The Search for Life in the Universe (Third Edition)

Book Description

Long recognized as the "Gold Standard" text for astrobiology courses, The Search for Life in the Universe now appears in a completely revised and updated Third Edition. This book engages students in astronomy by presenting a great, unsolved mystery: How likely is life beyond earth, and how can we find it if it exists? The text covers the fundamentals of astronomy and astrophysics, including the discovery of more than 55 planets around other stars, and also provides an overview of biology, geology, evolution, and the possibilities of interstellar travel and communication. Written for readers with no background in mathematics, the book includes 24 color insert pages and brilliantly rendered illustrations by Jon Lomberg.

Customer Reviews:

Jack Kennedy.......2006-02-27

This book is used as a text by the University of North Dakota Space Studies program where I was exposed to its content. It is an excellent book filled with the recent nuggets of information about the search for life in the universe. It is an excellent guide to understanding the cosmos in galatic and down-to-Earth terms. This book can be read for pure pleasure as well as for general knowledge of astrobilogy and astronomy.

Excellent Overview.......2003-11-07

The new edition of this book still is by far the most comprehensive introduction to Bioastronomy, touching almost every branch of science along the exciting path it follows. Remaining firmly grounded in science it shows that reality is so fantastic that it is in no way necessary to fantasize up facts and fictions. Science still is one of the greatest adventures of mankind, and the search for life in space is one of its most stimulating branches. It also is a good motivation for young college students from other subjects to further their knowledge in science - which is necessary because we live in a science dominated world.

Stefan Thiesen www.bioastronomie.de

Great for people interested in SETI ..........2001-02-27

The book deals with everything from the formation of stars and planets, to how life formed, to even the best ways to search for life and the odds of life being on other planets. It goes step by step, is easy to understand and even has review questions at the end of each chapter (along with a summary). Lots of photos, some in color, along with figures and tables to help explain and give more details. Great for people who want to understand the reasons people are searching for life on other planets, but also great for just understand the science of life on our planet too. All that and humor too.

The search for life in the spotlight........2000-09-04

This book really explaines in simple language how scientists work on this search. It is written in a way that keeps your interest on top all the way.

Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory And the Search for Unity in Physical Law

Average customer rating:

The Fall of Strings
Woit dissects "the only game in town"
Right on the button
contains interesting information on physics as well as criticism of String Theory
A Good Proposal for Using Government Funds More Effectively

Not Even Wrong: The Failure of String Theory And the Search for Unity in Physical Law
Peter Woit
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Trouble With Physics: The Rise of String Theory, The Fall of a Science, and What Comes Next
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Decoding the Universe: How the New Science of Information Is Explaining Everything in the Cosmos, from Our Brains to Black Holes

ASIN: 0465092756

Book Description

Has physics gone off in the wrong direction? Peter Woit presents the other side of the growing debate on string theory--arguing that it's not even science

At what point does theory depart the realm of testable hypothesis and come to resemble something like aesthetic speculation, or even theology? The legendary physicist Wolfgang Pauli had a phrase for such ideas: He would describe them as "not even wrong," meaning that they were so incomplete that they could not even be used to make predictions to compare with observations to see whether they were wrong or not.

In Peter Woit's view, superstring theory is just such an idea. In Not Even Wrong, he shows that what many physicists call superstring "theory" is not a theory at all. It makes no predictions, even wrong ones, and this very lack of falsifiability is what has allowed the subject to survive and flourish.

Not Even Wrong explains why the mathematical conditions for progress in physics are entirely absent from superstring theory today and shows that judgments about scientific statements, which should be based on the logical consistency of argument and experimental evidence, are instead based on the eminence of those claiming to know the truth.

In the face of many books from enthusiasts for string theory, this book presents the other side of the story.

Customer Reviews:

The Fall of Strings.......2007-10-06

String theorists have so far been unable to use their results to predict new experimental findings. This book and Smolin's 'The Trouble with Physics' both attempt to document this failure of string theory. Smolin's book is better, but a tougher read. But this book is not bad, and you may want to read them both.

Woit dissects "the only game in town".......2007-10-02

"The fundamental problem with string theory is that, as far as its central goal of unifying physics goes, over the last nearly 25 years it has not only not made any progress toward explaining anything about particle physics, but, quite the opposite. Everything that has been learned about string theory makes it more and more clear that the original hopes for getting unification this way were just misguided and can't work. The derivative here is the wrong sign." Peter Woit, posted on his weblog September 13, 2007.

Some readers may think that this book gets off to a painfully slow start, given the author's long telling of the history of particle physics, particularly as regards work done with particle accelerators/ colliders. But stay with it [it's worth it!]. Woit holds degrees from Harvard and Princeton (PhD, theoretical physics) and has taught both mathematics and physics at Columbia. He happily describes himself as a mathematician, in large part because that is indeed the career he has chosen but also in large part because he is obviously disgusted with the current state of theoretical physics--in so far as the superstring/ M-theory disciples of Witten have abandoned anything resembling orthodox science. Woit shows no hesitation in acknowledging Witten's great genius, but unlike most theorists of recent decades he is not interested in worshiping at Witten's feet, no matter what the cost. And Woit isn't just some disgruntled nay-saying spoilsport (I can't strictly judge the psychological state of someone I don't personally know, but he doesn't strike me in this way at all). His concern is that there are other prospects for a unified theory that have been summarily brushed aside by the popular mantra that "string theory is the only game in town." [Federal] research funding, positions of influence notably including department chairs, academic and research hirings, increasingly all have played what we are told (by string/brane theorists themselves) is "the only game in town." But after three decades of glowing hype, this "game"--superstrings/'M-theory'/'brane-world'--has failed to move forward. It has essentially demonstrated that it cannot move forward in any scientific sense.

"Superstring theory is to a large degree thought of by mainstream physicists as mathematics and by mainstream mathematicians as physics, with each group convinced that it makes no sense within their frame of reference but presumably does within someone else's." pg 204

Like so many other armchair theorists, I've read and enjoyed books like Greene's `Elegant Universe' and Hawking's glossy `Universe in a Nutshell'. But any astute reader has to notice that no real connection is made between what we are told are compellingly "beautiful mathematics" and the physical world we can examine, and, given a sound theory, even interrogate, to any degree at all. It is particularly instructive to consider strings/ brane-world from the critical perspective of pure mathematics, i.e., Woit's perspective in this volume. It seems that the abstract equations ARE strangely "beautiful" UNTIL the math must be patched to conform to a universe with precisely three large spatial dimensions; as soon as we are forced to manipulate the additional dimensions, the beauty of the mathematics begins to fade. That `beauty' has been fading for 20 years at this writing. Woit finds the equations of strings/branes to be growing uglier at every turn. After decades of contortion, strings/branes are ever becoming less beautiful than advertised. And, as Woit briefly explains with stark, non-glossy frankness, strings/branes are NOT the only game in town, or at least they shouldn't be.

Many mathematicians would cautiously agree that strings/branes make for interesting mathematics--if they can be divorced from physics. There may be sufficient cause to suggest, as some have, that strings/branes make for interesting theology as well. But are strings/branes SCIENCE? At this late date it seems that the answer is probably `no'.

"If someone could come up with a legitimate, distinctive, testable prediction of string theory that gave even the correct order of magnitude for some experimental result, that would be a huge breakthrough."

As I have suggested to anyone willing to listen, read Peter Woit's thought-provoking book, especially if you've read Greene, Hawking, and/or Susskind.

Right on the button.......2007-08-30

What can I say? Like Peter Woit, I am a recovering mathematician, and this book has given me hope. "Not Even Wrong" carries my highest recommendation, especially for those empirically-inclined investigators who have become demotivated by the crisis in science. One proviso, though - don't read it in isolation. Essential companions are Lee Smolin's "The Trouble with Physics", and my own impassioned plea "The Virtue of Heresy - Confessions of a Dissident Astronomer". The Virtue of Heresy: Confessions of a Dissident Astronomer

Hilton Ratcliffe
Astrophysicist

contains interesting information on physics as well as criticism of String Theory.......2007-07-11

As most people know Not Even Wrong is critical of String Theory. What I did not realize going into the book was the detail it delves into in describing events leading up to String Theory, especially events having to do with the Standard Model. I think the book is worth reading just for this information which spans half of the book. I don't know whether String Theory is right or not as I am not a physicist but I do believe that criticism is a healthy thing and that the author is clear in his criticism of String Theory. I would have wished for more information on other Unified Theories but he devotes only one chapter to this. I guess, as the author points out, there is only one game in town and it is String Theory.

A Good Proposal for Using Government Funds More Effectively.......2007-06-23

Woit's book will be very helpful to technical people who do not work daily in the field of physics but want to remain up to date on the progress of this field. Woit's conclusions and recommendations will be widely accepted. Interestingly, in my book review of Leonard Susskind's book on The Cosmic Landscape in December 2005, I said, "I hold hopes for physicists but not much for strings." I made this statement because the length of a string is divisible and cannot be modeled by a zero-point. So, string theory was completely wrong on day one.

Woit gave me a clear view of the histories of particle physics, strings, and the standard model. In Ch. 6, my mind became glued to the Yang-Mills theory and the new behavior named `asymptotic freedom.' This new behavior is consistent with other theories: (1) the infinite gap that separates a creator God from the universe; (2) the Riemann hypothesis on prime numbers; (3) the true atoms (Leibniz's monads); (4) Cantor's transfinite number; (5) and the origin of inertia of Bernard Haisch (see `The God Theory). So, Woit is right. It is time for physicists to return to basics and The Standard Model. But, they might also consider the reality of an active God.

Average customer rating:

Into Thin Air take a back seat...
Far Superior to Into Thin Air!!
Awesome book
A great read.....very compelling.
The other side of a well-known story

The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest
Anatoli Boukreev , and G. Weston Dewalt
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0312168144

Amazon.com

The Climb is Russian mountaineer Anatoli Boukreev's account of the harrowing May 1996 Mount Everest attempt, a tragedy that resulted in the deaths of eight people. The book is also Boukreev's rebuttal to accusations from fellow climber and author Jon Krakauer, who, in his bestselling memoir, Into Thin Air, suggests that Boukreev forfeited the safety of his clients to achieve his own climbing goals. Investigative writer and Climb coauthor G. Weston DeWalt uses taped statements from the surviving climbers and translated interviews from Boukreev to piece together the events and prove to the reader that Boukreev's role was heroic, not opportunistic. Boukreev refers to the actions of expedition leader Scott Fischer throughout the ascent, implying that factors other than the fierce snowstorm may have caused this disaster. This new account sparks debate among both mountaineers and those who have followed the story through the media and Krakauer's book. Readers can decide for themselves whether Boukreev presents a laudable defense or merely assuages his own bruised ego.

Book Description

In May 1996 three expeditions attempted to climb Mount Everest on the Southeast Ridge route pioneered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Crowded conditions slowed their progress. Late in the day twenty-three men and women-including expedition leaders Scott Fischer and Rob Hall-were caught in a ferocious blizzard. Disoriented and out of oxygen, climbers struggled to find their way down the mountain as darkness approached. Alone and climbing blind, Anatoli Boukreev brought climbers back from the edge of certain death. This new edition includes a transcript of the Mountain Madness expedition debriefing recorded five days after the tragedy, as well as G. Weston DeWalt's response to Into Thin Air author Jon Krakauer.

Customer Reviews:

Into Thin Air take a back seat..........2007-09-09

Hands down beats out Into Thin Air. Thrash that 'other' novel and read this!

Far Superior to Into Thin Air!!.......2007-06-11

I've read most of the 96' Everest books and this phenomenal read surpasses Krakauer's slick narrative with simple language but raw and honest passion and consideration. If you have already read Into thin Air I strongly recommend reading this as well. It not only places the hyped 96' tragedy in better perspective, it also gives incredible insight into the Russian mindset.

Awesome book.......2007-05-10

I read this book after reading "Into Thin Air" (another excellent book). This is a highly recommended followup to "Into Thin Air". If you are interested in the business/logistics of an Everest expedition, as well as hearing about an amazing individual (Anatoli Boukreev), this book is highly recommended!

A great read.....very compelling........2007-02-12

What could have been written as an angry rebuttal to the slanted writings of Jon Krakauer's accountings of the 1996 Everest disaster, is actually a moving recounting of a tragedy that has no one single point of blame. Anatoli Boukreev details the series of fateful decisions made by the several parties involved, and drives home the ultimate message: Climbing Everest, and any peak above 8000 meters is, under the very best conditions, a life-threatening gamble with fate. This book is a must read for we armchair Everest buffs, and anyone who has read "Into Thin Air". Anatoli Boukreev was a legend and hero, and we are fortunate to have his words recorded before his tragic death .

The other side of a well-known story.......2007-01-01

Every story has two sides. In this book, readers of Jon Krakauer's best selling Into Thin Air can hear the other side of that particular tale. It's my opinion that no one ought to read one without also reading the other.

On May 10, 1996, a winter storm decided to attack the world's highest mountain in spring. Caught in the well-named Death Zone, so high above sea level that the bodies of climbers who linger there literally start to die, the members of two commercial expeditions fought desperately for survival. The leaders of both teams - New Zealander Rob Hall, and American Scott Fischer - died despite being world-class mountaineers and Everest veterans. So did three members of Hall's team, while a fourth barely got off the mountain alive. All of the Fischer guides and clients survived, though, and none suffered the kind of horrific frostbite that left Hall client Beck Weathers both maimed and disfigured. Why did things turn out so differently for the two teams, after both lost their leaders? Krakauer's book offers one answer. This book, co-authored by Scott Fischer's head guide, offers quite another.

Neither Anatoli Boukreev nor his co-author possesses Krakauer's well-honed journalistic skills. This is a much plainer work, in many ways; and it's definitely less readable. I found it just as compelling, though, and it's rich in source material. Thank goodness Boukreev completed it before his death, because his side of the story is well worth hearing.

Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest

Average customer rating:

Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice
Fascinating, Enligtening Read!!
Searching for new medicines in the rain forest? What?
Plant Power Rules
A colorfully written and informative book...

Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest
Mark J. Plotkin
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 014012991X

Amazon.com

A century ago, malaria was killing Washingtonians, Londoners, Parisians. Today HIV, along with various cancers, has taken its place among worldwide epidemics. Quinine, extracted from the cinchona tree of the Amazonian rainforest, quelled malaria; alkaloids taken from trees in the West African rainforest may well yield a cure for AIDS. Yet those woods, Mark Plotkin tells us, are fast disappearing, along with the native peoples who know the powers of the plants that dwell there. His account of wandering through the Amazonian jungles focuses on local knowledge about plants, whose uses range from the mundane to the magical. The rainforests of the world, Plotkin notes, are our greatest natural resource, an intercultural pharmacy that can cure woes both known and yet unvisited.

Customer Reviews:

Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice.......2007-10-10

This was purchased for my mother, who's taking a trip to Costa Rica. I read it years ago and remembered liking it. She read it, loved it and is now passing it around to her fellow-travelers.

Fascinating, Enligtening Read!!.......2007-07-26

I typically don't get too deeply interested in scientific books simply because unless that's your cup of tea they can come off very dry, dull reads. I was pleasantly surprised with this book however. The mention of shamanism in the title peaked my interest and I found this book to have numerous entertaining stories about an ethnobotanist's travels and studies across the Amazon. Many times during my reading, I would picture the Sean Connery film Medicine Man! The stories of this man trying to earn the respect and trust of the natives and constantly being laughed at and nicknamed "pananakiri" (natives' word for "white man" or "city slicker")were very entertaining and the information on the origins of many everyday household products here in the States was incredibly interesting. I also appreciate how this book stresses the importance of preserving the rain forests and the native cultures inside them. Plotkin definitely makes it clear how truly remarkable and irreplaceable these places are.

There were some sections that did feel like the author would run off on tangent topics, giving the book some portions of reading that drag on a bit. This would be the only reason I would give this book 4 stars rather than 5. Definitely recommended!!

Searching for new medicines in the rain forest? What?.......2007-02-05

I believe that the author of this book should review it. I did not fine any searching in this book.

Plant Power Rules.......2007-01-13

Mark Plotkin does a fantastic job of conveying the fantastic enthusiasm he has for rainforest plants and cultures. He shows us how important plants have been in the course of the development of civilization. As a historian, I greatly appreciated his vignettes into the origins of coffee, rubber and other life changing substances. Mark is a great story teller, and he is one of the luckiest men alive to have seen pristine rainforests and lived with these 20,000+ year old cultures before those clever capitalists and Christians wipe them all out. That's another thing I like about this book. It slams the arrogant missionaries who think they have all the right answers when in fact they are destroyers of indigenous cultures and invaluable medical knowledge. You can't help but read this book and feel that as you watch the rainforests burn, you might as well be watching the library of Alexandria burn.

But the book isn't depressing. It is empowering. Mark has a plan, and he's implementing it. Harness the greed of capitalism, and the pharmaceutical industry. Let's show the world that Science has brought us to this unprecedented point in our cognitive evolution and only Science (not praying to imaginary friends) will save us. Knowledge, not ignorance, is power.

A colorfully written and informative book..........2006-12-30

Plotkin does an amazing job in not only describing his experience in the Amazonian forest but in also describing the many medicinal plants that were used by the native people. The story, as one would think, would seem bland and dry but Plotkin does a wonderful job in keeping his narration flowing and interesting.

I particularly liked the descriptions of what was happening to him when he personally experienced it, such as epena or the flea egg under his toe nail. In describing what happened personally it adds a lot more credence to the story he was telling. Additionally, the extra tidbits of information about his journey were fun as well, such as the large electric eel that was in the water with him.

What is most important though is Plotkin drives home the over arching theme of his book, that of protecting the Amazon and thus its medicinal powers, and not letting the years upon years of wisdom die with the few remaining shamans. A well written book by someone who knows his field very well. I would definitely recommend.

5 stars.

Dreams of a Final Theory: The Scientist's Search for the Ultimate Laws of Nature

Average customer rating:

Not the most successful Weinberg book
Incomprehensible
Excellent account of aging science
Very Good Overview of a Difficult Subject
I like this book

Dreams of a Final Theory: The Scientist's Search for the Ultimate Laws of Nature
Steven Weinberg
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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The First Three Minutes: A Modern View of the Origin of the Universe
The Final Theory: Rethinking Our Scientific Legacy
Elementary Particles and the Laws of Physics: The 1986 Dirac Memorial Lectures
The Inflationary Universe: The Quest for a New Theory of Cosmic Origins
The Particle Garden: Our Universe As Understood by Particle Physicists (Helix Books)

ASIN: 0679744088
Release Date: 1994-02-01

Book Description

The Nobel Prize-winning physicist and bestselling author of The First Three Minutes describes the grand quest for a unifying theory of nature--one that can explain events as disparate as the cohesion inside the atom and the gravitational tug between the sun and Earth.

Customer Reviews:

Not the most successful Weinberg book.......2006-12-30

At least he has learned between 1977 ( The First Three Minutes)
and 1992 about the Planck scale of mass/ energy...?
No equations in this book, just a lot of verbiage about "stuff".
This is the Steven Weinberg who wrote the "Standard Theory"
that gave neutrinos no mass ( wrong) and gluons no mass ( most probably wrong).
It seems that even his ideas of symmetry breaking may be wrong as well
or at least wholly incomplete.
I would say that Heinz R. Pagels ( The Cosmic Code) is a better bet
if you actually want a chance at understanding modern physics.
In physics we call this kind of book "dumbing down" or "physics for dummies".
If you have zero respect for yourself, buy this book.
Otherwise get wise and get his Cosmology
and give into doing some intellectual work.
He wants us to cry over the Super Collider
and that Cern is now in control of the world's high energy physics research.
I say with books like he has written,
he is probably as responsible as anyone for people turning away.

Incomprehensible.......2005-11-24

Although I have little to no education in physics, chemistry or mathematics, I have an IQ of 140, a degree in law and I have read (and even written some) philosophy, so I don't usually have problems with conceptualizing. Having said that as background, as a layman, I found this book to be completely incomprehensible. Although not religious, it is as if Weinberg is speaking in tounges, droning on and on about every physics and chemistry concept and theory from antiquity to present, without ever pausing for a single moment to actually explain any of them. I dare anyone who does not have at least a basic grounding in physics to explain anything Weinberg has said about physics in this book. Weinberg makes much of the "whys" of science, but to me, the greatest unexplained "why" of this book is why was it published.

Excellent account of aging science.......2005-10-01

The view of the author that the current theories are the right path to the final theory is unrealistic. This approach implies that the final theory is some kind of complex mix of previous theories. The final theory requires new fundamental objects in which terms to obtain the modern knowledge as this is done in Eugene Savov’s book Theory of Interaction. The final theory has to be stunningly simple.

Very Good Overview of a Difficult Subject.......2005-04-08

Dreams of a final theory
I believe this book's main propose was the Author, a Nobel prize winning physicist attempting to weigh in for Congressional funding of the Superconducting Super- Collider (SSC). This book is like reading two books in one. The first part of the book had some very good writing about atomic particle research and excellent explanations of the experiments. It also contains the author's surprisingly optimistic view that the theories being currently developed are the beginning of the correct path that will lead science to the "final theory". The remainder of the book is a promotion of the field of particle physics to show that by reduction all the sciences can benefit and share in what is learned in particle physics. Chemistry, Biology, etc at their lowest levels operate at an atomic level. Also some philosophical musings. The author has a knack for explaining complicated ideas for the layman.

I like this book.......2003-11-16

Two chapters stand out to my mind: "Against Philosophy" and "What about God?" Weinberg makes a convincing case that philosophy has made little contribution to objective truth. He also says that he knows of no important scientist in the post-war period who has been substantially influenced by philosophy. One has to be careful here with the word "post-war" because it is well-known that people like Einstein and Heisenberg were very interested in philosophy. As to the chapter on religion, who is better qualified to talk about it than a great physicist like Weinberg who understands the origin of the universe better than almost anybody alive? He makes a forceful case for atheism (though he does not use this term). My only regret is that he doesn't encourage violence against religious fundamentalists and extremists, who are always prepared to use violence to advance their agenda.

Incidentally, Weinberg's belief that a final theory is near is too optimistic. Martin Rees has got it right: The advancement of science is like fractals - every little detail can be further enlarged to reveal far more, ad infinitum. Thus, the search for scientifc truth must be endless, and the dreams for a final theory are no more than that.

The Quest: One Man's Search for Peace, Insight, and Healing in an Endangered World
Average customer rating:

A powerful book and more powerful message

Man's Environmental Holocaust

A unique culteral view of universal truths.

This book is INCREDIBLE!

This book has been an incredible help and inspiration to me

The Quest: One Man's Search for Peace, Insight, and Healing in an Endangered World
Tom Brown Jr.
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Grandfather

The Search

ASIN: 0425126609
Release Date: 2000-07-10

Book Description

Recounting the spiritual odysseys of an Apache scout known to him as Grandfather, Tom Brown emphasizes the need for spiritual healing of the earth and delivers his own message of healing and redemption to the world.

Customer Reviews:

A powerful book and more powerful message.......2001-10-14

All of Tom Brown's books are written on many different levels. As a just-starting-out naturalist, I read most of Brown's books with interest, but the deeper I go into the naturalist's world, the more powerful messages I get between the lines.

The book offers many insights on modern man- most of all, the notion that if one simply lets the world drift by, with all sorts of damage, trouble, etc. being done (mind you, yourself doing none of the actual damage), the message is clear- Why didn't you do something?

Probably the most powerful message in the book is, "There are no small things." To quote Bruce Lee, if you throw a rock into a pond, you get ripples- soon the ripples cross the whole pond. Every action we do has implications, good and bad. Make your impressions positive and beneficial.

For those lucky enough to attend Tom Brown's school, reading any of his books after taking a class- no matter how many times you read them previously- it's like reading an entirely new book. There are countless messages and powerful teachings in The Quest, and I give it my highest recommendation.

Man's Environmental Holocaust.......2000-11-01

Dear Sirs, I hope you reconsider your decision not to publish this review. On October 7, 1998, the NY Times reported on the biggest Ozone Hole yet seen. To quote the article: "Government scientists said today that the gap in the planet's ozone over Antartica was greater than the size of North America and was the largest ever observed." In addition, on August 13, 2000, a frontpage article in the Sunday NY Times reported on how a formerly benign fungus which has been found in the US from time immemorial was suddenly killing millions of acres of oak trees in California. The article ends on a puzzling note with scientist unable to explain why this disease had become so virulent. However, it is well known that UV radiation affects plants earlier than Humans and one documented effect of UV radiation is a weakening of the immune system. It is not a far stretch of the imagination to theorize that UV radiation may be responsible for this latest plant die-off. I hope you give these issues consideration. -----------------------------------------------------------------

Like many people, I used to read the grim newspaper accounts of environmental destruction and wonder what it all meant. Then, in the late 1980s Tom Brown published The Vision and in the final chapter of that book provided the first glimpse into a future most of us want to deny. Now here in The Quest, he lets out all the stops and makes plain for the first time that mankind may very well be doomed.

Brown reveals that as far back as 1962, Grandfather, his Apache Native American Teacher, had warned that the appearance of holes in the sky would mark the beginning of the end of mankind on Earth. Sunlight would become deadly killing everything it touched. Plants would shrivel up and die, crops would fail and starvation would sweep around the world. People would be hunted like deer for food. Many events would foreshadow the appearance of the holes but finally there would be a time of peace. This would mark mankind's last chance to reverse his endless destruction of the Earth. If instead, he concentrated on material gain, all would be lost and the end would come as surely as the Sun rises.

From this beginning, Brown takes us through a series of personal visions wherein he is transported to the future and sees for himself the horrors that await us. In one account, he visits a city where human limbs hang in shop windows and walking skeletons covered with sores roam the streets. Everything reeks with death and Brown watches as a roving band of armed men hunts down an abandoned child, and without remorse, guts and skins him like an animal. Brown makes it clear that this an America city and not some distant third world nation.

Not all the stories deal with the future. Brown relates his own efforts to deny what he knew and avoid taking up his Vision of teaching the ancient tracking and survival skills. At one point, he witnesses a brutal father rob his young son of a promising future. Grandfather then asks Tom what obstacles will stop him from fulfilling his vision ? The question is clearly not meant for Brown alone and foreseeing an excuse many of us will use to deny our share of responsibility Grandfather points to a graveyard and asks `what will be the measure of your life Grandson? Will it be a lifetime of meaningless toil or one filled with purpose and meaning?'

This is by far Brown's darkest book but how does one sanitize such a horrifying account? There is no science here and those who believe ozone depletion is a figment of some environmentalist's imagination would be better off reading God's Last Offer, by Ed Ayres. Mr. Ayres presents related doomsday scenarios but with the science to back them. To those who are sensitive to the Earth, however Tom Brown's book needs no proof. Its truth is obvious.

The only question left open by Brown is when all this will take place? The question is important because many people will shrug off this account as part of some distant future. Although this book does not provide a timeframe a little reading in the scientific press will. It takes thirty years for CFCs to waft through the atmosphere and reach the ozone layer. If all CFC production ceased today, and it hasn't, we would still face 30 more years of degradation. According to NASA, there is already enough CFCs in the upper atmosphere to blow away 70% of the ozone layer. Take a equal amounts of ozone and CFCs, expose them to ultraviolet radiation and one can easily measure the rate of breakdown. The answer you will find is that we have a mere score and ten years left.

Grandfather made it clear that once the holes appear there would be no physical way to heal the Earth. Indeed, Time Magazine writing in the early 90s said that `the entire world's fleet of 747s operating around the clock, 365 days of the year' could not replace a fraction of the ozone that has already been lost. But Brown does leave us with a ray of hope: if enough people become aware of what is happening, combined we can achieve what technology cannot. Brown is a great believer in the combined efforts of many people working together. Seldom does he speak of grand heroic acts. Each of us, doing a little, can achieve a lot. Be forewarned that if you read this book you will never be able to look at your children in the same way again. Most of us adults living today will not bear the brunt of this horrible future but our children and grandchildren will. If you read this book and do nothing, the Time of Peace will pass and you too, like Brown, will have to answer the screams of your children as they clutch at you in the grave yelling "YOU KNEW, YOU KNEW! WHY DIDN'T YOU DO SOMETHING?"

A unique culteral view of universal truths........1999-11-10

This book presents principles of growth that we find common across time and cultures. Highly recommended both as interesting reading material, as well as an opportunity to reconsider values, meaning (and all that other existential stuff) and our own perspectives through a differant path. In recent popular venacular, "getting out of the box" of western culture.

This book is INCREDIBLE!.......1999-06-12

I read a lot of spiritual books and I've read lot's of Tom Brown's books, but I have rarely been so blown away than I was by The Quest. For one, let me tell you that this book will scare the heck out of you. But at the same time, it is really shocking what Tom learned from the fear he had to face. While reading it, I was dying to be able to sit down and share with someone what I was learning. It will blow your mind and change the way you think about the Earth.

This book has been an incredible help and inspiration to me.......1999-04-04

I first read this book about 5 years ago. I thought it was great but I couldn't grasp alot of it. Then I re- read it after taking Tom's first philosophy class and it really hit home. It is a guide book for walking a spiritual path in modern society-which is one of the most difficult things any of us could choose to do. I've found that I get more from it every time i read it. The lessons go far beyond the words. It is an insiring work that shows the human side of the spiritual path. Thanks Tom. Thanks Grandfather.

Earth Odyssey: Around the World in Search of Our Environmental Future

Average customer rating:

A good balance between environmental statistics and personal narrative
sobering thoughtful book about our planet
Shows that environmental stories are human stories
An Environmental-Issue Must-Have
Our environmental crisis

Earth Odyssey: Around the World in Search of Our Environmental Future
Mark Hertsgaard
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0767900596
Release Date: 1999-12-28

Amazon.com

Paying his own way, Mark Hertsgaard set out on a world tour in 1991 wondering what people thought of environmental problems. Earth Odyssey is his result, a sweeping and provocative work of travel and serious reporting that covers 19 countries and reveals, with often stark reality and vision, the legacy and prospects for our global environment.

Hertsgaard focuses on and reveals much of his story through the people who guide him and whom he meets along the way. After touring a state-owned paper factory in Chongqing, China, and seeing billowing clouds of chlorine and foaming rivers, Hertsgaard hears his guide and interpreter Zhenbing mourning for his country. In Sudan, Hertsgaard visits areas of extreme famine and poverty, where "the environment is no abstraction" to the people who live there. Through interviews with Vaclav Havel, Jacques Cousteau, and Al Gore, as well as research and philosophy about the roles of industry and technology, the global environmental picture is etched skillfully chapter by chapter. When at Africa's Lake Turkana, Hertsgaard delineates in clarity and detail the evolution of our species and the history of technology to build perspective on our current lifestyles, values, and environmental problems.

Earth Odyssey is not only a good book, but an important one--even essential--grasping the true human predicament as we face a worldwide environmental breakdown.--Byron Ricks

Book Description

Like many of us, Mark Hertsgaard has long worried about the declining health of our environment. But in 1991, he decided to act on his own concern and investigate the escalating crisis for himself. Traveling on his own dime, he embarked on an odyssey lasting most of the decade and spanning nineteen countries. Now, in Earth Odyssey he reports on our environmental predicament through the eyes of the people who live it.

Earth Odyssey is a vivid, passionate narrative about one man's journey around the world in search of the answer to the essential question of our time: Is the future of the human species at risk? Combining first-rate reportage with irresistible storytelling, Mark Hertsgaard has written an essential--and ultimately hopeful--book about the uncertain fate of humankind.

Customer Reviews:

A good balance between environmental statistics and personal narrative.......2005-10-07

This book does a great job in bringing down to human scale otherwise abstract concepts like global warming, overpopulation and resource management. Anyone who enjoys reading travel stories and learning about the impact our current state of development may have in future generations will enjoy reading Earth Odyssey.

sobering thoughtful book about our planet.......2005-07-28

Excellent review of factors which influence our environmental survival. Very easy to read. Hertsgaard puts a human face on many of these issues by including stories of people he meets on his journey. Good index.

Shows that environmental stories are human stories.......2005-03-21

Journalist Mark Hertsgaard sets out on his own to circumnavigate the globe, recording a broad array of environmental woes along the way.

As much as this book focuses on the environmental problems we face, the writing returns again and again to the people that Hertsgaard meets along the way. His characterization of the individuals that he meets are presented in a narrative style that really brings those people to life. We can understand, after reading the book, why the Chinese government has such an abominable record, and the Chinese people make a compelling argument that environmental concerns must come second to financial concerns. The fact that we can see this is a "long walk off a short pier" doesn't change the fact that China is caught between a rock and a hard place.

Hertsgaard presents many human stories that are, in their way, more interesting than the environmental problems he explores. His on-the-ground visit to a polluted river, for example, is almost exactly what I would expect. The river is dirty, the water ugly. But the interpreter who accompanies him on part of his visit to China provides far more surprising, and interesting, reading.

Hertsgaard also ends on a ray of hope, presenting some of the solutions that have yet to gain widespread acceptance, but which demonstrate that a sustainable future is available, should individuals and governments muster the willpower to implement it.

Overall, I was impressed with the writing and the attention to detail that Hertsgaard displays. I'm not sure if every trip that he made paid off, in terms of providing insight via a ground-level look at some of these issues, but overall, he has given us all something to think about.

An Environmental-Issue Must-Have.......2005-01-07

This is a heart-wrenching and eye-opening tale of our earth's health, yet the book maintains throughout a sense of hope in humanity's abilities. I believe that all priviledged developed-world citizens should read this to understand how the "other half" of the world's inhabitants are forced to live. Hertsgaard created here a smooth and flawless read that never becomes tedious.

Our environmental crisis.......2003-11-16

Investigative reporter Mark Hertsgaard spent six years traveling around the world, gathering material for this book. This is not strictly a scientific treatise (although he conducted extensive research into his topics). Rather, he reports through the eyes of the people who live in the environmentally damaged places he visited. The theme of the book is how technology has both benefitted and harmed the planet and its inhabitants, and how greed continues to threaten our existence. His accounts of wanton destruction of nature in the 19th century make the reader gasp with dismay over the short-sightedness of our predecessors: the damming of a mighty river and its magnificent waterfall; the murder of the largest, oldest sequoia on earth. (Two of the examples which brought me to tears.) The horror is: the destruction, the contamination, and waste are still happening. And not only at the hands of totalitarian regimes or ignorant third-world peasants, but due to the callousness of greedy American corporations and government lobbies. The conclusions of Chapter Three, "The Irrisistable Automobile", will come as no surprise to most American readers, although the images of the perpetually gridlocked traffic-jams of fume-choked Asian cities astonished even this rider of Southern California freeways. Statistics of the predicted explosion in automobile sales world wide are especially ominous. This book was published in 1999 and exposes the hypocrisy of the Clinton administration in paying lip service to environmental issues while simultaneously caving to the demands of the powerful fossil fuel lobby. If Chapter Three is gloomy, Chapter Four, "To the Nuclear Lighthouse", is utterly terrifying. The account of Hertsgaard's visits to the most blighted areas of the former USSR is preceeded by a dismal, just recently uncensored history of the Soviets' worst nuclear disasters. While everyone knows about Chernobyl, few people knew about the radiating of the Siberian region of Chelyabinsk. Few, that is, other than the hapless residents who've been suffering its effects for years. With the aid of his translator, Russian author and photographer Vlad Tamarov, Hertsgaard conducted a relentless expose' of the deliberate coverups of "incidents" at nuke plants and shipping lanes, which irreversibly poisoned crops, fisheries, and even the water table. Even more worrisome than the damage already done are Hertsgaard's reports of poorly inventoried and practically unguarded nuclear stockpiles in volatile republics such as Kazakhstan. The American reader who attributes Soviet environmental crimes to Communist cruelty is in for an ugly shock -- Hertsgaard then documents identical coverups by our own government, of similar "incidents" on our own soil! From Russia, the author journeyed to China and Africa to report on overpopulation and its adverse effects on nature, health, and standards of living. The bleak narrative ends on a hopeful note: "Sustainable Development and the Triumph of Capitalism". Since the publication of "Earth Odyssey", the Bush administration has all but declared war on the environment, so even that fleeting hope now appears elusive.

Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape, Tenth-Anniversary Edition

Average customer rating:

A Must Read For Landscape Photographers
A photography how-to book, not a camera manual
Great Book
What can I say
Not many photographs

Mountain Light: In Search of the Dynamic Landscape, Tenth-Anniversary Edition
Galen A. Rowell
Manufacturer: Sierra Club Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0871563673

Book Description

Mountain Light is the best-selling classic that captures the unique artistic vision of Galen Rowell, one of the world's most celebrated nature photographers. This remarkable collection offers 80 of Rowell's finest photographic images, as well as the stories behind them - what he was after and how he achieved it.
Rowell arranges the photographs, with details of their creation, in eight exhibits according to visual themes, reflecting his fascination with the infinitely varying qualities of light found in mountain landscapes. He recounts his development as a photographer, his philosophy and techniques for creating "dynamic landscapes," and his adventures in remote, dangerous, and beautiful places, from California's Yosemite Valley to almost inaccessible peaks in China.
Rowell also explains how film and the human eye see differently, how he selects and composes the content of his work, how to work with optical phenomena and natural light, and how equipment and adventure interact in the field.

Customer Reviews:

A Must Read For Landscape Photographers.......2007-07-23

This is a must read for anyone who likes to shoot landscape photography. This book doesn't go into a lot of technical details, and the author assumes the readers have a basic knowledge of how SLRs operate, but rather it deals more with the "why" of photography and "when", which I found to be very interesting and thought provoking. Galen Rowell shares his insights about mountain light and how his mind works when he is out with a camera along with what photography meant for him, and it changed my approach to landscape photography. He also shares his unsuccessful stories, which is not very usual for these types of books, and it's good to see that even for photographers of his level things have never come easy. Luck is a big part of it all, and he has a great essay there on how to be in a better position for its appearance. In addition, this book is full of his outstanding landscape art, and that alone is worth whatever the price you will pay for it.

A photography how-to book, not a camera manual.......2007-03-29

This is a book about making meaningful landscape photographs. This is not a book about which f/stop to use or how to adjust your depth of field or exposure. There are a ton of those types of books on the market. This book is about vision, learning to see and connecting personally with your images.

If you're comfortable with the mechanical aspects of your camera and are struggling with "technically well executed but lifeless images" this is your guide.

I highly recommend it.

Great Book.......2007-01-10

It's a great book ! you'll find all you need about photographing up in the mountains ! Galan Rowell was a great person ! A book worth reading by anybody who enjoys photography at high altitude.

What can I say.......2007-01-09

This is a beautiful book..full of amazing photos and will inspire you to take pictures like Galen.

Not many photographs.......2006-07-31

I have found suprising that there is a lot of text in this book and only few photographs. It is not an album - so don't expect one. However I enjoyed reading this book. Book is published on a thin paper (the same goes for cover) and seems not very solid.

Under the Midnight Sun: The Ascent of John Denver Peak and the Search for the Northernmost Point of Land on Earth

Average customer rating:

COMPELLING, INSPIRING AND A FITTING TRIBUTE TO JOHN DENVER

Under the Midnight Sun: The Ascent of John Denver Peak and the Search for the Northernmost Point of Land on Earth
John Jancik , Javana Richardson , and Steve Gardiner
Manufacturer: Stars End Creations
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1889120197

Book Description

In July 2001, a team of nine modern-day adventurers journeyed to North Peary Land, Greenland, an area located north of the Arctic Circle that encompasses the world's largest national park. Known as The 2001 Return To The Top Of The World Expedition, the team summited several of the remaining unclimbed peaks in the northernmost mountain range in the world. They also took measurements to determine which of these is actually the northernmost mountain peak on Earth. In addition to their historic climbing adventure, the team conducted a series of scientific studies aimed at determining the effect of global pollution on this pristine Arctic environment.

For six members of the team this was their second trip to the far north. In 1996 team leaders John Jancik and Ken Zerbst, along with team members Terri Baker, Steve Gardiner, Joe Sears, and Jim Schaefer were part of an expedition to locate and verify Oodaaq Island, the current northernmost point of land on the planet. It was in the aftermath of that journey that the plan for the current trip was born.

Early on the team decided to dedicate the 2001 return expedition to the memory of legendary singer/songwriter John Denver, in honor of his commitment to the environment and protection of the wilderness. On July 18, 2001 the Expedition team successfully summited the highest unclimbed peak in the Roosevelt Range. The Expedition has named this mountain, one of the northernmost on Earth, "JOHN DENVER PEAK". Feeling that it is very fitting that this peak be named in honor of the late humanitarian and environmental activist, the Expedition has received worldwide support and congratulations. Such notables as Jean-Michel Cousteau, Annie Denver and Colorado Governor Bill Owens, as well as several of John Denver's family members, have participated in this honor of Mr. Denver.

In the true spirit of this extraordinary man, StarsEnd Creations is pleased to have been a supporter of this expedition through a corporate sponsorship. We are also excited to announce our latest publication, Under The Midnight Sun, the story of this epic journey to the Arctic. Drawn from the journals and photographs of the team, John Jancik, Steve Gardiner and Javana Richardson (author of A Tribute To John Denver), will tell the exciting story of this expedition into the unexplored reaches of our planet. With magnificent photos inside and on the cover by National Geographic photographer, the late Galen Rowell, this is an extraordinary work that anyone with an interest in our beautiful wilderness, the world's environment, or who is a fan of John Denver, will want to own.

Customer Reviews:

COMPELLING, INSPIRING AND A FITTING TRIBUTE TO JOHN DENVER.......2003-05-08

When I learned of this dramatic account of the recent expeditions to track the planet's northernmost point of land, I knew that it was a must-read. Not only is it an exciting story about adventurers who succeeded in their goal, it brings a fitting tribute to John Denver to the outdoor community. John Jancik, Javana Richardson and Steve Gardiner have offered a book here that parallels Jon Krakauer's bestselling "Into Thin Air."

UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN will hold you from page one and as it tells of the ascent of John Denver Peak, it also will teach you about the extreme challenges of high altitude mountaineering and the interactive human factors of survival. A bonus is the inclusion of the fine photography by the late Galen Rowell, who joined the expedition.

Most of us know John Denver through his music, his environmental legacy and his humanitarian work. UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN fills in many gaps left by Denver's death in that it explains the beauty and the gift of nature itself in an isolated land free of the commercial drama found on Everest. This is not a trinket named for John Denver, it is the story of men and women who wanted Mr. Denver's legacy to live forever.

You will turn the pages of UNDER THE MIDNIGHT SUN again and again and hold on every word. I am pleased to recommend this book to everyone.

Dreux DeMack
Secretary, Windstar Colorado Connection

Medicine Quest: In Search of Nature's Healing Secrets
Average customer rating:

Indigenous Wisdom

Reads like a text book

Medicine Quest Review

Mark Plotikin's Medicine Quest review by a freshman at BEHS

Medicine quest review

Medicine Quest: In Search of Nature's Healing Secrets
Mark J. Plotkin
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest

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ASIN: 0140262105
Release Date: 2001-11-27

Book Description

In Medicine Quest, Mark Plotkin moves beyond the Amazon rainforests of his classic Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice to describe the ongoing race to find new medicines for intractable diseases such as AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and tuberculosis in far-flung places all over the world. While highlighting the unlikely marriage of natural products, indigenous wisdom, and biotechnology, Plotkin details discoveries that are producing stunning results in the laboratory: painkillers from the skin of rainforest frogs, anticoagulants from leech saliva, and antitumor agents from snake venom. An entertaining and educational weave of medicine, ecology, ethnobotany, history, exploration, and adventure, Medicine Quest will thrill scientists, naturalists, and armchair explorers, and heighten our appreciation for the inexhaustible therapeutic potential of our natural world.

Customer Reviews:

Indigenous Wisdom.......2006-02-24

This book is a sort of sequel to "Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice". In it Dr. Plotkin analyses the therapeutic potential of what the shamans know. We are in a race to learn about the creatures of the earth before they are exterminated by our modern world. These creatures can save our lives. We have learned so much, yet we know so little. The book is so well written that once you start, you can't put it down.

Reads like a text book.......2005-09-06

While Mark writes with a sense of humor, I prefered the story style of Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice.

Medicine Quest Review.......2002-01-02

... Medicine Quest was an awesome book that taught me a lot, but was also very interesting. It was the kind of book you pick up dreading to read but then love it. It started out with a story about a medicine man who found a way to help diabetes. Then it went on it talked about different medicines such as penicillin which was produced from fungi, different pain killer from frogs and snakes and antibiotics from plants and even bugs. Overall I thought that it was an amazing book and I recommend it to anyone who is interesting in learning about medicine or even to someone who just wants to sit down with a good book. In this review I will map out the main points and provide an evaluation so you can see whether you want to read this book or not.

Main Points

· Some Poison for Your Pain- Poisonous reptiles and amphibians are knows to have venom that help kill pain for people. Some Scientist studied frogs and snakes and found a new treatment for pain, but a lot of what they found was to toxic for humans so their next task was to try to change the treatment to work. Venom have taught scientist a lot about the body and how medicines function in them.

· The Eternal Quest- Scientist used to think that humans were the only ones who used to use medicine but they were proved wrong after finding a Neanderthal with seven medical species of plants in a ring around his body. Scientist are now looking for answer from other animal to see what kinds of medicines and adaptations they can give us. Also past things are giving scientist clues, such as the discovery of the ice man, and finding myrrh which was an antibiotic used in the ancient world.

· The Fungus Among Us- Fungi is sometimes know to scientist as a "lower organism" but actually it is responsible for 5 of the top 30 medicines. Penicillin is the most well known medicine. It has saved millions of lives though out the world today. It was discovered by Alexander Fleming in 1928 when it grew in his petri dish. Then he couldn't figure out how it had grown and couldn't grow it again, but finally someone did. Fungi are known as one of the most ancient lives on earth.

· Drugs from Bugs- Many discoveries have been made from bugs that help with sicknesses. In native tribes they use ants to help with their arthritis pain, bedbugs are used for treating external wounds, beetles are used for the steroids in their glands and spiders not only contribute venom to this world but also other things like their ability to capture their prey. Bees wax from honeybees has been used for medical ointments, plasters and even suppositories.

· Hideous Healers- Scientist estimate that there are over 650 species of leeches all around the world. They have been used in ancient medicines for Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Indians and Chinese. They are used for therapeutic purposes, its saliva is used as a blood thinner that helped with clotting. Maggots are used for the treatment of bone infections and other deep wounds.
· The Snakes in the Caduceus- Snakes have served as fascination to some and fear to other human cultures. Snakes poison has been used as an agent for capital punishment, murder, suicide, torture and even welfare. Snakes medicine also dates back to the ancient times. Snake oil is the most antique term of snake medicine. Some of these oils were ineffective, some were poisonous, and some were addictive. Snakes best quality is its venom used for many medicines. Even though the venom varies form species to species they all serve a great purpose.

· Under the Sea- Scientist believe that over 80% of species will be found under sea due to the fact that 70% of this earth is covered in water and ocean. That give a great chance that the sea is a great place to look for medical advantages. Coral has been know to have a compound that helps with the cure/ treatment of cancer. Its compound is called eleutherobin and scientist have been having a hard time working with it because it is so hard to obtain. The lowly sponge provides us with great things, such as a cleaner to keep patients clean and so no bacteria is around, also it has shown to be a great treatment for leukemia.

· Plants of the Apes- When studying the apes scientist found that some of them have a specific diet with allows them to fight off the bacteria that causes diarrhea. Also from studying animals scientist have discovered that animals themselves give off a poison to their body which helps them fight off snake bites or get rid of diseases. The apes themselves are very picky eaters which helps with the medical research. They found that the reason the apes were being picky is because they plant they were eating actually acts as an antibiotic which mean that to much could be potentially deadly.

This book taught me a lot about our world. It taught me that every creature and plant has a purpose for being here and a lot of their purpose is to help human life. I give this book 4 stars because anyone who reads this book will be amazed at all the different discoveries. Not only did the author do an excellent job at writing it but he made it interesting by adding little details that will astonish you.

I believe the author wrote this book for many reasons, one being to inform people about the uses, discoveries, and new about different medicines, also i believe he wanted to give credit to all the animals and other organisms out there who help us so much. I believe this book is intended more for the older readers or people who are really into the medical field. The point of this book is to help people better understand our world and so people can really appreciate what nature has done for us. This book is a pretty easy read, the chapters are sectioned off as stated above with different organisms being presented. This book is different in a way that is states the truth about things rather than really making a great story out of the whole book. It was a great book and I hope that everyone wants to read it.

Mark Plotikin's Medicine Quest review by a freshman at BEHS.......2002-01-02

Dr. Mark J. Plotkin's book, Medicine Quest (published in 2000 by Viking Penguin), tells about his research on medicine done all throughout the world. He travels in the North East Amazon rainforest for 15 to research new natural medicines; many times accompanied by native Shamans (tribes medicine men). Dr. Plotkin tells about many medicines used by native tribes that heal thing such as arthritis and why they should be investigated by pharmacologists (doctors studying natural medicines) in the U.S. There where many unknown animals, plants, micro-organisms, and venoms to the United States that could cure common illnesses if used properly.

Dr. Plotkin studied medicines of the Amazon's Shamans for 15 years to help American pharmacologists obtain new natural medicines to cure common illnesses and to help preserve the Amazon from being cut down. He collected venoms, plants, animals, bugs, and microorganisms to bring back to the United States to be researched. Some of the medicines used by the Shamans cure arthritis, heartburn, server pain, and high blood pressure. The catch is that some of the venoms contain toxins that are extremely dangerous to humans and can even kill, for example the poison arrow from has a toxin that can relieve pain but also has another toxin that paralyzes your heart and all other muscles in your body. So he is hoping that pharmacologists can extract that good toxins and use them as a non-addictive and non-side effect replacement for modern day medicines.

One of the first organisms that Mark discovers is a cone snail. "The snail shoots a poison-tipped harpoon into a fish's mouth, instantly killing the fish, which is then quickly devoured... 10 years ago a shell collector saw the shell of the cone snail and proceeded to collect the shell, he stuck it down the front of his pants because he didn't have a bag to put it in. He was later found dead" "A toxin within the poison initially known as MVIIB (now zi-conotide) attaches itself solely to a part of the spinal cord known as the dorsal horn, through which pass the nerve cells that convey pain signals from the body to the brain. MVIIB blocks that signal relieving the patient from pain." There Mark shows how one toxin within a poison can kill you and another can relieve your pain.

Another problem that occurs while trying to extract toxins from sea animals is the very little amount that one organism can make. "The anticancer compound ecteinascidin, from a sea squirt, offers promise as a treatment for melanoma and breast cancer. But a ton of these tiny creatures yields only a gram of the compound. One investigator began research on marine microorganisms forty years ago and needed to grow two thousand liters of the microbe to extract ten milligrams of the toxin being studied."

Dr. Plotkin's research is promising to be successful in helping people live through common day illnesses. I learned that there are many organisms that can help people and are so delicate. I evaluated it like that because people are just cutting down the rainforests and polluting the waters without thinking about the organisms that live there and can help people. I also found out that you can extract certain toxins to do certain tasks within one poison. I just always thought that if the whole poison would kill or harm you that the poison was useless to pharmacology.

Mark Plotkin's book has introduced me to how other organisms can help us. He also made me realize that many chemically made drugs can be replaced buy a natural toxin that is not addictive and has not side effects. And that in order for them to help us, that we need to stop destroying their habitats by not polluting water and cutting down rainforests.

Medicine quest review.......2002-01-02

Medicine Quest Review

Medicine Quest was an awesome book that taught me a lot, but was also very interesting. It was the kind of book you pick up dreading to read but then love it. It started out with a story about a medicine man who found a way to help diabetes. Then it went on it talked about different medicines such as penicillin which was produced from fungi, different pain killer from frogs and snakes and antibiotics from plants and even bugs. Overall I thought that it was an amazing book and I recommend it to anyone who is interesting in learning about medicine or even to someone who just wants to sit down with a good book.

Mark J Plotkin
Medicine Quest
In Search of Nature's Healing Secrets
New York: Penguin Group
$22.95 pp208

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