BIO 149

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An unexpected, energetic look at world history on sea and land from the bestselling author of Salt and The Basque History of the WorldCod, Mark Kurlansky's third work of nonfiction and winner of the 1999 James Beard Award, is the biography of a single species of fish, but it may as well be a world history with this humble fish as its recurring main character. Cod, it turns out, is the reason Europeans set sail across the Atlantic, and it is the only reason they could. As we make our way through the centuries of cod history, we also find a delicious legacy of recipes, and the tragic story of environmental failure, of depleted fishing stocks where once their numbers were legendary.
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The first major bioterror event in the U.S., the 2001 anthrax attacks, was a clarion call for scientists who work with "hot" agents to find ways of protecting civilian populations against biological weapons. Eradicated from the planet in 1979, the smallpox virus now resides (officially) in only two high-security freezers: at the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta and at a Russian virology institute called Vector, in Siberia. But the demon in the freezer has been set loose. It is almost certain that illegal stocks are in the possession of hostile states, including Iraq and North Korea. Preston reports on the government's response to the attacks and takes us into the ongoing FBI investigation.
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Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor Southern tobacco farmer who worked the same land as her slave ancestors, yet her cells--taken without her knowledge--became one of the most important tools in medicine. The first "immortal" human cells grown in culture, they are still alive today, though she has been dead for more than sixty years. If you could pile all HeLa cells ever grown onto a scale, they'd weigh more than 50 million metric tons--as much as a hundred Empire State Buildings. HeLa cells were vital for developing the polio vaccine; uncovered secrets of cancer, viruses, and the atom bomb's effects; helped lead to important advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping; and have been bought and sold by the billions. Yet Henrietta Lacks remains virtually unknown, buried in an unmarked grave.
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Rachel Carson's Silent Spring was first published in three serialized excerpts in the New Yorker in June of 1962. The book appeared in September of that year and the outcry that followed its publication forced the banning of DDT and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. Carson's passionate concern for the future of our planet reverberated powerfully throughout the world, and her eloquent book was instrumental in launching the environmental movement. It is without question one of the landmark books of the twentieth century.
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Why do we look the way we do? What does the human hand have in common with the wing of a fly? Are breasts, sweat glands, and scales connected in some way? To better understand the inner workings of our bodies and to trace the origins of many of today's most common diseases, we have to turn to unexpected sources: worms, flies, and even fish. Neil Shubin, a leading paleontologist and professor of anatomy, tells the story of evolution by tracing the organs of the human body back millions of years, long before the first creatures walked the earth. By examining fossils and DNA, Shubin shows us that our hands actually resemble fish fins, our head is organized like that of a long-extinct jawless fish, and major parts of our genome look and function like those of worms and bacteria.
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The debate is as old as physical competition. Are stars like Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, and Serena Williams genetic freaks put on Earth to dominate their respective sports? Or are they simply normal people who overcame their biological limits through sheer force of will and obsessive training? In this controversial and engaging exploration of athletic success and the so-called 10,000-hour rule, David Epstein tackles the great nature vs. nurture debate and traces how far science has come in solving it. Epstein forces us to rethink the very nature of athleticism through on-the-ground reporting from below the equator and above the Arctic Circle, revealing conversations with leading scientists and Olympic champions, and interviews with athletes who have rare genetic mutations or physical traits.
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Award-winning physician Dr. Sharon Moalem reveals how genetic breakthroughs are transforming our understanding of both the world and our lives. Conventional wisdom dictates that our genetic destiny is fixed at conception. But the human genome is far more fluid than your ninth grade biology teacher ever imagined. Maolem masterfully demonstrates why you may have recovered from the psychological trauma caused by childhood bullying, but your genes may remain scarred for life. Why ingesting common painkillers is like dosing yourself repeatedly with morphine, if you have a certain set of genes. How insurance companies legally use your genetic data to predict the risk of disability, and how that impacts their coverage. And finally, why people with rare genetic conditions hold the keys to medical problems affecting millions.
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A cheeky up-close-and-personal guide to the secrets and science of our digestive system. For too long, the gut has been the body's most ignored and least appreciated organ, but it turns out that it's responsible for more than just dirty work: our gut is at the core of who we are. With quirky charm, rising science star Giulia Enders explains the gut's magic, answering questions like: Why does acid reflux happen? What's really up with gluten and lactose intolerance? How does the gut affect obesity and mood? Communication between the gut and the brain is one of the fastest-growing areas of medical research. Our gut reactions, we learn, are intimately connected with our physical and mental well-being. Aided with cheerful illustrations, this beguiling manifesto will make you finally listen to those butterflies in your stomach: they're trying to tell you something important.
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