The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean
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Summary
From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes more incredible stories of science, history, language, and music, as told by our own DNA. 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.
The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code is a captivating blend of history and real-life anecdotes that delve into the world of genetics. As a middle school science teacher, I can attest to Sam Kean's ability to bring even the most complex information to life. He provides clever and memorable ways for your brain to grasp and retain the data. While the book may require some dedicated reading, it is an absolute must-read for anyone with a passion for science and an insatiable curiosity.
While there are a few captivating details, reading "The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code" is as stimulating as flipping through a boring textbook.
The narration in 'The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code' is full of enthusiasm, and it delves deeply into the intricate workings of the human genome. However, personally, I found it challenging to fully grasp. On the bright side, the book does offer a handful of captivating anecdotes about various individuals and locations, spanning from Paganini to post-nuclear strike Japan in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
The starting story in the book about a geneticist addressing congress and their lack of knowledge about genes was quite striking to me. It's alarming that the people responsible for making important decisions about genes and genomes don't seem to have a grasp on the basics of genetics. However, thanks to Sam Kean's book, you don't have to be in the same boat. You can dive into the fascinating world of genes and genetics and learn a great deal.
In "The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code", Kean takes you on an entertaining and informative journey. You'll explore topics like gene mutation and why inbreeding is a terrible idea. The book also sheds light on how our genetic code indicates that humans came very close to extinction. You'll be amazed to discover just how much virus DNA each human carries and why the notion of an Arian master race is not only racist but also unscientific.
Kean's book is a true delight. It effortlessly combines educational facts with entertaining tidbits of information. For instance, I never knew that Gregor Mendel, the famous monk, was also a cigar-smoking abbot who struggled with his weight while tending to his garden. After listening to this book, I may not have become an expert in genetics, but I definitely have a better understanding of DNA, RNA, and their influence on shaping who I am as a person. It's all incredibly fascinating.
I found this book to be incredibly captivating. While my understanding of genetics was only slightly beyond Mendel, I couldn't resist delving into its scientific content. If you have any interest in the realm of science, I highly recommend not overlooking this book. Even if you're a beginner who has either never explored the subject or, as expected, attempted to read Hawking's book as an introduction, this is the perfect book for you. It skillfully blends the art of teaching with an engaging narrative, ensuring that you not only learn something new but also enjoy the process.
I just finished reading two books by Kean in quick succession - The Disappearing Spoon was such a blast! Initially, I was skeptical about a book on DNA, but it turned out to be even more captivating than the previous one. Now, I can't wait for the third book to be next on my reading list!
This audiobook, "The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code," is a delightful and humorous exploration of genetics that is both intriguing and slightly unsettling. Comparable to the works of Bill Bryson, it strikes the perfect balance of technicality for me - technical, but without requiring any prior knowledge. Each chapter is an independent essay, but the collection is skillfully curated to create an overall impact, which I found appreciable. The author enhances the scientific content with a personal touch, sharing his own experience of getting his genome tested, adding another layer of interest.
The book is brimming with fascinating information that falls under the category of semi-sensational science. For instance, it reveals that another creature is intertwined within every cell of our bodies, which is somewhat eerie! The Y chromosome displays peculiar behaviors that cause it to continuously shrink, yet it manages to persist. This fact alone is thought-provoking. While other primates have 48 chromosomes, we humans have only 46 - a peculiar discrepancy. Moreover, the book delves into the effects of toxoplasmosis on behavior, a phenomenon we're familiar with in rodents but is equally captivating when considering its impact on humans. The author also delves into the unsettling subject of attempts to create a 'humanzee,' which is quite disturbing.
The narrator's passionate delivery of these stories adds to the enjoyment of the audiobook. I thoroughly relished his performance.
For me, the best aspect of popular science is that it elicits a sense of wonder and amazement, reminding us of how captivating our world is and how many enigmas remain unsolved. I recognize that this book may not appeal to everyone, but personally, I found it highly enjoyable.
As someone with a background in biology, I found myself frequently frustrated by the author's lack of accuracy in this book. While I appreciate the effort to simplify the content for a wider audience, it seems to have gone too far in this case. If you have no prior knowledge of biology, you might not be bothered by this, but be aware that anything you repeat from this book may need to be corrected. Despite some potentially intriguing facts, I will have to verify them elsewhere due to the numerous inaccuracies presented in this source. A biologist serving as a proofreader could have easily caught many of these errors.
This audiobook, "The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code," is the second-best work by Sam Kean, falling just slightly short of his masterpiece, "The Disappearing Spoon." If you're a fan of painless educational experiences that delve into highly technical and cutting-edge topics in Popular Science, then this is definitely worth a listen.
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