Author: Joseph Alden
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Children's stories
Languages : en
Pages : 80
Book Description
The Great Secret Discovered
Author: Joseph Alden
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Children's stories
Languages : en
Pages : 80
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Children's stories
Languages : en
Pages : 80
Book Description
The Great Secret: The Classified World War II Disaster that Launched the War on Cancer
Author: Jennet Conant
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 1324002514
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 400
Book Description
The gripping story of a chemical weapons catastrophe, the cover-up, and how one American Army doctor’s discovery led to the development of the first drug to combat cancer, known today as chemotherapy. On the night of December 2, 1943, the Luftwaffe bombed a critical Allied port in Bari, Italy, sinking seventeen ships and killing over a thousand servicemen and hundreds of civilians. Caught in the surprise air raid was the John Harvey, an American Liberty ship carrying a top-secret cargo of 2,000 mustard bombs to be used in retaliation if the Germans resorted to gas warfare. When one young sailor after another began suddenly dying of mysterious symptoms, Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Alexander, a doctor and chemical weapons expert, was dispatched to investigate. He quickly diagnosed mustard gas exposure, but was overruled by British officials determined to cover up the presence of poison gas in the devastating naval disaster, which the press dubbed "little Pearl Harbor." Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General Dwight D. Eisenhower acted in concert to suppress the truth, insisting the censorship was necessitated by military security. Alexander defied British port officials and heroically persevered in his investigation. His final report on the Bari casualties was immediately classified, but not before his breakthrough observations about the toxic effects of mustard on white blood cells caught the attention of Colonel Cornelius P. Rhoads—a pioneering physician and research scientist as brilliant as he was arrogant and self-destructive—who recognized that the poison was both a killer and a cure, and ushered in a new era of cancer research led by the Sloan Kettering Institute. Meanwhile, the Bari incident remained cloaked in military secrecy, resulting in lost records, misinformation, and considerable confusion about how a deadly chemical weapon came to be tamed for medical use. Deeply researched and beautifully written, The Great Secret is the remarkable story of how horrific tragedy gave birth to medical triumph.
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 1324002514
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 400
Book Description
The gripping story of a chemical weapons catastrophe, the cover-up, and how one American Army doctor’s discovery led to the development of the first drug to combat cancer, known today as chemotherapy. On the night of December 2, 1943, the Luftwaffe bombed a critical Allied port in Bari, Italy, sinking seventeen ships and killing over a thousand servicemen and hundreds of civilians. Caught in the surprise air raid was the John Harvey, an American Liberty ship carrying a top-secret cargo of 2,000 mustard bombs to be used in retaliation if the Germans resorted to gas warfare. When one young sailor after another began suddenly dying of mysterious symptoms, Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Alexander, a doctor and chemical weapons expert, was dispatched to investigate. He quickly diagnosed mustard gas exposure, but was overruled by British officials determined to cover up the presence of poison gas in the devastating naval disaster, which the press dubbed "little Pearl Harbor." Prime Minister Winston Churchill and General Dwight D. Eisenhower acted in concert to suppress the truth, insisting the censorship was necessitated by military security. Alexander defied British port officials and heroically persevered in his investigation. His final report on the Bari casualties was immediately classified, but not before his breakthrough observations about the toxic effects of mustard on white blood cells caught the attention of Colonel Cornelius P. Rhoads—a pioneering physician and research scientist as brilliant as he was arrogant and self-destructive—who recognized that the poison was both a killer and a cure, and ushered in a new era of cancer research led by the Sloan Kettering Institute. Meanwhile, the Bari incident remained cloaked in military secrecy, resulting in lost records, misinformation, and considerable confusion about how a deadly chemical weapon came to be tamed for medical use. Deeply researched and beautifully written, The Great Secret is the remarkable story of how horrific tragedy gave birth to medical triumph.
THE APPRENTICE WHO DISCOVERED THE GREAT SECRET
Author: FELIPE CHAVARRO POLANÍA
Publisher: Felipe chavarro
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 168
Book Description
El Aprendiz que Descubrió el gran Secreto. Spanish Edition. The extraordinary story of a young man named Kadmiel, who after beginning the search for the path to fulfill his dreams and find his vocation, makes the radical decision to undertake an adventure that will change his life: He will leave his homeland and to make his way in his new adventure, he will have to cross the harsh desert. Then, on his way, he will have to face the skepticism and doubt of several of those close to him, and overcome a variety of obstacles. Will he succumb to his fears? Will he give in to what his nature dictates? Will he overcome the opinions and prejudices of others? No one knows what he will encounter during his journey, nor if Kadmiel will be able to overcome the obstacles along the way. However, this young man will learn the wise and profound reflections of his teachers, and during his journey he will find much more than he had come to imagine. With this extraordinary and transformative story, the author illustrates, step by step, a new way of approaching life with a wonderful end in mind. Moreover, by meditating on the life of this character, we will be deeply moved to pursue our dreams and find our true calling. Thanks to this story we will no longer revere the limiting chains that place boundaries of expression on our being. We are more than a profession or a trade! In the words of Felipe Chavarro: "When I wrote The Apprentice Who Discovered The Great Secret, I was trying to understand the importance of dreams and a defined vocation. I was also trying to explain to myself the best way to continue pursuing them without losing heart. For this reason, instead of writing an ideological treatise full of concepts and ideas, I decided to go back to my childhood, and talk to the curious and dreamy child I had decided to bury one day. To my great surprise, this child taught me the optics I needed to fulfill my dreams, find my vocation and never give up."Listening to the world's most important people. Listen to the child within you. He knows everything you need to find your vocation. Just that child that exists in your soul alone unfolds with simplicity the nature of God, for it is the seed that proceeds from the creator." Through this story, the author teaches us to: 1. recover adventure, simplicity and the desire to dream in our lives. 2. Reconnect with our inner child. 3. Recover our curiosity and imagination necessary to discover our true vocation. 4. Get rid of skepticism and prejudices.
Publisher: Felipe chavarro
ISBN:
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 168
Book Description
El Aprendiz que Descubrió el gran Secreto. Spanish Edition. The extraordinary story of a young man named Kadmiel, who after beginning the search for the path to fulfill his dreams and find his vocation, makes the radical decision to undertake an adventure that will change his life: He will leave his homeland and to make his way in his new adventure, he will have to cross the harsh desert. Then, on his way, he will have to face the skepticism and doubt of several of those close to him, and overcome a variety of obstacles. Will he succumb to his fears? Will he give in to what his nature dictates? Will he overcome the opinions and prejudices of others? No one knows what he will encounter during his journey, nor if Kadmiel will be able to overcome the obstacles along the way. However, this young man will learn the wise and profound reflections of his teachers, and during his journey he will find much more than he had come to imagine. With this extraordinary and transformative story, the author illustrates, step by step, a new way of approaching life with a wonderful end in mind. Moreover, by meditating on the life of this character, we will be deeply moved to pursue our dreams and find our true calling. Thanks to this story we will no longer revere the limiting chains that place boundaries of expression on our being. We are more than a profession or a trade! In the words of Felipe Chavarro: "When I wrote The Apprentice Who Discovered The Great Secret, I was trying to understand the importance of dreams and a defined vocation. I was also trying to explain to myself the best way to continue pursuing them without losing heart. For this reason, instead of writing an ideological treatise full of concepts and ideas, I decided to go back to my childhood, and talk to the curious and dreamy child I had decided to bury one day. To my great surprise, this child taught me the optics I needed to fulfill my dreams, find my vocation and never give up."Listening to the world's most important people. Listen to the child within you. He knows everything you need to find your vocation. Just that child that exists in your soul alone unfolds with simplicity the nature of God, for it is the seed that proceeds from the creator." Through this story, the author teaches us to: 1. recover adventure, simplicity and the desire to dream in our lives. 2. Reconnect with our inner child. 3. Recover our curiosity and imagination necessary to discover our true vocation. 4. Get rid of skepticism and prejudices.
A Secret Gift
Author: Ted Gup
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101444630
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
An inspiring account of America at its worst-and Americans at their best-woven from the stories of Depression-era families who were helped by gifts from the author's generous and secretive grandfather. Shortly before Christmas 1933 in Depression-scarred Canton, Ohio, a small newspaper ad offered $10, no strings attached, to 75 families in distress. Interested readers were asked to submit letters describing their hardships to a benefactor calling himself Mr. B. Virdot. The author's grandfather Sam Stone was inspired to place this ad and assist his fellow Cantonians as they prepared for the cruelest Christmas most of them would ever witness. Moved by the tales of suffering and expressions of hope contained in the letters, which he discovered in a suitcase 75 years later, Ted Gup initially set out to unveil the lives behind them, searching for records and relatives all over the country who could help him flesh out the family sagas hinted at in those letters. From these sources, Gup has re-created the impact that Mr B. Virdot's gift had on each family. Many people yearned for bread, coal, or other necessities, but many others received money from B. Virdot for more fanciful items-a toy horse, say, or a set of encyclopedias. As Gup's investigations revealed, all these things had the power to turn people's lives around- even to save them. But as he uncovered the suffering and triumphs of dozens of strangers, Gup also learned that Sam Stone was far more complex than the lovable- retiree persona he'd always shown his grandson. Gup unearths deeply buried details about Sam's life-from his impoverished, abusive upbringing to felonious efforts to hide his immigrant origins from U.S. officials-that help explain why he felt such a strong affinity to strangers in need. Drawing on his unique find and his award-winning reportorial gifts, Ted Gup solves a singular family mystery even while he pulls away the veil of eight decades that separate us from the hardships that united America during the Depression. In A Secret Gift, he weaves these revelations seamlessly into a tapestry of Depression-era America, which will fascinate and inspire in equal measure. Watch a Video
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101444630
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 258
Book Description
An inspiring account of America at its worst-and Americans at their best-woven from the stories of Depression-era families who were helped by gifts from the author's generous and secretive grandfather. Shortly before Christmas 1933 in Depression-scarred Canton, Ohio, a small newspaper ad offered $10, no strings attached, to 75 families in distress. Interested readers were asked to submit letters describing their hardships to a benefactor calling himself Mr. B. Virdot. The author's grandfather Sam Stone was inspired to place this ad and assist his fellow Cantonians as they prepared for the cruelest Christmas most of them would ever witness. Moved by the tales of suffering and expressions of hope contained in the letters, which he discovered in a suitcase 75 years later, Ted Gup initially set out to unveil the lives behind them, searching for records and relatives all over the country who could help him flesh out the family sagas hinted at in those letters. From these sources, Gup has re-created the impact that Mr B. Virdot's gift had on each family. Many people yearned for bread, coal, or other necessities, but many others received money from B. Virdot for more fanciful items-a toy horse, say, or a set of encyclopedias. As Gup's investigations revealed, all these things had the power to turn people's lives around- even to save them. But as he uncovered the suffering and triumphs of dozens of strangers, Gup also learned that Sam Stone was far more complex than the lovable- retiree persona he'd always shown his grandson. Gup unearths deeply buried details about Sam's life-from his impoverished, abusive upbringing to felonious efforts to hide his immigrant origins from U.S. officials-that help explain why he felt such a strong affinity to strangers in need. Drawing on his unique find and his award-winning reportorial gifts, Ted Gup solves a singular family mystery even while he pulls away the veil of eight decades that separate us from the hardships that united America during the Depression. In A Secret Gift, he weaves these revelations seamlessly into a tapestry of Depression-era America, which will fascinate and inspire in equal measure. Watch a Video
Earl Nightingale's Greatest Discovery
Author: Earl Nightingale
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781480285613
Category : Self-realization
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Successful broadcaster and inspirational leader Earl Nightingale shares his surefire yet little known secrets for success.
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781480285613
Category : Self-realization
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Successful broadcaster and inspirational leader Earl Nightingale shares his surefire yet little known secrets for success.
Pluto's Secret
Author: Margaret Weitekamp
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1613124961
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 44
Book Description
People, children especially, have been baffled, bewildered, and even outraged by the fact that Pluto is no longer called a planet. Through whimsical artwork and an entertaining dialogue format, Pluto’s Secret explains the true story of this distant world. Providing a history of the small, icy world from its discovery and naming to its recent reclassification, this book presents a fascinating look at how scientists organize and classify our solar system as they gain new insights into how it works and what types of things exist within it. The book includes a glossary and bibliography. Praise for Pluto's Secret "Pairing a lighthearted narrative in a hand-lettered†“style typeface with informally drawn cartoon illustrations, this lively tale of astronomical revelations begins with the search for Planet X.†? —Kirkus Reviews "This picture book offers a fresh, positive perspective on Pluto, showing that its change of status is not a demotion but a correction." —Booklist "Light-hearted imagining of a gregarious Pluto.†? —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Fun reading... The book provides a factual history of our faraway 'dwarf,' and on its companion icy worlds, and on the discovery of Kuiper-like bands around other stars." —School Library Journal Award New York Public Library’s annual Children’s Books list: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2013
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1613124961
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 44
Book Description
People, children especially, have been baffled, bewildered, and even outraged by the fact that Pluto is no longer called a planet. Through whimsical artwork and an entertaining dialogue format, Pluto’s Secret explains the true story of this distant world. Providing a history of the small, icy world from its discovery and naming to its recent reclassification, this book presents a fascinating look at how scientists organize and classify our solar system as they gain new insights into how it works and what types of things exist within it. The book includes a glossary and bibliography. Praise for Pluto's Secret "Pairing a lighthearted narrative in a hand-lettered†“style typeface with informally drawn cartoon illustrations, this lively tale of astronomical revelations begins with the search for Planet X.†? —Kirkus Reviews "This picture book offers a fresh, positive perspective on Pluto, showing that its change of status is not a demotion but a correction." —Booklist "Light-hearted imagining of a gregarious Pluto.†? —Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books "Fun reading... The book provides a factual history of our faraway 'dwarf,' and on its companion icy worlds, and on the discovery of Kuiper-like bands around other stars." —School Library Journal Award New York Public Library’s annual Children’s Books list: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2013
A Secret Atlas
Author: Michael A. Stackpole
Publisher: Spectra
ISBN: 0553901303
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 482
Book Description
From New York Times bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole comes the first book in a fantasy saga unlike any you’ve ever read. “[A Secret Atlas] has it all—wild magic, the excitement of epic fantasy, and the adventure of exploration in the age of sail.”—Publishers Weekly In Nalenyr, the family of the Royal Cartographer not only draw the maps, they also explore uncharted territories, expanding the existing knowledge of the world. Their talent has yielded them enormous power—and dangerous enemies. Now a younger generation of the Anturasi clan embarks on an expedition that may cost them their lives. Keles and Jorim have been sent on a mission to explore the darkest corners of the unknown. As one charts the seas, looking for new lands, the other braves a region torn apart by ancient magics. Meanwhile, back at home, their sister, Nirati, struggles to protect her brothers from the lethal plots of their rivals. For what Keles and Jorim discover threatens the fragile peace maintained since the near-apocalyptic Cataclysm and provokes a murderous act that sets off a chain of events shaking the world—both discovered and undiscovered—to its core. . . .
Publisher: Spectra
ISBN: 0553901303
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 482
Book Description
From New York Times bestselling author Michael A. Stackpole comes the first book in a fantasy saga unlike any you’ve ever read. “[A Secret Atlas] has it all—wild magic, the excitement of epic fantasy, and the adventure of exploration in the age of sail.”—Publishers Weekly In Nalenyr, the family of the Royal Cartographer not only draw the maps, they also explore uncharted territories, expanding the existing knowledge of the world. Their talent has yielded them enormous power—and dangerous enemies. Now a younger generation of the Anturasi clan embarks on an expedition that may cost them their lives. Keles and Jorim have been sent on a mission to explore the darkest corners of the unknown. As one charts the seas, looking for new lands, the other braves a region torn apart by ancient magics. Meanwhile, back at home, their sister, Nirati, struggles to protect her brothers from the lethal plots of their rivals. For what Keles and Jorim discover threatens the fragile peace maintained since the near-apocalyptic Cataclysm and provokes a murderous act that sets off a chain of events shaking the world—both discovered and undiscovered—to its core. . . .
The Great Secret
Author: L. Ron Hubbard
Publisher: Galaxy Press LLC
ISBN: 1592123716
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 140
Book Description
Women. Liquor. Power. Women. Liquor. Power. That is Fanner Marston's mantra--his reason for being--and while he knows a little about the first and a lot about the second, he may well be on the verge of learning everything there is to know about the third. Power. He may, in fact, be about to uncover the key to gaining absolute control over the entire universe. The only problem is, Fanner is certifiably insane.... His starship has crash-landed, and he's the sole survivor, which doesn't matter to him. Driven by greed and lust for power, wracked by thirst, hunger and pain, all he cares about is reaching the ancient city of Parva and making himself at home. Because there lies The Great Secret to universal domination--and what's a little suffering on the road to becoming God? Does Fanner have a prayer? The writing's on the walls of Parva--and you won't believe what it says.... Also includes the science fiction adventures, "The Space Can," in which a decrepit space battleship is a civilian fleet's only defense; "The Beast," the tale of a hunter in the jungles of Venus, chasing an immoral beast; and "The Slaver," in which an alien race has enslaved the human race, but can't repress the power of human love. Blast off on a head-trip you'll never forget as The Great Secret takes you inside the mind of a man who is crazy with lust for power. "Serves as a wonderful introduction to the breadth of Hubbard's output." --Comic Buyers Guide
Publisher: Galaxy Press LLC
ISBN: 1592123716
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 140
Book Description
Women. Liquor. Power. Women. Liquor. Power. That is Fanner Marston's mantra--his reason for being--and while he knows a little about the first and a lot about the second, he may well be on the verge of learning everything there is to know about the third. Power. He may, in fact, be about to uncover the key to gaining absolute control over the entire universe. The only problem is, Fanner is certifiably insane.... His starship has crash-landed, and he's the sole survivor, which doesn't matter to him. Driven by greed and lust for power, wracked by thirst, hunger and pain, all he cares about is reaching the ancient city of Parva and making himself at home. Because there lies The Great Secret to universal domination--and what's a little suffering on the road to becoming God? Does Fanner have a prayer? The writing's on the walls of Parva--and you won't believe what it says.... Also includes the science fiction adventures, "The Space Can," in which a decrepit space battleship is a civilian fleet's only defense; "The Beast," the tale of a hunter in the jungles of Venus, chasing an immoral beast; and "The Slaver," in which an alien race has enslaved the human race, but can't repress the power of human love. Blast off on a head-trip you'll never forget as The Great Secret takes you inside the mind of a man who is crazy with lust for power. "Serves as a wonderful introduction to the breadth of Hubbard's output." --Comic Buyers Guide
The Secret
Author: Byron Preiss
Publisher: ibooks
ISBN:
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 1
Book Description
The tale begins over three-hundred years ago, when the Fair People—the goblins, fairies, dragons, and other fabled and fantastic creatures of a dozen lands—fled the Old World for the New, seeking haven from the ways of Man. With them came their precious jewels: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls... But then the Fair People vanished, taking with them their twelve fabulous treasures. And they remained hidden until now... Across North America, these twelve treasures, over ten-thousand dollars in precious jewels, are buried. The key to finding each can be found within the twelve full color paintings and verses of The Secret. Yet The Secret is much more than that. At long last, you can learn not only the whereabouts of the Fair People's treasure, but also the modern forms and hiding places of their descendants: the Toll Trolls, Maitre D'eamons, Elf Alphas, Tupperwerewolves, Freudian Sylphs, Culture Vultures, West Ghosts and other delightful creatures in the world around us. The Secret is a field guide to them all. Many "armchair treasure hunt" books have been published over the years, most notably Masquerade (1979) by British artist Kit Williams. Masquerade promised a jewel-encrusted golden hare to the first person to unravel the riddle that Williams cleverly hid in his art. In 1982, while everyone in Britain was still madly digging up hedgerows and pastures in search of the golden hare, The Secret: A Treasure Hunt was published in America. The previous year, author and publisher Byron Preiss had traveled to 12 locations in the continental U.S. (and possibly Canada) to secretly bury a dozen ceramic casques. Each casque contained a small key that could be redeemed for one of 12 jewels Preiss kept in a safe deposit box in New York. The key to finding the casques was to match one of 12 paintings to one of 12 poetic verses, solve the resulting riddle, and start digging. Since 1982, only two of the 12 casques have been recovered. The first was located in Grant Park, Chicago, in 1984 by a group of students. The second was unearthed in 2004 in Cleveland by two members of the Quest4Treasure forum. Preiss was killed in an auto accident in the summer of 2005, but the hunt for his casques continues.
Publisher: ibooks
ISBN:
Category : Games & Activities
Languages : en
Pages : 1
Book Description
The tale begins over three-hundred years ago, when the Fair People—the goblins, fairies, dragons, and other fabled and fantastic creatures of a dozen lands—fled the Old World for the New, seeking haven from the ways of Man. With them came their precious jewels: diamonds, rubies, emeralds, pearls... But then the Fair People vanished, taking with them their twelve fabulous treasures. And they remained hidden until now... Across North America, these twelve treasures, over ten-thousand dollars in precious jewels, are buried. The key to finding each can be found within the twelve full color paintings and verses of The Secret. Yet The Secret is much more than that. At long last, you can learn not only the whereabouts of the Fair People's treasure, but also the modern forms and hiding places of their descendants: the Toll Trolls, Maitre D'eamons, Elf Alphas, Tupperwerewolves, Freudian Sylphs, Culture Vultures, West Ghosts and other delightful creatures in the world around us. The Secret is a field guide to them all. Many "armchair treasure hunt" books have been published over the years, most notably Masquerade (1979) by British artist Kit Williams. Masquerade promised a jewel-encrusted golden hare to the first person to unravel the riddle that Williams cleverly hid in his art. In 1982, while everyone in Britain was still madly digging up hedgerows and pastures in search of the golden hare, The Secret: A Treasure Hunt was published in America. The previous year, author and publisher Byron Preiss had traveled to 12 locations in the continental U.S. (and possibly Canada) to secretly bury a dozen ceramic casques. Each casque contained a small key that could be redeemed for one of 12 jewels Preiss kept in a safe deposit box in New York. The key to finding the casques was to match one of 12 paintings to one of 12 poetic verses, solve the resulting riddle, and start digging. Since 1982, only two of the 12 casques have been recovered. The first was located in Grant Park, Chicago, in 1984 by a group of students. The second was unearthed in 2004 in Cleveland by two members of the Quest4Treasure forum. Preiss was killed in an auto accident in the summer of 2005, but the hunt for his casques continues.
Life's Greatest Secret
Author: Matthew Cobb
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 0465062660
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 464
Book Description
Everyone has heard of the story of DNA as the story of Watson and Crick and Rosalind Franklin, but knowing the structure of DNA was only a part of a greater struggle to understand life's secrets. Life's Greatest Secret is the story of the discovery and cracking of the genetic code, the thing that ultimately enables a spiraling molecule to give rise to the life that exists all around us. This great scientific breakthrough has had farreaching consequences for how we understand ourselves and our place in the natural world, and for how we might take control of our (and life's) future. Life's Greatest Secret mixes remarkable insights, theoretical dead-ends, and ingenious experiments with the swift pace of a thriller. From New York to Paris, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Cambridge, England, and London to Moscow, the greatest discovery of twentieth-century biology was truly a global feat. Biologist and historian of science Matthew Cobb gives the full and rich account of the cooperation and competition between the eccentric characters -- mathematicians, physicists, information theorists, and biologists -- who contributed to this revolutionary new science. And, while every new discovery was a leap forward for science, Cobb shows how every new answer inevitably led to new questions that were at least as difficult to answer: just ask anyone who had hoped that the successful completion of the Human Genome Project was going to truly yield the book of life, or that a better understanding of epigenetics or "junk DNA" was going to be the final piece of the puzzle. But the setbacks and unexpected discoveries are what make the science exciting, and it is Matthew Cobb's telling that makes them worth reading. This is a riveting story of humans exploring what it is that makes us human and how the world works, and it is essential reading for anyone who'd like to explore those questions for themselves.
Publisher: Hachette UK
ISBN: 0465062660
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 464
Book Description
Everyone has heard of the story of DNA as the story of Watson and Crick and Rosalind Franklin, but knowing the structure of DNA was only a part of a greater struggle to understand life's secrets. Life's Greatest Secret is the story of the discovery and cracking of the genetic code, the thing that ultimately enables a spiraling molecule to give rise to the life that exists all around us. This great scientific breakthrough has had farreaching consequences for how we understand ourselves and our place in the natural world, and for how we might take control of our (and life's) future. Life's Greatest Secret mixes remarkable insights, theoretical dead-ends, and ingenious experiments with the swift pace of a thriller. From New York to Paris, Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Cambridge, England, and London to Moscow, the greatest discovery of twentieth-century biology was truly a global feat. Biologist and historian of science Matthew Cobb gives the full and rich account of the cooperation and competition between the eccentric characters -- mathematicians, physicists, information theorists, and biologists -- who contributed to this revolutionary new science. And, while every new discovery was a leap forward for science, Cobb shows how every new answer inevitably led to new questions that were at least as difficult to answer: just ask anyone who had hoped that the successful completion of the Human Genome Project was going to truly yield the book of life, or that a better understanding of epigenetics or "junk DNA" was going to be the final piece of the puzzle. But the setbacks and unexpected discoveries are what make the science exciting, and it is Matthew Cobb's telling that makes them worth reading. This is a riveting story of humans exploring what it is that makes us human and how the world works, and it is essential reading for anyone who'd like to explore those questions for themselves.