DNA

Science Wiz DNA Kit
$19.99
The central concepts of molecular biology becomes child's play in this set of camp favorites. 40 Page science book and materials with 8 Major Activities. Makes the DNA revolution accessible. Extract DNA from a fruit Probe and spool real DNA Build a double helix Solve a chromosome puzzle Is it a boy or a girl? Play the gene construction game Country of Origin: U.S.A., China & Hong Kong.

DNA: The Secret of Life
$18.40
This book provides a well rounded approach to DNA from a historical, scientific, and social perspective. It covers the history of the discovery of the double helix structure and then follows with subsequent major breakthroughs, the social fallout from genetically engineered crops, the rise of big-money bio-tech firms and the race to patent gene sequences. I felt that the book dragged on as it delved into the public debates on the role of genetic engineering in society, but to each his own.

My sole reason for writing this review is to alert the reader trying to decide whether to read this book that it is out of date - this book needs a new chapter since it has become clear that the so-called central dogma is not exactly right(i.e., the notion that one gene encodes, via mRNA, one protein) - if you are reading this book as a primer on how DNA works you'll be getting an incomplete and incorrect perspective. For that you'll need to follow the book with some articles that will bring you more up to date: Mattick, John S., The Hidden Genetic Program of Complex Organisms (Scientific American 2004) and Ast, Gil, The Alternative Genome (Scientific American 2005). I'm sure there are others more recent, but that's as far as I've gotten. It also helps to do some searches for DNA on YouTube, since there are some great animations that really help you picture what's going on. So, in sum, the book is OK (maybe a bit tedious at times), but a bit out of date.

The Stuff of Life: A Graphic Guide to Genetics and DNA
$14.95
Those of us who didn't exactly fly through our science courses (there's a reason some of us turned to English) will appreciate The Stuff of Life. I imagine most everyone would, even the scientists and science enthusiasts who managed to grasp difficult theories and concepts early on. The Stuff of Life is incredibly thorough and, best of all, wonderfully accessible for experts and laymen alike.

The book has already been tagged with high praise and awards (a Great Graphic Novels for Teens nominee from YALSA, a Scientific American Book Club Alternate Selection, a feature in Wired magazine). It's a bit difficult to decide where to place the book: It's scientifically accurate, a point it rightfully prides itself on, but it's also a quite fictional account of an asexual alien race attempting to learn more about our planet. So, fiction it is, but keep in mind that the data is sound here. In fact, the book is the first in a planned series devoted to teaching real and accurate science through graphic novels.

Writer Mark Schultz and artists Zander and Kevin Cannon deserve praise for taking such potentially dry topic material and making it not only understandable but also fresh. It's not childish (although it does have touches of that) and it's not so irreverent that it misses its own point. The Stuff of Life has a daunting task: Walk the fine line between education and entertainment without veering too far off into either direction.

It succeeds in that way because it doesn't take itself too seriously. Science, on the other hand, is a different matter entirely. That it definitely takes seriously. The entire scope of genetics gets its due throughout the book, spanning some five million years of human existence and incorporating the vast and wonderful array of life on the planet. The book has a distinct sense of wonder about the entire thing, and it's hard not to get swept up in it. It's just so exciting to think about, so awe-inspiring and incredible. It turns out there was a lot we all should have been paying attention to in science class. Luckily, it's not too late.

-- John Hogan

DNA
$39.99
Tom conti is a fine actor, he adds class to whatever show he is in.
In this case it's DNA which in reality was called "Donavon" when it was shown on british television over a two year period. The series is heavy on the domestic life of a head of a crime lab who is recovering from a nervous breakdown. The actress who plays his wife has the most diffilcult
job making her seem like a halfway likeable person as she cheats on her stressed out husband. She is ultimately far more selfish and self centered than her husband. The show is a good show but the first series was hysterionic with the murders all related to the main character and his selfish wife. The other three episodes are much better with the crime lab taking on cases that are interesting. Like way too many british shows they only made the six episodes total. And it doesn't seem to matter if a show is successful; the brits often just can't make many episodes or even continue a series for a long while. there are exceptions like 'silent witness" , and 'the bill" but way too often even a moderately successful show has only a few seasons. This one only got to six episodes for whatever reason. It's not as good as 'silent witness" or
the great 'Waking the dead" which has had many seasons but still not enough episodes each season; but it still has Tom Conti and his performance makes this show a much better experience than it would be without him.