General Reading
Level indicators:
1 = suitable for general public
2 = suitable for high school students
3 = useful for faculty
4 = useful for advanced faculty
Andrews, Lori B., et al., eds. Assessing Genetic
Risks: Implications for Health and Social Policy. Washington, DC: National
Academy Press, 1994. This report by the Committee on Assessing Genetic Risks
addresses the many phases of genetic testing and its impact on patients,
providers, and laboratories. It is based on information gleaned from participants
in workshops, public meetings, scientific and policy literature, and extensive
discussions. (1)
Aronson, Billy. They Came From DNA. Scientific
American Books for Young Readers. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman, 1993. A light
hearted but scientifically accurate look at what makes humans who they are.
Good for younger readers. (2)
Angler, Natalie. Natural Obsessions: The Search for
the Oncogene. Boston, MA: Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1988. A dramatic story
for lay readers of the isolation and cloning of oncogenes, providing a picture
of molecular genetics as actually practiced. (1)
Balkwill, Fran. Amazing Schemes Within Your Genes.
United Kingdom: HarperCollins, 1993.
_________.Cells Are Us. United Kingdom: HarperCollins, 1990.
_________.Cell Wars. United Kingdom: HarperCollins, 1990.
_________.DNA Is Here to Stay. United Kingdom: HarperCollins,
1992.
The cartoon illustrations in all four books support explanations of scienhfic
concepts; suitable for reading aloud to students, as well as for students'
use. These books are available in the United States from Cold Spring Harbor
Laboratory Press. (1, 2)
Baskin, Yvonne. The Gene Doctors: Medical Genetics
at the Frontier. New York, NY: William Morrow and Co., 1984. A lucid
and exciting account that explores the present and future impact of genetic
engineering technology. (1)
Bishop, Jerry E., and Waldholz, Michael. Genome:
The Story of the Most Astonishing Scientific Adventure of Our Time-The Attempt
to Map All the Genes in the Human Body. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster,
1990. Highlights major events leading up to our present state of genetic
exploration and biotechnology. Includes examples of personal challenge and
achievement as well as a good feeling for the personal and professional
challenges involved in scientific research. (1)
Cavalieri, Liebe F. The Double-edged Helix:
Science in the Real World. New York: NY: Columbia University Press,
1981. A biochemist's critical view of the long-range consequences of recombinant
DNA technology, and, more generally, of what he sees as the growing subservience
of science to technology. (1)
Crick, Francis H.C.
What Mad Pursuit? A Personal View of Scientific Discovery. New York,
NY: Basic Books, 1990. A personal account, sometimes divergent from James Watson's, by the co-discoverer of
DNA structure. The book includes biographical material and Crick's thoughts
on other scientific and theoretical issues in molecular biology. (1)
Gonick, Larry, and Wheelis, Mark. The Cartoon Guide
to Genetics. rev. ed. New York, NY: HarperCollins Perennial, 1991. Cartoons
for all ages. Some illustrations are helpful for class explanations of concepts.
(1-3)
Goodfield, June. Playing God. New York, NY: Random
House, 1977. A look at the both the people and ethical issues involved in
the early days of genetic engineering.
(1)
Grobstein, Clifford. A Double Image of the Double
Helix: The Recombinant-DNA Debate. New York, NY: W.H. Freeman, 1979.
Recounts the background and significance of the controversy over recombinant
DNA research. Illustrates the scientific and social issues generated and
how they were addressed early in the history of recombinant DNA. (1-4)
Hall, Stephen S. Invisible Frontiers; The Race to
Synthesize a Human Gene. Redmond, WA: Microsoft Press, 1988. An inside
view for the average reader on the science, politics, and pitfalls of the
race to clone the gene for insulin. This well-researched account describes
molecular biology in action, scientific competition, the development of
NIH's recombinant DNA committee, and the birth of the first biotechology
company, Genentech, Inc. (1)
Herskowitz, Joel and Herskowitz, Ira. Double Talking
Helix Blues. Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press,
1993. This tape-book package, illustrated by Judy Cuddihy, provides a unique
way of learning about DNA and genes and how they work. Interesting and fun
for young people and adults who are curious about how they and their relatives
became the unique individuals they are. (1, 2)
Judson, Horace F. The Eighth Day of Creation: The
Makers of the Revolution in Biology. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster,
1979. A science writer's comprehensive and accessible history of the research
leading to the elucidahon of the structure of DNA, the deciphering of the
genetic code, and the structure
and function of proteins. (14)
Kewles, Daniel J., and Hood, Leroy., eds. The Code
of Codes: Scientific and Social Issues in the Human Genome Project.
Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1992. An anthology of essays on
the potential scientific and medical triumphs and social and ethical implications
of the Human Genome Project. (2, 3)
Lappe, Marc. Broken Code: The Exploitation of DNA.
San Francisco, CA: Sierra Club Books, 1984. An exploration by a public health
expert of the social and ethical implications of recombinant DNA research.
(1-4)
Lewis, R. "DNA Fingerprints: Witness for the
Prosecution," Discover, June 1988. Light reading about the application
of DNA principles to criminal identification. (1)
Los Alamos National Laboratory. "The Human Genome
Project." Los Alamos Science, vol. 20, 1992. This is a nicely illustrated
overview of The Human Genome Project from the perspective of Los Alamos
National Laboratory. It provides an excellent review of genetics and molecular
genetics as well as a very thorough overview of genome mapping. The typography
and illustrations make this accessible to high school students. (1-3).
National Institutes of Health. Genetic Information
and Health Insurance: Report of the Task Force on Genetic Information and
Insurance. National Center for Human Genome Research, National Institutes
of Health, May 10, 1993. This report assesses the potential impact of new
advances in human genetics on the current system of health care coverage,
and makes recommendations for managing that impact within a reformed health
care system.
Pines, Maya, ed. Blazing a Genetic Trail. Bethesda,
MD: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, 1991.
_________, ed. Finding the Critical Shapes. Bethesda, MD: Howard
Hughes Medical Institute, 1990.
_________, ed. From Egg to Adult. Bethesda, MD: Howard Hughes
Medical Institute, 1992.
_________.The Structures of Life: Discovering the Molecular Shapes
That Determine Health or Disease. Bethesda, MD: U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, September 1988.
These excellent articles are suitable for advanced students as well as
general students. Illustrations are useful for bulletin board displays.
(1-3)
Recombinant DNA: Readings from Scientific American. New York,
NY: W.H. Freeman, 1978. Thirteen articles from Scientific American that
describe major scientific discoveries basic to recombinant DNA. Includes
the 1975 article by Stanley Cohen describing
how recombinant molecules were first produced. Includes bibliography. (3,
4)
Ronan, Colin A. Science: Its History and Development
Among the World's Cultures. Facts on File, 1982. This very comprehensive
history of science demonstrates how science both shaped and was shaped by
the culture of the prevailing times. (1)
Shapiro, Robert. The Human Blueprint: The Race to
Unlock the Secrets of Our Genetic Code. New York, NY: Bantam Books,
1992. A "reader-friendly" account by a professor of chemistry
of the historical background, scope, and social meaning of the Human Genome
Project. (1)
Strachan, T. The Human Genome. 1st ed. Oxford,
UK: BIOS Scientific Publishers, 1992. A brief descriphon of the genome project
and the science surrounding it. (3)
Watson, Elizabeth L. Houses for Science: A Pictorial
History of Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. Cold Spring Harbor, NY: Cold
Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1991. Includes "Landmarks of Twentieth
Century Genetics," a series of essays by James D. Watson. (1-3)
Watson, James D. The Double Helix. New York,
NY: Penguin Books, 1969. A popular and highly personal account of the science
and personalides involved in the discovery of the structure of DNA. (13).
_________."Succeeding in Science: Some Rules of Thumb," Science,
no. 261, September 24, 1993. Dr. Watson writes about succeeding in science.
Some of his rules include "Learn from winners, take risks, have a fallback,
and have fun and stay connected." (1-3)
Watson, James D., and Crick, Francis H.C. "Molecular
Structure of Nucleic Acid: A Structure
of Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid." Nature, vol. 171, 1953. This is
the article that set the foundahon for all of molecular genetics. Probably
the single most important page in the history of biology. (2-4)
Watson, James D., and Tooze, John.The DNA Story:
A Documentary History ofGene Cloning.
New York, NY W.H. Freeman, 1981. A history of gene cloning told through
scientific papers, correspondence, newspaper articles, cartoons, and so
on. (1-3)
Watson, J.D., et al. Recombinant DNA. 2nd ed.
New York, NY: Scientific American Books, 1992. Highly readable, accessible
book, covering everything from the very basics of molecular biology to the
latest, gorund-breaking applications of recombinant DNA technology. An excellent
resource for the teacher with some molecular biology background as well
as the advanced student. (2-4)
Links
|
Resource Book Index: Stories from the Scientists
