Overview

James Watson, J. Craig Venter, Francis Collins, Cynthia Kenyon . . . you may not know them, but you should. They are the masterminds of genetics and biotechnology who want you to live to be 150 years old, to regenerate your heart and brain, to create synthetic life. For better or worse, they are about to alter life on earth forever. Award-winning journalist David Ewing Duncan tells the remarkable stories of cutting-edge bioscientists, revealing their quirky, uniquely fascinating, sometimes vaguely unsettling personas as a means to understand their science and the astonishing implications of their work. This book seamlessly combines myth, biography, scholarship, and wit that poses the all-important question: Can we actually trust these masterminds?

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9780060537395

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Reviews

A book for every human being who read the science section over the past few years and thought, Holy #@&!! --Mary Roach, author of Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers A provocative, entertaining, and, yes, chilling journey. --Erik Larson, author of The Devil in the White City A sparkling, fascinating book about the most important phenomenon of the new millennium, the biotech revolution. --James Reston, Jr., author of Galileo: A Life Vivid, memorable portrayals of the scientists working on biology's most fascinating frontiers. --James Fallows, Atlantic Monthly 200 year old people? Emails sent by brain waves? [Duncan] sketches the (possible) future. --USA Weekend Duncan turns a scarily bright light on the exploding frontiers of biotechnology --Vanity Fair Daring and dead-accurate. Top notch. --Po Bronson An interesting book . . . clear and helpful. --The Times (London) Valuable insights into the debates within genetic science . . . intriguing --New Scientist Explores the personalities and motivations of researchers now operating at the cutting edge of headline-making science. --Washington Post Book World Duncan turns his discerning eye toward the role of personality in science ... remarkable profiles ... Duncan's prose is lively and engaging --San Francisco Chronicle

Duncan turns a scarily bright light on the exploding frontiers of biotechnology -- Vanity Fair

Author Information

"David Ewing Duncan is the author of five books, including the international bestseller Calendar, and writes for Wired, Discover, and The Atlantic Monthly. He is a freelance producer and correspondent for ABC's Nightline, and a commentator on NPR's Morning Edition. He also writes the popular ""Biotech and Creativity"" column for the San Francisco Chronicle. In 2003, he won the Magazine Journalism Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He lives in San Francisco, California."

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