An "invaluable [and] highly readable" account of the quest to map our DNA, the blueprint for life—and what it means for our future ( The Philadelphia Inquirer).Genome tells the story of the most ambitious scientific adventure of our time. By gradually isolating and identifying all the genes in the human body—the blueprint for life—scientists are closing in on the ability to effectively treat and prevent nearly every disease that strikes man, from m...

Plants have played key roles in science fiction novels, graphic novels, and film. John Wyndham's triffids, Algernon Blackwood's willows, and Han Kang's sprouting woman are just a few examples. Plants surround us, sustain us, pique our imaginations, and inhabit our metaphors - but in many ways they remain opaque. The scope of their alienation is as broad as their biodiversity. And yet, literary reflections of plant-life are driven, as are many threads of science fictional inquiry, by the co...

Why do we need sleep? How much sleep is enough? What is sleep? What happens when we don't get enough? We spend about a third of our lives asleep - it plays a crucial role in our health and wellbeing. References to sleep abound in literature and art, and sleep has been recognized as fundamental to the human condition for thousands of years. Over the past century, our knowledge of how sleep occurs, what it does, and what happens to our health if we do not have enough has developed h...

Goodbye, genetic blueprint. . . . The first book for general readers ?on the game-changing field of epigenetics.The burgeoning new science of epigenetics offers a cornucopia of insights—some comforting, some frightening. For example, the male fetus may be especially vulnerable to certain common chemicals in our environment, in ways that damage not only his own sperm but also the sperm of his sons. And it’s epigenetics that causes identical twins to vary widely in their susceptibili...

Turning thirty years of medical and cultural wisdom on its head, Sex, Lies, and Menopause challenges both the medical establishment and modern feminists to prove that menopause does not have to be deadly.In this revolutionary work -- a landmark that signals the true beginning of feminist medicine -- a doctor, a philosopher, and a scientist prove that by postponing marriage and motherhood, women have accelerated the aging process, resulting in earlier menopause and, ultimately for t...

As women quickly discover, their life when treatment ends is very different from what it was before their diagnosis. Often exhausted, anxious, and emotionally volatile, they are beset by physical discomforts, fearful of intimacy, afraid for their children, worried about recurrence. Anticipating a return to “normalcy,” they discover that the old version of normal no longer applies.There could be no more knowledgeable guide for women embarking on this complicated journey than Hester ...

If you have lupus, you probably have many questions. Lupus isn't a simple disease with an easy answer. You can't take a pill and make it go away. The people you live with and work with may have trouble understanding that you're sick. Lupus doesn't have a clear set of signs that people can see. You may know that something's wrong, even though it may take a while to be diagnosed. Lupus has many shades. It can affect people of different races, ethnicities, and ages, both men and wom...

A complete guide to Parkinson's from two people with the disease who cofounded a national support and advocacy organization.In Living Well with Parkinson's Disease, Gretchen Garie and Michael J. Church, a couple who both have Parkinson's and live daily with the effects of the disease, thoroughly discuss diagnosis, treatment options, and the emotional consequences of this difficult illness. With a conversational, pragmatic, and personal tone, they offer advi...

Discover Exciting New Treatments for FibromyalgiaNow you can take control of your fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) and begin enjoying life again—today! This book dispels the myths and clearly lays out the truth about FMS and what you can do for relief. Inside is compassionate, practical, and immediate guidance for anyone affected by fibromyalgia, including:·The causes, symptoms, and patterns of fibromyalgia·How to find the right doctor and avoid costly and ...

Internationally renowned as both a neurologist and a leading researcher, Dr. Okun has been referred to as, "the voice of the Parkinson's disease patient." He has an international following on the National Parkinson Foundation's Ask the Doctor web-forum. His many books and internet blog posts are brimming with up-to date and extremely practical information. He has a talent for infusing his readers with positivity and optimism. In his current book, he unmasks the important secrets applicable...

In recent years knowledge of our genetic code has changed our understanding of life on Earth. New genetic technologies are transforming the way we live and promise treatments for otherwise incurable diseases. But these advances are also generating controversy, particularly surrounding issues such as cloning and designer babies.In 50 Genetics Ideas, Mark Henderson distils the central ideas of genetics in a series of clear and concise essays. Beginning with the theory of evolution, an...

It should be a time of joyous anticipation–the happiest time in a woman’s life. But for many women, the joys of pregnancy are clouded by feelings of fear, sadness, and confusion. And unlike postpartum depression, which is widely portrayed in the media and embraced by the medical community, depression during pregnancy has been rarely discussed and often misunderstood–until now. In this groundbreaking book–the first to focus exclusively on depression in pregnancy–Dr. Shaila Kulkarni Misri, a...