ANOTHER BOOK REPORT

Linda and guide, Ecuadorian Highlands

Probably late 80s

Cotopaxi in the background - behind the clouds

 

I am still trying to learn enough genetics/cancer biology to make comments at the meetings I attend.   I have gone the Teaching Company route, which is painless and has served to alleviate my initial total ignorance, but that is not enough.  I tried reading textbooks – full of information, most of which I probably don’t need – and ineffably boring.  (I apologize to all my former students; if I’d known how dreary textbooks can be I might have tried a different approach.)  So now I am reading “popular” books, ostensibly intended for the non- scientist.  I have written about several of them already.  Two books by Matt Ridley, Genome: Biography of a species in 23 chapters, and  The Agile Gene are light and frothy, amusing, and filled with interesting anecdotes – but don’t seem to lead  anywhere.  Another, by Richard Francis, Epigenetics: The ultimate mystery of inheritance, is not light and frothy, rarely amusing, and may lead somewhere, if you can get through it.  All three of these books will teach you things – but not the ultimate mystery of much of anything.  You need to forge on.

Right now I am reading The Epigenetic Revolution, by Nessa Carey.  Dr. Carey is, or recently has been, an active researcher in genetics, epi and otherwise, and cancer.  She lives in England.  Her intention presumably was to write a book for the non-scientist, and to a great extent she has done so.  However, she seems to forget her audience occasionally – in fact, a lot – and spirals off into fairly complex molecular biology.  There is a helpful Glossary, but more is needed. (If I have to look up retrotransponds one more time I will scream!)  But that aside, I think I am finally learning why there is such a big fuss being made about epigenetics.  I can’t actually encourage you to read this book: if you don’t know at least as much about biology as I do, after more than  a year of “diligent” study, you would be lost.  That is why her book went directly to the “remainder” market; you can get it from Abe books for $3.57, with free shipping.  (Amazon will charge you $18.75.)

I guess this post is to warn you that I am getting ready to try to explain epigenetics and convince you it is important.  I will of course give fair warning – Warning:  thick biology ahead – so you can skip the text and just enjoy the picture.

Reminder:  Summerun North 2013 is coming up.  Read an earlier post with the same name to recall what to do about it.