Книги. Художественная литература. Учебники и пособия.

Matt Ridley

Human life, scientific journalist Matt Ridley suggests, is a complex balancing act: we behave with self-interest foremost in mind, but also in ways that do not harm, and sometimes even benefit, others. This behavior, in a strange way, makes us good. It also makes us unique in the animal world, where self-interest is far more pronounced. "The essential virtuousness of human beings is proved not by parallels in the animal kingdom, but by the very lack of convincing animal parallels," Ridley writes. How we got to be so virtuous over millions of years of evolution is the theme of this entertaining book of popular science, which will be of interest to any student of human nature.

Matt Ridley

Science writer Matt Ridley has found a way to tell someone else's story without being accused of plagiarism. Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters delves deep within your body (and, to be fair, Ridley's too) looking for dirt dug up by the Human Genome Project. Each chapter pries one gene out of its chromosome and focuses on its role in our development and adult life, but also goes further, exploring the implications of genetic research and our quickly changing social attitudes toward this information. Genome shies away from the "tedious biochemical middle managers" that only a nerd could love and instead goes for the A-material: genes associated with cancer, intelligence, sex (of course), and more. Readers unfamiliar with the jargon of genetic research needn't fear; Ridley provides a quick, clear guide to the few words and concepts he must use to translate hard science into English. His writing is informal, relaxed, and playful, guiding the reader so...

John H. Relethford

Researchers are increasingly turning to genetic data to help decipher the origins of modern humanity. Did we arise as a new species in Africa 200,000 years ago and then replace human populations outside of Africa (African replacement), or are we part of a single, evolving lineage extending back perhaps as far as two million years ago (multiregional evolution)? Genetics and the Search for Modern Human Origins is an introduction to the genetic evidence of modern human origins, including what it can show us about prehistory, population size, and migration. Weighing the various debates, the author argues for a multiregional view that our recent origins are mostly, but not exclusively, out of Africa. Taking into consideration the ongoing debate over modern human origins, this book offers a fascinating and educated look into the concepts, methods, and interpretations of human origins without weighing down the text with advanced mathematics or excessively technical language. John...

Peter Wagner

We are all modern today. But modernity today is not what it used to be. Over the past few decades, modernity has been radically changed by globalization, individualization, new inequalities, and fundamentalism. A novel way of analysing contemporary societies is needed. This book proposes such an analysis. Every society seeks answers to certain basic questions: how to order life in common; how to satisfy human needs; how to establish knowledge. Sociology long assumed that the answers had been found once and for all: a liberal democratic state, a market economy, and free scientific institutions. This trinity used to be called "modern society". By contrast, this book is based on the idea that, under conditions of modernity, there are no stable and certain answers to these questions. There is a plurality of possible answers, every proposed answer can be criticized and contested, and every society needs to find its answer on its own. This new sociology of modernity proposes...

Terence McKenna

Reissued because of the current interest in Ecstasy, this is McKenna's extraordinary quest to discover the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. He wonders why we are so fascinated by altered states of consciousness, do they reveal something about our origins as human beings and our place in nature?

Jean–Louis Serre

Diagnostic Techniques in Genetics offers a comprehensive coverage of the theory and practice of the molecular biology techniques used within medical genetics. The first part of the book focuses on DNA/RNA applications and includes many of the latest developments in the field combined with routine procedures of genetic diagnoses, for example cling and sequencing DNA. The DNA applications prese4nted are then each applied to a specific kind of genetic diagnosis and the text concludes with a chapter devoted to population genetics. The book provides a broad overview of the fundamental theory and applications used in the diagnosis of numerous genetic diseases. Each chapter has been written by leading professionals in the field and is intended to show how molecular biology( DNA or RNA technology) may be applied to a large set of genetic diagnoses. Comprehensive coverage of DNA applications and genetic diagnoses includes a chapter on population genetics ...

Matt Ridley

In the follow-up to his bestseller, Genome , Matt Ridley takes on a centuries-old question: is it nature or nurture that makes us who we are? Ridley asserts that the question itself is a "false dichotomy." Using copious examples from human and animal behavior, he presents the notion that our environment affects the way our genes express themselves. Ridley writes that the switches controlling our 30,000 or so genes not only form the structures of our brains but do so in such a way as to cue off the outside environment in a tidy feedback loop of body and behavior. In fact, it seems clear that we have genetic "thermostats" that are turned up and down by environmental factors. He challenges both scientific and folk concepts, from assumptions of what's malleable in a person to sociobiological theories based solely on the "selfish gene." Ridley's proof is in the pudding for such touchy subjects as monogamy, aggression, and parenting, which we now understand have some...

Terry Brown

Known world–wide as the standard introductory text to this important and exciting area, the sixth edition of Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis addresses new and growing areas of research whilst retaining the philosophy of the previous editions.

Mark Ridley

Mark Ridley’s Evolution has become the premier undergraduate text in the study of evolution. Readable and stimulating, yet well balanced and in–depth, this text tells the story of evolution, from the history of the study to the most recent developments in evolutionary theory. The third edition of this successful textbook features updates and extensive new coverage. The sections on adaptation and diversity have been reorganized for improved clarity and flow, and a completely updated section on the evolution of sex and the inclusion of more plant examples have all helped to shape this new edition. Evolution also features strong, balanced coverage of population genetics, and scores of new applied plant and animal examples make this edition even more accessible and engaging.

Jean–Louis Serre

Diagnostic Techniques in Genetics offers a comprehensive coverage of the theory and practice of the molecular biology techniques used within medical genetics. The first part of the book focuses on DNA/RNA applications and includes many of the latest developments in the field combined with routine procedures of genetic diagnoses, for example cling and sequencing DNA. The DNA applications prese4nted are then each applied to a specific kind of genetic diagnosis and the text concludes with a chapter devoted to population genetics. The book provides a broad overview of the fundamental theory and applications used in the diagnosis of numerous genetic diseases. Each chapter has been written by leading professionals in the field and is intended to show how molecular biology( DNA or RNA technology) may be applied to a large set of genetic diagnoses. Comprehensive coverage of DNA applications and genetic diagnoses includes a chapter on population genetics ...