Transcript Survival of the Sickest

The Origin of SpeciesBy: Charles
Darwin
Darwin begins his novel explaining how he came to conclusions about evolution
and thus developed his theory on the survival of the fittest and evolution in a
nutshell. Charles Darwin presents and emphasizes the idea that Species are
susceptible to change, and it is natural selection that causes these changes to
occur.
I recommend this book to people who already has a good understanding of
evolution, and who’s interested in the history of its theory.
Likes:
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Covers Natural selection
Broadens your understanding of
Darwinism
Develops the theory of evolution
Dislikes:
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Confusing without intense
understanding of evolution already
Written in the style 150 years ago
Not modern English
Need to understand genetics
The Red Queen Book Review
The Red Queen is a well written book advising
why do we have sex. What is the advantage of
reproducing sexually instead of asexually? Matt
Ridley, the author, dives into the mystery of sex
and why humans find it socially appropriate to
be with certain individuals in society, not
because society has set standards but who has
the best genes to offer for the offspring. I
enjoyed the everyday comparisons that Ridley
used to gain his point to the reader. But I didn't
always enjoy the way he presented certain
sexes and stereotyped them into categories,
other than that I definitely recommend The Red
Queen to any reader willing to take on the
knowledge.
By: Susie Britzman
Survival of the Sickest
by Dr. Sharon Moalem
www.survivalofthesickestthebook.com
Likes
easy read
interesting questions
challenges current concepts
relates evolution to our current
state
o answers "why" and "what"
instead of just laying out info.
o moderate length, but keeps the
reader interested
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Dislikes
absense of pictures to reinforce
ideas
o no input or experts from other
professionals who share his
ideas
o doesn't address the oposition
during every argument, only in
certain ones.
o
MacKenzie Frey
THE
BEAK of
“On a desert island in the heart of
the Galapagos archipelago, where
Darwin received his first inklings of
the theory of evolution, two
scientists, Peter and Rosemary
Grant, have spent twenty years
proving the Darwin did not know
the strength of his own theory. For
among the finches of Daphne
Major, natural selection in neither
rare nor slow: it is taking place by
the hour, and we can watch.”
THE
Jonathan Weiner
FINCH
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Darwin’s discoveries used with new
technologies.
Small scale changes over long
periods of time can create big
effects.
Read about modification over time.
Also look at other animals and their
evolutions.
Read the exact quotes Darwin had
regarding the finches placed into the
thoughts of Rosemary and Peter
Grant.
Creationism vs. Evolution.
When Science Goes Wrong
By Simon LeVay
Review by Miranda Green
This book describes varies events in which the predicted outcome of
an experiment are incorrect. It covers topics including Neuroscience,
Meteorology,Volcanology, Gene therapy, Microbiology, Forensics,
and Nuclear Chemistry. I would only recommend this book to people who
are interested in a story rather than actual science.
Likes:
-Wide range of scientific fields
-Interesting science
Dislikes:
-Little science
-Too much story
-More human than scientific error
-Little explanation
Survival of the Sickest by Dr. Sharon
Moalem with Jonathan Prince is a book
composed with a few different ides about the
"meaning of life". First the author walks the
reader into the 'magical medical mystery tour'
that introduces the reader to deadly disease
that evolve in our genetic code. Next the
author jumps into the problem of diabetes
sugar and climate change. The author also
addresses Ice Ages and the relationship
between sunshine, cholesterol, and
evolutionary pressure. The author also talks
about genetics and DNA fragments. I found
this book to be very interesting. I would really
recommend it to anyone who has an interest
in evolution and wants to know more about
theories of adaptations. The only negative
thing I would say is, if you consider yourself to
be religious don't take this book
offensive. Alina Dan
Survival of the Sickest
By Dr. Sharon Moalem
Survival of the Sickest tells the incredible
tale of how diseases are necessary to
evolution. Whether it's increased immune
defenses due to an arms race with a virus
or a genetic benefit brought on by the partial
adoption of a disease such as Sickle Cell
Anemia, the things we've been trying to
eliminate for centuries have actually played
a key role in the development of ourselves
and of our world. Dr. Moalem is an
excellent writer, skillfully weaving his
complex ideas with concrete examples that
produce a biological tapestry that is easy to
follow, and his consistent summaries at the
end of each chapter keep the reader in-step
Survival of the Sickest Book Report
By Cat Hazlett
Survival of the Sickest, by Dr. Sharon Moalem, is a
fantastic source for those curious about the biological
history of why we respond to certain things the way we
do. For example, the book begins by explaining why
hemachromatosis was actually beneficial to avoid the
plague and was only "selected" to continue in the gene
pool because the effects of the disease don't appear
until age 30, when most people back then were dead
anyway. Now that we live much longer,
hemachromatosis has emerged as a threat, though it
still assists in immunity to other diseases. There was
also an explanation about why Asians seemingly get
drunk faster than other ethnicities, and if tanning is
actually beneficial to a person's health. I would
recommend this book to anyone. It was written with
enough humor that it is easy to focus on and some of
the explanations are very absurd and unique.