Customer Reviews

How to Defeat Your Own Clone: And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was afraid the book would be over my head. It is very funny and they don't take anything for granted. They explain all of the nomenclature in detail so I never found myself wondering what they were writing about. I actually read it twice. Now I just go around waiting for someone to casually bring up cloning so I can pretend like the ideas in this book were mine.

This book is written with a delightful sense of humor, yet the authors clearly take the subject seriously. Fun to read, thoughtful, and thought-provoking. Kurpinski and Johnson admit right up front what so many from the highest halls of government on down refuse to recognize; The biotech genie is out of the bottle and he isn't going back in, so we'd better get to thinking about how we are going to handle things, rather than pretend it will all just go away.

Somewhat tongue in cheek, this is a terrific look at cloning that simplifies using humor without dumbing down DNA sequencing. The authors answer key questions and provide warnings. One particular caution is allowing your DNA sequence to appear on the Internet that will remind readers of Miss Manners' warning about social networking. Readers will ask how do I defeat a clone who has been enhanced to be superior. Answer is experience and knowledge. The future appears to be chocolate-flavored broccoli that Bush 41 would enjoy, but not to worry as humans have a long time history of genetic engineering in farming and animal domestication. So although stem cell research appears to have cures for illnesses, Kyle Kurpinski and Terry D. Johnson make a serious Dr. Frankenstein case that good intentions pave the road to hell with unintended consequences. So be prepared to out think your healthier clone. This is a great science book that combines jocularity with easy to read and understand biotechnology.

Harriet Klausner

Lively, funny, yet very informative description of the science of cloning. The authors are able to strike a perfect balance between getting into the weeds of what makes cloning work and keeping the subject light and understandable to non-scientists (like me). I especially like how they expolded the idea -- make commonplace in dozens of sci-fi stories, including the recent Star Wars movies -- that clones would arrive fully formed. Of course not! The clones of you would arrive as babies, and grow up at the same rate as you, but while being biologically similar, they would be the summation of THEIR experiences, not yours.

Very enjoyable and helpful in understanding this complex topic -- yet pop-culture savvy enough to explode all the myths that surround the science.

Being a high school school student, it is almost impossible to find that "just right" book. Many books on this topic are either very advanced and beyond my capabilities or too basic for high school level research. This is a great book that gives great insight on the topic. Usually I dread reading non fiction, but i have to admit this was a rather fun book to read. I think this is to other books as food inc. is to the other documentaries. It's an amazing book, because it actually kept me entertained and interested. It starts off with misconceptions then goes more into detail then towards the end branches off into other topics that are directly affected by cloning.

"How to Defeat Your Own Clone" is an exceptional book.

Like my above one sentence review, this work is simple, to the point, and easily understood by the average reader. And I'm very much the average reader when it comes to books dealing with genetic science.

Based on the book's title, I was hoping it would explain cloning, genetics, and general scientific theory in an entertaining and/or humorous way. It does just that, but it does more as well.

It's one thing to write a book that's scientifically accurate, it's another to write a book that's funny, but to combine the two genres is no easy feat. The authors succeed admirably, and "How to Defeat Your Own Clone" is a fun read that also educates.

Concerned about the 21st century implications of biotechnology, stem cell research, and similar topics? Want to learn more? Don't want to be bored to tears or overwhelmed by jargon? If this sounds like you, then this title should be at the top of your list of books to buy.

Nothing more than a comprehensive biology 101 review at best and it's still not entirely a survial guide based on a hypothetical situation either (Until the last chapter entitled How to Defeat Your Own Clone). However, it takes a brief comical and yet interesting take on pop culture's depiction and perspective on cloning.

Both authors, Kurpinski and Johnson take a myth busting toll on Hollywood's cinematic take on the future of cloning. Kurpinski and Johnson make intellegent connections and falsify the most obvious misconceptions.

Written in a fun and accessible vernacular, Kurpinski and Johnson, introduce the reader to the history of biotechnology with a cloning bent. Whether the term cell means phone to you or you've already started manipulating your own Hox2; this book is well worth a read.