Mutants Are People Too!
Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Title: Mutants
Author: Armand Marie Leroi
Genre: Popular Science
Read: 17th June 2005
Comments: Fascinating. Leroi explores the whys and wherefores of the genetic mutations that result in various abnormal anatomical conditions, giving us a sprinkling of genetics with some history and mythology thrown in as well. He describes the history and causes of such diverse conditions as Proteus Syndrome (think the Elephant Man), Phocomelia, and Hypertrichosis Languinosa (think Jo-Jo the Dog-Faced Boy), and skates from serious scientific discussion to humour without missing a beat. This is a great book for anyone interested in, as the subtitle has it, 'The Form, Varieties and Errors of the Human Body'
Quote: "No man should be judged by the size of his feet however, for the correlation, though statistically significant, is weak. And then such data as there are concern stretched rather that erect penis length, surely the variable of interest.
posted by Becki at 7:29 PM
5 Comments:
you have to bring this book back with you! I would love to read it! ( you know in all my spare time!)
Umm... Who are you? Mom? Kate? Julie? Dad?
I so did not understand that quote at the end of your post. Was is supposed to end with "surely the variable or interest."? It doesn't continue or anything?
Oops, typo. Shoulda been 'of' not 'or'.
My bad. It's fixed now.
I have the book if 'anonymous' is someone I know and wants to borrow it. That way Becki doesn't have to drag it back to the states. It was definitely fascinating reading. And just a few weeks after I read it there was an article in the local paper about a young woman who has the genetic mutation that turns her to bones. She's working a journalism internship (or something) and raising awareness of the condition.
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