The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Cloning [Mass Market Paperback]

Jay D. Gralla (Author), Preston Gralla (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1592571484 | ISBN-13: 978-1592571482 | Publication Date: April 6, 2004 | Edition: Ex-Library

The most important technology of the 21st century.

Do a double-take with this one-of-a-kind guide. One of technology's most awe-inspiring and hotly-debated topics-cloning-is made clearer here than anywhere else. It runs the gamut from genetic- and bioengineering, to an even handed analysis of the moral, political, and ethical issues surrounding these technologies.

€ Claims of cloned babies, the Human Genome Project, and cryogenics continue to create headlines and spur debate
€ Congress will soon decide whether the federal government should have a say about cloning human cells for medical research

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jay D. Gralla, Ph.D., is a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology at UCLA. With a Ph.D. in biophysics from Yale, he has been a fellow at Harvard University and the Pasteur Institute in France.

Preston Gralla is the author of over 20 books and has written for USA Today, Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe Sunday Magazine, and the Dallas Morning News, where he was a technology columnist. He has also been featured on national television and radio.

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Alpha; Ex-Library edition (April 6, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592571484
• ISBN-13: 978-1592571482
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,042,730 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unique and informed!, September 12, 2004

By 

Randolfe H. Wicker (Hoboken, N.J.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Cloning (Mass Market Paperback)

Having been a human cloning activist since 1997, I expected this book would be another moralistic rehashing of today's contemporary debate.

It certainly covered all those arguments. However, it proved to be amazingly accurate, well researched and informative. This was one of the few books which clearly explained technical details that even I was not aware of--like the chromosonal reasons that made cloning human beings very difficult. (This problem was overcome in Korea by using cells surrounding the woman's egg for nuclear transfer.)

What makes this book truly remarkable is the manner in which it goes beyond explaining both the science and the moral arguments surrounding reproductive and therapeutic cloning. It examines bioengineering animals, the promise and perils of gene therapy, "BioFoods: Frankenfoods or a Cure for Hunger?", how pharming promises to transform medicine and even explores some of the thinking of Transhumanists and science fiction visionaries.

Yes, I objected to the dismal overview of reproductive cloning. However, the authors separated that highly touted debate from other areas where many propogandists frequently use
reproductive cloning and popular Hollywood images like "Boys from Brazil" as a club against serious scientists attempting to do important medical research.

The three pages about me contained a couple small errors, more of nuance than of fact. Having dealt with the press for years, I have found even Time Magazine can profoundly misrepresent one's beliefs. This book did much better.

If you have any doubts regarding any of the above, just type my name "Randolfe" into your search engine or visit www.clonerights.com

If someone wanted to explore a wide swath of emerging scientific technologies, this is the book I would suggest that they read.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Purchase, July 11, 2010

By 

Book Worm - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Cloning (Mass Market Paperback)

I had no problems at all with my book purchase. The book came promptly and was in excellent condition.