Mammal in the Mirror

The Barash team has done an outstanding job of expanding on the basic theme put forth by Desmond Morris in his book, "The Naked Ape" which is a serious anatomical, biological, anthropological and sociological, yet humorous examination of us quirky human beings. With a sizeable quantity of shared insight, humor and wit, the Barash team has gone way beyond the traditional norms of the study of biology. This book is part biology, ecology, health and nutrition, and sociobiology and yet is an easy, flowing read. The book format was intentionally crafted for general audience appeal and does not overwhelm with too much technical jargon and yet, does not skimp on important details of biological importance. Indeed, the Barash's have met their desire to help the reader become "bioliterate" and it starts with advice on human biology education with such lines as: "...if you want to see a perfectly good mammal, look in the mirror" and, "Like Immanuel Kant, we can all dare to know". Hence, the title of this educational and entertaining book: "Mammal in the Mirror". So look in this "mirror" and know thyself! Previous reviews have done a fine job of covering the contents chapter by chapter, so I will just point out some of the many gems I found in this fine book: The Barash's proffer for our consideration, the importance of knowing something about our biology in: "Anyone inclined to look further, into evolutionary biology--or indeed any area of biology--cannot help being overwhelmed by the truth and beauty of the human interconnectedness to the rest of life". (p 280) On our continuing human dilemma of creating problems for ourselves, yet showing how unique we are as a species in our abilities to expand our awareness of biology and life itself by finding causation and answers to problems--such as the discovery of and vaccine for the smallpox disease, there is: "In an age of misery--much of it human-caused--the triumph over smallpox is a matter for rejoicing." (p 47). ["Descartes is also the author of what is probably the most famous sentence in Western thought--"Cognito ergo sum": "I think, therefore I am"--which he proposed as the cornerstone of a philosophy to be founded on incontrovertible truth. (Ambrose Bierce modified this to "Cognito cognito ergo cognito sum": "I think I think, therefore I think I am"--adding that this was as close to certainty as philosophy seems likely to get.)]. (p 141-2). On human sexuality: "Fortunately, abstinence is not the only way of preventing reproduction. We have already discussed abortion, albeit briefly. Most people--whether pro-life or pro-choice--agree that recourse to abortion is, in a sense, an indication of failure. Far better to prevent unwanted pregnancies in the first place." (p 187-8) Indeed! On matters of ecology, I found this to be a good one: ["If you are a poet," writes Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, "you will see that there is a cloud in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud, there will be no rain; with

In the authors' words. "We aren't speaking here of existential angst, metaphysical speculation, or religious doctrine, but rather, of the nuts and bolts of everyone's shared biology...What we propose is to offer enough information, keeping it accurate and yet accessible, to enable every reader, regardless of background, to become bioliterate." In this, I think they succeed with the following caveat: Those who are not already bioliterate might find some of the reading a bit tedious. About Small Things: Chapter 1: "Humans share about 90% of their DNA with the rest of the living world." This is an excellent 37 page essay summarizing the subject of DNA. Chapter 2: Virology and more with emphasis on those diseases so much in the news - HIV, ebola, influenza, herpes, prions (mad cow disease), etc. Chapter 3: All about cells, their organelles, their reproduction, their biochemistry, their immunology, cell-signalling, and a large section on cancer. "It appears that many debilitating diseases whose courses had long been unknown are actually examples of pathological friendly fire." This is from an immune system with no parasites to combat. About Larger Things: Chapter 4: The Brain and Behavior..."You, your joys and your sorrows, your memories and your ambitions, your sense of personal identity and free will, are in fact no more than the behavior of a vast assembly of nerve cells and their associated molecules." - Francis Crick..."The human mind, in short, is the result of nerve cells doing their thing, oozing miniscule droplets of chemicals and flashing tiny sparklets of electricity, prodding and tickling other nerve cells into similar action and in the process somehow generating thought and consciousness. We agree with this astonishing hypothesis, and we think that by the time you've finished this chapter, you will, too." Chapter 5: All about sex from relevant evolutionary psychology findings to textbook explanations about the menstrual cycle. Chapter 6: The best essay on nutrition you'll ever read - short on elaborate dietary schemes, long on facts, leptins, and concrete science. About perspectives: Chapter 7: You're in Sunday school for a well-done overview on ecology. Chapter 8: "The theory of evolution is not in doubt; it is the bedrock upon which all of modern biology is based; the grand unifying theory of life, confirmed again and again by nearly every biological fact that is uncovered...Evolution by natural selection is an elegantly simple solution to the question of why life is as it is, with the added advantage of being right. But please don't look to it for ethical guidance." Chapter 9: Sociobiology (more often called evolutionary psychology)..."even the Catholic Church has made its peace with evolution, including human evolution." Barash includes occasional entertaining scientific anecdotes such as this one about the "Coolidge Effect." The story goes that President Calvin Co

The Barash team builds bodies. They aren't on an exercise regime. Instead, they reveal the ancient and simple roots upon which our bodies and personalities rest. Their aim is to make you "bioliterate" - to gain the ability to understand why there is unity in all life, including ourselves. Their technique examines the mechanisms of DNA, the ubiquitous molecule that extends across the living community. The authors show how DNA's working portions, the genes, act to build organisms, from the minuscule not-quite-alive viruses to complex creatures like us. They structure their presentation into three views "close up, at midrange and from a distance". Each view is dependent on understanding the earlier picture as complexity of the organisms described increases. The Barash father-daughter pair present a highly descriptive and readable account of life's processes and why it's important to us to understand them. They stress that many of the topics reviewed here remain obscure, needing readers to continue the quest they've charted. Opening their account with a detailed examination of DNA's mechanism for making proteins, the basic process of an organism's structure and life operations. They show how understanding genes provides information on a wide variety of subjects. They examine such diverse topics as DNA "fingerprinting", growth and development and how errant patterns can result in various afflictions - such as "mad cow" disease. They move to the world of viruses, how they are built and propagate - and how the same molecule that allows virus replication to also mount defenses against them. In their discussion, they raise questions about the body's reaction to viral infection - is sneezing or coughing a mechanism these tiny organisms imparted to us in order to help them spread? From the "recipe for life" molecule of DNA, the Barashes reveal the world of the cell. Where did it come from? Why are there parts of the cell that seem to lead an almost independent existence, while operating within the cell? The authors show how cells have programmed life cycles of their own. They remind us that the cell is "born", goes through a series of steps at varying paces, then "dies". How are cells chosen to build particular parts of the body, giving us individuality while following a basic "standard pattern".? All members of a species look generally alike, yet each is an individual. These minor differences reflect how evolution has tailored life to adapt to change. They remind us that only one type of cell in the body never replicates itself. Muscle cells can shrink or enlarge, but new ones aren't made. Without doubt, the most informative chapter in the book is on the brain and nervous system. This section emphasises how many of our emotions and other behaviour traits are rooted in the mass of nerve cells within the brain and connecting to the remainder of the body. Unlike the lumpy body cell, the neurons are lengthy whip-like structures desig