I have permission from AMACOM to distribute an excerpt from
Gina Smith's new book, "The Genomics Age." The excerpt is a
brief, plain-English guide to stem cell research, including
a breakthrough in parthenogenic cloning that may provide a
socially-acceptable path to stem cell research for the
treatment of Parkinson's disease, muscular dystrophy,
diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, and osteoporosis.
Smith is a science writer and former ABC News technology
correspondent. For "The Genomics Age," she conducted
exclusive interviews with 23 of the leading authorities in
the field, such as James D. Watson, Francis Collins, and
Cynthia Kenyon. Somehow, she pares their observations to
the minimum while covering the major issues of controversy:
controlling cancer, retarding aging, diagnosing "defects,"
cloning humans, DNA fingerprinting, DNA discrimination, and
genetically-enhanced babies. An example of her isolation of
plain-English answers to complex questions comes from this
interview with Robert Lanza of Advanced Cell Technology
regarding resistance to stem cell research: "...as soon as
we can show that we can cure diabetes in dogs, people will
clamor for this."
To get the excerpt from "The Genomics Age," send
mailto:excerptsnews at bellsouth.net with the subject line
"Send Genomics" and I will reply with the text -- and
*only* the text -- no opt-in mailing list jive or other
cancerous communications. Thank you.
