The Violinist’s Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code by Sam Kean

On July 18, 2012, in Book Reviews, Nonfiction, Science, by Editor

From New York Times bestselling author Sam Kean comes more incredible stories of science, history, language, and music, as told by our own DNA. In The Disappearing Spoon, bestselling author Sam Kean unlocked the mysteries of the periodic table. In THE VIOLINIST’S THUMB, he explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA.

Am I My Genes?: Confronting Fate and Family Secrets in the Age of Genetic Testing by Robert Klitzman

On February 28, 2012, in Book Reviews, Health, Mind & Body, Nonfiction, Science, by Editor

In the fifty years since DNA was discovered, we have seen extraordinary advances. For example, genetic testing has rapidly improved the diagnosis and treatment of diseases such as Huntington’s, cystic fibrosis, breast cancer, and Alzheimer’s. But with this new knowledge comes difficult decisions for countless people, who wrestle with fear about whether to get tested, and if so, what to do with the results.