The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Extraordinary True Stories as Written by Our Genetic Code

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Sam Kean

The Violinist's Thumb

And Other Extraordinary True Stories as Written by Our Genetic Code

Sam Kean

$47.99

Paperback

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English

Black Swan
16 May 2013

Medical genetics; Mathematics & Sciences; DNA & Genome

The epic true story of human DNA and what it can tell us about our world

Did the human race almost go extinct? Can genetics explain a cat lady's love for felines? How does DNA lead to people with no fingerprints or humans born with tails? And how did the right combination of genes create the exceptionally flexible thumbs and fingers of a truly singular violinist?

Unravelling the genetic code hasn't always been easy - from its earliest days, genetics has been rife with infighting, backstabbing and controversial theories - but scientists can now finally read the astounding stories inscribed in our DNA. As we make advances into DNA mapping and modification, genetics will continue to be the hottest topic in science, shaping the very make-up of our bodies and the world around us.

With the same masterful combination of science, history and culture he brought to The Disappearing Spoon, Sam Kean untangles the secrets of our genetic code, explaining how genetics has shaped our past and how DNA will determine humankind's future.

By: Sam Kean
Imprint: Black Swan
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 127mm, Spine: 29mm
Weight: 335g
ISBN: 9780552777513
ISBN 10: 055277751X
Pages: 496
Publication Date: 16 May 2013
Audience: General/trade , Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , ELT Advanced , Undergraduate
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Sam Kean spent years collecting mercury from broken thermometers as a child and now he is a writer in Washington DC. His work has appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Mental Floss, Slate, Air & Space/Smithsonian and New Scientist. In 2009 he was a runner-up for the National Association of Science Writers' Evert Clark/Seth Payne Award for best science writer under the age of thirty. He currently writes for Science. His first book, The Disappearing Spoon, was a New York Times bestseller and was shortlisted for the Royal Society's Winton Prize for science writing.

Reviews for The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Extraordinary True Stories as Written by Our Genetic Code

Summer’s must-read non-fiction book * Huffington Post * The Violinist's Thumb is one of the Ten Books to Look Out for in 2012 * New Scientist * A fast-paced, breezy romp through history using DNA as a unifying theme... it’s nerd-vana * New Scientist * Explored in his Bryson-esque style, [The Violinist's Thumb] provokes fascinating stuff, full of oddball stories and amazing facts. Kean's book is full of wonderfully weird anecdotes, but it's also an accessible history of the discovery and mapping of DNA... compellingly entertaining * Daily Mail * Sam Kean is the best science teacher you never had * Entertainment Weekly *