We look forward to seeing you on your next visit to the library. Find a location near you.

She has her mother's laugh: the powers, perversions, and potential of heredity

Book Cover
Average Rating
5 star
 
(0)
4 star
 
(1)
3 star
 
(0)
2 star
 
(0)
1 star
 
(0)
Publisher:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Pub. Date:
Varies, see individual formats and editions
Language:
English
Description
2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Finalist
"Science book of the year"The Guardian

One of New York Times 100 Notable Books for 2018
One of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Books of 2018
One of Kirkus's Best Books of 2018 
One of Mental Floss's Best Books of 2018
One of Science Friday's Best Science Books of 2018

“Extraordinary”—New York Times Book Review   
"Magisterial"—The Atlantic

"Engrossing"—Wired
"Leading contender as the most outstanding nonfiction work of the year"—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Celebrated New York Times columnist and science writer Carl Zimmer presents a profoundly original perspective on what we pass along from generation to generation. Charles Darwin played a crucial part in turning heredity into a scientific question, and yet he failed spectacularly to answer it. The birth of genetics in the early 1900s seemed to do precisely that. Gradually, people translated their old notions about heredity into a language of genes. As the technology for studying genes became cheaper, millions of people ordered genetic tests to link themselves to missing parents, to distant ancestors, to ethnic identities...
But, Zimmer writes, “Each of us carries an amalgam of fragments of DNA, stitched together from some of our many ancestors. Each piece has its own ancestry, traveling a different path back through human history. A particular fragment may sometimes be cause for worry, but most of our DNA influences who we are—our appearance, our height, our penchants—in inconceivably subtle ways.” Heredity isn’t just about genes that pass from parent to child. Heredity continues within our own bodies, as a single cell gives rise to trillions of cells that make up our bodies. We say we inherit genes from our ancestors—using a word that once referred to kingdoms and estates—but we inherit other things that matter as much or more to our lives, from microbes to technologies we use to make life more comfortable. We need a new definition of what heredity is and, through Carl Zimmer’s lucid exposition and storytelling, this resounding tour de force delivers it. 
Weaving historical and current scientific research, his own experience with his two daughters, and the kind of original reporting expected of one of the world’s best science journalists, Zimmer ultimately unpacks urgent bioethical quandaries arising from new biomedical technologies, but also long-standing presumptions about who we really are and what we can pass on to future generations.
Also in This Series
More Like This
More Copies In LINK+
Loading LINK+ Copies...
More Details
ISBN:
9781101984598
9781101984604
9780525594185
Reviews from GoodReads
Loading GoodReads Reviews.
Staff View

Grouping Information

Grouped Work IDe4bf0548-dc57-7ca1-156f-b82c2ff49256
Grouping Titleshe has her mothers laugh the powers perversions and potential of heredity
Grouping Authorcarl zimmer
Grouping Categorybook
Grouping LanguageEnglish (eng)
Last Grouping Update2024-03-28 02:11:39AM
Last Indexed2024-03-28 02:24:37AM

Solr Fields

accelerated_reader_point_value
0
accelerated_reader_reading_level
0
author
Zimmer, Carl, 1966-
author_display
Zimmer, Carl
available_at_catalog
Carmichael
Pocket-Greenhaven
Rancho Cordova
Sylvan Oaks
detailed_location_catalog
Carmichael
Pocket-Greenhaven
Rancho Cordova
Sylvan Oaks
display_description
2019 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award Finalist
"Science book of the year"The Guardian

One of New York Times 100 Notable Books for 2018
One of Publishers Weekly's Top Ten Books of 2018
One of Kirkus's Best Books of 2018 
One of Mental Floss's Best Books of 2018
One of Science Friday's Best Science Books of 2018

“Extraordinary”—New York Times Book Review   
"Magisterial"—The Atlantic

"Engrossing"—Wired
"Leading contender as the most outstanding nonfiction work of the year"—Minneapolis Star-Tribune

Celebrated New York Times columnist and science writer Carl Zimmer presents a profoundly original perspective on what we pass along from generation to generation. Charles Darwin played a crucial part in turning heredity into a scientific question, and yet he failed spectacularly to answer it. The birth of genetics in the early 1900s seemed to do precisely that. Gradually, people translated their old notions about heredity into a language of genes. As the technology for studying genes became cheaper, millions of people ordered genetic tests to link themselves to missing parents, to distant ancestors, to ethnic identities...
But, Zimmer writes, “Each of us carries an amalgam of fragments of DNA, stitched together from some of our many ancestors. Each piece has its own ancestry, traveling a different path back through human history. A particular fragment may sometimes be cause for worry, but most of our DNA influences who we are—our appearance, our height, our penchants—in inconceivably subtle ways.” Heredity isn’t just about genes that pass from parent to child. Heredity continues within our own bodies, as a single cell gives rise to trillions of cells that make up our bodies. We say we inherit genes from our ancestors—using a word that once referred to kingdoms and estates—but we inherit other things that matter as much or more to our lives, from microbes to technologies we use to make life more comfortable. We need a new definition of what heredity is and, through Carl Zimmer’s lucid exposition and storytelling, this resounding tour de force delivers it. 
Weaving historical and current scientific research, his own experience with his two daughters, and the kind of original reporting expected of one of the world’s best science journalists, Zimmer ultimately unpacks urgent bioethical quandaries arising from new biomedical technologies, but also long-standing presumptions about who we really are and what we can pass on to future generations.
format_catalog
Book
eAudiobook
eBook
format_category_catalog
Audio Books
Books
eBook
id
e4bf0548-dc57-7ca1-156f-b82c2ff49256
isbn
9780525594185
9781101984598
9781101984604
itype_catalog
Adult Book Non-Fiction
Adult Fiction
last_indexed
2024-03-28T09:24:37.294Z
lexile_score
-1
literary_form
Non Fiction
literary_form_full
Non Fiction
local_callnumber_catalog
576.5 Z72 2018
owning_library_catalog
Sacramento Public Library
owning_location_catalog
Carmichael
Pocket-Greenhaven
Rancho Cordova
Sylvan Oaks
primary_isbn
9781101984598
publishDate
2018
publisher
Books on Tape
Dutton
Penguin Publishing Group
recordtype
grouped_work
subject_facet
Heredity, Human
Human genetics
title_display
She has her mother's laugh : the powers, perversions, and potential of heredity
title_full
She Has Her Mother's Laugh The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity
She has her mother's laugh : the powers, perversions, and potential of heredity / Carl Zimmer
title_short
She has her mother's laugh
title_sub
the powers, perversions, and potential of heredity
topic_facet
Heredity, Human
Human genetics
Nonfiction
Science

Solr Details Tables

item_details

Bib IdItem IdShelf LocCall NumFormatFormat CategoryNum CopiesIs Order ItemIs eContenteContent SourceeContent URLDetailed StatusLast CheckinLocation
overdrive:eaea9133-8f97-4d32-92cb-5d149cc19a4e5Online OverDrive CollectionOnline OverDriveeBookeBook0falsetrueOverDriveAvailable Online
overdrive:eaea9133-8f97-4d32-92cb-5d149cc19a4e3Online OverDrive CollectionOnline OverDriveeBookeBook0falsetrueOverDriveAvailable Online
overdrive:eaea9133-8f97-4d32-92cb-5d149cc19a4e-1Online OverDrive CollectionOnline OverDriveeBookeBook1falsetrueOverDriveAvailable Online
overdrive:eaea9133-8f97-4d32-92cb-5d149cc19a4e4Online OverDrive CollectionOnline OverDriveeBookeBook0falsetrueOverDriveAvailable Online
overdrive:eaea9133-8f97-4d32-92cb-5d149cc19a4e-2Online OverDrive CollectionOnline OverDriveeBookeBook2falsetrueOverDriveChecked Out
overdrive:38615f11-b1d6-4a21-9f2d-2ce69b837e87-2Online OverDrive CollectionOnline OverDriveeAudiobookAudio Books3falsetrueOverDriveChecked Out
ils:.b25433702.i78939367Sylvan Oaks576.5 Z72 20181falsefalseOn Shelfsylag
ils:.b25433702.i78265010Woodland Public Library576.5 Zim 20181falsefalseOn Shelfwdpa
ils:.b25433702.i78939331Rancho Cordova576.5 Z72 20181falsefalseOn Shelfranag
ils:.b25433702.i78939379Pocket-Greenhaven576.5 Z72 20181falsefalseOn Shelfpocag
ils:.b25433702.i8015007xCarmichael576.5 Z72 20181falsefalseOn Shelfcarag

record_details

Bib IdFormatFormat CategoryEditionLanguagePublisherPublication DatePhysical DescriptionAbridged
overdrive:eaea9133-8f97-4d32-92cb-5d149cc19a4eeBookeBookEnglishPenguin Publishing Group2018
overdrive:38615f11-b1d6-4a21-9f2d-2ce69b837e87eAudiobookAudio BooksEnglishBooks on Tape2018
ils:.b25433702BookBooksEnglishDutton[2018]xii, 657 pages ; 25 cm

scoping_details_catalog

Bib IdItem IdGrouped StatusStatusLocally OwnedAvailableHoldableBookableIn Library Use OnlyLibrary OwnedHoldable PTypesBookable PTypesLocal Url
overdrive:eaea9133-8f97-4d32-92cb-5d149cc19a4e-2Checked OutChecked Outfalsefalsetruefalsefalsefalse
overdrive:38615f11-b1d6-4a21-9f2d-2ce69b837e87-2Checked OutChecked Outfalsefalsetruefalsefalsefalse
ils:.b25433702.i78939367On ShelfOn Shelffalsetruetruetruefalsetrue0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 12011
ils:.b25433702.i78265010On ShelfOn Shelffalsetruetruefalsefalsefalse0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 69, 70, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 120
ils:.b25433702.i78939331On ShelfOn Shelffalsetruetruetruefalsetrue0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 12011
ils:.b25433702.i78939379On ShelfOn Shelffalsetruetruetruefalsetrue0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 12011
ils:.b25433702.i8015007xOn ShelfOn Shelffalsetruetruetruefalsetrue0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 78, 79, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107, 108, 109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117, 118, 119, 12011