Random House New Releases - Science - Biotechnology

In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood

2012-08-21T00:30:00-05:00

In Other Worlds SF and the Human Imagination
Written by Margaret Atwood

Trade Paperback, 272 pages | Anchor | Literary Criticism & Collections; Literary Criticism & Collections - Women Authors; Science - Biotechnology | $15.95 | 978-0-307-74176-9 (0-307-74176-1)

The author of The Handmaid’s Tale and Oryx and Crake engagingly explores her lifelong relationship to science fiction, both as a reader and as a writer.

At a time when the borders between literary genres are increasingly porous, Margaret Atwood maps the richly fertile crosscurrents of speculative and science fiction, slipstream, utopias and dystopias, and fantasy, and muses on their roots in the age-old human impulse to imagine new worlds. She shares the evolution of her personal fascination with this branch of literature, from her days as a child inventing a race of flying superhero rabbits, to her graduate study of the Victorian ancestors of SF to her appreciations of such influential writers as Marge Piercy, Rider Haggard, Ursula K. LeGuin, Kazuo Ishiguro, Aldous Huxley, and Jonathan Swift. As humorous and charming as it is insightful and provocative, In Other Worlds brilliantly illuminates “the wilder storms on the wilder seas of invention.”

In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood

2011-10-11T00:30:00-05:00

In Other Worlds SF and the Human Imagination
Written by Margaret Atwood

Hardcover, 272 pages | Nan A. Talese | Literary Criticism & Collections - Science Fiction; Literary Criticism & Collections - Women Authors; Science - Biotechnology | $24.95 | 978-0-385-53396-6 (0-385-53396-9)

At a time when speculative fiction seems less and less far-fetched, Margaret Atwood lends her distinctive voice and singular point of view to the genre in a series of essays that brilliantly illuminates the essential truths about the modern world. This is an exploration of her relationship with the literary form we have come to know as "science fiction,” a relationship that has been lifelong, stretching from her days as a child reader in the 1940s, through her time as a graduate student at Harvard, where she worked on the Victorian ancestor of the form, and continuing as a writer and reviewer. This book brings together her three heretofore unpublished Ellmann Lectures from 2010: "Flying Rabbits," which begins with Atwood's early rabbit superhero creations, and goes on to speculate about masks, capes, weakling alter egos, and Things with Wings; "Burning Bushes," which follows her into Victorian otherlands and beyond; and "Dire Cartographies," which investigates Utopias and Dystopias. In Other Worlds also includes some of Atwood's key reviews and thoughts about the form. Among those writers discussed are Marge Piercy, Rider Haggard, Ursula Le Guin, Ishiguro, Bryher, Huxley, and Jonathan Swift. She elucidates the differences (as she sees them) between "science fiction" proper, and "speculative fiction," as well as between "sword and sorcery/fantasy" and "slipstream fiction." For all readers who have loved The Handmaid's Tale, Oryx and Crake, and The Year of the Flood, In Other Worlds is a must.

In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood

2011-10-11T00:30:00-05:00

In Other Worlds SF and the Human Imagination
Written by Margaret Atwood

eBook, 208 pages | Anchor | Literary Criticism & Collections - Science Fiction; Literary Criticism & Collections - Women Authors; Science - Biotechnology | $11.99 | 978-0-385-53397-3 (0-385-53397-7)

Note: The electronic version of this title contains over thirty additional, illuminating eBook-exclusive illustrations by the author.

From the Hardcover edition.

In Other Worlds by Susan Denaker

2011-10-11T00:30:00-05:00

In Other Worlds SF and the Human Imagination
Written by Margaret Atwood
Read by Margaret Atwood and Susan Denaker

Unabridged Audiobook Download | Random House Audio | Literary Criticism & Collections - Science Fiction; Literary Criticism & Collections - Women Authors; Science - Biotechnology | $20.00 | 978-0-307-94394-1 (0-307-94394-1)

From the Hardcover edition.

Beyond Boundaries by Patrick Egan

2011-03-15T00:30:00-05:00

Beyond Boundaries The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines---and How It Will Change Our Lives
Written by Miguel Nicolelis
Read by Patrick Egan

Unabridged Audiobook Download | Random House Audio | Science - Biotechnology; Science - Cognitive Science; Science | $22.50 | 978-0-307-93245-7 (0-307-93245-1)

A pioneering neuroscientist shows how the long-sought merger of brains with machines is about to become a paradigm-shifting reality.

Imagine living in a world where people use their computers, drive their cars, and communicate with one another simply by thinking. In this stunning and inspiring work, Duke University neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis shares his revolutionary insights into how the brain creates thought and the human sense of self—and how this might be augmented by machines, so that the entire universe will be within our reach.

Beyond Boundaries draws on Nicolelis's ground-breaking research with monkeys that he taught to control the movements of a robot located halfway around the globe by using brain signals alone. Nicolelis's work with primates has uncovered a new method for capturing brain function—by recording rich neuronal symphonies rather than the activity of single neurons. His lab is now paving the way for a new treatment for Parkinson's, silk-thin exoskeletons to grant mobility to the paralyzed, and breathtaking leaps in space exploration, global communication, manufacturing, and more.

Beyond Boundaries promises to reshape our concept of the technological future, to a world filled with promise and hope.

How to Defeat Your Own Clone by Kyle Kurpinski

2010-02-23T00:30:00-05:00

How to Defeat Your Own Clone And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution
Written by Kyle Kurpinski

eBook | Bantam | Science - Biotechnology; Science - Genetics; Humor | $11.99 | 978-0-553-90716-2 (0-553-90716-6)

Send in the clones! On second thought, maybe not.

CAN IT READ MY MIND?
WILL IT BE EVIL?
HOW DO I STOP IT?

Find out the answers to these and other burning questions in this funny, informative, and ingenious book from two bioengineering experts who show you how to survive—and thrive—in a new age of truly weird science.
For decades, science fiction has been alerting us to the wonders and perils of our biotech future—from the prospects of gene therapy to the pitfalls of biological warfare. Now that future looms before us. Don’t panic! This book is all you need to prepare for the new world that awaits us, providing indispensable cautionary advice on topics such as

• bioenhancements: They’re not just for cyborgs anymore.
• DNA sequencing and fingerprinting: What’s scarier than the government having your DNA on file? Try having it posted on the Internet.
• human cloning: Just like you, only stronger, smarter, and more attractive. In other words: more dangerous.

Our future may be populated by designer babies, genetically enhanced supersoldiers, and one (or more!) of your genetic duplicates, but all is not lost. How to Defeat Your Own Clone is the ultimate survival guide to what lies ahead. Just remember the first rule of engagement: Don’t ever let your clone read this book!

From the Trade Paperback edition.

How to Defeat Your Own Clone by Terry D. Johnson

2010-02-23T00:30:00-05:00

How to Defeat Your Own Clone And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution
Written by Kyle Kurpinski and Terry D. Johnson

Trade Paperback, 192 pages | Bantam | Science - Biotechnology; Science - Genetics; Humor | $14.00 | 978-0-553-38578-6 (0-553-38578-X)

Microcosm by Carl Zimmer

2009-07-14T00:30:00-05:00

Microcosm E. Coli and the New Science of Life
Written by Carl Zimmer

Trade Paperback, 256 pages | Vintage | Science - Microbiology; Science - Biotechnology | $15.00 | 978-0-307-27686-5 (0-307-27686-4)

A Best Book of the YearSeed Magazine • Granta Magazine • The Plain-DealerIn this fascinating and utterly engaging book, Carl Zimmer traces E. coli's pivotal role in the history of biology, from the discovery of DNA to the latest advances in biotechnology. He reveals the many surprising and alarming parallels between E. coli's life and our own. And he describes how E. coli changes in real time, revealing billions of years of history encoded within its genome. E. coli is also the most engineered species on Earth, and as scientists retool this microbe to produce life-saving drugs and clean fuel, they are discovering just how far the definition of life can be stretched.

Uncertain Peril by Claire Hope Cummings

2009-03-01T00:30:00-05:00

Uncertain Peril Genetic Engineering and the Future of Seeds
Written by Claire Hope Cummings

Trade Paperback, 256 pages | Beacon Press | Nature - Environmental Conservation & Protection; Social Science - Agriculture & Food; Science - Biotechnology | $20.00 | 978-0-8070-8581-3 (0-8070-8581-2)

Life on earth is facing unprecedented challenges from global warming, war, and mass extinctions. The plight of seeds is a less visible but no less fundamental threat to our survival. Seeds are at the heart of the planet's life-support systems. Their power to regenerate and adapt are essential to maintaining our food supply and our ability to cope with a changing climate.

In Uncertain Peril, environmental journalist Claire Hope Cummings exposes the stories behind the rise of industrial agriculture and plant biotechnology, the fall of public interest science, and the folly of patenting seeds. She examines how farming communities are coping with declining water, soil, and fossil fuels, as well as with new commercial technologies. Will genetically engineered and "terminator" seeds lead to certain promise, as some have hoped, or are we embarking on a path of uncertain peril? Will the "doomsday vault" under construction in the Arctic, designed to store millions of seeds, save the genetic diversity of the world's agriculture?

To answer these questions and others, Cummings takes readers from the Fertile Crescent in Iraq to the island of Kaua'i in Hawai'i; from Oaxaca, Mexico, to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. She examines the plight of farmers who have planted transgenic seeds and scientists who have been persecuted for revealing the dangers of modified genes.

At each turn, Cummings looks deeply into the relationship between people and plants. She examines the possibilities for both scarcity and abundance and tells the stories of local communities that are producing food and fuel sustainably and providing for the future. The choices we make about how we feed ourselves now will determine whether or not seeds will continue as a generous source of sustenance and remain the common heritage of all humanity. It comes down to this: whoever controls the future of seeds controls the future of life on earth.

Uncertain Peril is a powerful reminder that what's at stake right now is nothing less than the nature of the future.

Future Bioethics by Ronald A. Lindsay

2008-06-01T00:30:00-05:00

Future Bioethics Overcoming Taboos, Myths, and Dogmas
Written by Ronald A. Lindsay

Hardcover, 313 pages | Prometheus Books | Science - Biotechnology; Political Science - Public Policy; Philosophy - Ethics & Moral Philosophy | $28.99 | 978-1-59102-624-2 (1-59102-624-5)

few areas of public policy have been fraught with as much controversy as bioethics. Each novel development in biomedical technology seems to spark rancorous disputes. Those averse to new technologies often express the concern that the new technology is 'unnatural' or requires us to 'play God'. Slogans such as 'Frankenfoods' and 'sanctity of life' substitute for reasoned argument. This is an ambitious book that seeks to reframe the debates surrounding current controversies in bioethics. Carefully examining and dissecting claims made by many policy-makers and ethicists on topics such as assistance in dying, genetic engineering, and embryonic stem cell research, bioethicist Ronald A Lindsay shows that all too often these claims are based on instinctive reactions, beliefs that lack factual support, and religious or ideological dogma. After describing in detail the proper way to approach and resolve a dispute in bioethics, Lindsay proceeds to analyse several different cutting-edge issues. Through his insightful analysis, Lindsay demonstrates how to achieve pragmatic, progressive solutions to these controversies. An antidote for misguided thinking, "Future Bioethics" illuminates the way forward to bioethics policies appropriate for the 21st century.

Living Terrors by John Schwartz

2007-12-18T00:30:00-05:00

Living Terrors What America Needs to Know to Survive the Coming Bioterrorist Catastrophe
Written by Michael T. Osterholm Phd., M.P.H. and John Schwartz

eBook, 256 pages | Delta | Science - Biotechnology; Science - Biochemistry; Science | $13.99 | 978-0-307-42312-2 (0-307-42312-3)

America is one killer organism away from a living nightmare that threatens all we hold dear....

A deadly cloud of powdered anthrax spores settles unnoticed over a crowded football stadium.... A school cafeteria lunch is infected with a drug-resistant strain of E. coli.... Thousands in a bustling shopping mall inhale a lethal mist of smallpox, turning each individual into a highly infectious agent of suffering and death....

Dr. Michael Osterholm knows all too well the horrifying scenarios he describes. In this eye-opening account, the nation’s leading expert on bioterrorism sounds a wake-up call to the terrifying threat of biological attack — and America’s startling lack of preparedness.

He demonstrates the havoc these silent killers can wreak, exposes the startling ease with which they can be deployed, and asks probing questions about America’s ability to respond to such attacks.

Are most doctors and emergency rooms able to diagnose correctly and treat anthrax, smallpox, and other potential tools in the bioterrorist’s arsenal? Is the government developing the appropriate vaccines and treatments?

The answers are here in riveting detail — what America has and hasn’t done to prevent the coming bioterrorist catastrophe. Impeccably researched, grippingly told, Living Terrors presents the unsettling truth about the magnitude of the threat. And more important, it presents the ultimate insider’s prescription for change: what we must do as a nation to secure our freedom, our future, our lives.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

The Stem Cell Controversy by Michael Ruse

2006-04-04T00:30:00-05:00

The Stem Cell Controversy Debating the Issues
Edited by Michael Ruse

Trade Paperback, 367 pages | Prometheus Books | Science - Developmental Biolog; Science - Biotechnology; Philosophy - Ethics & Moral Philosophy | $22.99 | 978-1-59102-404-0 (1-59102-404-8)

Stem cell research is headline news. Researchers are eager to move forward, state governments and private foundations are rushing to support it, and the sick and afflicted are desperate for its benefits. Yet powerful forces in our society — led by President George W. Bush — find it morally troubling and they are doing all in their powers to restrict its development beyond a very limited scale.
Stem cells, which have the remarkable potential to develop into different parts of the body, are actually harvested from aborted fetal tissue or newly fertilized cells. Proponents of stem cell research argue that scientists are making legitimate use of already aborted fetuses and it is unfair to deprive those who are suffering the benefits of a potentially revolutionary therapy. Yet this practice has raised sharp criticisms from the Religious Right, who charge that science is capitalizing on an abhorrent procedure.
Given the medical potential for treatment of incurable diseases by stem cell research, as well as the moral dilemmas this technology poses, should such research be permitted? What moral, religious, or political objections might be raised?
Philosophers Michael Ruse and Christopher A. Pynes have compiled this valuable, up-to-date, and newly revised collection of articles by noted experts to address all aspects of the stem cell controversy. The contributors — scientists, medical practitioners, philosophers, theologians, historians, and policy analysts — offer a variety of perspectives to give readers the critical tools they need to shape an informed position on the topic. Readers will come away with a deeper understanding of the science of stem cell research, its medical cures and promises, and the moral, religious, and policy concerns surrounding this controversial social issue.

Glowing Genes by Marc Zimmer

2005-02-01T00:30:00-05:00

Glowing Genes A Revolution In Biotechnology
Written by Marc Zimmer

Hardcover, 221 pages | Prometheus Books | Science - Biotechnology; Science - Genetics | $28.99 | 978-1-59102-253-4 (1-59102-253-3)

Marc Zimmer has written the first popular science book on an amazing new area of biotechnology that will help fight cancer, create new products, improve agriculture, and combat terrorism. For more than one hundred and sixty million years, green fluorescent protein has existed in one species of jellyfish. In 1994 it was cloned, giving rise to a host of useful and potentially revolutionary applications in biotechnology. Today researchers are using this ancient glowing protein to pursue exciting new discoveries, from tracking the process of bacterial infection to detecting chemical and biological agents planted by terrorists.
A recognized expert in this field, Zimmer begins with an overview of the many uses of these glowing genes to kill and image cancer cells, monitor bacterial infections, and light up in the presence of pollution. He then discusses the biological reasons that glowing proteins first evolved in jellyfish and fireflies, and looks at the history of bioluminescence and the dedicated scientists who devoted their careers to explaining this phenomenon. The story of how "glowing genes" were located, cloned, and then mass-produced is in itself a fascinating tale.
Zimmer next turns to the serious, and not-so-serious, uses of fluorescent proteins. In agriculture it may soon be possible to produce crops that signal dryness by glowing. In industry a red fluorescent protein originally found in corals may find a use in sheep as a substitute for environmentally harmful wool dyes.
Furthermore, the glowing gene revolution has led to significantly more humane treatment of laboratory animals. No longer must animal lives be sacrificed to understand disease processes; now researchers can observe the spread of cancer and infections by treating animals with green fluorescent genes and similar proteins.
In the fight against terrorism a glowing gene has been created that lights up in the presence of anthrax spores, chemical warfare agents, and landmines. And in a completely different arena, we have already seen the emergence of "transgenic art" in Alba, the fluorescent bunny rabbit.
Glowing Genes is a highly informative, fascinating, and entertaining read about a burgeoning area of biotechnology that promises soon to revolutionize our world.

Liberation Biology by Ronald Bailey

2005-01-01T00:30:00-05:00

Liberation Biology The Scientific And Moral Case For The Biotech Revolution
Written by Ronald Bailey

Hardcover, 332 pages | Prometheus Books | Science - Biotechnology | $30.99 | 978-1-59102-227-5 (1-59102-227-4)

The 21st century will undoubtedly witness unprecedented advances in understanding the mechanisms of the human body and in developing biotechnology. With the mapping of the human genome, the pace of discovery is now on the fast track. By the middle of the century we can expect that the rapid progress in biology and biotechnology will utterly transform human life. What was once the stuff of science fiction may now be within reach in the not-too-distant future: 20-to-40-year leaps in average life spans, enhanced human bodies, drugs and therapies to boost memory and speed up mental processing, and a genetic science that allows parents to ensure that their children will have stronger immune systems, more athletic bodies, and cleverer brains. Even the prospect of human immortality beckons.
Such scenarios excite many people and frighten or appall many others. Already biotechnology opponents are organizing political movements aimed at restricting scientific research, banning the development and commercialization of various products and technologies, and limiting citizens’ access to the fruits of the biotech revolution.
In this forward-looking book Ronald Bailey, science writer for Reason magazine, argues that the coming biotechnology revolution, far from endangering human dignity, will liberate human beings to achieve their full potentials by enabling more of us to live flourishing lives free of disease, disability, and the threat of early death. Bailey covers the full range of the coming biotechnology breakthroughs, from stem-cell research to third-world farming, from brain-enhancing neuropharmaceuticals to designer babies. Against critics of these trends, who forecast the nightmare society of Huxley’s Brave New World, Bailey persuasively shows in lucid and well-argued prose that the health, safety, and ethical concerns raised by worried citizens and policymakers are misplaced.
Liberation Biology makes a positive, optimistic, and convincing case that the biotechnology revolution will improve our lives and the future of our children, while preserving and enhancing the natural environment.

Living Terrors by John Schwartz

2001-10-09T00:30:00-05:00

Living Terrors What America Needs to Know to Survive the Coming Bioterrorist Catastrophe
Written by Michael T. Osterholm Phd., M.P.H. and John Schwartz

Trade Paperback, 256 pages | Delta | Science - Biotechnology; Science - Biochemistry; Science | $15.00 | 978-0-385-33481-5 (0-385-33481-8)

Random House New Releases - Science - Biotechnology

In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood

In Other Worlds SF and the Human ImaginationWritten by Margaret Atwood

In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood

In Other Worlds SF and the Human ImaginationWritten by Margaret Atwood

In Other Worlds by Margaret Atwood

In Other Worlds SF and the Human ImaginationWritten by Margaret Atwood

In Other Worlds by Susan Denaker

In Other Worlds SF and the Human ImaginationWritten by Margaret Atwood Read by Margaret Atwood and Susan Denaker

Beyond Boundaries by Patrick Egan

Beyond Boundaries The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines---and How It Will Change Our LivesWritten by Miguel Nicolelis Read by Patrick Egan

How to Defeat Your Own Clone by Kyle Kurpinski

How to Defeat Your Own Clone And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech RevolutionWritten by Kyle Kurpinski

How to Defeat Your Own Clone by Terry D. Johnson

How to Defeat Your Own Clone And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech RevolutionWritten by Kyle Kurpinski and Terry D. Johnson

Microcosm by Carl Zimmer

Microcosm E. Coli and the New Science of LifeWritten by Carl Zimmer

Uncertain Peril by Claire Hope Cummings

Uncertain Peril Genetic Engineering and the Future of SeedsWritten by Claire Hope Cummings

Future Bioethics by Ronald A. Lindsay

Future Bioethics Overcoming Taboos, Myths, and DogmasWritten by Ronald A. Lindsay

Living Terrors by John Schwartz

Living Terrors What America Needs to Know to Survive the Coming Bioterrorist CatastropheWritten by Michael T. Osterholm Phd., M.P.H. and John Schwartz

The Stem Cell Controversy by Michael Ruse

The Stem Cell Controversy Debating the IssuesEdited by Michael Ruse

Glowing Genes by Marc Zimmer

Glowing Genes A Revolution In BiotechnologyWritten by Marc Zimmer

Liberation Biology by Ronald Bailey

Liberation Biology The Scientific And Moral Case For The Biotech RevolutionWritten by Ronald Bailey

Living Terrors by John Schwartz

Living Terrors What America Needs to Know to Survive the Coming Bioterrorist CatastropheWritten by Michael T. Osterholm Phd., M.P.H. and John Schwartz

In Other Worlds SF and the Human Imagination
Written by Margaret Atwood

In Other Worlds SF and the Human Imagination
Written by Margaret Atwood

In Other Worlds SF and the Human Imagination
Written by Margaret Atwood

In Other Worlds SF and the Human Imagination
Written by Margaret Atwood
Read by Margaret Atwood and Susan Denaker

Beyond Boundaries The New Neuroscience of Connecting Brains with Machines---and How It Will Change Our Lives
Written by Miguel Nicolelis
Read by Patrick Egan

How to Defeat Your Own Clone And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution
Written by Kyle Kurpinski

How to Defeat Your Own Clone And Other Tips for Surviving the Biotech Revolution
Written by Kyle Kurpinski and Terry D. Johnson

Microcosm E. Coli and the New Science of Life
Written by Carl Zimmer

Uncertain Peril Genetic Engineering and the Future of Seeds
Written by Claire Hope Cummings

Future Bioethics Overcoming Taboos, Myths, and Dogmas
Written by Ronald A. Lindsay

Living Terrors What America Needs to Know to Survive the Coming Bioterrorist Catastrophe
Written by Michael T. Osterholm Phd., M.P.H. and John Schwartz

The Stem Cell Controversy Debating the Issues
Edited by Michael Ruse

Glowing Genes A Revolution In Biotechnology
Written by Marc Zimmer

Liberation Biology The Scientific And Moral Case For The Biotech Revolution
Written by Ronald Bailey

Living Terrors What America Needs to Know to Survive the Coming Bioterrorist Catastrophe
Written by Michael T. Osterholm Phd., M.P.H. and John Schwartz