Clone - by Gina Kolata (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

The birth of Dolly -- the world's first clone -- placed in our hands the secret of creation. Few discoveries have so altered our notion of what it means to be human, or presented such a Gordian knot of ethical, spiritual, and scientific questions. Noted science journalist Gina Kolata broke the news nationally in The New York Times and was the first reporter to speak with Dr. Ian Wilmut, the embryologist who cloned Dolly. Now Kolata reveals the story behind Dolly, interweaving the social and cultural tales of our fear and fascination with cloning, reaching back nearly a century, with the riveting scientific accountof how a clone came to be and the mind-boggling questions Dolly presents for our future.Clone is a compelling blend of scientific suspense, dreams dashed, and frauds exposed, with provocative philosophical questions and an astute assessment of why Dolly's birth was only possible now. Like The Making of the Atomic Bomb, Lucy, and Chaos, this book gives us a window on history in the making, and an understanding of its profound effect on our lives.

From the Back Cover

The birth of Dolly - the world's first clone - literally placed in our hands the secret of creation. Few discoveries have so challenged our sense of identity or presented such a complex knot of pressing ethical, spiritual, and scientific dilemmas. Science journalist Gina Kolata, the first reporter to speak with Dr. Ian Wilmut, the embryologist who cloned Dolly, has had unprecedented access to key scientists, ethicists, and experts at the center of the event. In this book, she reveals the story behind Dolly - reaching back to our earliest attempts to clone, uncovering the startling, largely unreported events that led to Dolly's birth, and exploring the mind-boggling questions that Dolly presents for our future.

Review Quotes

"Kolata brings keen insight to her analysis of the implications of cloning and makes the complex details of genetics and cellbiology interesting and accessible. And she tells a great story, noting the curious twists and turns on the road to Dolly andhow humble animal scientists carried out the plodding work of making cloning a reality. What lies ahead? Cloning can makeit possible to grow organs for transplant, to produce inexpensive pharmaceuticals and help infertile couples have children.Will it also degrade individuality and increase human arrogance? Theologians, ethicists and scientists differ on thesequestions. But the impact of this new technology, made clear through Kolata's expert coverage, cannot be overstated."-- "Publishers Weekly"