Sex, Drugs and DNA: Science's Taboos Confronted (MacSci)

Buy or steal this book! It is very refreshing to have a scientist who is not afraid to speak his mind in areas beyond science. And unlike a lot of authors, Dr. Michael Stebbins will not only tell you what we are doing that is wrong, he suggests ways to fix the problems. I look forward to more books by Dr. Stebbins, although I hope there is never again a need for his insights and outrage.

If you do not know much about current biological science and its implications for society, then you must read this book. - The author uses colloquial language to explain key issues on stem cells, cloning, healthcare, science education and other issues. It is a truly enjoyable read.

For anybody who has the courage to learn what it really happening in the world of science and policy today, this book is a call to arms. It will piss you off -- but for the right reasons. Culling his expertise in cutting edge research, science journalism, and policy, Dr. Stebbins unmasks the BS that muddles contemporay issues in stem cell research, evolutionary debate, medical insurance, birth control, global warning, drugs, education, and much more. But he does so in a straight-ahead, accessible style that it is as humorous as it is revealing -- if not damming. Are our politicans pulling the wool over our eyes? Is our ignorance and laziness partly to blame? Yes and Yes. Perhaps you may already know that. But Dr. Stebbins does not just reveal these problems; he offers provactive solutions. Read this book, tell your friends to read it, and demand accountability from your representatives and senators. And even if you are lazy, do it for your kids's sake! Before it is too late.

Let me start out by saying that I do not have any background in science AT ALL. That being said, this book was extremely insightful and fun to read. You know those controversial scientific issues that you've seen on the news but never really have had the proper information to form an opinion on? For me, this book cleared out all of the crap sitting on the surface of these issues and finally gave me the tools to think intelligently about them. If you consider yourself a "critical thinker" and don't like to take things at face value, do yourself a favor and read this.

I ripped through this book in a matter of two days. i couldn't put it down. It moves and an absolutely incredible speed and is chock full of information on everything from Stem Cells to Intelligent Design to Bioterrorism. Stebbins lays out what everyone should know about these subjects in language that even I as a non-scientist could understand. Then he rips apart the policies that have been put in place by Bush and his Republican cronies. No question, best science book I have read in years. Seriously, it's about time someone wrote so honestly and passionately about science.