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Biotechnology Unzipped: Promises and Realities

by Eric S. Grace

With the controversy over the recent creation of Dolly, the Scottish sheep cloned from the cells of another sheep’s udder, a comprehensive book on biotechnology could be a welcome addition to bookstore shelves.

Biotechnology Unzipped: Promises and Realities, by Canadian science writer Eric S. Grace, is a laudable attempt at such a book. In the preface, the book’s goals are outlined as defining biotechnology, how it is being used and some of the issues it raises, while giving a “thorough introduction to a fascinating subject.” In other words, this book should gracefully lead the amateur scientist through the social, economic, and ethical quagmire that is modern biotechnology.

To accomplish this, some difficult science must first be detailed, specifically the mechanics of genetics. The first two chapters explain the evolution of biotechnology as well as the tools used to achieve its objectives. Terms like protein primer, nucleotide base, and gene expression are carefully defined to provide a concise background to genetic engineering. And, these complex ideas and terminologies are proficiently simplified, allowing the material in these first chapters to be understood by those with only a basic knowledge of science.

It is possible to tackle the next four chapters without being an expert on polymerase chain reactions, as long as the basic concept of genes and their role in biotechnology is understood. Each outlines four separate arenas of biotechnology – medicine, the environment, agriculture, and forests and water bodies – while skillfully balancing the inherent pros and cons.

The book derails slightly in the final chapter on ethics, which focuses primarily on the complexities of patenting living material; however, in the last few pages, the author is compelled to express some of his own opinions on questions he came across in his research. As Grace is not an “expert,” and has, up until this point, expressed only balanced views on biotechnology, his opinions seem contradictory and misplaced. The book, for a moment, is in danger of propagandizing.

Despite this last digression, Biotechnology Unzipped serves as a comprehensive and coherent introduction to the complex world of genetic engineering. As well, it is equipped with a glossary of terms, an extensive list of suggested readings and Internet resources, and an index, making it a useful resource for those with a basic science background who wish to cultivate a better knowledge of the topic.

 

Reviewer: Katera Zappacosta

Publisher: Trifolium

DETAILS

Price: $18.95

Page Count: 248 pp

Format: Paper

ISBN: 1-895579-45-7

Released: May

Issue Date: 1997-7

Categories: Science, Technology & Environment