The Thread of Life

This is a straightforward exposition; it doesn't try to come at the material from a novel angle (cf Ridley's "Genome), nor does it dwell on arguments such as nature vs. nurture. What it does do is explain the science in remarkable depth in a short book. For me, much of the material was review/clarification, but I suspect it would work for those with less background. Aldridge is disciplined in what she covers, writes clearly, uses diagrams when it will help, and seems to choose just the correct level of detail. She includes details you might not expect to find, when they are important: for example, some human proteins cannot be made by bacteria because humans add sugars to these protein molecules AFTER they are created using RNA, and bacteria do not have this capability. I do wish the index were more complete, it just is not helpful enough if you wish to review something covered earlier. Also, in the last section on bio-technology, Aldridge is much less disciplined, tries to cover too much too fast, and I found myself with numerous unanswered questions.

I found myself enjoying this book after punching through the initial chapters that served as the science primer for defining DNA. The author gets credit for laying out the biological concepts that the reader will need to know to understand the material that comes later (e.g., genetic engineering). Assuming you have no prior background, you'll need to learn these concepts before you can follow the various applications of genetic engineering she goes into. The writing style is lean, but doesn't gloss over the complexity of the subject.The book shines in its treatment of genetic engineering and biotechnology. And unlike a number of more recent books doesn't get fixated on the human genome project or sequencing in general. Actually, even with the book being several years old, I found many of the topics covered to be of interest even to date. Examples include a discussion of the "selfish gene" (proposed by Richard Dawkins), the theory of endosymbiosis pioneered by Lynn Margulis, the "ice-minus" bacteria used to keep strawberries from frost damage, and the genetically engineered "flavor-saver" tomato. The applications of genetic engineering described in the book are definitely relevant and important (e.g., cloning, drug discovery, plant science, and environmental cleanup). And to the author's credit, she doesn't appear to take too strong a position on either side of the biotechnology ethic's debate.

A pretty nice introduction to genes, sequencing, genetic engineering, and related topics. Ms. Aldridge is mostly very clear, interesting, and impartial. She manages to include a little bit about a lot of the relevant and topical issues.

This book gives the most clear and concise description of the workings of DNA and basic life biochemistry that I have read. It has been successful in clearing up many of the most difficult aspects of this subject matter for me. Ms Aldridge is a very effective writer and educator for this complex subject matter.