Thursday, June 30, 2016

Review of Instaread Summary of "The Gene An Intimate History" by Siddhartha Mukherjee



Review of

Instaread Summary of The Gene An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee

Five out of five stars

This is a summary of the science of genetics, from how genes are stored and expressed to how that expression creates abnormalities and the problems can be treated. The explanations start with Charles Darwin and Gregor Mendel, two of the pioneers of genetic understanding. Mendel developed numerical data that established the fundamental understanding of dominant and recessive genes and Darwin used observational data to argue that species change over time in adapting to their environments.
 The real significance of the book is the more recent advancements in the understanding of genetics, specifically how certain genes are expressed in the organism. This is where it then becomes possible to effectively act on the knowledge of genetics, creating organisms that produce desired proteins as well as developing effective treatments for illnesses caused by faulty genes.
 There is also coverage of how genetics has been misused by social organizations and governments. People considered genetically undesirable were sterilized and even euthanized in a misguided attempt to improve the human species.
 There is great promise and great danger in the manipulation of genetic material. This summary can be considered a primer on both when the book is described. 

This book was received for free for review purposes. 

Review of Summary of "Five Presidents My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford" by Clint Hill with Lisa McCubbin



Review of

Summary of Five Presidents My Extraordinary Journey with Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford by Clint Hill with Lisa McCubbin 

Five out of five stars

 Clint Hill was a long-time agent of the Secret Service assigned to protect U. S. presidents and some of  the people around them. He is the agent that ran to the open car of President Kennedy after he was shot, putting his body between the assassin and the president. He worked with presidents Eisenhower through Ford, although he spent time in the detail protecting First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy and Vice President Spiro Agnew. His perspectives on these people are an interesting look at how they functioned.
 Although their mission is to physically intercept any bullet meant for the president and to essentially be an animated piece of furniture, the secret service agents observe a great deal. Therefore, any recollections that they have are an important addition to the historical record. This summary demonstrates that the book is a great human interest story, where the humans of interest are U. S. presidents and their immediate entourage.
 The summary describes the personalities of the presidents in the time frame, from the aloofness of Eisenhower, he refused to learn the names of the agents protecting him, to Nixon, sending a secret service agent to spy on a political opponent.
 The toll that such a job takes on an agent is also a fundamental component of the summary. Hill clearly suffered from post traumatic stress disorder as a consequence of the Kennedy assassination and he was gone from his family approximately 90% of the time. Therefore, he was an emotional loner, working a job where one has to be composed and alert at all times, yet having no close support group to damp down and dissipate the stresses.
 This summary is a great synopsis of what it meant to be a macho secret service agent, where you must be prepared to sacrifice your life at any time in performance of your job. It is also a glimpse into the personalities of presidents and some of the people around them. Surprisingly, Spiro Agnew comes across as being a decent guy, teaching Hill to play cards so that could more easily pass the time on long flights.

This book was made available for free for review purposes.