5 comments about The Demon in the Freezer.

1. The book reads like a detective novel, engrossing, addictive, don't pick it up unless you have the time to finish it.
   On the surface the book is about two diseases: smallpox and anthrax. The structure is a bit odd and confusing, the anthrax in the senate office building and postal service forms brackets, the first and last chapter, while the extended discussion of smallpox forms the center. The book has a little bit of biology that shouldn't confuse anyone, but curiously the book is also about scientists. He has obviously talked to lots of them, is very sympathetic to their goals and desires, and tries to present not just scientists as nerd working in a lab but a human being with children and the usual mix of things that make us human. But this narrative of science, then scientists as human beings has a much more important task, it is his concern that science, in particular genetic science, finds a way to govern itself, to become responsible to the human community for what it does. Simply put, it is the author's desire for scientists to look at the consequences both potential and actual and act in a humane and responsible way to minimize the risks of their work and the research they do.
   
   The narrative is exciting, the human angle both sympathetic and a glimpse into what drives and motivates these bright and dedicated people, but the theme of the community of scholars responsible to the world for what they do, is crucial if his predictions will not become reality. If smallpox is used as a weapon, the human race is going back to a hunter gatherer, dispersed, low population density way of living. Millions if not billions will die in a matter of years, and it will not be a natural thing, but a human caused one that can only be described as mass murder. This is the big overarching principle take home message of this excellent book. Those who know about these things, must become part of the political/social quest for a way to control scientific research. We can find the energy to sacrifice millions of lives for war, now we have to learn how to sacrifice just as much, maybe even more for peace. It's not just a pipe dream, a pie in the sky by and by, but if our culture is to survive in anything likes its current configuration and at the population densities we now have, a binding solution much be found to the issues of genetic manipulation of living creatures in order to produce biological weapons. This book, especially the last chapter (read at least the last handful of pages first) is a decent moving introduction to the essentialness and immediacy of these issues.



2. 
   Preston makes the subject understandable, readable and enormously terrifying. He brings to popular literature the grotesque reality of the achievements of the Soviet bio-weapon work, long ignored by most of the academic community. While the Soviets are not considered a threat the lessons of their massive research effort are too widely known to not be a potential foundation for current efforts.
   
   The author does a great job in describing the process of taking an already deadly threat and engineering it into an even more dangerous threat using commonly available technology and knowledge. Forget the massive arrays of centrifuges needed for production of weapons grade nuclear materials. This is stuff that can be done in something not much more sophisticated that the typical meth lab once the bio-engineering is completed.
   
   In addition to the threat of the disease, its impact on the population would be catastrophic. The problem of containment in a mobile, self centered population almost guarantees that geographic quarantine of an exposed population will not work. Our personal resources and attitudes would be a great friend of the epidemic.
   
   Without protection for health workers and those who are needed to deliver food and other essentials a total breakdown of civil order is almost assured.
   
   There are no easy answers but what is clear is that wishing the threat will go away and ignoring the need to research better options for handling it when it comes will be judged harshly when those who survive write the history of this era.
   
   Highly readable and unforgettable. In an election year it should be one of the topics up for discussion rather than the daily drivel.



3. Although smallpox was eradicated in nature, Preston explains the very real threat of this vicious virus. Preston explains how smallpox could be used as a bioweapon, and the reality behind its "limited storage" at the CDC and in Siberia. He explains how this virus may be in the hands of other countries or terrorists groups. This book is easy to read and again, Preston does such a good job of taking science, and real life events and making them into a "can't put it down" narration. If you enjoy this book, I would highly recommend Ken Alibek's "Biohazard" book. Since he was the brains behind the Soviet Union's bioweapon research/production he gives an explanation to what was going on at that time and the threat that is still out there. Both great reads!



4. OK. I'm a nurse and I read all things medical. Whether nonfiction or fiction, I buy them, read them, think about them. Yeah, this was scary about the smallpox, but my gosh, the author hopped aroudn describing mundane details when he should have been focused on the big picture.
   Who has smallpox now? I think someone knows or can conjecture. Very scary.
   I do belive a bio weapon is going to be deployed in the not too distant future --it is probably sadly inevitable. But I did like the book despite the fact that it needed some tight editing.



5. The author of the international bestseller 'The Hot Zone' returns to familiar ground; this time he is out to scare us with smallpox. We get to know the history of the disease, man's desperate but eventually successful battle against the lethal disease, and also man's attempt to recreate the illness in a more potent form to be used as a weapon in bioterrorism.
   
   Engaging in its authentic scares and highly informative, this book tells us a story which is joyously uplifting in its account of humanity's proudest moments as it succeeded after years of tireless labour in ridding the world of a menace that had plagued mankind from time immemorial. But the story is also depressingly alarming when we learn of the evil that lurks in the heart of men: the doctors eradicated the world of smallpox but could not uproot the virus from the hearts of people who recreated a much lethal version of the disease for biowarfare.

3 comments about Experiments in Biochemistry: A Hands-on Approach.

1. We teach a mixed class, chemistry, biology and pre-med majors. This book covers introductory topics that the chemists find easy but biology majors need to review (statistics, Beer's Law, etc.) Later, it covers molecular biology techniques that biologists are familiar with but chemistry majors are not! it is the best for a mixed class. It is clear and gives enough background that students can read it on their own and come prepared for lab....I have found no mistakes in the text.



2. The book I purchased from them was not in the condition as stated. Multiple pages were missing in various sections, and water stains covered half the book. I also had to contact the seller many times before they respond to my complaints. I do not recommend business with them.



3. Ordered the book on the 27th of December and received it on the 29th of December. Excellent service by perfectprime2001. The book is in great condition and am looking forward to using it!

5 comments about New Glucose Revolution Guide to Living Well with PCOS.

1. I found this book had a lot of great information about PCOS. I thought I knew a lot about PCOS, but never really understood insulin resistance. The book does a great job explaining in terms that anyone can understand. I am enjoying the recipes and finding that following the meal plan is fairly simple.



2. This book has given my daughter and me more info on this disease than any doctor has been able to do. The book has given my daughter encouragement that she can live with this syndrome and that she can make her life better if she takes the metformin and gets her body moving. The info on food has helped sooooooo much. Thank you for this book!!!!!!



3. This book is really a good tool for women with PCOS. I keep this on hand in case I need to go back for a referance.



4. I was hoping that this book would be very helpful, since it got such great reviews; however, I was disappointed by it. I recently discovered I had PCOS. I was prescribed metformin and told to follow a low GI diet. The book does a great job of explaining how and why a low GI diet should work for women with PCOS, but it does a poor job of explaining the actual diet. It makes it very confusing to follow, and although it gives a table of foods along with their GI, it is very vague about telling you what you should be eating. I followed the diet in the book the best that I could, and gained 5 pounds before the first week was over. Also, the recipes in the book were no help to me... each one of them had an ingredient that was either very exotic (lamb meat was one of them) or something that I had never heard of. They cannot realistically expect people to make these recipes on a regular basis. I recommend PCOS and your Fertility by Collette Harris. This was a much better and more helpful book.



5. This book is Excellent! It's written well and very readable. It answers all those questions the doctors can't answer for you. PCOS being a new study is still not fully understood by our Physicians and GYN's and this book helps with that on a great level. I am not new to PCOS at all as I have been dealing with it since I was 19 years old BUT I am new to truly understanding it and this book has helped with that. I refer to this book almost daily/weekly when making food choices and vitamin choices.

4 comments about Chemistry for Today: General, Organic, and Biochemistry (with CengageNOW 2-Semester Printed Access Card).

1. This book have a traditional approach, dont take anything new. Your price is very high.

   Pablo A. Pereira B. Sc. Pharm




2. The explanations provided in this text book are decent; although, on occasions the book's breadth is insufficient. Unfortunately, the answer keys and test questions that accompany this text are riddled with inaccuracies. After my Organic Chemistry class gets back each test, we spend a half hour eliminating faulty questions. Further, while this book is egregiously expensive, one must pay extra to access the online features.



3. I am not finding this textbook helpful whatsoever. I am in a prenursing program at Mills College. Explanations are not thorough and I need frequent help through private tutoring, other chemistry help books and textbooks, workshops. The questions at the end of the chapter asked are not even discussed within the text. It should be understood that the majority of people entering the health field especially nursing are resumers and have not touched chemistry in decades. At least that is the case in my program, it seems like a lot of them are resumers.
   More explanations needed. More basic background needed. More examples. Corrections needed to be made for the problems. Plus if the problems are tricky then they should not be in black but in red. A lot of inconsistencies.
   The online website program needs to be improved with more interactive demonstrations, videos etc.
   I took intro to chem with this book and now i have to take survey of chem with organ and biochem next semester with it.



4. In very good condition. Delivered according to schedule as promised

No comments about Fundamental Molecular Biology.

5 comments about ADA Complete Guide to Carb Counting.

1. I found this book very helpful finding the foods I eat regularly and how many carbs each food has. Thank you



2. Great book if you already eat healthy. However, not practical in todays fast paced world. Needs more food groups to help count carbs. Takes for granted you already know how to count carbs and you have visited a RD.



3. Very important information to help anyone with carb counts. Highly recommend.



4. THIS BOOK IS VERY USEFUL. I RECOMMEND IT TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HAVE A GUIDE LIKE THIS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH



5. This is a very handy and excellent source for people with Diabetes, or
   for anyone else who most restrict their carbs on a daily basis. It is
   very easy to use.

3 comments about Modern Genetic Analysis: Integrating Genes and Genomes.

1. In the last few years several very good textbooks and monographs in genetics have appeared, due mainly to the success of various genome projects and also to the rise of bioinformatics as a new discipline in biology, computer science, and mathematics. Most of these textbooks have appeared in many prior editions, and comparing these older editions with the newest ones, one can indeed see a remarkable difference in enthusiasm in the authors. They are clearly very excited about the developments in molecular biology and genetics that have taken place and the confidence among biologists that the fundamental understanding of life is finally within reach. Readers can share their excitement by the study of these books, and doing so one cannot help but be marveled by the incredible ingenuity of the scientific methods used to unravel the processes of life.

   Of all these excellent books, I find this one to be the best, and my judgment of the book's quality is from the standpoint of someone who is very involved in the algorithms behind bioinformatics and mathematical biology and is attempting to gain, as quickly as possible, the necessary background in genetics. My review therefore will be primarily addressed to those mathematicians or even physicists who plan on moving into bioinformatics.

   To relative newcomers to genetics such as myself, the learning of molecular biology and genetics can involve a huge amount of memory work. To the more mathematically-inclined reader, the memorization of facts can be most unpalatable. The learning of the material in this book will also involve such extreme exercises in memory, but there are a few strategies that the authors employ that, even though they were directed at a general readership, actually serve to make the learning much easier for the mathematician or mathematical biologist. These are the use of concept maps and the assigning of "challenging problems" at the end of most chapters in the book. These serve effectively to make the reader think through and interconnect the many concepts, which for the mathematician who is used to the economy of thought that mathematics brings, is an absolute necessity for the learning experience. Also, the authors are well aware of the need for students to learn how to analyze data and interact with online databases, so a lot of the material in the book is written to address this need.

   Even from merely an aesthetic point of view the book is exceptional, as the soft colors used in the illustrations are very beautiful, and actually serve to make the learning of the material very pleasureful. And in addition, the reader can access the book's Website and follow the many animations that were put together for the book. And here again, the playing of these animations increase the speed in which one can learn the subject.

   The authors also ask the readers to consider the impact that biotechnology and genetic engineering will have in the upcoming decades. One of the most dramatic, and I think the most important paragraphs in the book is the one in which the authors state that "the public cannot relay on reports published in the general media for the kind of critical evaluation needed to make informed personal and political decisions. Nor can it be left to experts, who have their own biases and agendas. There is no substitute for acquiring the kind of basic knowledge of genetics that is essential to all informed decisions." Their goal is provide the background that will allow the reader to differentiate between bad and good claims about genetics, and to think critically about both the negative and positive aspects of genetic research and genetic engineering.

   I believe the use of genetic engineering and biotechnology in all biological systems, both human and non-human, holds the best hope for the future of life on earth. This book has given an excellent introduction to the biology and genetics behind these technologies. The excitement and optimism expressed in the book will no doubt encourage many individuals to further their studies in genetics and enter the new biological professions of the 21st century.




2. Anthony Griffiths is the principle author of both 'An Introduction to Genetic Analysis' and 'Modern Genetic Analysis.' The former book is in its sixth edition, while the later is in it's second. I highly recommend both textbooks as the best teaching texts I have ever come across. Personally however, I prefer using 'Modern Genetic Analysis' because it is easier to understand, and less frustrating and confusing for students. The 'Introduction to Genetic Analysis' textbook is larger, more annotated, and has more difficult problems. The 'Modern Genetic Analysis' textbook provides a better basic framework on which to build an understanding of genetics, without going into too many unnecessary details that (in my opinion) only confuse students new to the subject.

   The second edition of 'Modern Genetic Analysis' is very similar to the first edition, and only about ten percent of the material (at most) has been changed. Most of the problem sets are the same, but have been renumbered. This is actually a teaching advantage because it gives students the option of buying used copies of the first edition rather than new copies of the second.

   One major improvement in the second edition, however, is the addition of internet-based genetics tutorials. Students are directed to the various public genome databases on the internet, used by real researchers, and are given practice assignments to do. They are shown how to conduct gene and protein homology searches, how to find open reading frames, and how to access other forms of information from the various public domain databases on the internet. Since internet databases have now become one of the most important tools available to geneticists these tutorials are a welcome addition to this textbook. I highly recommend it.

   Greg Doheny (Vancouver, Canada)




3. This book is extremely difficult for people who are first being introduced to genetics to understand. Since it is being used in beginning genetics courses, this is disturbing. Perhaps if you already have an understanding of the basic concepts of genetics this would be a more useful book.
   New terms are not always adequately defined. Often is seems as if the authors prefer to use confusing English games to explain concepts rather than explain information in a straightforward manner. An example would be page 7 when they are trying to explain the difference between "discontinuous" and "continuous" phenotypic variations. Rather that introduce one concept and explain it and then introduce the second concept, they introduce both concepts and then name both of them in a manner such that it is not clear which concept is which without rereading the paragraph several times.
   Also, one wonders how current the information provided in this book is. The introduction to chapter 9 refers to an ongoing betting pool concerning the total number of protein-coding genes in the human genome. It tells that the prize for guessing correctly will be awarded in 2003 and talks about the contest in the present and future tense as if it is ongoing and the winner has yet to be announced. It even refers readers to a website to see the contest rules. This is 2007!!! The contest is OVER! The website it refers to is no longer a valid URL! If this little piece of information is so out of date, what else in the book is out of date (and possibly incorrect).
   I wish I could say the website associated with the book is useful. Sadly, it does nothing to redeem the book. The animations are somewhat useful. It offers some additional problems, but not near enough. The tutorials it offers for using the NCBI database are often out of date.
   The only redeeming factors this book has is that the introductions often talk about interesting problems in genetics. These are followed up with more information about the problem at the end of the chapter. Also, the problem sets with each chapter are good. However, there is not always enough information in the reading to be able to figure out the problem. Fortunately, there is a solutions manual available for this book that is very useful.
   Since this book is most likely a required textbook, most people who are buying it do not have a choice. However, it would be nice to see schools pick a book that better explained genetic concepts than this one does. Genetics is a fascinating subject, but the difficulty of reading this book does nothing to encourage the student to pursue further studies in genetics.

5 comments about Biochemistry (3rd Edition) (Biochemistry (Mathews/ Addison-Wesley)).

1. It's difficult to review a book on a subject as biochemistry, when you're a student, and this is the only book I've read on the subject. This book is used by medical students at the Universty of Bergen, Norway, and as a student I find it very easy to read (if you have mind that biochemistry is not an easy subject). The illustrations and figures in the book are helpful, and often, you can get the essential in the text by only looking at the figures.



2. I have not seen the 2000 edition yet, but the previous edition is very elegantly written. Compare with some other biochemistry text, this book provides another view into biochemistry. Almost (if not all) all the chapters have a special topic after the chapter text, showing you how we can turn the dry text into useful experimental tools for solving life's problem, scientifically. These special topics also give us a view into the physical chemistry world, which has become more and more important at the time.



3. I am a biochemistry major at the university of the philippines. i have several biochem books on my shelf and i just recently purchased a copy of the 2000 edition (i also have the 2nd ed). the book just keeps getting better. the book really helps a lot especially when the class lecture corresponds with how the book presents the subject matter. as a biochem major, i'd say this is a pretty good way to present biochem. it makes it seem easy and fun to read. you look at the pictures and read the caption and you learn the idea in a flash.



4. Mathew's Biochemistry is an excellent book to start this difficult subject! The easy diagrams and interesting notes just keeps you wanting to learn more...Read, read and read. If only it could have a more clinical focus it would be 100% perfect. Combine it with "Harper's Biochemistry" and you will soon run A+ on scores! To die for!



5. Don't misjudge my review; I'm not just some lazy kid who hates all work. I'm in the honors program at UCI studying to be a doctor. And this book isn't very good. The reading, I will grant, isn't too bad. Most of the time it's easy to follow, and sometimes it's confusing. However, the problem comes when you try to put it all to the test and do the problems at the end of the chapter. Not only does the book present problems that were not covered in the reading, but it doesn't explain the answers, either. It just gives them to you. I am forced to constantly ask a friend of mine if he knows how to get the answer they give, because the book gives no indication of how to arrive at it. It also withholds information; in one problem in chapter 5 the answer they give is only possible, ONLY possible, if chymotrypsin cleaves a protein at isoleucine (the book only gives leucine, not iso-). In the next problem, it is virtually the same thing, taking cleavage information and trying to put amino acids in the correct order. However, in this one, their answer insists that you NOT cleave at isoleucine. Otherwise you'd be wrong and wonder what you did. Of course, you'd get no explanation. If you have to get this book for a class, then fine. Good luck with the homework if you have to turn in the problems. But if you're getting it to further challenge yourself of your own accord, search around for some type of solutions manual first, because this book won't tell you how to get anything. It assumes you have a lot of background knowledge already, so I don't know where one reviewer got the notion that this is great for beginners...if you want a good book for beginners, seek out the Garrett & Grisham book. It simplifies biochemistry beyond belief compared to this book.

5 comments about Introduction to Protein Structure: Second Edition.

1. This book is one of the best books that addresses the topic of protein structure. The book answers nearly all the questions that anybody interested to know about protein structure. Meanwhile, the authers provided clear examples about how elucidating a protein structure can hint for its function(example, B-lactoglobulin structure similarity to retinol binding proteins hints for its function as retinol binding protein in the mammals intestine). Besides, the organization of the book chapters made it so easy to read. Above all, the versatile illustrative examples and figures that the authers used make reading this book is really enjoyable for people have the basic background in biochemistry or those who are interested to building skills in biochemistry as well. The chapeters describing prediction of protein structure and methods to determine the protein structrue are really so valuable as a basic introduction about these broad topics. With basic biochemistry skills, this book will be so enjoyable.



2. I used this book a lot for one of my undergraduate courses three years back. It's excellent at explaining the fundamentals of protein structure, it's written very clearly and the diagrams are easy to understand and appropriate. I found it particularly useful when studying immunology, the explanation of immunoglobulin structure, splicing, and mechanism of action was better than some of the other textbooks I used from the library. I finally bought a copy as reference and to aid revision of some basics while applying for research associate positions within the biochemistry field.



3. This is a great introductory text on protein science. It starts off with the basic chemistry of amino acids and polypeptides and goes from there into higher order structural organization of many proteins of many families. Reading this book allows one to think about protein function being a direct result of what the structure imposes. Although this is not a protein chemistry book, it's a great place to start appreciating how proteins do what they do following some elegant design principles.
   The book gives interesting structural examples on how transcription factors use their DNA binding sites to recognize specific genomic sequences. Also, the story of how the voltage gated potassium channel can be orders of magnitude more selective for potassium over sodium is presented clearly. Overall, this book is necessary for any biologist doing protein related work, or anyone who wishes to gain more insight into how these tiny "machines of life" operate.



4. This book is very good at explaining the basics of proteins and their structure. Any student who plans on doing any sort of protein research should consider this a must have for their library.
   
   The pictures are colorful and contain valuable easy to understand information. But the information shown is not over-crowded as some texts tend to do. The authors did not try to put too much information into one picture, but split the information between a number of illistrations.
   
   The sections on protein folds, and motifs are a must for any one dealing with any kind of protein-protein, or protein-dna binding interaction. This will help scientists who will be using proteomic information to determine the structure and probable function of their protein when a crystal or NMR structure is not avaiable.
   
   Great book for any biologist, biochemist, or physical chemist.



5. I love this book. It is well written and organised, and all the basic topics about protein structure are covered.

No comments about General Organic and Biological Chemistry.