Blondes in Venetian Paintings, the Nine-Banded Armadillo, and Other Essays in Bi [Paperback]

Professor Konrad Bloch (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 27, 1997

In this fascinating book, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist Konrad Bloch muses on various aspects of biochemistry, explaining the chemical basis for many biological phenomena. Drawing on his own experiences as well as on colorful anecdotes about the work of other scientists, Bloch presents a new way of looking at the world and a revealing glimpse into the ways that scientific discoveries are made and problems are solved. Bloch begins with a charming essay on why-despite the fact that peroxide had not yet been invented-there are so many blonde women in Italian Renaissance paintings. He then considers, among other topics, some important biochemical processes that were discovered because of contamination; the importance of trial and error in biochemical research; the explanation of lactose intolerance in adults and practices for avoiding it; why the choice of animal models is important for medical research (and how the author injected himself with extracts of the tubercle bacilli to study the pathology of tuberculosis); and why the exotic nine-banded armadillo has unique potential for use in many areas of medical and biological investigations. He concludes with thoughts on biochemistry's origin and future.

Product Details

• Paperback: 278 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; FIRST EDITION- PRIMERA EDICION edition (February 27, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300070551
• ISBN-13: 978-0300070552
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,571,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I wish there were more books like this!, January 8, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Blondes in Venetian Paintings, the Nine-Banded Armadillo, and Other Essays in Bi (Paperback)

A real treat & unfortunately rare. I wish there were more books that focused on biochemistry (& chemistry) in such a manner. I very much hope that this author produces more of this delightful style of scientific writing... inquiring minds really do want to know. I thank the author for writing this book--I enjoyed it immensely, & very much appreciate it having been written.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the world, as a conglomeration of chemical substances, December 4, 2004

By 

Robert J. Crawford (Balmette Talloires, France) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blondes in Venetian Paintings, the Nine-Banded Armadillo, and Other Essays in Bi (Paperback)

This is a wonderful tour of a discipline that has been dismissed as far less sexy (less "ultimate") than cosmology or nanotechnology: the realm of biochemistry. Bloch sets out to change the impression of chemistry as a dull discipline - with great success.

The story of biochemistry, as he tells it, is full of riddles and surprises. It began in 1897, when Eduard Buchner ground up yeast cell with sand, plugged them into a bottle, and woke up to find the cork had popped out during the night. Seemingly so banal, this discovery overturned the "vitalist" notion of the processes of life, that they could operate solely in intact, living cells. It proved, instead, that cell physiology could be studied as purely chemical reactions. The next 50 years, which Bloch describes as the Golden Age of biochem, witnessed the discovery of enzymes and other molecules behine innumerable chemical processes. And the methods that scientists used were similar to those of Buchner: grind up cells to free their chemical constituents, and then attempt to predict their behavior under a variety of conditions.

Among the many notable repercussions of these experiments was the development of the science of nutrition - by isolating, purifying, and uncovering the molecular structure of amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins. Once identified, researchers could experiment to find what combination led to better health.

But Bloch doesn't stop with these, and many similar, observations. In a series of delightful extrapolations, he explains why domestic cats need to hunt (they can't synthesize the amino acid taurine, so must find it in the meat of animals who can); how dark latin venetians used soap to bleach their hair blond (a hydrogen peroxide reaction that sunlight enabled); or the reasons that Amerindians ground corn meal on limestone (they needed a certain chemical added to corn to avoid developing bari bari).

Bloch also offers glimpses into the unknown, areas that are not yet explained but hold promising applications. The list is so long that the book must be read: they include the potential uses of thalidomide, insect secretions that might protect us, and the like. It is truly dazzling. What you get is a personal portrait of a vital field that the author, a Harvard Nobel Laureate, helped to create. The writing is also clear and vivid, never dry.

Warmly recommended.