Customer Reviews

Transducing the Genome: Information, Anarchy, and Revolution in the Biomedical Sciences

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

 

 

This is an important book. It delivers a stunning commentary on cutting edge science, technology, business, and legal developments. There is no doubt that the human genome and the technology that enabled it to be revealed will transform medicine. Zweiger explains how in a straightforward manner that is approachable to anyone. There are parts of the book that are a bit technical and other parts that breeze along. It touches on a lot of different subjects, including the role of patents, venture capital, philosphical issues, and more. I feel that the author does a good job in being unbiased. He writes from his direct experiences. He touts many companies, but he also credits the efforts of academics and is critical or a bit skeptical of many things. Most importantly, he helps the reader understand what's going on in biotechnology and genomics today, what the underlying science is and what the motivations are. It has inspired me to learn more. I highly recommend this book.

Finally, someone has explained what genomics is all about, where it came from, how it differs from traditional biotechnolgy, and what it means for the future of healthcare and the life sciences! The author does an excellent job of bringing this exciting field of business and science into focus. I would recommend this for anyone with an interest in the convergence of information sciences and life sciences. He basically covers all the bases, the race between the public and private sequencing efforts, the computational challenges of the field, the influence of patents, etc. It is a truly unique book and definately fills a void.

Zweiger broadly defines genomics as the "access and analysis of thousands of molecules at a time". The book is just as relevant to proteomics as it is to more restrictive definitions of genomics. In fact Transducing the Genome starts out with the scientists' attempts 20 years ago to simultaneously characterize all proteins. Attention turned to DNA in the late '80's, but the early protein work is very relevant to today's efforts to conqueor the "proteome", which are also covered, although to a lesser extent. The book is an excellent read. It is reletively easy to follow and contains some very interesting and informative musings on science fiction, politics, law, business, and other matters. Enjoy!

I've looked at many books on this subject and this is absolutely the best account of the genomics/proteomics revolution in biology and medicine. Zweiger relates many interesting details of the race to sequence and profit from human genes. Especially noteworthy is his honest and unbiased descriptions and the insightful manner in which he explains the science, business and legal issues. This is full of thought provoking science, useful business analysis, and other insights. I do admit though that a 2 of the 15 chapters were a bit too dense for me, a business student, nonetheless most messages come through loud and clear.

I had actually bought Transducing the Genome because I was looking for a history of genomics. While there are elements of that subject included in the book, Zweiger has really written more of a history of the field and the various players who are driving the research and change. The book looks at issues of origins, purposes, patents, the effect of computer technology on the field and finally the future potential applications.

Zweiger (employed at the time of writing by Agilent) clearly is writing from a point of view. He strongly believes that the capitalist model will take care of itself and that competition and reward will lead the way to a better future for all. He takes issue with people who oppose genome-related patents, arguing for the general benevolence of the industry and the fraternity of science. While I may (generally) agree with him, I would have preferred that he either shed the disguise of neutrality on the subject and explain his personal point of view or that he present more compelling arguments from the "other side". Most of the counter-points that he raises in the question of patenting are straw men and far too easy for him to dismiss.

While the book was very interesting, I was also a little bit lost in the structure from time to time. While the individual chapters were excellent reading, I felt that the whole did not hang together as well as it should have or could have.

This would make a particularly good book if you are interested in the biotechnology industry and the ethical issues surrounding the debate between non-profit and private sector science.

Zweiger, a biotech industry insider, provides an excellent window into the science and business of genomics, proteomics, and bioinformatics. This is an excellent primer for people considering a career in this field or who just want to know what it is all about. His writing is both clear and to the point, and, generally, provides a strong basis for understanding both the issues, legal, business and otherwise, and the underlying science. I highly recommend this book.

This books has some interesting material but lacks clarity, depth and focus. Basic explanations about a given subjects come often in the wrong order. Whenever the books attempt to explain anything, very little can actually be understood, as the author tries to keep the level of explanations too low, and therefore ultimately hopelessly useless. Written with the businessman mind, and not with a scientific one.
Much better book are from Watson and Berry or from Ridley.

This is the 5th or 6th book that I'm reading about genomics. I do not have a scientific or biological background but I deal a lot with this area in my profession (Investments and company building). I purchased this book because I needed to get up to spead and understand what the scientists are talking about. It seems that I will not get this from this book. If you are interested in learning about the history of the area, who were the important inventors, companies, first gene banks etc you will like the book. However, if you are interested in understanding how genes work, what is mRNA, how do proteins work and what are amino acids, you will not get that here. The book is nicely written, and the author is very knowledgable and intelligent but I needed specific knowledge not stories which is why I'm reducing 2 stars.