Customer Reviews

BioEvolution: How Biotechnology is Changing Our World

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

This book is brilliant, incisive, and oh-my-gosh is it informative! I'm not the world's biggest science fan. (In fact, I'm more into novels.) But this book grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I couldn't believe all of these things going around me were biotech, such as the breast cancer drug Herceptin. I knew that there are now drugs that actually treat autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis and psoriasis rather than merely relieving symptoms, but I had no idea they were grown from proteins spliced into cells from something called a Chinese Hamster. Nor did I have any idea that such drugs are becoming the new "aspirins," with the same medicine treating diseases like both rheumatoid arthritis and cancer that seemingly have nothing in common with each other.
In addition to medicine, the book looks at current and future gene-spliced crops and again I was amazed at the progress that's being made. Fumento takes the example of a single crop, rice, and shows how genes from this plant or that fungi can (and eventually will) be spliced into it rice to make it higher-yielding, more nutritious, and more resistant to bad temperature and weather conditions - all without chemicals.
The third part of the book - after medicines and crops - concerns "bioremediation." Essentially this means cleaning up toxic waste and other forms of pollution not through horribly expensive and destructive methods such as shoveling up dirt and burning it but rather through encouraging nature to do the job. This could mean using trees, bushes, fungi, or bacteria. As with the other areas of the book, these things are being used right now but Fumento takes us out five to ten years to see the miracles waiting in the wings. With new developments coming as fast as he says, I hope he's already at work on a BioEvolution sequel!

I am a biomedical scientist. Although I am very familiar with my immediate field (vaccine design), I simply cannot keep up with the pace of biotechnology. For this reason I did find this book useful by providing an overview of biotechnology. I do warn non-scientist readers though. It is very obvious that Michael Fumento is not a scientist and does not understand the basic principles of biology. As just one example, DNA is not made up of two strands of protein, as stated on page 10. His lack of a biology background is further reiterated by the lack of references to primary scientific literature. I would gather that he is not comfortable with interpreting such literature. This is unfortunate as this is a requirement for someone to write authoritively on such a subject. For these reasons, I would not take most of his "conclusions" seriously. There is a tremendous amount of bias in this book and it is not well founded with a good understanding of biological concepts. I did use several of his references as a starting point to do my own literature research to better understand areas of biotechnology.

You may often find science and medical news depressing. Not a day passes without one or several media scares, all screaming about imminent dangers that will adversely affect your health or even your survival. What can you do to clear this terrible feeling of despair off your mind? Try BioEvolution by Michael Fumento.

This book will give you a dose of reality you probably haven't heard much about - but should. As Fumento notes, biotech won't solve all of our problems but it has amazing potential to cure diseases for which we currently don't even have treatments, to feed a growing worldwide population with less land and fewer chemicals, to clean up our waterways and contaminated factory sites, and to transform our lives in wonderful ways we can barely imagine.

Right off you'll discover that biotech will produce unbelievable advances in medicine such as more effective vaccines for diseases like malaria, genital herpes, hepatitis C, cancer, the works. The only hope for an AIDS vaccine is biotech. And would you believe that you may be vaccinated against hepatitis, E. coli, and diseases that cause fatal diarrhea by eating a piece of fruit or a potato? There will be drugs that will zero in on tumors without attacking other cells. Like baldness and impotence remedies, treatments for aging are already moving out of the realm of quackery. Biotech will soon be used to extend both lifespans and the quality of life dramatically. Animal tests have shown incredible lifespan extensions of 50 percent or more!

If that is not enough to get you out of that funk, take a look at what's happening in agriculture. Gene engineering is already leading to miracle crops, in which the pesticide isn't sprayed on but rather built into the plants. That way the only bugs harmed are those that eat the crop itself. Soon we'll have plants that grow in temperatures and soils that today won't tolerate anything colored green. If those soils are contaminated with chemicals and heavy metals, biotech bacteria and plants will chow down on them like starving gamblers at a Las Vegas buffet.

This book will make you much more optimistic about the world's future - and yours! Perhaps the single best aspect is that virtually everybody reading BioEvolution will still be alive when many of the miracles described therein come to pass. It is also a treasure trove of information, but if you want even more there are enough citations at the end to provide you with biotech reading material for the rest of your life - or at least until you're 130, which you probably will be.

Every facet of biotechnology is fascinating, and even those embedded in it as scientist, engineer, or technican are always surprised at the rapid advancements in it that are now taking place. The biological world is an enormously complex picture puzzle, the pieces of which, thanks to powerful computational machines, advanced mathematics, and artificial intelligence, are just beginning to be fitted together. Once thought of as a purely descriptive science, biology is now quantitative, and engineers, physicists, and mathematicians are moving into it with great zeal.

Readers of all backgrounds will obtain an overview of the breathtaking advances in biotechnology in this book. It is fortunate that the author is not a sycophant for the biotechnology industry, but instead gives a sound apology for it, supported by scholarly evidence and references. Indeed, the book contains 147 pages of references and hyperlinks for the reader to consult if needed. Even if the reader does not have a background in biology or genetics, the presentation is detailed enough that such a reader can obtain the much needed insight into the powerful role that biotechnology will play in the twenty-first century.

Biotechnology, via transgenic strategies and other techniques in genetic engineering, has permuted the natural world, and has produced animals and plants that have surpassed, and will greatly surpass, any of the dreams of science fiction. Even more importantly, as is brought out in detail by the author, these animals and plants are bringing new ways to feed hungry populations and heal the sick. The human imagination is challenged by these discoveries, and no doubt will be even more so in the near future, as biotechnology continues its unrelenting advance.

Indeed, one reads of spider genes inserted in goats, producing silk in their udders, and giving us ample amounts of the strongest fiber yet known. The benefits? Tissue repair, artificial tendons, and body armor for soldiers, to name a few the author mentions... the creation of transgenic mice that secrete human growth hormone in their ejaculate...eggs of transgenic chickens that have fourteen proteins....the list goes on and on. A perusal of his references reveals many more. The database of new animals and plants keeps growing and growing.

The author is fair in his assessment of viable biotechnologies, cautions against "science by press release", utopianism, and alerts the reader to the legal issues that confront the use of the different biotechnologies. His confidence and optimism though are refreshing and inspiring. He ends his book with the following words:

"The process has begun and it's accelerating. The ultimate benefits are unimaginable, while the near-term ones are incredible. Hold onto the bar in front of you and don't stand up. We're in for one heck of thrill ride."

He's right!

Michael Fumento's proof-based approach is totally fresh, based on actual events and current research, not opinionated rhetoric or a personal or political agenda. That in itself, is rare, as so many narrow and selfish outside agendas pollute the biotech environment, making it difficult, if not impossible, to separate fact from fancy, opportunity from caution, or even completed research and testing from deliberate misinformation. Conversely, Mr. Fumento's examples are fully documented, even to the extent of a fully documented bibliography section, including names and email contact addresses for both scientific researchers and their corporate or research entities. This alone sets the book well apart, as the reader is provided with documentation that allows evidence to take precedence over opinion or skepticism. Mr. Fumento accepts the challenge of anti-biotech activism without prejudice, patiently addressing even the more ill-founded of objections with care and attention. Biotech objections and concerns are addressed in detail, not dismissed, a plus not often attributable to anti-biotech proponents. This is a book related to the rapid growth of modern scientific achievement, but it is as fair and even-handed as I have ever encountered, even though it is optimistic. In short, Mr. Fumento's well organized work is a masterpiece of good research, excellent writing, magnificently argued reason, honest compassion, and personal courage. Beyond such rare attributes, he has done a great and I hope, enduring, service to millions of us, readers or not, perhaps billions of people most of us will never meet or who will never know that Mr. Fumento was their benefactor. Moreover, because of his passion for the material inadequacies of less affluent others, we may discover that he has helped to shorten the time frame in which we will continue to read about starvation, malnutrition, avoidable disease, blindness and premature death, all stiking the least able to care for themselves; children. People who better inform themselves by reading Bio Evolution will find themselves to be well fortified to separate the 'blue sky' of biotech from its achievable promise. For both the reader predisposed to rational argument or for the confirmed prior opponent of biotech, Mr. Fumento presents an approach to that must be confronted without prejudice, certainly not dismissed as biotech propaganda. Read it and form your own opinion on what is certain to change your life. It is an exciting book, and one which responsible citizens will find rewarding.

Walton Cook, author of Buzzword, biotech novel.

BioEvolution is a superb book! I have a progressive form of MS, and due to both my disease and my location, keep up with some of the progress in this arena. Just how Mr. Fumento does keep on top of pretty much all biotechnological developments is an awe-inspiring mystery. I found his sources and footnotes, as always, completely trustworthy. His interpretation of those sources is "wildly accurate", at least in my very humble opinion! I have many times nearly given up any hope of cure for my own and others' diseases, but BioEvolution presents a different future for "us afflictees"--and Mr. Fumento often is more conservative than most in his "predictions". BioEvolution is a book of hope--hope that will come to be. I keep my copy on my dresser and re-read it frequently. Definitely a must-read!

WOW! BioEvolution is clear, concise, and truly evolutionary! Michael Fumento's latest book is a "must read" for those whose intellectual curiosity is always searching for the truth related to sound, solid research in biotechnology.

Fumento has a true gift for taking complex scientific studies and bringing them to reality for us common folks. Each chapter is deserving of another Fumento book, in my view, because it gives the reader renewed hope for a brighter and healthier tomorrow while challenging the mind to know more about how biotechnoogy is changing our world.

In addition, I watched Fumento on C-SPAN. Seldom have I heard such a focused integration of professional ethics, subject knowledge, and sound moral values in responding to viewer's and moderator's questions. His passion for scientific truths is mirrored both in this TV guest appearance and his latest book.

"Part Two: The Fountain of Youth" merits, I believe, another Fumento research book. Reasons abound. Some include the fact that there are approximately 10 theories of aging but no single model to explain this multidimensional process. However, for now we can enjoy the fruits of Fumento's latest efforts.

The author's research and writing skills are greatly appreciated by this reader. I continue to enjoy discussing the merits of this great read by Fumento. Indeed, Bioevolution is a must read!

There truly is a vacuum that needs to be filled for more books on biotech. This book does a decent job filling this gap but falls short when it comes to telling both sides of the story. Author Michael Fumento spends most of his time explaining how biotechnology can provide the solution to most of the world's problems, namely: world hunger, disease, toxic waste, and the human life span. What's missing is any sort of criticism of biotechnology; he makes it seem like there are absolutely no negative effects to the proposed biotech solutions. Specifically, I found his all out praise of genetically engineered crops a little hard to digust (pun intended.)

Bottomline: If you're looking for a critical treatise on biotechnology, this book is not for you.

One realizes relatively soon after beginning to read this book that the author is primarily a journalist, not a scientist. He is not comfortable with scientific facts (e.g., states that antibodies are white blood cells) and many of his references are from the popular press or the internet rather than scientific journals. His account also is very one sided in its cheerleading for the use of biotechnology with very little mention of the downsides. On several occasions he injects his own personal morality in the use of such things as embryonic stem cells and equates it with abortion. He also implies that there is no difference between using cloning for medical and reproductive reasons because the only difference is the "minor" detail that a cloned egg cell is placed in a uterus for reproductive purposes but not for medical purposes. This is hardly a minor detail. The fact that the author is associated with the Hudson Institute may explain the basic thrust of the book.

Having said that, the book does cover a wide range of endeavor in which biotechnology is playing an important role so that even if the information is not as cogent as it might be, it does act as a liftoff point from where to begin searching for information. For that reason alone, it is valuable and if bought used, the price is right.

I was reading this book in the hope to expand my knowledge of the field. Unfortunately while there is useful information presented the author is so one-eyed that it is impossible to know what is truth and what is his slant on the subject matter. A bit more knowledge and a lot less bias would make this a far better book. I must admit I found it very hard to read the book - not because of the subject (which is interesting) of even the writing style but the entirely one sided approach taken meant that nothing stated could be trusted without independent collaboration and this is very annoying. His argument does not need propaganda but carefully researched information - which unfortunately this is not. A lot of information is buried in here if you know what to look for it. A lot of scepticism while reading this book is necessary (unfortunately).