Survival of the Sickest

By Dr. Sharon Moalem & Jonathan Prince

Survival of the Sickest - Dr. Sharon Moalem & Jonathan Prince
  • Release Date: 2009-10-13
  • Genre: Medical
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 61 Ratings

Description

Read it.

You're already living it.

Was diabetes evolution's response to the last Ice Age? Did a deadly genetic disease help our ancestors survive the bubonic plagues of Europe? Will a visit to the tanning salon help lower your cholesterol? Why do we age? Why are some people immune to HIV? Can your genes be turned on -- or off?

Joining the ranks of modern myth busters, Dr. Sharon Moalem turns our current understanding of illness on its head and challenges us to fundamentally change the way we think about our bodies, our health, and our relationship to just about every other living thing on earth, from plants and animals to insects and bacteria.

Through a fresh and engaging examination of our evolutionary history, Dr. Moalem reveals how many of the conditions that are diseases today actually gave our ancestors a leg up in the survival sweepstakes. When the option is a long life with a disease or a short one without it, evolution opts for disease almost every time.

Everything from the climate our ancestors lived in to the crops they planted and ate to their beverage of choice can be seen in our genetic inheritance. But Survival of the Sickest doesn't stop there. It goes on to demonstrate just how little modern medicine really understands about human health, and offers a new way of thinking that can help all of us live longer, healthier lives.

Survival of the Sickest is filled with fascinating insights and cutting-edge research, presented in a way that is both accessible and utterly absorbing. This is a book about the interconnectedness of all life on earth -- and, especially, what that means for us.

Reviews

  • Highly recommend

    5
    By Vjtorres
    I teach AP Biology and I assign my students to read this book because it connects genetics with evolution very well. My students love this book as I do. It's so fascinating and informative about genetics and evolution. I highly recommend reading the book.
  • MUST READ

    5
    By Boluug7
    I loved it. It wasn't boring like most medical books and that's coming from a 9th grader.
  • Great read

    4
    By πŸ˜πŸ˜πŸ˜πŸ˜˜πŸ˜‰β˜ΊπŸ˜πŸ˜ŠπŸ˜„πŸ˜πŸ˜œπŸ˜
    I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book! It provided me with a new perspective on evolution. I wish my college professors had been this interesting!
  • Survival of the Sickest

    5
    By Trocergian
    This is one of the most intriguing and interesting non-fiction books I have ever read. It gives new insight to the relationship between humans and disease. The book pushes us to learn more about the evolutionary course of human beings and how we actually need sickness in order to become stronger as a species. It is definitely a book I will want to read more than once.