The descent of man, and selection in relation to sex

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Despite its provocative title, Sex & the Origins of Death is not as sensationalistic as it sounds. William R. Clark is a professor of immunology at UCLA, and his avowed intention is to enlighten his readers rather than to frighten or titillate. Drawing on his broad knowledge of the cellular systems that make up our bodies and the medical and ethical arguments on the nature of death, he presents a compelling tale of the evolution of sex and death interwoven with a story of a man experiencing a heart attack. This juxtaposition humanizes the discussion and grounds the reader firmly in day-to-day reality, even when considering such bizarre topics as immortal bacteria and Sea Monkey spores.

Clark covers the development of sex in microorganisms and how this novelty may have guaranteed the inevitability of death (though perhaps not that of taxes). From this level of thinking, he changes quickly to 20th-century American law, which has pondered the question of death at great length as our scientific prowess has enabled us to maintain deeply traumatized individuals in persistent vegetative states, presumably free from conscious awareness of any kind. Now that death has become a matter of opinion, Clark insists that we pay careful attention to it, both as scientists and as human beings. Sex & the Origins of Death is a great place to start. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

Death, for bacteria, is not inevitable. Protect a bacterium from predators, and provide it with adequate food and space to grow, and it would continue living--and reproducing asexually--forever. But a paramecium (a slightly more advanced single-cell organism), under the same ideal conditions, would stop dividing after about 200 generations--and die. Death, for paramecia and their offspring, is inevitable. Unless they have sex. If at any point during that 200 or so generations, two of the progeny of our paramecium have sex, their clock will be reset to zero. They and their progeny are granted another 200 generations. Those who fail to have sex eventually die. Immortality for bacteria is automatic; for all other living beings--including humans--immortality depends on having sex. But why is this so? Why must death be inevitable? And what is the connection between death and sexual reproduction? In Sex and the Origins of Death, William R. Clark looks at life and death at the level of the cell, as he addresses such profound questions as why we age, why death exists, and why death and sex go hand in hand. Clark reveals that there are in fact two kinds of cell death--accidental death, caused by extreme cold or heat, starvation, or physical destruction, and "programmed cell death," initiated by codes embedded in our DNA. (Bacteria have no such codes.) We learn that every cell in our body has a self-destruct program embedded into it and that cell suicide is in fact a fairly commonplace event. We also discover that virtually every aspect of a cell's life is regulated by its DNA, including its own death, that the span of life is genetically determined (identical twins on average die 36 months apart, randomly selected siblings 106 months apart), that human tissue in culture will divide some 50 times and then die (an important exception being tumor cells, which divide indefinitely). But why do our cells have such programs? Why must we die? To shed light on this question, Clark reaches far back in evolutionary history, to the moment when "inevitable death" (death from aging) first appeared. For cells during the first billion years, death, when it occurred, was accidental; there was nothing programmed into them that said they must die. But fierce competition gradually led to multicellular animals--size being an advantage against predators--and with this change came cell specialization and, most important, germ cells in which reproductive DNA was segregated. When sexual reproduction evolved, it became the dominant form of reproduction on the planet, in part because mixing DNA from two individuals corrects errors that have crept into the code. But this improved DNA made DNA in the other (somatic) cells not only superfluous, but dangerous, because somatic DNA might harbor mutations. Nature's solution to this danger, Clark concludes, was programmed death--the somatic cells must die. Unfortunately, we are the somatic cells. Death is necessary to exploit to the fullest the advantages of sexual reproduction. In Sex and the Origins of Death, William Clark ranges far and wide over fascinating terrain. Whether describing a 62-year-old man having a major heart attack (and how his myocardial cells rupture and die), or discussing curious life-forms that defy any definition of life (including bacterial spores, which can regenerate after decades of inactivity, and viruses, which are nothing more than DNA or RNA wrapped in protein), this brilliant, profound volume illuminates the miraculous workings of life at its most elemental level and finds in these tiny spaces the answers to some of our largest questions.

Customer Reviews:

Death - a price worth paying?.......2007-08-03

William Clark has done a great job here of explaining the connection in evolution between the origins of sexual reproduction and the origins of death. To know that the original living organisms, and their single-cell descendents today, do not die from aging but are potentially immortal leads to interesting questions about ourselves and particularly the relationship between our soma (body) cells and our gametes ie those cells that can potentially take our DNA into the future beyond the death of the body.

Clark uses the hypothetical case of a man's second major heart attack to explain necrotic cell death. He also covers the problems we are faced with today around determing 'death', brain death and dealing with persistent vegetative state etc. Taking another perspective he looks at the dried cysts and spores of simple organisms in the search for a clearer definition of life at the level of the cell.

The type of cell death of particular interest is programmed cell death that arose along with sexual reproduction and multicellular organisms. Programmed cell death occurs in the developing fetus where excess cells quietly self-destruct. It also continues throughout life in, for example, the immune system. And ultimately body cells themselves are programmed to die once enough time has elapsed for the body's DNA to have passed on to new bodies.

As Clark puts it, the only purpose of somatic cells, from nature's point of view, is to optimize the survival and function of the true guardians of the DNA - the germ cells. In the original living organisms the first somatic DNA was itself germline DNA. But programmed death is apparently necessary in order to realize the full biological advantage of sex as part of reproduction. Our DNA makes a hundred trillion copies of itself to ensure the transmission of just a few copies to the next generation. Then it directs the destruction of the other hundred trillion copies and we die. Death of cells is therefore not an a priori requirement of life but an evolutionary consequence of the way we reproduce ourselves and of our multicellularity.

Perhaps the knowledge of our own mortality can be made more palatable when we see it as a price we all pay for the great and awesome diversity of life on our beautiful planet that has arisen from the evolution of sexual reproduction and multicellularity.

much misrepresented by reviewers.......2006-08-28

I delayed to read this book, put off by a reviewer who warned that it was difficult due to the author's use of scientific jargon. But that reviewer was wrong. There is a lot of jargon in this book: all clearly introduced, defined, and rarely used. In fact, the author presents things a little more simply than he could have!

This is one of the better biology books I've ever read (and I read about a dozen each year) because of the issue it deals with: why, literally why, we die. It explains exactly what death is and why, in evolutionary terms, it happens. Here is another one of those subjects which for so long we could only explore through philosophical and religious speculation, now explained clearly, if so much less dramatically, by science. This, indeed, will be the starting point for religions of the future.

Next time a child asks, "Why do people die?" I will have the answer, and an answer likely to appeal to the child's sense of wonder at the universe, likely to inspire her to learn more about her world.

Topics covered include a basic introduction to cell biology, "accidental" cell death (necrosis), programmed cell death (apoptosis), the difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes, sex (in this book, "sex" is simply genetic exchange, not the "sexy sex" we all obsess over; nothing titillating here), the difference between germ cells and somatic (body) cells, the causes of senescence (aging), progeria (a disease of premature aging), the various functions of different parts of the brain, biological and legal definitions of death, permanent vegetative states, biological definitions of life, and cryptobiosis (spores). In addition, embryology, immunology, cancer, metabolism, viruses, and neurology are lightly covered.

All of that is well-explained; if you are curious, you will certainly be able to understand this book.

By far the highlight of the book, the most interesting part, is the minute descriptions of the processes of cell death, incorporated into a detailed description of processes of the death of a human being.

Let me recommend some other books that go very well with this one. Sherwin Nuland has written several, including "How We Die," which I've read and very highly recommend. It focuses exclusively on human death, and describes how various illnesses lead to death; it also deals with things from a more personal angle. "Sex and the Origins of Death" introduces us to a "gene's eye view" of life, which was popularized in Richard Dawkins' classic "The Selfish Gene," which I also strongly recommend, along with his other books. In addition, Matt Ridley's two best books are "Genome," as fine an introduction to genetics as a layperson could ask for, and "The Red Queen," which brilliantly explores the significance of sex for evolution.

More distantly related to this book, Carl Zimmer's "At the Water's Edge" has the best account of embryology and evolution that I've read--though I haven't yet read Sean Carroll's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful," which is likely to be even better. Zimmer also wrote "Parasite Rex," which explores perhaps the most neglected topic in biology, parasitism, and its importance for evolution: which is very relevant to the evolution of symbiosis and eukaryotic cells, and perhaps sex--and therefore, as you'll see from "Sex and the Origins of Death," to the evolution of death.

All in all, among lots of great books out there, "Sex and the Origins of Death" is highly recommended.

However, I want to put in a little caveat, as an environmentalist. On page 177, Carrol says that due to the extinction of their natural hosts, which humans have undoubtedly contributed to, microorganisms have begun to infect us, "out of sheer desperation." He gives AIDS and Ebola as examples. However, both of those examples are completely wrong: neither of the original hosts of those diseases (chimpanzees and probably fruit bats) are near extinction. In fact, as far as I know, this entire characterization of the way diseases spread between species is wrong. It's certainly wrong in all the cases I know about, including the two he mentioned, bird flu, bubonic plague, and so on. I can't even imagine how a microorganism could feel desperate....

An argument like that would seem to support environmentalism: if diseases are spreading to us because their natural hosts are going extinct, we need to protect their natural hosts a little better. It certainly appeals to our sense that bad things happen to us because we do bad things. However, since it's probably incorrect, it would be better not to use it. We have plenty of sound ecological and moral reasons to try to protect the species of our planet without making ones up; and when it's discovered we made some up, unnecessary doubt will be cast on the legitimate reasons as well. So it's better not to make them up. No doubt Clark made his mistake innocently, as this is evidently not his field.

A thought-provoking book.......2005-04-03

I thought this was a VERY interesting book. The premise seems to be that death is the price we pay for the genetic variation that sex allows.

Why we die and how to beat it.......2003-01-27

From the outset what UCLA's Wm Clark reports is staggering; Death is "not an obligatory attribute of life" and did not appear with the advent of it. Cellular aging resulting in death may not have occurred for more than a billion years after life's first entry on earth. Programmed cell death (PCD) which we suffer (displayed through wrinkles and forgetfulness) seems to have arisen about the time cells were experimenting with sex.

Sex is an energy costly activity, engaged in because it rolls the genetic dice, inviting variations with each new offspring. An advantage because with environmental change what was well suited in the old world is often not suited for the new. Gene variations may result - through natural selection - in a few offspring amongst the dying progenitors that survive to save the species. For example, bacteria reproduce though cloning themselves, and can do so at a rate of 16 million per hour from one parent (take your antibiotics). But when the environment becomes harsh the parents spontaneously engage in sex, swapping genes with others as a gamble on survival.

In a description of catastrophic cell death Clark displays a talent to meet or exceed even Sagan's best - clear, rich, compelling. Here heart attack and the wonder of cell machinery resist the inevitable as systems and their back ups struggle to counter power failures and starvation in a chain reaction of failing miracles. Like a community, some components are wholly unaware of disaster while others sacrifice themselves transferring energy to last lines of defense - pumps stationed in cell walls countering a siege of water pressing in about to wash them away.

Such stunning, intentioned actions of this tiny, helpless, complex organism, the cell (of which we possess about 100 trillion - about as many cells as there are stars in the nearest 400 spiral galaxies including the Milky Way!) is starkly contrasted against our cell's decision to commit suicide. This happens when life is late, or as early as the womb when ancient relics of evolution are flushed out of us - like reminders of an ocean origin when interdigital webbing of our onetime fins are removed through PCD, leaving what's left between our fingers. Once the nucleus decides to pull the trigger, one last set of instructions emerge as its DNA begins disassembling. All the while a stack of unread instructions are being executed by unwary elements of the cell. The cell detaches from its neighbors, undulates, breaking into globules while still ignorant workers in these blobs work away, floating into a void where they are devoured by immune systems. Awful.

But there are rays of hope for immortality. "Growth factors" are given to cells like lymphocytes to put a safety on their trigger. And there are executioners in this tragedy, T-Cells. Having spotted an invader they do not murder the foreigner, they command the interloper to kill itself, orders dutifully followed. T-Cells know the security code. Paramecium dodge death by letting their macro-nuclei run the show while a micro-version lays dormant. After enough cell splitting, it has sex with another paramecium. Its macro-nuclei suffers PCD and the micro takes over as a newly minted micro-nucleus goes to sleep. Once eukaryotic cells (what we're made of) became multicellular, reproductive DNA would be not only kept in separate nuclei (as the paramecium) but in separate cells - our germ cells (sperm, egg). The rest of us, our bodies, are their guardians, not only redundant and irrelevant but we turn dangerous with too many divisions. When our germ cells meet others, clocks are reset just as they are for paramecium. Sex can save our germ cells but it cannot save us.

These growth factors, security codes, telemeres or some other mechanism may finally be commandeered to salvage us from oblivion. For now, as Clark writes, we must die and there are many mechanisms built into us to make sure we do. Death does not just happen, it is worked toward, with safeguards to assure cells don't backslide into immortality - as cancer cells do, a recipe for disaster. The winner is our species because germ cells are immortal through sex as we contribute molecular chains of ourselves to the future and whoever is made of us. Clark reveals this and so much more. A pure joy to read.

Learning as enjoyment.......2002-01-29

Not what it sounds like ~ some bizarre fetish manual ~ but an investigation by an apparently eminent immunologist and cytologist into the reasons that cells ~ and thus the animals and plants constructed of those cells ~ die. The sex comes in because at some point in the past, it would appear, in the choice (funny how one frequently speaks of evolutionary processes as animate) to mix the genetic material with the swapping of DNA (sex) implied the necessity of the death of the old DNA in order to pass on the new with a fair chance of survival. This is a really fascinating exploration, written for the layman, of some modern biology, cytology, molecular biology, thanatology, and even philosophy. Clark may be a professor, a department Chair in fact, but he can still write engagingly, simply, and pleasingly. I truly enjoyed learning here.

The descent of man: And selection in relation to sex (The 100 greatest books ever written)

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The descent of man: And selection in relation to sex (The 100 greatest books ever written)
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: Easton Press
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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Origins of Sex: Three Billion Years of Genetic Recombination (Bio-Origins Series)

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Thought provoking
Another Hit for the Mother/Son Team

Origins of Sex: Three Billion Years of Genetic Recombination (Bio-Origins Series)
Lynn Margulis , and Dorion Sagan
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0300046197

Customer Reviews:

Thought provoking.......2007-01-10

Excellent presentation of arguments, although some of the central ideas have been challenged since it's publication. Evoltionary ancestors of microtubules may have been found in pro-karyotes.

Another Hit for the Mother/Son Team.......2002-03-13

Well. I would not have been terribly suprised had this turned out to be a great book. Nonetheless, I was pleasently so when I realized I actually enjoyed it as much as Microcosmos. I don't know how much of which author went into what--and that does not really seem to matter. The ideas flow easily and evenly--the biology is straightforward and understandable, and the chronology seems (at least for me) easy to follow. In my humble opinion, another excellent book, and a must for any real thinkers library. I have mine..where's yours?

The descent of man and selection in relation to sex

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The descent of man and selection in relation to sex
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: J. Murray
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The descent of man and selection in relation to sex
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: Printed for The Limited Editions Club at the Griffin Press
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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The descent of man and selection in relation to sex
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: J. Murray
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The descent of man and selection in relation to sex (A Library of universal literature, pt. 1. Science)

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The descent of man and selection in relation to sex (A Library of universal literature, pt. 1. Science)
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: P.F. Collier
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The descent of man and selection in relation to sex,
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: D. Appleton and Company
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The descent of man and selection in relation to sex,
Charles Darwin
Manufacturer: D. Appleton
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Book Description

Hiking California's Golden Trout Wilderness will help outdoor enthusiasts choose and plan a day hike or backpacking trip in the Golden Trout Wilderness or South Sierra Wilderness best suited to their time, energy, experience, and personal preferences. It offers a preview of what they are likely to see and experience along their chosen route: geological features, historical sites, trees, birds, flowers, and mammals. It helps readers anticipate places where the trail is faint, where it is clear, where and when rivers and streams are special sources of delight, or where there may be obstacles to travel. There are 43 specially selected backcountry adventures meticulously prepared by backcountry guide Suzanne Swedo.

Inside readers will find: detailed maps, accurate route profiles showing the ups and downs of each hike, tips on equipment, trip planning, hiking with dogs and children, accurate directions, difficulty ratings, trail contacts, and more.

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Better than vol 1

Oh... My... God!!!

How to enhance your intellect

This Is an "I" Opening Book

Kemetic Knowledge

Metu Neter Vol. 2: Anuk Ausar, The Kamitic Initiation System
Ra UN Neter Neter Amen
Manufacturer: Kamit Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Egyptian Book of the Dead : The Book of Coming Forth by Day

ASIN: 1877662089

Book Description

You will find in this book, for the time, a complete step by step guidance to achieving spiritual perfection, and a successful life, based on the Kamitic (Ancient Egyptian) initiation system. Those student on those spiritual path will know, Where I am at in my spiritual growth? What is the next step and the next? "How much progress am I making, and how do I know when to move on to the next level?"

Customer Reviews:

Better than vol 1.......2007-07-08

While the author has created a coherent, well written and easy to read book on egyptian spirituality, once again the author bogs the topic down with endless references to black supremacy.
I am sorry, but for those of us that dont know much about black history (except that they have been horribly supressed), it becomes a bit tiredsome to read. The spiritual information has value, and it is very interesting, but the endless war against white researchers just kills the experience for me. I have no axe to grind, and i dont care about color. The spirit has no color.

Oh... My... God!!!.......2006-07-06

I only received this book in the mail today and have only read 19 pages but already I am amazed. I have already been convinced of the complete error of our mode of thought pertaining to how we view ourselves and also how we change ourselves. I am taking a break because my mind just can handle any more right now. I am overjoyed that I have decided to purchase this book; words cannot describe. Stop reading reviews and buy this book(or you can borrow it if you find someone crazy enough to let go of it).

How to enhance your intellect.......2005-10-02

Great book told in everyday terms. Lots of food for thought and opportunities to expand your thinking. A must read for those who like to think for themselves, and form their own personal opinions.

This Is an "I" Opening Book.......2001-06-21

This book is definitely a must have for anyone. It will allow you to overstand reality on a vast level. It's such an easy read too! I find myself falling asleep with it and waking up to it. It's such a spiritually powerful book that it can't be explained with words. The key to this book is to practice on a real level not an intellectual level. But don't take my word for it, reading is believing, so get this one. Get Vol.1 too. I haven't read vol. 1 yet, but if it's a good as vol. 2 it's a must have. Apparently, this is supposed to be a 9-volume set. I can't wait for the others to come out. - JAH Guide

Kemetic Knowledge.......2000-08-14

Author Ra Un Nefer Amen is an excellent author, and I believehis books should be read by all people (especially Nubians) for spiritual enlightenment.

When it come to the subject of initiations, the Secret Mystery Schools of Kemet are just as important as those secret sociaties of Sumeria, Babylon, and the Hebrews(Essenes, Order of Melchizedek). The pyramids were places were students learned about the sciences of alchemy, leviatation, mental powers, etc. Many men such as Djoser, Abraham, Moses, Yashua, Nepoleon, and even Dr. Malachi Z. York (Neter: A'aferti Atum-Re, Amunnubi Rooakhptah) was initiated in the pyramids of Egypt.

Nete: A'aferti Atum-Re, himself, was initiated in the Step Pyramid of Saqqara during his trip to Africa in the early 1970s. If you don't believe me, read some of his books and you'll see a picture of him inside the pyramid. He was initiated into the Order of Melchizedek.

Neter: A'aferti Atum-Re teaches in his books that the pyramid is an antenna that magnifies human energy fields. The Great Pyramid generates a double vortex, which is called Standing Columnar Wave (SCW). Alchemist used the Caduceus Coil to generate energy. Standing Column Wave energy patterns make up the energy fields that surround all living things. It also makes up the energy pattern that surrounds the Earth. The Pyramid refocuses light into its sub-atomic particles called Tachyon energy. Tachyon energy is the "glue" of the universe. It is a bond between the physical and the spiritual worlds. Initiates learned how to harness this energy and could advance to the higher planes. This is how Djoser and Imhotep became Neteru and eventually became part of the Igigi (24 Elders). Yashua, an Essene high priest, learned of the Egypian Mysteries and elevated higher than any man...

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Loved It!

Like a Magazine

This is only a book, it's Heidi's photo album..!!

Heidi's guide to life

This is the type of book you flip through in a bookstore..

Heidi Klum's Body of Knowledge: 8 Rules of Model Behavior (to Help You Take Off on the Runway of Life)
Heidi Klum
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400050286
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Book Description

Heidi Klum is one of the most famous supermodels in the world, but it took a lot more than above-average looks to get there. Growing up in a small town in Germany certainly didn’t prepare her for superstardom. After winning a national modeling contest she had entered on a lark, Heidi spent the next two years trying to catch a break in a business dominated by skinny waifs and big egos. Ignoring the skeptics and naysayers, at nineteen, she hopped a plane to the United States, where she tirelessly (and always optimistically) posed, strutted, networked, and laughed her way to the top.
Heidi learned a lot on the road to becoming a cultural icon—and fortunately she took notes along the way. In this funny, dishy, and highly practical book, she shares the secrets behind her success and shows how anyone can achieve their goals in work, love, and life:

• Pursue success long after any sane person would have given up
• Persuade others you have the chops to do whatever it is you’re going for
• Make people see you as you want to be seen
• Find your own unique style
• Create a strong, healthy body
• Tap into your seductive side
• Broaden your horizons by traveling the world
• Have a blast while it lasts

This informative romp is full of gorgeous photos from the top professional photographers in the fashion industry, personal pictures from Heidi’s own scrapbooks, behind-the-scenes stories about the modeling world, and helpful hints for achieving success. With her refreshing candor and effervescent style, Heidi offers dead-on advice that will resonate with anyone who has ever wanted more out of life.

Customer Reviews:

Loved It!.......2007-06-17

I was at a low point in my life and this book helped me gain a lighter perspective on my situation. You can find inspiration in all sorts of things and don't have to be heavy and serious. I loved the book and would definitely recommend it to anyone.

Like a Magazine.......2005-10-11

This book is easy to read and is very visual much like a magazine, hence the cover art. It is packed with photographs from Heidi's long career. The layout is done in short segments so that it seems like a magazine filled with stories. There are several how-to lists like one that records what members of the opposite sex should know about each other.

This book is a fun, female oriented account from a popular super model. Men will like the book for the many photographs, many of them semi-nude. It includes a bit of a biography telling how Klum got into modeling and information about her family. However, like a magazine, this book is nothing outstanding. The information is grazed over and the many how-to articles do not really add much. The opinions held are often those that can be found in the latest issue of Cosmopolitan.

This is only a book, it's Heidi's photo album..!!.......2005-04-17

...I personally like Heidi's first book, although it's generally for women reader, but, as Heidi's fans (supporter), I really love this book, which includes many of her favorite pictures and her feeling of life. If you want to understand a Supermodel's Mind, you won't regret with this one..!!

Heidi's guide to life.......2005-03-10

I bought this book already being a fan of Heidi Klum, which may taint my opinion of it. But, I thought I'd post to give a viable alternative to the other reviews (since most reviews on this whole site are either "This is the greatest ever", "I give it 5 out of 5 even though it has flaws", or "This is a pile of [swear words]").

First, what this book IS NOT:

A step-by-step guide of how to get into modeling.
A kiss-and-tell of all her famous relationships.
A dish-the-dirt on other famous models.
A highly detailed biography chronicling her entire life.
A graduate-level text on important societal issues.

What this book IS:

200 pages, at least half of which is photos.
A collection of stories about the major and/or interesting events of her life, including how she got into modeling.
Her advice on how to be successful in work and play (including love and sex).
Advice from some of the famous people she's met on how to be successful.

Some of my thoughts:

Many of the photos can't be found on the web and some of them are her best ever.
The influence of Alexandra Postman is evident if you compare this with her TV and magazine interviews or her chapter in "Gig: Americans Talk About their Jobs". But, overall, the book is a fair reflection of the kind of person Heidi is.
In talking about how she got into modeling, she didn't emphasize the fact that she stayed in school and kept off of drugs, which I would have liked.
Not all of her advice is valuable to everyone, but a lot of it is. Sometimes, she comes across as not realizing that most people can't live the life she has lived since we don't all have supermodel incomes or connections, but her message comes across loud and clear: be the best person you can be, work hard to accomplish your goals, and go out there and have fun!

This is the type of book you flip through in a bookstore.........2005-01-26

Heidi Klum has so much personality and spunk and none of it found its way to the pages of this book. I was mildly disappointed, I was hoping for the best. Her current job - as host and executive producer of Project Runway on Bravo networks is brilliant, where is any of that in this book?

I was so bored I ended up reading her book in less than thirty minutes. The pictures are fun to see and her lists of what to do in order to be a model may be helpful to those looking for that type of insight. I was looking for a refreshed interpretation of a model's life. On the bright side, it is better than Paris Hilton's book!

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