Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press,U.S.

This is the highly acclaimed book by Robin Marantz Henig about the early days of in vitro fertilization (IVF) and the ethical and legal battles waged in the 1970s, as well as the scientific advances that eventually changed the public perception of 'test tube babies'. Published in paperback for the first time, this timely and provocative book brilliantly presents the scientific and ethical dilemmas in the ongoing debate over what it means to be human in a technological age. About the author: Robin Marantz Henig is the author of eight books. Her previous book The Monk in the Garden: The Lost and Found Genius of Gregor Mendel, was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. She writes about science and medicine for the New York Times Magazine, where she is a contributing writer, as well as for publications such as Scientific American, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post. Robin Henig garnered two prestigious awards in 2006: the Science in Society Award, the highest honor in science journalism, awarded by the National Association of Science Writers, and The Watson Davis and Helen Miles Davis Prize awarded by The History of Science Society for the best book in the history of science for general readers.

It is now clear that our risk of developing almost any disease is influenced by the genes with which we are born. One of the most important dividends of the Human Genome Project will be a much greater understanding of the influence of genes on disease and disorders in children (from asthma to autism) and adults (including heart disease, virtually all cancers, and Alzheimer's disease). The nature of genetic risks in families is becoming clearer and this book is written to help people understand them. Philip Reilly, a physician-geneticist, who has given hundreds of lectures on this subject, takes a user-friendly approach. Drawing on the many questions he has been asked (for example, My sister has multiple sclerosis. Am I at an increased risk?”), Reilly discusses over 90 common conditions, diseases, and disorders, arranged from conception to old age. In frank, non-technical terms, he makes clear what is known and not known about the genetic factors and, if your risk is elevated, what you might be able to do about it. This book is a uniquely valuable resource for anyone seeking more information about a family's disease heritage.

Few technical manuals have become standards in biomedicine. Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, by Ed Harlow and David Lane, has had that status for a decade. Now there is a new and even higher standard-Using Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual. Harlow and Lane have completely revised their guide to the use of immunoglobulin reagents in the laboratory. Chapters have been entirely rewritten, reorganized, and updated to provide background, context, and step-by-step instructions for techniques that range from choosing the right antibody and handling it correctly, to the proper methods for characterizing antigens in cells and solutions. New chapters on tagging proteins and epitope mapping are included. Rather than presenting an array of solutions for working with antibodies and antigens, Using Antibodies instead identifies in each case the best approach to specific problems. These recommendations include more detail in the protocols, extensive advice on avoiding and solving problems, information regarding proper controls, and extensive illustration of theory, methods, and results, both good and bad. An additional bonus included with this manual is a set of Portable Protocols, step-by-step instructions for the most frequently used and essential techniques printed on spill-proof, durable cards that can be annotated and used directly at the bench. The expert advice in Using Antibodies is presented using an imaginative design with extensive use of color and graphic elements calculated to help readers plan and execute their experiments efficiently and accurately. A newly available type of binding will maintain the manual's integrity during years of use. This new manual reflects a decade's additional research experience by two outstanding scientists of international reputation. Since writing the previous manual, Ed Harlow has received many awards, notably the General Motors and Bristol Myers prizes for cancer research, and he was elected to the National Academy of Sciences. David Lane, also the winner of many awards, such as the Yvette Mayent Prize and the Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Award, was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society. The over-the-shoulder advice these experts provide in Using Antibodies will lead all laboratory investigators to success in using these techniques, regardless of experience. Using Antibodies is a required resource for every laboratory in which genes, cells, and proteins are studied.