Robert Shapiro (1)

The author is knowledgeable about cell biology and information regarding work on the origin of life. His book takes an interesting perspective of a skeptic and gives discussion to alternative mystical and religious views on creation. He outlines the limits of current scientific knowledge regarding the origin of life. While there are gaps in the scientific understanding, it is reasonable to predict that improved knowledge will be forthcoming. It is an interesting way of discussing the topic but I would not have bothered with critiquing creationism due to its obvious ineffectual explanation.… (mais)

Touching on early beliefs about heredity and Mendel's careful experiments with garden peas, Shapiro quickly moves to a blow-by-blow description of the discovery of the structure of DNA and the various individuals and laboratories who were involved in the search for the carrier of our genetic information. He delves just far enough into the private lives of the scientists to bring them to life as human beings. From Mendel's experiments with garden peas to Watson's and Crick's discovery of the double helix, Shapiro carries us to the threshhold of mapping the human genome. Shapiro's text is as relevant today, when the mapping of the human genome is complete, as it was in 1991 when his book was published. The history is still the same and the science leading up to the human genome map is as valid as it was then. Without a good background in science, I sometimes found it a bit hard going, but Shapiro's clear prose carried me through on the back of my intense interest in his topic. (December 2007)… (mais)

The author is Professor of Chemistry at NYU, doing DNA research. He has a firm hand on the cutting blade of science, sharpened on the wet-stone of doubt. He questions BOTH the religious dogma that says "life was created by a powerful being", and the pseudo-science that says "life evolved from a soup of chemicals, clay or a supernatural force". Takes on the central issue of the Origin of Life, simply removing what is not known and accepting the fact that we do not have a complete answer. History of Science. And "Mythos", meaning "Word". {cf In the Beginning was Myth -- John 1:1}. The author savages the writings and the thinking of "creationists", point by molecule.… (mais)