Call number
Publication
New York : Little, Brown and Co., 2012.
Pages
ix; 401
Description
"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"--… (more)
Awards
AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books (Finalist — 2013)
PEN/E. O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award (Shortlist — 2013)
Language
Original publication date
2012-07-17
Physical description
ix, 401 p.; 9.5 inches
ISBN
9780316182317
Similar in this library
The Disappearing Spoon: and other true tales of madness, love, and the history of the world from the periodic table of the elements by Sam Kean
User reviews
LibraryThing member Stewartry
As usual, the actual contents of this Netgalley book came as a bit of a surprise – really? I requested a book about DNA? How unusual. And it is, very; I like a book which will feed me good solid science which has been cut into easily digested pieces rather than either handed to me whole or
The fact that I was thinking of polar bear livers while typing that last sentence is an indication of how well this book has done its job.
Do I now understand all there is to know about DNA and genetics?
*
*
*
Oh, sorry. I was laughing too hard to type there for a minute. Because – No: I'm still an idiot in the world of science. I am now able to parrot the fact of, say, A-T and C-G pairings, and I have a tenuous grasp on what it means, but for me the general feeling is much like I remember from high school science, when I learned that color wasn't what I thought it was and that water is part of everything, even the most solid and desiccated of objects, on a cellular level. Information like that fights with my worldview. I understand the words on a theoretical level, like phasers and tribbles. It's the practical science that escapes me.
Which in no way is to detract from Mr. Kean's book. It's excellent. It's a joy. The fault, dear reader, lies not in my book but in myself, I'm sorry to say.
But I do know a whole heck of a lot more than I did when I started, and – more importantly – I understand a whole heck of a lot more than I did when I started. As for what I still don't understand … well, Mr. Kean did not leave me feeling like the idiot I am, despite the fact that he explained as clearly and simply – and, often, humorously – as any human being could. And every page was painted with the wonder Mr. Kean obviously still finds in science. If all teachers managed to demonstrate this sense of wonder into their lessons, the world would be a smarter place.
And in between and around the bits that refuse to compute, there was a tremendous amount of information I could happily wallow in. I had no idea of the gravity of the reasons behind keeping pregnant women away from kitty litter – and really, it is serious, don't go anywhere near it. It never occurred to me that there could be people who survived the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki both, and no real concept of what that did to them. I never knew the quirky biographies of Darwin and Mendel, Thomas Hunt Morgan, Watson and Crick, or any of the other madmen that fills these pages. And of course the title condition, that which made Niccolò Paganini what he was, which allowed him speed and flexibility that led his listeners to believe he had traded in his soul for them – a beautiful piece of forensic diagnosis, and such fun to read. The humor never gets in the way of the learning, but – as with all the best teachers – facilitates it. It's wonderful.
Literally.
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reduced to baby food, but I haven't read one in some time. The fact that I was thinking of polar bear livers while typing that last sentence is an indication of how well this book has done its job.
Do I now understand all there is to know about DNA and genetics?
*
*
*
Oh, sorry. I was laughing too hard to type there for a minute. Because – No: I'm still an idiot in the world of science. I am now able to parrot the fact of, say, A-T and C-G pairings, and I have a tenuous grasp on what it means, but for me the general feeling is much like I remember from high school science, when I learned that color wasn't what I thought it was and that water is part of everything, even the most solid and desiccated of objects, on a cellular level. Information like that fights with my worldview. I understand the words on a theoretical level, like phasers and tribbles. It's the practical science that escapes me.
Which in no way is to detract from Mr. Kean's book. It's excellent. It's a joy. The fault, dear reader, lies not in my book but in myself, I'm sorry to say.
But I do know a whole heck of a lot more than I did when I started, and – more importantly – I understand a whole heck of a lot more than I did when I started. As for what I still don't understand … well, Mr. Kean did not leave me feeling like the idiot I am, despite the fact that he explained as clearly and simply – and, often, humorously – as any human being could. And every page was painted with the wonder Mr. Kean obviously still finds in science. If all teachers managed to demonstrate this sense of wonder into their lessons, the world would be a smarter place.
And in between and around the bits that refuse to compute, there was a tremendous amount of information I could happily wallow in. I had no idea of the gravity of the reasons behind keeping pregnant women away from kitty litter – and really, it is serious, don't go anywhere near it. It never occurred to me that there could be people who survived the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki both, and no real concept of what that did to them. I never knew the quirky biographies of Darwin and Mendel, Thomas Hunt Morgan, Watson and Crick, or any of the other madmen that fills these pages. And of course the title condition, that which made Niccolò Paganini what he was, which allowed him speed and flexibility that led his listeners to believe he had traded in his soul for them – a beautiful piece of forensic diagnosis, and such fun to read. The humor never gets in the way of the learning, but – as with all the best teachers – facilitates it. It's wonderful.
Literally.
Show Less
LibraryThing member detailmuse
Paraphrasing Tolstoy:
Perhaps all healthy bodies resemble each other, while each unhealthy body is unhealthy in its own way.
Another terrific collection of stories by Sam Kean about science and scientists, this one on genetics and DNA and inspired by his own genes -- haha! his parents, Gene and
It gives the fundamentals of DNA (its discovery, structure (including sequencing) and function) and touches on so many topics that have become known (or better understood) in the decades since my coursework -- of most interest to me are the incorporation of bacteria and viruses into our cells and DNA, and the environmental activation and suppression of genes that is the field of epigenetics. It’s awe-inspiring ... and as we look at lower animals and attribute so much of their behavior to instinct, I wonder how long until we’ll understand our own species enough to see how much of what we attribute to free will is actually biology?
As an aside, I liked this comparison of scientific fields:
A physicist stationed in Hiroshima might have pointed out that the gamma rays finished working over [the] DNA in a millionth of a billionth of a second. To a chemist, the most interesting part -- how the free radicals gnawed through DNA -- would have ceased after a millisecond. A cell biologist would have needed to wait maybe a few hours to study how cells patch up torn DNA. A doctor could have diagnosed radiation sickness [...] within a week. Geneticists needed the most patience. The genetic damage to the survivors didn’t surface for years, even decades.
Perhaps all healthy bodies resemble each other, while each unhealthy body is unhealthy in its own way.
Another terrific collection of stories by Sam Kean about science and scientists, this one on genetics and DNA and inspired by his own genes -- haha! his parents, Gene and
Show More
Jean.It gives the fundamentals of DNA (its discovery, structure (including sequencing) and function) and touches on so many topics that have become known (or better understood) in the decades since my coursework -- of most interest to me are the incorporation of bacteria and viruses into our cells and DNA, and the environmental activation and suppression of genes that is the field of epigenetics. It’s awe-inspiring ... and as we look at lower animals and attribute so much of their behavior to instinct, I wonder how long until we’ll understand our own species enough to see how much of what we attribute to free will is actually biology?
As an aside, I liked this comparison of scientific fields:
A physicist stationed in Hiroshima might have pointed out that the gamma rays finished working over [the] DNA in a millionth of a billionth of a second. To a chemist, the most interesting part -- how the free radicals gnawed through DNA -- would have ceased after a millisecond. A cell biologist would have needed to wait maybe a few hours to study how cells patch up torn DNA. A doctor could have diagnosed radiation sickness [...] within a week. Geneticists needed the most patience. The genetic damage to the survivors didn’t surface for years, even decades.
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LibraryThing member bell7
Sam Kean, the author of [The Disappearing Spoon], a book about the periodic table of elements, now turns his attention to genetics and evolution. In [The Violinist's Thumb], he takes a non-technical approach to recounting the history of genetic inquiry and the various information we can learn about
Though at times I found his approach a little too basic and I wished greatly for footnotes. At times, Kean seemed to gloss over potentially complicated discussions, making me wonder if he was oversimplifying here and there in the interest of narrative clarity. More than once, he stepped on my religious toes whilst trying to be funny. But for the most part, this is an engaging account about a fascinating subject. Kean does a good job of taking what could potentially be a very difficult, dry, or technical topic and making it accessible. His real-life historical examples of crazy experiments or historic people with genetic disorders add vivacity and relevance to the various topics he covers.
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ourselves through our DNA. Covering Mendel to Watson, viruses to hominids, and throwing in many a funny story to boot, Kean writes an entertaining look at many aspects of genetics.Though at times I found his approach a little too basic and I wished greatly for footnotes. At times, Kean seemed to gloss over potentially complicated discussions, making me wonder if he was oversimplifying here and there in the interest of narrative clarity. More than once, he stepped on my religious toes whilst trying to be funny. But for the most part, this is an engaging account about a fascinating subject. Kean does a good job of taking what could potentially be a very difficult, dry, or technical topic and making it accessible. His real-life historical examples of crazy experiments or historic people with genetic disorders add vivacity and relevance to the various topics he covers.
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LibraryThing member MartinBodek
The only - I repeat the only - silver lining to being taught jack squat when I was in school is that books like these take boring school textbookesque information and refashion it beautifully with context. Of course a Mendellian genetic chart is historic and interesting, but the intrigues! The
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political squabbling! The politics! The infighting! The skirt-chasing! Aha! Therein lies the good stuff! This book is littered throughout with such drama, and it makes for excellent reading. There was a major fault, however. Kean does not properly warn you when he's about to explain something that will go straight over the reader's head. He also doesn't tell you when it's over. It's a bit jarring. He should have dumbed it down just a bit, with perhaps apt metaphors, for the casual reader. Nonetheless a marvelous read told with splendid doses of good humor. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheLostEntwife
I'm going to be honest and tell you the entire reason I picked up The Violinist's Thumb by Sam Kean is not because I'm interested in biology or DNA or anything to do with science really - it's because the name Paganini drew me in.
I've never been the type of girl to understand science. The closest I
In spite of all these misgivings, the name of Paganini, the famous violinists who - folk lore states - sold his soul to the devil for his ability to play drew me in to this book. Random fact: Franz Liszt (also rumored to be demonic in places) studied Paganini's skill on the violin and translated it to the piano. He also was the first to play music memorized on the stage for a concert. I blame him for my many breakdowns.
Anyway!
So Paganini was the bait, but what hooked me about this book was just how accessible the science was. Seriously, it blew me away. In between serious chunks of letters and strands and things I know nothing about were anecdotal stories and historic lessons about names and things I had never known about. It opened up a whole new world to me and in the process, I like to think, I learned a little something more then I expected to.
Fully enjoyable, well-researched and surprisingly fun - this book gave me really strange DNA dreams and made me feel a little bit like a smart person ... for a short while.
I've never been the type of girl to understand science. The closest I
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came was a low C in Biology 14 years ago when I attended the University of Wyoming. Ever since then I've operated under the assumption that magic sparkles course through my veins, that storks bring babies to deserving parents, and that my father gave me his caterpillar eyebrows as a way to torture me in my later years of life. Sound silly? Of course it does - that's because when I see science explained it looks as strange to me as reading a difficult piece of piano sheet music might to you (I say might here because I'm operating under the assumption that you don't play Rachmaninoff on a daily basis.)In spite of all these misgivings, the name of Paganini, the famous violinists who - folk lore states - sold his soul to the devil for his ability to play drew me in to this book. Random fact: Franz Liszt (also rumored to be demonic in places) studied Paganini's skill on the violin and translated it to the piano. He also was the first to play music memorized on the stage for a concert. I blame him for my many breakdowns.
Anyway!
So Paganini was the bait, but what hooked me about this book was just how accessible the science was. Seriously, it blew me away. In between serious chunks of letters and strands and things I know nothing about were anecdotal stories and historic lessons about names and things I had never known about. It opened up a whole new world to me and in the process, I like to think, I learned a little something more then I expected to.
Fully enjoyable, well-researched and surprisingly fun - this book gave me really strange DNA dreams and made me feel a little bit like a smart person ... for a short while.
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LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
Pretty much all of us know that DNA is what makes us, well, us. But few of us non-scientists really understand what that means. Through a bit of hard science, a little history, just a touch of humour, and some fascinating anecdotes, author San Kean sets out to rectify this in his marvelous book,
Kean explains in simple and rather poetic terms, for example, the difference between DNA and genes. "DNA", he tells us, "is a thing - a chemical which sticks to your fingers" while genes are "like a story, with DNA as the language the story is written in". And DNA does much more than colour our eyes blue or our hair black. As Kean points out, if it weren't for DNA, we would lack the imagination to even wonder about these things never mind try to discover why they are what they are. DNA is really the story of us, the story of our place in the universe, and, if it seems a little sad to think we are really just the sum of our genetic makeup, there is a whole lot more to the story than just our biology. It is, in fact, our DNA which makes us not only human but humane.
In some wonderful anecdotes, Kean (whose own DNA has made him a born story teller) tells us about the unluckiest lucky man in the world, a Japanese man who survived the bombing of Hiroshima, only to head home to his family who lived in, you guessed it, Nagasaki. Yet, despite surviving two nuclear bombs, he went on to live a long and fruitful life. He also introduces us, thanks to DNA, to the mother of us all, the real Eve, who was a tiny woman who lived a hundred thousand years ago. And Kean also explains why, thanks to DNA, you should never eat the liver of a polar bear unless you are a seal.
The Violinist's Thumb has to be the most fun I have ever had reading a book about science. Oh, and in case you are wondering, the thumb in the title belonged to Paganini, an 18th century violinist so talented many thought he had sold his soul to the devil. Turns out it was something which seems on the surface, somewhat less poetic but certainly more surprising and decidedly human - Paganini's incredible skill was due not to Satan but to a genetic disorder which would eventually shorten his life but which allowed him to bend his fingers and thumbs in amazing ways. When Shakespeare said "our fortune lies not in our stars...but in ourselves", he was more right than he could have possibly imagined even given his wonderful DNA.
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The Violinist's Thumb. Kean explains in simple and rather poetic terms, for example, the difference between DNA and genes. "DNA", he tells us, "is a thing - a chemical which sticks to your fingers" while genes are "like a story, with DNA as the language the story is written in". And DNA does much more than colour our eyes blue or our hair black. As Kean points out, if it weren't for DNA, we would lack the imagination to even wonder about these things never mind try to discover why they are what they are. DNA is really the story of us, the story of our place in the universe, and, if it seems a little sad to think we are really just the sum of our genetic makeup, there is a whole lot more to the story than just our biology. It is, in fact, our DNA which makes us not only human but humane.
In some wonderful anecdotes, Kean (whose own DNA has made him a born story teller) tells us about the unluckiest lucky man in the world, a Japanese man who survived the bombing of Hiroshima, only to head home to his family who lived in, you guessed it, Nagasaki. Yet, despite surviving two nuclear bombs, he went on to live a long and fruitful life. He also introduces us, thanks to DNA, to the mother of us all, the real Eve, who was a tiny woman who lived a hundred thousand years ago. And Kean also explains why, thanks to DNA, you should never eat the liver of a polar bear unless you are a seal.
The Violinist's Thumb has to be the most fun I have ever had reading a book about science. Oh, and in case you are wondering, the thumb in the title belonged to Paganini, an 18th century violinist so talented many thought he had sold his soul to the devil. Turns out it was something which seems on the surface, somewhat less poetic but certainly more surprising and decidedly human - Paganini's incredible skill was due not to Satan but to a genetic disorder which would eventually shorten his life but which allowed him to bend his fingers and thumbs in amazing ways. When Shakespeare said "our fortune lies not in our stars...but in ourselves", he was more right than he could have possibly imagined even given his wonderful DNA.
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LibraryThing member ScoutJ
Another great work by Kean, author of The Disappearing Spoon. This one focuses on DNA and, like Spoon is chock full of good science as well as fascinating stories to illustrate such. Highly recommended!
LibraryThing member autumnblues
Highly entertaining, yet shocking true.
Being a lover of science I was drawn to this book and not only by my interest in the genetic code. Reason is The Violinist’s Thumb reminds me of a scientific version of Ripley’s Believe it or Not, so shockingly true. Sam Kean takes the reader on a trip
Some interesting knowledge I came away with included how human genes make up less than 2% of the current total human DNA. Even more intereting yet in a creepy way is how humans have descended from viruses. This enlightenment came to be during the “Human Gnome Project.” Where at that time about 200 hundred biologists learned that a mighty big chunk of our gnome consists of virus genes. If that is not enough to creep you out how about the parasite Toxoplasma Gondii. You know that parasite that can be found in any cat lovers litter box. Toxo has been popular in the news scene lately. However what CNN fails to tell you is how scientists have discovered that two of its eight thousand genes have adapted to building dopamine. Humans infected by Toxoplasma grow cysts in their brains. Those infected with it find it difficult to part with their cats as the scent of cat urine provides a turn on and addiction. Which makes complete sense when you take into account the behavior of a cat hoarders.
It’s no secret that humans have been genetically engineering animals and more so plants since the beginning of agriculture which spans thousands of years through our past. But who could forget the birth of Dolly the first sheep clone in 1997. Who knew that Dolly actually went on to birth six little lambs of her own naturally, I sure didn’t. In all I found the book mighty fascinating and if it wasn’t for the few times Sam seemed to forget people like me with no genetic background would be reading this book, I would have given him another sparkly star.
Information on DNA coding brought back memories for me. I remembered when I had first heard about the HGP (Human Gnome Project), and how DNA sequencing might be used in the future to help those with medical conditions and illnesses. Later not long after news that the Human Gnome had been decoded the scientific community seemed to have gone silent. Part of the reason could be that we humans do not have as many genes as once thought, just slighting less than 26, 000. While sequencing has help scientist in many ways the irony is that because of the small amount of genes humans contain it has made it even more difficult for science work with.
Being a lover of science I was drawn to this book and not only by my interest in the genetic code. Reason is The Violinist’s Thumb reminds me of a scientific version of Ripley’s Believe it or Not, so shockingly true. Sam Kean takes the reader on a trip
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through DNA land. From the start you get to meet those famous and not so famous, yet monumental people who took those first initiatives in working with genes and the sequencing of DNA. Knowing very little about DNA I did find some codes Sam listed in regards to DNA sequencing to be slightly confusing. But those were few and far between and Sam succeeds to keep genetics as interesting as possible throughout this book. For example I found the chapter on Einstein and what actually happened to his brain very entertaining. While I was quite surprised that a nun by the name of Sister Mary Michael Stimson was a researcher throughout the 1940′s in the study of DNA, and how before turning to genes, Sister Stimson even helped create the well know hemorrhoidal cream “Preparation H.”Some interesting knowledge I came away with included how human genes make up less than 2% of the current total human DNA. Even more intereting yet in a creepy way is how humans have descended from viruses. This enlightenment came to be during the “Human Gnome Project.” Where at that time about 200 hundred biologists learned that a mighty big chunk of our gnome consists of virus genes. If that is not enough to creep you out how about the parasite Toxoplasma Gondii. You know that parasite that can be found in any cat lovers litter box. Toxo has been popular in the news scene lately. However what CNN fails to tell you is how scientists have discovered that two of its eight thousand genes have adapted to building dopamine. Humans infected by Toxoplasma grow cysts in their brains. Those infected with it find it difficult to part with their cats as the scent of cat urine provides a turn on and addiction. Which makes complete sense when you take into account the behavior of a cat hoarders.
It’s no secret that humans have been genetically engineering animals and more so plants since the beginning of agriculture which spans thousands of years through our past. But who could forget the birth of Dolly the first sheep clone in 1997. Who knew that Dolly actually went on to birth six little lambs of her own naturally, I sure didn’t. In all I found the book mighty fascinating and if it wasn’t for the few times Sam seemed to forget people like me with no genetic background would be reading this book, I would have given him another sparkly star.
Information on DNA coding brought back memories for me. I remembered when I had first heard about the HGP (Human Gnome Project), and how DNA sequencing might be used in the future to help those with medical conditions and illnesses. Later not long after news that the Human Gnome had been decoded the scientific community seemed to have gone silent. Part of the reason could be that we humans do not have as many genes as once thought, just slighting less than 26, 000. While sequencing has help scientist in many ways the irony is that because of the small amount of genes humans contain it has made it even more difficult for science work with.
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LibraryThing member Dickco
He avoids dryness by jumping from anecdote to factual description. There ae times where this leaves me feeling I lost the trail, but he keeps me involved.
A great deal is covered on occasion the outline gets lost. Depth varies, but I learn much!
A great deal is covered on occasion the outline gets lost. Depth varies, but I learn much!
LibraryThing member puttocklibrary
An excellent book about the science of DNA. This book is extremely readable, and definitely not too technical for layperson to decipher.
the science of DNA as we currently know it.
Highly recommended.
the science of DNA as we currently know it.
Highly recommended.
LibraryThing member hailelib
This is a terrific book about DNA and our genetic code. Full of interesting stories about scientists, musicians, and less well known people like Mr. Yamaguchi who survived both Hiroshima and Nagasaki and lived to 2010, dying at the age of 93 (of cancer) I had fun with this book. From evolution to
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epigenetics the science and the stories kept me reading and I would recommend Kean's book. Show Less
LibraryThing member Meggo
An interesting look at our genetics and the impact that our genes have on our patterns and potential. It is an interesting enough book for a book about DNA. Not the most engrossing book on the subject, but it is broken into small enough pieces that it is not an intolerable slog to get through.
LibraryThing member Harrod
Excellent and informative. Fun and curious.
LibraryThing member eachurch
An entertaining history of DNA and the scientists who strove (and are striving) to figure out how inheritance works. Kean is a wonderfully clear and concise writer whose enthusiasm for his subject readily infects his reader.
LibraryThing member smaz
In The Violinist's Thumb, Sam Kean explores the roots of human understanding of genetics, DNA and how they influence culture, and abilities. Each chapter is concerned with a different aspect of the history of genetics and these aspects are told through anecdotes, and stories surrounding the
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characters involved in the science, and they were certainly characters. The actual science included in the book is very understandable, and Kean never gets into anything technical, which makes this a good read for anyone who doesn't have a background in biology, but is interested in genetics and DNA. Show Less
LibraryThing member nbmars
You may recognize the author’s name because of his previous bestselling book about the periodic table, The Disappearing Spoon. In this book, he tackles genetics, doing a fine job in explaining a very complex subject bit by bit, with clever analogies and a good deal of humor.
There are loads of
Of all the survivors of the World War II atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, some 150 were caught near both cities on both days! (Talk about a run of bad luck!)
In the 1940’s and 1950’s, many female scientists were nuns, because, as Kean explains, "Women at the time usually had to relinquish their careers upon marrying, while unmarried women...provoked suspicion or derision and sometimes earned such low pay they couldn’t make ends meet.”
Humans share about 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees, making them our closest living relatives.
But male chimps have something humans don’t: little bumps called spines on their penises. According to Kean, “this loss decreases male sensation during sex and thereby prolongs copulation, which scientists suspect helps humans pair-bond and stay monogamous.”
Who knew?
Kean explains why Arctic explorers can risk death by eating the liver of polar bears, or why some people who have one cat start getting more cats. He also talks about the phenomenon of epigenetics: how genes can, in fact, be influenced by the environment, with the effects actually passed on to progeny, much as theorized by the discredited Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. He even explains how why the beliefs of some religions couldn’t possibly be true: the genetic evidence tells a different story.
Evaluation: This book is full of fascinating anecdotes, as well as a lot of science, which you can actually just scan if you prefer, without it detracting from the general thrust of the book.
One big criticism: When I read a nonfiction book, I depend heavily on the index to help me refer back to ideas I just read 20 minutes ago but forgot already. The index in this book is extremely inadequate. Want to look up that bit about cats, for example? Well, you won’t find anything under “cat” or “feline”: unless you remember that the organism which is the culprit is called Toxoplasma gondii, you’re out of luck!
Otherwise, it was a very entertaining read; once again Kean has succeeded in making science fun, which is absolutely a good thing!
There are loads of
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interesting tidbits:Of all the survivors of the World War II atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, some 150 were caught near both cities on both days! (Talk about a run of bad luck!)
In the 1940’s and 1950’s, many female scientists were nuns, because, as Kean explains, "Women at the time usually had to relinquish their careers upon marrying, while unmarried women...provoked suspicion or derision and sometimes earned such low pay they couldn’t make ends meet.”
Humans share about 99% of our DNA with chimpanzees, making them our closest living relatives.
But male chimps have something humans don’t: little bumps called spines on their penises. According to Kean, “this loss decreases male sensation during sex and thereby prolongs copulation, which scientists suspect helps humans pair-bond and stay monogamous.”
Who knew?
Kean explains why Arctic explorers can risk death by eating the liver of polar bears, or why some people who have one cat start getting more cats. He also talks about the phenomenon of epigenetics: how genes can, in fact, be influenced by the environment, with the effects actually passed on to progeny, much as theorized by the discredited Jean-Baptiste Lamarck. He even explains how why the beliefs of some religions couldn’t possibly be true: the genetic evidence tells a different story.
Evaluation: This book is full of fascinating anecdotes, as well as a lot of science, which you can actually just scan if you prefer, without it detracting from the general thrust of the book.
One big criticism: When I read a nonfiction book, I depend heavily on the index to help me refer back to ideas I just read 20 minutes ago but forgot already. The index in this book is extremely inadequate. Want to look up that bit about cats, for example? Well, you won’t find anything under “cat” or “feline”: unless you remember that the organism which is the culprit is called Toxoplasma gondii, you’re out of luck!
Otherwise, it was a very entertaining read; once again Kean has succeeded in making science fun, which is absolutely a good thing!
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LibraryThing member kaulsu
I think I enjoyed [The Vanishing Spoon] a bit more. But Kean still was able to keep me--a science know-nothing--reading cover to cover. I may not understand molecular biology, but I understand the double helix of DNA a bit better.
The anecdotal stories are delightful! Definitely worth a read.
The anecdotal stories are delightful! Definitely worth a read.
LibraryThing member murderbydeath
Absolutely excellent read! Very accessible, well-researched, and entertaining. I really appreciate Sam Kean's writing style and I got an awful lot out of this book; even if I knew some of the information already, he offered an alternate way of looking at what can often be a controversial
I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science.
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subject.I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science.
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LibraryThing member mbmackay
This is a good book about the current understanding of DNA and genetics. Sam Kean is not a professional in the field, but he seems knowledgeable and well read in the area.
The writing style if fluent and informal, and he conveys complex information well. But, I was left at the end needed more
So, a good popularisation of science, but there is an opportunity for a professional in the field to fill a gap and provide more of the basic biological science in the area. We need a Dawkins of dna.
Read Feb 2015
The writing style if fluent and informal, and he conveys complex information well. But, I was left at the end needed more
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science - the chapter on epigenetics needs more fundamental information - how epigenetics works, what does and doesn't happen, for example. And the revelation that much viral dna has been absorbed by human dna leads to a need to better understand the processes involved than is given here. Similarly and more basic, the jumping genes section left me short of understanding. So, a good popularisation of science, but there is an opportunity for a professional in the field to fill a gap and provide more of the basic biological science in the area. We need a Dawkins of dna.
Read Feb 2015
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LibraryThing member UberButter
The Violinist’s Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, And Genius, As Written By Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean
★★★★
Last year I read Sam Kean’s other book, The Disappearing Spoon, and was immensely impressed that he could take a confusing subject for me (chemistry and the periodic
The author takes us through the history of the DNA – how we became human, how DNA was discovered, what the future holds, etc. It was all quite interesting. There was a lot of info to soak in and I will admit to understanding the basics to begin with, which may have made my reading of the subject a little easier (after all, I was a biology major for several years). But I think even if one lacks knowledge in the subject of genetics, this is a good book to pick up. Kean is excellent and explaining things that may otherwise be difficult to grasp (although I won’t lie, it took me a couple reads of some paragraphs to get the full grasp but it WAS grasped). This really was an amazingly well written book on genetics. I am already looking forward to whatever the author chooses to tackle for his next book.
★★★★
Last year I read Sam Kean’s other book, The Disappearing Spoon, and was immensely impressed that he could take a confusing subject for me (chemistry and the periodic
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table) and make it interesting, fun, and understandable. Well, the author has managed to do it again with his latest book, The Violinist’s Thumb. He makes genetics and biology easy to take in. The author also does a great deal of research and throws in some of his great humor to boot. Another definite win by Sam Kean.The author takes us through the history of the DNA – how we became human, how DNA was discovered, what the future holds, etc. It was all quite interesting. There was a lot of info to soak in and I will admit to understanding the basics to begin with, which may have made my reading of the subject a little easier (after all, I was a biology major for several years). But I think even if one lacks knowledge in the subject of genetics, this is a good book to pick up. Kean is excellent and explaining things that may otherwise be difficult to grasp (although I won’t lie, it took me a couple reads of some paragraphs to get the full grasp but it WAS grasped). This really was an amazingly well written book on genetics. I am already looking forward to whatever the author chooses to tackle for his next book.
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LibraryThing member LisCarey
This is a fascinating look at the history of genetics, both the science itself and the often quirky and peculiar personalities who moved it ahead. Sam Kean starts off with the story of his own parents--Gene and Jean Kean--and how their accidentally punny names both afflicted and fed his own
That's merely the appetizer, though; the main course consists of the major breakthroughs in genetics, starting with Gregor Mendel, a wildly strong personality whose major work ground to a halt when he was elected abbot of his monastery, and whose notes (but not his published work, blessedly) were burned after his death, to avoid further scandal related, not to his scientific work, but to the tax dispute between the monastery and the Austrian government.
His work on inheritance and discovery of the basic principles of genetics was forgotten after his death, and not rediscovered until 1900, when Hugo de Vries and Carl Correns independently duplicated his work and then found his published papers. Darwin was unaware of Mendel's work, and when it was rediscovered, it was initially perceived as a major challenge to Darwinism. Darwin, like most after him until the rediscovery of Mendel's work, believed in "blended inheritance," rather than the discrete units of heritable characteristics and the essentially on/of nature of many characteristics due to dominant and recessive genes.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, we had the high-profile competition between Craig Venter and his for-profit Celera, and the non-profit Human Genome Project in the race to sequence the human genome. In between we had the adoption of Drosophila melanogaster (the common fruit fly) as the ideal vehicle for genetics research, Lynn Margulis' discovery of "jumping genes," and James D. Watson, Francis Crick Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins' discovery of the DNA "double helix" structure.
It's a fascinating story, and very well told.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
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interest in genetics.That's merely the appetizer, though; the main course consists of the major breakthroughs in genetics, starting with Gregor Mendel, a wildly strong personality whose major work ground to a halt when he was elected abbot of his monastery, and whose notes (but not his published work, blessedly) were burned after his death, to avoid further scandal related, not to his scientific work, but to the tax dispute between the monastery and the Austrian government.
His work on inheritance and discovery of the basic principles of genetics was forgotten after his death, and not rediscovered until 1900, when Hugo de Vries and Carl Correns independently duplicated his work and then found his published papers. Darwin was unaware of Mendel's work, and when it was rediscovered, it was initially perceived as a major challenge to Darwinism. Darwin, like most after him until the rediscovery of Mendel's work, believed in "blended inheritance," rather than the discrete units of heritable characteristics and the essentially on/of nature of many characteristics due to dominant and recessive genes.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, we had the high-profile competition between Craig Venter and his for-profit Celera, and the non-profit Human Genome Project in the race to sequence the human genome. In between we had the adoption of Drosophila melanogaster (the common fruit fly) as the ideal vehicle for genetics research, Lynn Margulis' discovery of "jumping genes," and James D. Watson, Francis Crick Rosalind Franklin, and Maurice Wilkins' discovery of the DNA "double helix" structure.
It's a fascinating story, and very well told.
I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.
Show Less
LibraryThing member bangerlm
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
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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. Show Less
LibraryThing member dooney
Kean has a great talent for making difficult subjects clear and easy to understand. Of course the technique he uses, of combining the story of DNA with the stories of the scientists who study it and the lives of people who are affected by specific attributes of DNA, was gauranteed to attract me at
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least, loving stories as I do, especially as these stories illustrate ideas that challenge the way I think about the world. I have to say that it was a worthwhile book, fast and fun, but which has made a lasting impression. Show Less
LibraryThing member Daumari
Greatly enjoyed this. Part explanation for the lay person, part historical journey through the history of genetics, this book and its notes were a joy to read. The DNA acrostic was fun, too- flashbacks of BIOCH 301.