the mystery of life itself.” —Ken Burns “Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee dazzled readers with his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Emperor of All Maladies in 2010. That achievement was evidently just a warm-up for his virtuoso performance in The Gene: An Intimate History, in which he braids science, history, and memoir into an epic with all the range and biblical thunder of Paradise Lost” (The New York Times). In this biography Mukherjee brings to life the quest to understand human heredity and its surprising influence on our lives, personalities, identities, fates, and choices. “Mukherjee expresses abstract intellectual ideas through emotional stories…[and] swaddles his medical rigor with rhapsodic tenderness, surprising vulnerability, and occasional flashes of pure poetry” (The Washington Post). Throughout, the story of Mukherjee’s own family—with its tragic and bewildering history of mental illness—reminds us of the questions that hang over our ability to translate the science of genetics from the laboratory to the real world. In riveting and dramatic prose, he describes the centuries of research and experimentation—from Aristotle and Pythagoras to Mendel and Darwin, from Boveri and Morgan to Crick, Watson and Franklin, all the way through the revolutionary twenty-first century innovators who mapped the human genome. “A fascinating and often sobering history of how humans came to understand the roles of genes in making us who we are—and what our manipulation of those genes might mean for our future” (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), The Gene is the revelatory and magisterial history of a scientific idea coming to life, the most crucial science of our time, intimately explained by a master. “The Gene is a book we all should read” (USA TODAY). |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Emperor of All Maladies Siddhartha Mukherjee, 2011-08-09 Selected as One of the Best Books of the 21st Century by The New York Times Winner of the Pulitzer Prize, adapted as a documentary from Ken Burns on PBS, this New York Times bestseller is “an extraordinary achievement” (The New Yorker)—a magnificent, profoundly humane “biography” of cancer. Physician, researcher, and award-winning science writer, Siddhartha Mukherjee examines cancer with a cellular biologist’s precision, a historian’s perspective, and a biographer’s passion. The result is an astonishingly lucid and eloquent chronicle of a disease humans have lived with—and perished from—for more than five thousand years. The story of cancer is a story of human ingenuity, resilience, and perseverance, but also of hubris, paternalism, and misperception. Mukherjee recounts centuries of discoveries, setbacks, victories, and deaths, told through the eyes of his predecessors and peers, training their wits against an infinitely resourceful adversary that, just three decades ago, was thought to be easily vanquished in an all-out “war against cancer.” The book reads like a literary thriller with cancer as the protagonist. Riveting, urgent, and surprising, The Emperor of All Maladies provides a fascinating glimpse into the future of cancer treatments. It is an illuminating book that provides hope and clarity to those seeking to demystify cancer. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Laws of Medicine Siddhartha Mukherjee, 2015-10-13 Essential, required reading for doctors and patients alike: A Pulitzer Prize-winning author and one of the world’s premiere cancer researchers reveals an urgent philosophy on the little-known principles that govern medicine—and how understanding these principles can empower us all. Over a decade ago, when Siddhartha Mukherjee was a young, exhausted, and isolated medical resident, he discovered a book that would forever change the way he understood the medical profession. The book, The Youngest Science, forced Dr. Mukherjee to ask himself an urgent, fundamental question: Is medicine a “science”? Sciences must have laws—statements of truth based on repeated experiments that describe some universal attribute of nature. But does medicine have laws like other sciences? Dr. Mukherjee has spent his career pondering this question—a question that would ultimately produce some of most serious thinking he would do around the tenets of his discipline—culminating in The Laws of Medicine. In this important treatise, he investigates the most perplexing and illuminating cases of his career that ultimately led him to identify the three key principles that govern medicine. Brimming with fascinating historical details and modern medical wonders, this important book is a fascinating glimpse into the struggles and Eureka! moments that people outside of the medical profession rarely see. Written with Dr. Mukherjee’s signature eloquence and passionate prose, The Laws of Medicine is a critical read, not just for those in the medical profession, but for everyone who is moved to better understand how their health and well-being is being treated. Ultimately, this book lays the groundwork for a new way of understanding medicine, now and into the future. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Epigenetics Revolution Nessa Carey, 2012-03-06 Epigenetics can potentially revolutionize our understanding of the structure and behavior of biological life on Earth. It explains why mapping an organism's genetic code is not enough to determine how it develops or acts and shows how nurture combines with nature to engineer biological diversity. Surveying the twenty-year history of the field while also highlighting its latest findings and innovations, this volume provides a readily understandable introduction to the foundations of epigenetics. Nessa Carey, a leading epigenetics researcher, connects the field's arguments to such diverse phenomena as how ants and queen bees control their colonies; why tortoiseshell cats are always female; why some plants need cold weather before they can flower; and how our bodies age and develop disease. Reaching beyond biology, epigenetics now informs work on drug addiction, the long-term effects of famine, and the physical and psychological consequences of childhood trauma. Carey concludes with a discussion of the future directions for this research and its ability to improve human health and well-being. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: A Cancer in the Family Theodora Ross, MD, PhD, Siddhartha Mukherjee, 2017-01-31 A Kirkus Best Book of 2016 Oncologist and cancer gene hunter Theo Ross delivers the first authoritative, go-to for people facing a genetic predisposition for cancer There are 13 million people with cancer in the United States, and it’s estimated that about 1.3 million of these cases are hereditary. Yet despite advanced training in cancer genetics and years of practicing medicine, Dr. Theo Ross was never certain whether the history of cancers in her family was simple bad luck or a sign that they were carriers of a cancer-causing genetic mutation. Then she was diagnosed with melanoma, and for someone with a dark complexion, melanoma made no sense. It turned out there was a genetic factor at work. Using her own family’s story, the latest science of cancer genetics, and her experience as a practicing physician, Ross shows readers how to spot the patterns of inherited cancer, how to get tested for cancer-causing genes, and what to do if you have one. With a foreword by Siddartha Mukherjee, prize winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies, this will be the first authoritative, go-to for people facing inherited cancer, this book empowers readers to face their genetic heritage without fear and to make decisions that will keep them and their families healthy. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Genome Odyssey EUAN ANGUS. ASHLEY, 2023-03-21 The future of medicine is already here. Dr. Euan Ashley, Stanford professor of medicine and genetics, leads the charge with his contributions to the practice of precision medicine, a concept that has already sparked massive improvements in the way doctors diagnose, treat, and prevent disease, and will continue to make a meaningful difference for anyone dealing with serious illness. In The Genome Odyssey, Dr. Ashley brings to vivid life the advancements his team has made in the field of genetic medicine. He shares the real diagnostic journeys of patients as their incredibly rare diseases are identified and effective treatment plans determined. The secret to Dr. Ashley’s breakthroughs? His team was the first to successfully analyze a complete human genome. In fact, they hold the world record for the fastest genome sequencing at five hours and two minutes. With this capability to analyze their patients’ full genetic makeup, Dr. Ashley’s team is able to predict a patient’s genetic future and to diagnose and, in some cases, prevent disease before it even begins. The Genome Odyssey unfolds like a thrilling medical mystery and points us towards a future where genome sequencing is available for all, where medicine can be tailored to treat specific diseases and to decode pathogens like viruses at the genomic level, and where our medical system as we know it has been completely revolutionized. Destined to become a classic work of modern science, The Genome Odyssey illustrates the groundbreaking hunt to prevent, predict, and possibly even defeat disease. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Blueprint Robert Plomin, 2019-07-16 A top behavioral geneticist argues DNA inherited from our parents at conception can predict our psychological strengths and weaknesses. This “modern classic” on genetics and nature vs. nurture is “one of the most direct and unapologetic takes on the topic ever written” (Boston Review). In Blueprint, behavioral geneticist Robert Plomin describes how the DNA revolution has made DNA personal by giving us the power to predict our psychological strengths and weaknesses from birth. A century of genetic research shows that DNA differences inherited from our parents are the consistent lifelong sources of our psychological individuality—the blueprint that makes us who we are. Plomin reports that genetics explains more about the psychological differences among people than all other factors combined. Nature, not nurture, is what makes us who we are. Plomin explores the implications of these findings, drawing some provocative conclusions—among them that parenting styles don't really affect children's outcomes once genetics is taken into effect. This book offers readers a unique insider’s view of the exciting synergies that came from combining genetics and psychology. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Life's Greatest Secret Matthew Cobb, 2015-07-07 Everyone has heard of the story of DNA as the story of Watson and Crick and Rosalind Franklin, but knowing the structure of DNA was only a part of a greater struggle to understand life's secrets. Life's Greatest Secret is the story of the discovery and cracking of the genetic code, the thing that ultimately enables a spiraling molecule to give rise to the life that exists all around us. This great scientific breakthrough has had farreaching consequences for how we understand ourselves and our place in the natural world, and for how we might take control of our (and life's) future. Life's Greatest Secret mixes remarkable insights, theoretical dead-ends, and ingenious experiments with the swift pace of a thriller. From New York to Paris, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Cambridge, England, and London to Moscow, the greatest discovery of twentieth-century biology was truly a global feat. Biologist and historian of science Matthew Cobb gives the full and rich account of the cooperation and competition between the eccentric characters -- mathematicians, physicists, information theorists, and biologists -- who contributed to this revolutionary new science. And, while every new discovery was a leap forward for science, Cobb shows how every new answer inevitably led to new questions that were at least as difficult to answer: just ask anyone who had hoped that the successful completion of the Human Genome Project was going to truly yield the book of life, or that a better understanding of epigenetics or junk DNA was going to be the final piece of the puzzle. But the setbacks and unexpected discoveries are what make the science exciting, and it is Matthew Cobb's telling that makes them worth reading. This is a riveting story of humans exploring what it is that makes us human and how the world works, and it is essential reading for anyone who'd like to explore those questions for themselves. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Song of the Cell Siddhartha Mukherjee, 2022-11-03 **Longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize 2023** A NEW YORK TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, ECONOMIST, MAIL ON SUNDAY and GUARDIAN BOOK OF THE YEAR From the dawn of life itself, every being that has ever lived owes its existence to the cell. 'Will leave you in awe' Guardian The discovery of this vital form led to a transformation in medicine but also in our understanding of ourselves - not as bodies or machines but as ecosystems. It has also given us the power to treat a vast array of mortal maladies...and even to create new kinds of human altogether. Rich with stories of scientists, doctors and the patients whose lives may be saved by their work, The Song of the Cell is a stunning ode to the building blocks of life and the cutting-edge science harnessing their power for the better. 'Profound...As big a topic as life itself' The Times 'Medical magic' Daily Telegraph 'Vast...important...optimistic' Mail on Sunday |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Eugenics and Other Evils Gilbert Keith Chesterton, 1922 |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Genome Matt Ridley, 2013-03-26 “Ridley leaps from chromosome to chromosome in a handy summation of our ever increasing understanding of the roles that genes play in disease, behavior, sexual differences, and even intelligence. . . . . He addresses not only the ethical quandaries faced by contemporary scientists but the reductionist danger in equating inheritability with inevitability.” — The New Yorker The genome's been mapped. But what does it mean? Matt Ridley’s Genome is the book that explains it all: what it is, how it works, and what it portends for the future Arguably the most significant scientific discovery of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will affect the rest of your life. Genome offers extraordinary insight into the ramifications of this incredible breakthrough. By picking one newly discovered gene from each pair of chromosomes and telling its story, Matt Ridley recounts the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to the brink of future medicine. From Huntington's disease to cancer, from the applications of gene therapy to the horrors of eugenics, Ridley probes the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues arising as a result of the mapping of the genome. It will help you understand what this scientific milestone means for you, for your children, and for humankind. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Identically Different Tim Spector, 2014-07-30 In this book, a geneticist who studies identical twins “treats the view that genes are destiny with skepticism” (The New York Times). How much are the things you choose to do every day determined by your genes and how much is your own free will? Drawing on his own cutting-edge research of identical twins, leading geneticist Tim Spector shows us how the same upbringing, the same environment, and even the same exact genes can lead to very different outcomes. Thought-provoking, entertaining, and enlightening, Identically Different helps us understand the science behind what makes each of us unique and so quintessentially human. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Genetic: A Conceptual Approach Benjamin A. Pierce, 2013-12-27 With Genetics: A Conceptual Approach, Ben Pierce brings a master teacher’s experiences to the introductory genetics textbook, clarifying this complex subject by focusing on the big picture of genetics concepts and how those concepts connect to one another. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Gene Machine Venki Ramakrishnan, 2018-11-06 A Nobel Prize-winning biologist tells the riveting story of his race to discover the inner workings of biology's most important molecule Ramakrishnan's writing is so honest, lucid and engaging that I could not put this book down until I had read to the very end. -- Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Emperor of All Maladies and The Gene Everyone has heard of DNA. But by itself, DNA is just an inert blueprint for life. It is the ribosome -- an enormous molecular machine made up of a million atoms -- that makes DNA come to life, turning our genetic code into proteins and therefore into us. Gene Machine is an insider account of the race for the structure of the ribosome, a fundamental discovery that both advances our knowledge of all life and could lead to the development of better antibiotics against life-threatening diseases. But this is also a human story of Ramakrishnan's unlikely journey, from his first fumbling experiments in a biology lab to being the dark horse in a fierce competition with some of the world's best scientists. In the end, Gene Machine is a frank insider's account of the pursuit of high-stakes science. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The First Cell Azra Raza, 2019-10-15 With the fascinating scholarship of The Emperor of All Maladies and the deeply personal experience of When Breath Becomes Air, a world-class oncologist examines the current state of cancer and its devastating impact on the individuals it affects -- including herself. In The First Cell, Azra Raza offers a searing account of how both medicine and our society (mis)treats cancer, how we can do better, and why we must. A lyrical journey from hope to despair and back again, The First Cell explores cancer from every angle: medical, scientific, cultural, and personal. Indeed, Raza describes how she bore the terrible burden of being her own husband's oncologist as he succumbed to leukemia. Like When Breath Becomes Air, The First Cell is no ordinary book of medicine, but a book of wisdom and grace by an author who has devoted her life to making the unbearable easier to bear. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Modern Death Haider Warraich, 2017-02-07 There is no more universal truth in life than death. No matter who you are, it is certain that one day you will die, but the mechanics and understanding of that experience will differ greatly in today’s modern age. Dr. Haider Warraich is a young and brilliant new voice in the conversation about death and dying started by Dr. Sherwin Nuland and Atul Gawande. Dr. Warraich takes a broader look at how we die today, from the cellular level up to the very definition of death itself. The most basic aspects of dying—the whys, wheres, whens, and hows—are almost nothing like what they were mere decades ago. Beyond its ecology, epidemiology, and economics, the very ethos of death has changed. Modern Death, Dr. Warraich’s debut book, will explore the rituals and language of dying that have developed in the last century, and how modern technology has not only changed the hows, whens, and wheres of death, but the what of death. Delving into the vast body of research on the evolving nature of death, Modern Death will provide readers with an enriched understanding of how death differs from the past, what our ancestors got right, and how trends and events have transformed this most final of human experiences. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Genetic Lottery Kathryn Paige Harden, 2022-10-11 A provocative and timely case for how the science of genetics can help create a more just and equal society In recent years, scientists like Kathryn Paige Harden have shown that DNA makes us different, in our personalities and in our health—and in ways that matter for educational and economic success in our current society. In The Genetic Lottery, Harden introduces readers to the latest genetic science, dismantling dangerous ideas about racial superiority and challenging us to grapple with what equality really means in a world where people are born different. Weaving together personal stories with scientific evidence, Harden shows why our refusal to recognize the power of DNA perpetuates the myth of meritocracy, and argues that we must acknowledge the role of genetic luck if we are ever to create a fair society. Reclaiming genetic science from the legacy of eugenics, this groundbreaking book offers a bold new vision of society where everyone thrives, regardless of how one fares in the genetic lottery. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: A Crack In Creation Jennifer A. Doudna, Samuel H. Sternberg, 2017-06-13 BY THE WINNER OF THE 2020 NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY | Finalist for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize “A powerful mix of science and ethics . . . This book is required reading for every concerned citizen—the material it covers should be discussed in schools, colleges, and universities throughout the country.”— New York Review of Books Not since the atomic bomb has a technology so alarmed its inventors that they warned the world about its use. That is, until 2015, when biologist Jennifer Doudna called for a worldwide moratorium on the use of the gene-editing tool CRISPR—a revolutionary new technology that she helped create—to make heritable changes in human embryos. The cheapest, simplest, most effective way of manipulating DNA ever known, CRISPR may well give us the cure to HIV, genetic diseases, and some cancers. Yet even the tiniest changes to DNA could have myriad, unforeseeable consequences, to say nothing of the ethical and societal repercussions of intentionally mutating embryos to create “better” humans. Writing with fellow researcher Sam Sternberg, Doudna—who has since won the Nobel Prize for her CRISPR research—shares the thrilling story of her discovery and describes the enormous responsibility that comes with the power to rewrite the code of life. “The future is in our hands as never before, and this book explains the stakes like no other.” — George Lucas “An invaluable account . . . We owe Doudna several times over.” — Guardian |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Blue Moon Beach Sue Murray, 2006 |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Best American Science Writing 2000 James Gleick, 2000-09-05 The first volume in this annual series of the best writing by Americans, meticulously selected by bestselling author James Gleick, one of the foremost chronicles of scientific social history, debuts with a stellar collection of writers and thinkers. Many of these cutting-edge essays offer glimpses of new realms of discovery and thought, exploring territory that is unfamiliar to most of us, or finding the unexpected in the midst of the familiar. Nobel Laureate physicist Steven Weinberg challenges the idea of whether the universe has a designer; Pulitzer Prize winner Natalie Angier reassesses caveman (and-woman) couture; bestselling author and Darwinian theorist Stephen Jay Gould makes a claim for the man whose ideas Darwin discredited; Timothy Ferris proposes a realistic alternative to wrap-speed interseller travel; neurologist and bestselling author Oliver Sacks reminisces about his first loves-chemistry and math. This diverse, stimulating and accessible collection is required reading for anyone who wants to travel to the frontier of knowledge. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: A Troublesome Inheritance Nicholas Wade, 2014-05-06 Drawing on startling new evidence from the mapping of the genome, an explosive new account of the genetic basis of race and its role in the human story Fewer ideas have been more toxic or harmful than the idea of the biological reality of race, and with it the idea that humans of different races are biologically different from one another. For this understandable reason, the idea has been banished from polite academic conversation. Arguing that race is more than just a social construct can get a scholar run out of town, or at least off campus, on a rail. Human evolution, the consensus view insists, ended in prehistory. Inconveniently, as Nicholas Wade argues in A Troublesome Inheritance, the consensus view cannot be right. And in fact, we know that populations have changed in the past few thousand years—to be lactose tolerant, for example, and to survive at high altitudes. Race is not a bright-line distinction; by definition it means that the more human populations are kept apart, the more they evolve their own distinct traits under the selective pressure known as Darwinian evolution. For many thousands of years, most human populations stayed where they were and grew distinct, not just in outward appearance but in deeper senses as well. Wade, the longtime journalist covering genetic advances for The New York Times, draws widely on the work of scientists who have made crucial breakthroughs in establishing the reality of recent human evolution. The most provocative claims in this book involve the genetic basis of human social habits. What we might call middle-class social traits—thrift, docility, nonviolence—have been slowly but surely inculcated genetically within agrarian societies, Wade argues. These “values” obviously had a strong cultural component, but Wade points to evidence that agrarian societies evolved away from hunter-gatherer societies in some crucial respects. Also controversial are his findings regarding the genetic basis of traits we associate with intelligence, such as literacy and numeracy, in certain ethnic populations, including the Chinese and Ashkenazi Jews. Wade believes deeply in the fundamental equality of all human peoples. He also believes that science is best served by pursuing the truth without fear, and if his mission to arrive at a coherent summa of what the new genetic science does and does not tell us about race and human history leads straight into a minefield, then so be it. This will not be the last word on the subject, but it will begin a powerful and overdue conversation. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The God Gene Chronicles Projesh Banerjea, 2018-04-26 What would you do if you found out that everything you knew about your life was a lie? What if all the myths and folklore you grew up with-deities pitting good against evil, the avatar whose coming foretells the end of the world-turned out to be reality? What if there really was a boy who could bridge the worlds of gods and humans because he carries the rare biological marker called the god gene? And what if, one day, you find out that you are that boy? Based on Hindu mythology, its pantheon of deities including Vishnu and Shiva, and the Dashavatara narrative, and inspired by the Underworld series, The God Gene Chronicles is an alternate world where myth and lore lay the foundations of history. A world where gods walk freely on an earth overrun by thugs. A world that waits desperately for the last incarnation of Vishnu to return to earth as the protector. A world about to be changed by a long dormant marker in the blood of a rare few-the god gene, where heaven and earth intersect in the form of a boy who may just be the saviour the world has been waiting for. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Doctor Gene Dr. Rajas Deshpande, 2016-02-12 What should a Doctor be? A tribute to the medical profession, The Doctor Gene offers a collection of stories from the journey of the author, Dr. Rajas Deshpande, pursuing his medical career from deep inside rural India, all the way to an advanced Canadian university. In this heartfelt memoir, Deshpande narrates the inside story- what a doctor thinks and feels when interacting with a wide range of patients, the thrills of saving lives, and solving health puzzles every day. He also untangles the intricate mysteries of both the positive and the dark sides of human behaviour encountered while treating patients and interacting with their families. From strokes, epilepsy, and dementia, to AIDS, heart disease, and suicide, The Doctor Gene talks about situations from a patients as well as a doctors point of view. While still genuinely caring for the patient, todays doctor ?nds it di?cult to interact naturally and make decisions- simple and critical- under the perpetual shadow of medico-legal threats. Deshpande also addresses many such issues faced by the medical world, discussing their possible solutions. The Doctor Gene provides a deep insight into the noble medical profession, highlights the immense importance of a healthy doctor-patient relationship, and confesses how some patients teach doctors about life, love, and sacri?ce. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Loose-leaf Version of Genetics Essentials Benjamin Pierce, 2018-02-01 Derived from his popular and acclaimed Genetics: A Conceptual Approach, Ben Pierce’s streamlined text covers basic transmission, molecular, and population genetics in just 18 chapters, helping students uncover major concepts of genetics and make connections among those concepts as a way of gaining a richer understanding of the essentials of genetics. With the new edition, Ben Pierce again focuses on the most pervasive problems for students taking genetics—understanding how genetics concepts connect to each other and developing solid problem solving skills. And with this edition, Genetics Essentials is available as a fully integrated text/media resource with SaplingPlus, an online solution that combines an e-book of the text, Pierce’s powerful multimedia resources, and Sapling’s robust genetics problem library. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: If Our Bodies Could Talk James Hamblin, 2017-12-12 If you want to understand the strange workings of the human body, and the future of medicine, you must read this illuminating, engaging book. —Siddhartha Mukherjee, author of The Gene In 2014, James Hamblin launched a series of videos for The Atlantic called If Our Bodies Could Talk. With it, the doctor-turned-journalist established himself as a seriously entertaining authority in the field of health. Now, in illuminating and genuinely funny prose, Hamblin explores the human stories behind health questions that never seem to go away—and which tend to be mischaracterized and oversimplified by marketing and news media. He covers topics such as sleep, aging, diet, and much more: • Can I “boost” my immune system? • Does caffeine make me live longer? • Do we still not know if cell phones cause cancer? • How much sleep do I actually need? • Is there any harm in taking a multivitamin? • Is life long enough? In considering these questions, Hamblin draws from his own medical training as well from hundreds of interviews with distinguished scientists and medical practitioners. He translates the (traditionally boring) textbook of human anatomy and physiology into accessible, engaging, socially contextualized, up-to-the-moment answers. They offer clarity, examine the limits of our certainty, and ultimately help readers worry less about things that don’t really matter. If Our Bodies Could Talk is a comprehensive, illustrated guide that entertains and educates in equal doses. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Loonshots Safi Bahcall, 2019-03-19 * Instant WSJ bestseller * Translated into 18 languages * #1 Most Recommended Book of the year (Bloomberg annual survey of CEOs and entrepreneurs) * An Amazon, Bloomberg, Financial Times, Forbes, Inc., Newsweek, Strategy + Business, Tech Crunch, Washington Post Best Business Book of the year * Recommended by Bill Gates, Daniel Kahneman, Malcolm Gladwell, Dan Pink, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Sid Mukherjee, Tim Ferriss Why do good teams kill great ideas? Loonshots reveals a surprising new way of thinking about the mysteries of group behavior that challenges everything we thought we knew about nurturing radical breakthroughs. Bahcall, a physicist and entrepreneur, shows why teams, companies, or any group with a mission will suddenly change from embracing new ideas to rejecting them, just as flowing water will suddenly change into brittle ice. Mountains of print have been written about culture. Loonshots identifies the small shifts in structure that control this transition, the same way that temperature controls the change from water to ice. Using examples that range from the spread of fires in forests to the hunt for terrorists online, and stories of thieves and geniuses and kings, Bahcall shows how a new kind of science can help us become the initiators, rather than the victims, of innovative surprise. Over the past decade, researchers have been applying the tools and techniques of this new science—the science of phase transitions—to understand how birds flock, fish swim, brains work, people vote, diseases erupt, and ecosystems collapse. Loonshots is the first to apply this science to the spread of breakthrough ideas. Bahcall distills these insights into practical lessons creatives, entrepreneurs, and visionaries can use to change our world. Along the way, readers will learn how chickens saved millions of lives, what James Bond and Lipitor have in common, what the movie Imitation Game got wrong about WWII, and what really killed Pan Am, Polaroid, and the Qing Dynasty. “If The Da Vinci Code and Freakonomics had a child together, it would be called Loonshots.” —Senator Bob Kerrey |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Hacking Darwin Jamie Metzl, 2019-04-23 A gifted and thoughtful writer, Metzl brings us to the frontiers of biology and technology, and reveals a world full of promise and peril. — Siddhartha Mukherjee MD, New York Times bestselling author of The Emperor of All Maladies and The Gene A groundbreaking exploration of genetic engineering and its impact on the future of our species from leading geopolitical expert and technology futurist, Jamie Metzl. At the dawn of the genetics revolution, our DNA is becoming as readable, writable, and hackable as our information technology. But as humanity starts retooling our own genetic code, the choices we make today will be the difference between realizing breathtaking advances in human well-being and descending into a dangerous and potentially deadly genetic arms race. Enter the laboratories where scientists are turning science fiction into reality. In this captivating and thought-provoking nonfiction science book, Jamie Metzl delves into the ethical, scientific, political, and technological dimensions of genetic engineering, and shares how it will shape the course of human evolution. Cutting-edge insights into the field of genetic engineering and its implications for humanity's future Explores the transformative power of genetic technologies and their potential to reshape human life Examines the ethical considerations surrounding genetic engineering and the choices we face as a species Engaging narrative that delves into the scientific breakthroughs and real-world applications of genetic technologies Provides a balanced perspective on the promises and risks associated with genetic engineering Raises thought-provoking questions about the future of reproduction, human health, and our relationship with nature Drawing on his extensive background in genetics, national security, and foreign policy, Metzl paints a vivid picture of a world where advancements in technology empower us to take control of our own evolution, but also cautions against the pitfalls and ethical dilemmas that could arise if not properly managed. Hacking Darwin is a must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of science, technology, and humanity's future. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Summary and Analysis of The Gene: An Intimate History Worth Books, 2016-12-13 So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of The Gene tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Siddhartha Mukherjee’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader. This short summary and analysis of The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee includes: Historical context Chapter-by-chapter summaries Detailed timeline of key events Important quotes Fascinating trivia Glossary of terms Supporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work About Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Gene: From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies, The Gene is a rigorously scientific, broadly historical, and candidly personal account of the development of the science of genetics, the dramatic ways genes can affect us, and the enormous moral questions posed by our ability to manipulate them. As Siddhartha Mukherjee maps out the fascinating biography of the gene, from research and experimentation to scientific breakthroughs, he always returns to the narrative of his own family’s tragic history of mental illness, reminding us that despite our huge leaps in knowledge, there is still much we do not understand about the incredibly complex human genome. The Gene is an important read for anyone concerned about a future that may redefine what it means to be human. The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Smell Matthew Cobb, 2020 Matthew Cobb explores the sense of smell - its complex evolutionary history, and its many functions in a wide variety of animals, including humans. He describes the latest scientific research into this remarkable faculty, involving the brain as much as the nose, and reveals surprising insights into animal and human life. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: She Has Her Mother's Laugh Carl Zimmer, 2019-06-04 2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Finalist Science book of the year—The Guardian One of New York Times 100 Notable Books for 2018 One of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Books of 2018 One of Kirkus's Best Books of 2018 One of Mental Floss's Best Books of 2018 One of Science Friday's Best Science Books of 2018 “Extraordinary”—New York Times Book Review Magisterial—The Atlantic Engrossing—Wired Leading contender as the most outstanding nonfiction work of the year—Minneapolis Star-Tribune Celebrated New York Times columnist and science writer Carl Zimmer presents a profoundly original perspective on what we pass along from generation to generation. Charles Darwin played a crucial part in turning heredity into a scientific question, and yet he failed spectacularly to answer it. The birth of genetics in the early 1900s seemed to do precisely that. Gradually, people translated their old notions about heredity into a language of genes. As the technology for studying genes became cheaper, millions of people ordered genetic tests to link themselves to missing parents, to distant ancestors, to ethnic identities... But, Zimmer writes, “Each of us carries an amalgam of fragments of DNA, stitched together from some of our many ancestors. Each piece has its own ancestry, traveling a different path back through human history. A particular fragment may sometimes be cause for worry, but most of our DNA influences who we are—our appearance, our height, our penchants—in inconceivably subtle ways.” Heredity isn’t just about genes that pass from parent to child. Heredity continues within our own bodies, as a single cell gives rise to trillions of cells that make up our bodies. We say we inherit genes from our ancestors—using a word that once referred to kingdoms and estates—but we inherit other things that matter as much or more to our lives, from microbes to technologies we use to make life more comfortable. We need a new definition of what heredity is and, through Carl Zimmer’s lucid exposition and storytelling, this resounding tour de force delivers it. Weaving historical and current scientific research, his own experience with his two daughters, and the kind of original reporting expected of one of the world’s best science journalists, Zimmer ultimately unpacks urgent bioethical quandaries arising from new biomedical technologies, but also long-standing presumptions about who we really are and what we can pass on to future generations. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Who We Are and How We Got Here David Reich, 2018-03-29 The past few years have seen a revolution in our ability to map whole genome DNA from ancient humans. With the ancient DNA revolution, combined with rapid genome mapping of present human populations, has come remarkable insights into our past. This important new data has clarified and added to our knowledge from archaeology and anthropology, helped resolve long-existing controversies, challenged long-held views, and thrown up some remarkable surprises. The emerging picture is one of many waves of ancient human migrations, so that all populations existing today are mixes of ancient ones, as well as in many cases carrying a genetic component from Neanderthals, and, in some populations, Denisovans. David Reich, whose team has been at the forefront of these discoveries, explains what the genetics is telling us about ourselves and our complex and often surprising ancestry. Gone are old ideas of any kind of racial 'purity', or even deep and ancient divides between peoples. Instead, we are finding a rich variety of mixtures. Reich describes the cutting-edge findings from the past few years, and also considers the sensitivities involved in tracing ancestry, with science sometimes jostling with politics and tradition. He brings an important wider message: that we should celebrate our rich diversity, and recognize that every one of us is the result of a long history of migration and intermixing of ancient peoples, which we carry as ghosts in our DNA. What will we discover next? |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Hacking the Code of Life Nessa Carey, 2019-03-07 'An excellent, brisk guide to what is likely to happen as opposed to the fantastically remote.' - Los Angeles Review of Books In 2018 the world woke up to gene editing with a storm of controversy over twin girls born in China with genetic changes deliberately introduced by scientists - changes they will pass on to their own offspring. Genetic modification (GM) has been with us for 45 years now, but the new system known as CRISPR or gene editing can manipulate the genes of almost any organism with a degree of precision, ease and speed that we could only dream of ten years ago. But is it ethical to change the genetic material of organisms in a way that might be passed on to future generations? If a person is suffering from a lethal genetic disease, is it unethical to deny them this option? Who controls the application of this technology, when it makes 'biohacking' - perhaps of one's own genome - a real possibility? Nessa Carey's book is a thrilling and timely snapshot of a cutting-edge technology that will radically alter our futures and the way we prevent disease. 'A focused snapshot of a brave new world.' - Nature 'A brisk, accessible primer on the fast-moving field, a clear-eyed look at a technology that is already driving major scientific advances - and raising complex ethical questions.' - Emily Anthes, Undark |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: A Crack in Creation Jennifer Doudna, Samuel H. Sternberg, 2017-06-15 Two Berkeley scientists explore the potential of a revolutionary genetics technology capable of easily and affordably manipulating DNA in human embryos to prevent specific diseases, addressing key concerns about related ethical and societal repercussions |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: About Trees Katie Holten, 2016 About Trees considers our relationship with language, landscape, perception, and memory in the Anthropocene. The book includes texts and artwork by a stellar line up of contributors including Jorge Luis Borges, Andrea Bowers, Ursula K. Le Guin, Ada Lovelace and dozens of others. Holten was artist in residence at Buro BDP. While working on the book she created an alphabet and used it to make a new typeface called Trees. She also made a series of limited edition offset prints based on her Tree Drawings. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Siddhartha's Brain James Kingsland, 2016-04-26 Guardian science editor James Kingsland unlocks the ancient science of enlightenment through the journey of Siddhartha—better known as Buddha. In a lush grove on the banks of the Neranjara in northern India—400 years before the birth of Christ, when the foundations of western science and philosophy were being laid by the great minds of Ancient Greece—a prince turned ascetic wanderer sat beneath a fig tree. His name was Siddhartha Gautama, and he was discovering the astonishing capabilities of the human brain and the secrets of mental wellness and spiritual “enlightenment”—the foundation of Buddhism. Framed by the historical journey and teachings of the Buddha, Siddhartha’s Brain shows how meditative and Buddhist practice anticipated the findings of modern neuroscience. Moving from the evolutionary history of the brain to the disorders and neuroses associated with our technology-driven world, James Kingsland explains why the ancient practice of mindfulness has been so beneficial and so important for human beings across time. Far from a New Age fad, the principles of meditation have deep scientific support and have been proven to be effective in combating many contemporary psychiatric disorders. Siddhartha posited that “Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think.” As we are increasingly driven to distraction by competing demands, our ability to focus and control our thoughts has never been more challenged—or more vital. Siddhartha’s Brain offers a cutting-edge, big-picture assessment of meditation and mindfulness: how it works, what it does to our brains, and why meditative practice has never been more important. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Myth of the Strong Leader Archie Brown, 2014-04-08 From one of the world's preeminent political historians, a magisterial study of political leadership around the world from the advent of parliamentary democracy to the age of Obama. All too frequently, leadership is reduced to a simple dichotomy: the strong versus the weak. Yet, there are myriad ways to exercise effective political leadership -- as well as different ways to fail. We blame our leaders for economic downfalls and praise them for vital social reforms, but rarely do we question what makes some leaders successful while others falter. In this magisterial and wide-ranging survey of political leadership over the past hundred years, renowned Oxford politics professor Archie Brown challenges the widespread belief that strong leaders -- meaning those who dominate their colleagues and the policy-making process -- are the most successful and admirable. In reality, only a minority of political leaders will truly make a lasting difference. Though we tend to dismiss more collegial styles of leadership as weak, it is often the most cooperative leaders who have the greatest impact. Drawing on extensive research and decades of political analysis and experience, Brown illuminates the achievements, failures and foibles of a broad array of twentieth century politicians. Whether speaking of redefining leaders like Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Lyndon Johnson, and Margaret Thatcher, who expanded the limits of what was politically possible during their time in power, or the even rarer transformational leaders who played a decisive role in bringing about systemic change -- Charles de Gaulle, Mikhail Gorbachev and Nelson Mandela, among them -- Brown challenges our commonly held beliefs about political efficacy and strength. Overturning many of our assumptions about the twentieth century's most important figures, Brown's conclusions are both original and enlightening. The Myth of the Strong Leader compels us to reassess the leaders who have shaped our world - and to reconsider how we should choose and evaluate those who will lead us into the future. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: The Gene Instaread, 2016-06-24 The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee | Summary & Analysis Preview: The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee describes the history of genetic research, the impact of genetic inheritance on his family, and the potential for future applications of gene science. Mukherjee’s father and uncles struggled with disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, both of which are linked to genetic mutations. After centuries of conjecture about the nature of familial inheritance, naturalist Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution in 1859. In 1865, botanist Gregor Mendel proposed that genetic information is passed down from both the paternal and maternal sides of the family in the form of paired genes. Thereafter, eugenics gradually became socially accepted and programs to sterilize the disabled and deviant were established in the United States. The practice of eugenics became socially abhorrent following World War II and the revelations of genocidal practices in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. Between 1908 and 1963, scientists continued studying genetic material… PLEASE NOTE: This is key takeaways and analysis of the book and NOT the original book. Inside this Instaread Summary of The Gene · Overview of the Book · Important People · Key Takeaways · Analysis of Key Takeaways The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee | Summary & Analysis Preview: The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee describes the history of genetic research, the impact of genetic inheritance on his family, and the potential for future applications of gene science. Mukherjee’s father and uncles struggled with disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, both of which are linked to genetic mutations. After centuries of conjecture about the nature of familial inheritance, naturalist Charles Darwin published his theory of evolution in 1859. In 1865, botanist Gregor Mendel proposed that genetic information is passed down from both the paternal and maternal sides of the family in the form of paired genes. Thereafter, eugenics gradually became socially accepted and programs to sterilize the disabled and deviant were established in the United States. The practice of eugenics became socially abhorrent following World War II and the revelations of genocidal practices in Nazi Germany and Stalinist Russia. Between 1908 and 1963, scientists continued studying genetic material… PLEASE NOTE: This is key takeaways and analysis of the book and NOT the original book. Inside this Instaread Summary of The Gene: · Overview of the Book · Important People · Key Takeaways · Analysis of Key Takeaways About the Author With Instaread, you can get the key takeaways, summary and analysis of a book in 15 minutes. We read every chapter, identify the key takeaways and analyze them for your convenience. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: A Cash-Free Society Kai A. Olsen, 2018-08-10 h4 style=page-break-after:avoidCash is no longer king. In many countries digital payment is taking over in all money transactions, a development that is proceeding rapidly. A Cash Free Society describes this process and highlights the advantages and disadvantages of a cashless society.h4 style=page-break-after:avoid h4 style=page-break-after:avoid |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Taking the Leap Pema Chodron, 2010 Discusses the Buddhist concept of shenpa in order to describe how to become free from the destructive energy experienced during moments of conflict. |
| the gene siddhartha mukherjee free: Life at the Speed of Light J. Craig Venter, 2013-10-17 “Venter instills awe for biology as it is, and as it might become in our hands.” —Publishers Weekly On May 20, 2010, headlines around the world announced one of the most extraordinary accomplishments in modern science: the creation of the world’s first synthetic lifeform. In Life at the Speed of Light, scientist J. Craig Venter, best known for sequencing the human genome, shares the dramatic account of how he led a team of researchers in this pioneering effort in synthetic genomics—and how that work will have a profound impact on our existence in the years to come. This is a fascinating and authoritative study that provides readers an opportunity to ponder afresh the age-old question “What is life?” at the dawn of a new era of biological engineering. |
Gene - Wikipedia
In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional …
Home - Gene - NCBI - National Center for Biotechnology ...
Gene integrates information from a wide range of species. A record may include nomenclature, Reference Sequences (RefSeqs), maps, pathways, variations, phenotypes, and links to …
Gene | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier
Gene publishes papers that focus on the regulation, expression, function, and evolution of genes in all biological contexts, including all prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, as well as viruses. …
Gene | Definition, Structure, Expression, & Facts | Britannica
May 18, 2025 · gene, unit of hereditary information that occupies a fixed position (locus) on a chromosome. Genes achieve their effects by directing the synthesis of proteins. In eukaryotes …
What is a gene? - MedlinePlus
May 21, 2024 · A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity. Genes are made up of DNA. Some genes act as instructions to make molecules called proteins, which are needed for …
Gene - Definition and Examples - Biology Dictionary
Oct 27, 2020 · A gene is an extremely specific sequence of nucleotide monomers that has the ability to completely or partially control the expression of one or more traits in every type of …
Gene
Jun 9, 2025 · The gene is considered the basic unit of inheritance. Genes are passed from parents to offspring and contain the information needed to specify physical and biological …
Gene - Wikipedia
In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional …
Home - Gene - NCBI - National Center for Biotechnology ...
Gene integrates information from a wide range of species. A record may include nomenclature, Reference Sequences (RefSeqs), maps, pathways, variations, phenotypes, and links to …
Gene | Journal | ScienceDirect.com by Elsevier
Gene publishes papers that focus on the regulation, expression, function, and evolution of genes in all biological contexts, including all prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, as well as viruses. …
Gene | Definition, Structure, Expression, & Facts | Britannica
May 18, 2025 · gene, unit of hereditary information that occupies a fixed position (locus) on a chromosome. Genes achieve their effects by directing the synthesis of proteins. In eukaryotes …
What is a gene? - MedlinePlus
May 21, 2024 · A gene is the basic physical and functional unit of heredity. Genes are made up of DNA. Some genes act as instructions to make molecules called proteins, which are needed for …
Gene - Definition and Examples - Biology Dictionary
Oct 27, 2020 · A gene is an extremely specific sequence of nucleotide monomers that has the ability to completely or partially control the expression of one or more traits in every type of …
Gene
Jun 9, 2025 · The gene is considered the basic unit of inheritance. Genes are passed from parents to offspring and contain the information needed to specify physical and biological …
