Reviews from Amazon

The Thread of Life

Nowadays any mention of genetic engineering is likely to provoke a noticeable reaction, either in favour or against. In The Thread of Life: The Story of Genes and Genetic Engineering, Susan Aldridge gives an easy to read overview of this subject. The book was written over 10 years ago, before the debate became so polarised, and it's interesting to see how Aldridge is essentially in favour of genetic engineering, but still warns about the potential dangers.

The first part of the book looks at DNA - its discovery, its action in the cell, the sequencing of DNA and the role of DNA in evolution.

The second part of the book moves on to genetic engineering, in particular its use in treating human disease and aging. Part 3 looks at the wider uses of biotechnology, such as enzymes in our washing, increasing food yields and using microbes to mop up heavy metals. The final chapter is a short look at the future of ideas in genetics - whether reductionism will win out or complexity will be the order of the day.

The book doesn't go into any topic in great detail, and probably isn't the best book to inform readers of the pros and cons of genetic engineering, but it is very useful for the reader with limited knowledge of genetics who wants to learn about the subject.

Amazon.com info

Hardcover 272 pages
ISBN: 0521465427
Salesrank: 745564
Weight:1.21 lbs

Published: 1996 Cambridge University Press

Amazon price $55.00

Marketplace:New from $2.88:Used from $0.58

Buy from Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk info

Hardcover 272 pages
ISBN: 0521465427
Salesrank: 921042
Weight:1.21 lbs

Published: 1996 Cambridge University Press

Amazon price £38.00

Marketplace:New from £9.99:Used from £1.50

Buy from Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.ca info

Hardcover 272 pages
ISBN: 0521465427
Salesrank:
Weight:1.21 lbs

Published: 1996 Cambridge University Press

Amazon price CDN$ 57.95

Marketplace:New from CDN$ 14.49:Used from CDN$ 5.13

Buy from Amazon.ca

Product Description
DNA "fingerprinting," genetic engineering of food, genetic screening, gene therapy, the human genome project...there is no shortage of news these days about the genetic revolution. The purpose of this book is to take the interested reader behind the headlines to explore the fascinating world of molecular biology. Eschewing jargon, author Susan Aldridge gives an accessible account of the world of DNA and also explores its present and future applications. In the first part of the book, she explains what DNA is and how it functions within living organisms. In the second part, she explores genetic engineering and its applications to humans--such as gene therapy, genetic screening, and DNA fingerprinting. In the third, the author looks at the wider world of biotechnology and how genetic engineering can be applied to such problems as producing vegetarian cheese or cleaning up the environment. Finally, she explains how knowledge of the structure and function of genes sheds light on evolution and our place in the world. Aldridge has written with a light touch full of historical references; her achievement will make rewarding reading for anyone who reads popular accounts of the life sciences.

Product Description

DNA "fingerprinting," genetic engineering of food, genetic screening, gene therapy, the human genome project...there is no shortage of news these days about the genetic revolution. The purpose of this book is to take the interested reader behind the headlines to explore the fascinating world of molecular biology. Eschewing jargon, author Susan Aldridge gives an accessible account of the world of DNA and also explores its present and future applications. In the first part of the book, she explains what DNA is and how it functions within living organisms. In the second part, she explores genetic engineering and its applications to humans--such as gene therapy, genetic screening, and DNA fingerprinting. In the third, the author looks at the wider world of biotechnology and how genetic engineering can be applied to such problems as producing vegetarian cheese or cleaning up the environment. Finally, she explains how knowledge of the structure and function of genes sheds light on evolution and our place in the world. Aldridge has written with a light touch full of historical references; her achievement will make rewarding reading for anyone who reads popular accounts of the life sciences.

Short, clear, yet in depth. *****
This is a straightforward exposition; it doesn't try to come at the material from a novel angle (cf Ridley's "Genome), nor does it dwell on arguments such as nature vs. nurture. What it does do is explain the science in remarkable depth in a short book. For me, much of the material was review/clarification, but I suspect it would work for those with less background. Aldridge is disciplined in what she covers, writes clearly, uses diagrams when it will help, and seems to choose just the correct level of detail. She includes details you might not expect to find, when they are important: for example, some human proteins cannot be made by bacteria because humans add sugars to these protein molecules AFTER they are created using RNA, and bacteria do not have this capability. I do wish the index were more complete, it just is not helpful enough if you wish to review something covered earlier. Also, in the last section on bio-technology, Aldridge is much less disciplined, tries to cover too much too fast, and I found myself with numerous unanswered questions.

Short, clear, yet in depth. *****

This is a straightforward exposition; it doesn't try to come at the material from a novel angle (cf Ridley's "Genome), nor does it dwell on arguments such as nature vs. nurture. What it does do is explain the science in remarkable depth in a short book. For me, much of the material was review/clarification, but I suspect it would work for those with less background. Aldridge is disciplined in what she covers, writes clearly, uses diagrams when it will help, and seems to choose just the correct level of detail. She includes details you might not expect to find, when they are important: for example, some human proteins cannot be made by bacteria because humans add sugars to these protein molecules AFTER they are created using RNA, and bacteria do not have this capability. I do wish the index were more complete, it just is not helpful enough if you wish to review something covered earlier. Also, in the last section on bio-technology, Aldridge is much less disciplined, tries to cover too much too fast, and I found myself with numerous unanswered questions.

Covers both the pure science and the applications *****
I found myself enjoying this book after punching through the initial chapters that served as the science primer for defining DNA. The author gets credit for laying out the biological concepts that the reader will need to know to understand the material that comes later (e.g., genetic engineering). Assuming you have no prior background, you'll need to learn these concepts before you can follow the various applications of genetic engineering she goes into. The writing style is lean, but doesn't gloss over the complexity of the subject. The book shines in its treatment of genetic engineering and biotechnology. And unlike a number of more recent books doesn't get fixated on the human genome project or sequencing in general. Actually, even with the book being several years old, I found many of the topics covered to be of interest even to date. Examples include a discussion of the "selfish gene" (proposed by Richard Dawkins), the theory of endosymbiosis pioneered by Lynn Margulis, the "ice-minus" bacteria used to keep strawberries from frost damage, and the genetically engineered "flavor-saver" tomato. The applications of genetic engineering described in the book are definitely relevant and important (e.g., cloning, drug discovery, plant science, and environmental cleanup). And to the author's credit, she doesn't appear to take too strong a position on either side of the biotechnology ethic's debate.

Covers both the pure science and the applications *****

I found myself enjoying this book after punching through the initial chapters that served as the science primer for defining DNA. The author gets credit for laying out the biological concepts that the reader will need to know to understand the material that comes later (e.g., genetic engineering). Assuming you have no prior background, you'll need to learn these concepts before you can follow the various applications of genetic engineering she goes into. The writing style is lean, but doesn't gloss over the complexity of the subject.

The book shines in its treatment of genetic engineering and biotechnology. And unlike a number of more recent books doesn't get fixated on the human genome project or sequencing in general. Actually, even with the book being several years old, I found many of the topics covered to be of interest even to date. Examples include a discussion of the "selfish gene" (proposed by Richard Dawkins), the theory of endosymbiosis pioneered by Lynn Margulis, the "ice-minus" bacteria used to keep strawberries from frost damage, and the genetically engineered "flavor-saver" tomato.

The applications of genetic engineering described in the book are definitely relevant and important (e.g., cloning, drug discovery, plant science, and environmental cleanup). And to the author's credit, she doesn't appear to take too strong a position on either side of the biotechnology ethic's debate.

A nice tour of the fundamentals ***
I learned a great deal from this book and enjoyed reading it. However I sometimes felt like the "tour" was moving too fast...great breadth but (perhaps unavoidably) not much depth. Additional figures and diagrams would have been helpful. I was surprised that there was no mention of the increasingly important role of computer science / bioinformatics. Still, if you are looking for a primer on the fundamental scientific methods, and an objective presentation of the key issues, this is a good place to start. A great many scientific ideas packed into a small volume.

A nice tour of the fundamentals ***

I learned a great deal from this book and enjoyed reading it. However I sometimes felt like the "tour" was moving too fast...great breadth but (perhaps unavoidably) not much depth. Additional figures and diagrams would have been helpful. I was surprised that there was no mention of the increasingly important role of computer science / bioinformatics. Still, if you are looking for a primer on the fundamental scientific methods, and an objective presentation of the key issues, this is a good place to start. A great many scientific ideas packed into a small volume.

Terrible, don't waste your money. *
I wish I could give this book ZERO stars

Terrible, don't waste your money. *

I wish I could give this book ZERO stars

Good ****
A pretty nice introduction to genes, sequencing, genetic engineering, and related topics. Ms. Aldridge is mostly very clear, interesting, and impartial. She manages to include a little bit about a lot of the relevant and topical issues.

Good ****

A pretty nice introduction to genes, sequencing, genetic engineering, and related topics. Ms. Aldridge is mostly very clear, interesting, and impartial. She manages to include a little bit about a lot of the relevant and topical issues.

Excellent *****
This book gives the most clear and concise description of the workings of DNA and basic life biochemistry that I have read. It has been successful in clearing up many of the most difficult aspects of this subject matter for me. Ms Aldridge is a very effective writer and educator for this complex subject matter.

Excellent *****

This book gives the most clear and concise description of the workings of DNA and basic life biochemistry that I have read. It has been successful in clearing up many of the most difficult aspects of this subject matter for me. Ms Aldridge is a very effective writer and educator for this complex subject matter.