Product Description
What exactly is a gene? How does cloning actually work? Are designer babies a bad idea? Could we ever clone a human? The Rough Guide To Genes & Cloning answers all these questions and more. From the inside story of cells and their structure and the sleuths who cracked the genetic code to DNA cloning, twins and Dolly the sheep. Illustrated throughout with helpful pictures and diagrams, this Rough Guide turns the microscope on the things that make us what we are. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A remarkable book- extremely comprehensive
I'm very impressed with this book- in 300 pages (of relatively small font), it covers all facets of genetics, including the latest research.They even mention genetics in pop culture with a listing of notable movies and books...

The authors present the material with remarkable clarity...the only "error" I saw was when they state that humans are 99.99% the same (a recent study that just came out has now reduced this to 99.0%).

Overall, this may be the best book for the layman- I've also heard good things about "Genetics for Dummies" (2005), but I haven't read that one yet... ... Read more

Product Description
The theological thrill ride, darting from Israel through Europe to the United States, focuses on Dr. Max Train, a leading genetic scientist from Syracuse, New York. Max was once a devout believer in God, but now lives a faithless life following the brutal slaying of his beloved wife and four year old autistic daughter twelve years ago. In many ways, Max exemplifies humanity's difficulties we all face at one time or another to hold onto our faith in God and each other, as well as believing in ourselves and our own abilities. Max represents "everyperson".

Twelve years after the widely publicized trial during which Max is rightfully found innocent of his family's murder pinned on him by corrupt dark forces, Max vacations in Israel. During an earthquake outside of Jerusalem, he discovers what appears to be the Cross Jesus of Nazareth was crucified on nearly two thousand years ago. A mysterious explosion soon destroys the cave where Max had secretly extracted the ancient artifacts, killing, Train believes, his best friend Dr. Luke Gartner and two graduate students he was in Israel with. Moments later, Max's body is hit with a sea of bullets as the morning sun begins to rise over The Holy Land. A fearful Max escapes Jerusalem, embarking on an odyssey to verify the true identity of the cross and to discover who is behind the killings.

Max may hold the fate of Mankind in his hands. If this is the True Cross and Christ was cloned from the remaining blood stains and hair remnants on the cross, would government and religion become obsolete upon His Second Coming? If the blood stains and hair are those of Jesus, then what does this say about the long held belief Christ rose whole and entire upon his resurrection? Where would the battle lines be drawn between the advances in science and the beliefs of religion? What effect would this knowledge have on one's faith and beliefs?

In the hallowed halls of the Vatican a righteous Cardinal, Anselm Mugant, hears of the discovery in Jerusalem. Without the Pope's knowledge and in clear opposition to all Catholic teaching, the wayward prelate will stop at nothing - even murder - in his bid to prevent human cloning from taking place, including his misconceived belief Max Train has intent to clone the possible body of Christ. Mugant is made to represent how Man, when completely self serving, can actually do great harm including the destruction of God's Way no matter his original intention. He sets up a dangerous and complex cat and mouse game in his effort to do whatever it takes to uphold his own righteous beliefs.

Mugant soon enlists the services of the internationally rumored assassin known simply as The Scorpion to track down Max and silence him with death. The Scorpion, a onetime penitent of the Cardinal, is a force of pure evil and who challenges life. He forces this same challenge onto Max as he casts a deadly shadow over his praised soul and every move he makes.

Adding intricate subterfuge to the plot is the existence of Mugant's "Fifth Crusade", five international industrialists with great power and reach devout in the Cardinal's perspective on human genetic science, and controlled by Mugant's knowledge of their deepest secrets. Together, Mugant launches an all-out attack to find the ancient artifacts in Train's possession, and prevent the genetic scientist from doing the unthinkable in his eyes - announcing to the world a cross containing bodily remnants could indeed by the True Cross of Jesus of Nazareth - and clone the body of Christ!

Max is a modern day Job, seeking answers to life's questions as Hell literally seems to break loose around him. As all those he has ever loved perish around him and others turn against him in order to hasten his demise, Max puts his trust in Sara, a Mossad agent who is the niece of Max's trusted friend, Rabbi Morty Kohn, who helps him to slowly restore his faith and lay to rest the horror and tragedy that the brutal slayings of his wife and daughter have caused.

Cloning Christ spins a tangled and intricate web of deceit, blackmail, violence, loss, faith, forgiveness, truth and acceptance in a story that questions the right to clone, while responding to the needs and harsh realities of life as we know it. Cloning Christ is the story of life and the sacredness of it, as shared in the novel that leaves you racing to turn the page. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (88)

Fraud, Deception, Exposure, Will the Real Christ Come Forward?
It is unremarkable book with varied statements that read like a ghost story to rebuild a failed career by the author-publisher. What really motivates Peter Sense and his fellow ghost writers? Greed to earn from a story borrowed from others? I will let you be the judge if you chose to purchase a used book or borrow one.

Books store owners should check with to others who have purchased inventory for their store [Especially stores in Australia and in the USA].
Feux claims of a movie deal and famous actors to appear at signings are abundant when in fact have yet to take place.

For those shopping for the movie rights, consider the rights to this one do not belong to the author under any name he uses. Repackaged from another writer's original work this is a dangerous work from a man convicted of crimes. Over promoted with less than stellar reviews, the author has a string of similar styled works from ghost writers who were not paid fully for their works.

I do not recommend this author to anyone! Buyer beware is so true in this cause. Buy used books and decide if it is worth reading before adding to your library as others what they think. Even used I would not buy the books from Peter. I still am looking to find those who know him and why he is self publishing his way to the top without full disclosure?

I enjoyed this book but wanted a little more
As both an author and reader of fiction I was impressed with (Cloning Christ.)The characters seemed real and the story line was a good one. I guess I have always enjoyed books that could hold my attention and make me think at the same time. I recommend this book.
Tommy Taylor
Author - The Second Virgin Birth

A bad version of Dan Brown's Angels & Demons
If only I had read the bad reviews, I would've saved some time because I agree with most of the things they say, the most important ones being (briefly):

1) Christ is never even close to being cloned.
2) I'm no literary expert but, man is it BADLY written!
3) Never cared what was going to happen to ANY of the characters (even the main one).

After having read 2/3 of this not-so-thrilling thriller, I'd realized I was reading a bad version of Dan Brown's Angels & Demons (which I found excellent).I couldn't stand the boredom anymore so I did a thing I never did before: I skipped to the last 40 pages... AND I NEVER MISSED A BEAT!

If you haven't read Angels & Demons, I'd strongly recommend that you read it instead.

Interesting topic and story.
Cloning Christ is a very good story that deals with the human spirit and man's connection to God.Starting out, we are introduced to Dr. Max Train, a man who has very little to beleive in due to what the protagonist believes is the wickedest of cruelties - the lack of God protecting his wife and daughter from murderers who purposefully send him a message - and destroy his once resolve faith in God.Alone, dispondent, and angry . . . Train, a genetic scientist by trade, will eventually come across a cross that may in fact be the True Cross of Jesus.One with what appears to be human remains left behind.This is where the fun begins, and the authors' writing shines:Unknown to Train, there are many who wish that this discovery never comes into the public eye - and so a chase and hunt around the globe begins by fanciful and interesting characters that represent good vs. evil, faith vs. science, the present vs. the past.Overall, this is one good book filled with many topics readers will enjoy thinking about.

what a dud...
I listened to this as an audio book. In retrospect, I should have checked it out from the library rather than purchasing it. It started out with an exciting discovery of what may have been the Cross. It caught my attention at the beginning, however, the poor editing became obvious early (I'm giving the writer the benefit of doubt here...) - in spite of it having been 'read' in audio format. I found myself wanting to edit what I was hearing. Senese's editor should find another line of work.

Phrases I would use to describe this book: superfluous & tediously repetitious descriptions, inconsistent syntax, structurally unstable, & unconvincing dialogue.

I would not purchase a sequel. I'm not even sure I would waste the time with a library version.

Time would be better served listening (or reading) Peterson's 'The Message'. ... Read more

Product Description
In Human Cloning a panel of distinguished philosophers, medical ethicists, religious thinkers, and social critics tackle the thorny problems raised by the now real possibility of human cloning. In their wide ranging reviews, the distinguished contributors critically examine the major arguments for and against human cloning, probe the implications of such a procedure for society, and critically evaluate the "Report and Recommendations of the National Bioethics Advisory Commission." The debate includes both religious and secular arguments, as well as an outline of the history of the cloning debate and a discussion of human cloning's impact on our sense of self and our beliefs about the meaning of life.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Praise for Human Cloning
Before I read this book,I thought that human cloning was a thing of the future,and that human cloning was a fantastic subject that scientists should focuse on.But after reading this book,I discovered several very shocking things-first of all,human cloning is not something of the future,the possibility of cloning a human is with us now.Human cloning will also cause many dillemas,one of these identity crisis between the clone and the actual human.This is a very mind opening book that I recommend to all. ... Read more

Product Description
In Rapture, Brian Alexander takes readers into the surprising stories behind cloning, stem cells, miracle drugs, and genetic engineering to show how the battle for the human soul is playing out in the broader culture-and how the outcome will affect us all. Rapture 's Dickensian cast of characters includes the father of regenerative medicine, an anti-aging guru, and a former fundamentalist Christian and founder of the company that reportedly cloned the first human cell. This motley crew is in part being united by the force of the opposition: a burgeoning bio-Luddite movement whose foot soldiers-a strange coalition of conservative Republicans, the Christian right, and the Greens-predict impending doom should we become adherents of the new bio-utopian faith. Sometimes irreverent, sometimes shocking, always entertaining, Rapture shows how the biotech agenda has come to be seen as both salvation and heresy, how we have gotten this far already, and why we'll go where nobody thought we could. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Meandering far from the here and now...
While the title and subtitle of this book were rather eye-catching, the book itself was a little flat and at times disjointed. It's one thing to discuss the potential for the use of stem cells in regenerative meddicine, or the use of nuclear transfer as a cloning technique. It's a whole other ballgame to discuss this side by side with caloric restriction diets, cryonics, and some of the other transhumanist mumbo jumbo that Alexander talks about.

Scientific progresses generally trickle into mainstream medicine as can be seen by the ability to live with every day disorders like myopia, asthma, and colds or even thosee healthy with the HIV virus. But what about those who take scientific progresses and try to propel them into a science fiction novel. Thats what the author here does. Perhaps he was going for a provocative book, wanting to draw attention to how biotech COULD change the world around us. But in reality, he left out the current advances and the medical implications and spends TOO much time talking about the transhumanists.

I would have preferred an indepth look at the scientists and the science. If you like books about stem cells please check out Cynthia Fox's "Cell of Cells". That was a book that discussed the directions of stem cells, with interesting stories and less meanderings into fictitious what-ifs.

Nice cover. Nice concept. After that point...eh.
I wanted to like this book. However, I found the writing very droll. I just couldn't feel the emotion, the ideals, the "rapture" of the subject matter. Instead, the book is bogged down in endless and pointless biographical details...this person did this, and then this, and so on. Maybe I'm not giving it the benefit of the doubt, but there are other books on transhumanism I found far more interesting, informative, and readable.

What is the Next Stage of Human Evolution? "Rapture" Offers an Answer, Incomplete Though it Might Be
"Rapture" is a truly interesting book, and worthy of serious consideration. It explores the bio-utopian impulse in modern America, charting the last thirty-some years of research into human biology and how it might apply to a range of issues. These include not only the decoding of the human genome for the improvement of human life, but also the possibilities of life extension for decades and perhaps centuries. Those who advocate life extension see a "brave new world," pun intended, in which all are healthy, happy, and wise. They view it as the next stage in human evolution. It is a heady goal, one that has consumed some billionaires and fueled a revolution in bio-technology. Public advocates in the United States range from billionaire William Haseltine to Ray Kurzweil, but include thousands more in a subculture known to few.

Advocacy of bio-utopian ideas opens a wide array of ethical considerations, and opposition to it has ensured a rollicking debate between the extreme positions. The bio-luddites, in author Brian Alexander's parlance, question the morality of altering the human body through genetics, chemicals, or technology. They recall images of Nazi eugenics and the selective breeding of humans. Those in favor, of course, emphasize the positive results of intervention in whatever form it might take.

My own interest in this subject comes from my study of the past, present, and possible future of spaceflight. For instance, one of the truly fascinating developments associated with interstellar spaceflight is the possibility of a trans-human migration. In fulfilling the spacefaring dream, the intelligent life to leave Earth and colonize the galaxy may not be entirely human in form. Extensive discussions have taken place in recent years on the relationship between artificial computer intelligence, biotechnology, and human evolution. In spite of its obvious relevance to space travel, little of this has been extended to outer space, and it is not in "Rapture" either, but it offers a fascinating possibility.

The rigors of galactic flight that will likely confine humans to the inner solar system might not confine reengineered humans that have a cyborg quality about them. Given the great difficulties of interstellar flight, humans reengineered to withstand long duration space travel, possibly iwth technological enhancements might represent the future of spaceflight. The possibilities are truly amazing and somewhat weird, and as remote today from common experience as were the early images of space travel to the people who first envisioned them. Nonetheless, they are not wholly impossible. Because of current directions in technology, a trans-human galaxy is not beyond the realm of possibility. In one such vision, biological species become so technologically proficient that they cease to exist in purely biological form. The possibilities for trans-human evolution has the potential to radically alter the dominant paradigm of human spaceflight.

This interesting popular history of the trans-human movement is an important statement of an evolving debate in modern American society. We see vestiges of it in everything from the controversies over stem cell research to the fight over cloning. While I await a scholarly history of the trans-human movement, this work by Brian Alexander is a fine addition to the literature.

Excellent Book - Noteworthy History of Transhumanism
This book has got the buzz and the facts clear.It is a book about the "pioneers" of transhumanism and what they did early on that has set the pace for the futurists today.

Who else is going to tell the story but a writer that admires the ideas of transhumanists and also can laugh with us?If you cannot laugh at yourself, what is the point of living a long and enjoyable life?There isn't, and this is to Brian Alexander's credit.

We owe a lot to the Los Angeles Transhumanists - FM Esfandiary, Natasha Vita-More, Eric Drexler, Max More, Ralph Merkle, Greg Fahy - the entire gang.

If you want to read a book that literally gets you to go to the frig and get a beer, kick back on the sofa, and dream of a long life - this is the book!

Left of Center - but thinking toward the future.

Jason Jefferson

A brilliant history of scientific & spiritual thought
I know many of the people outlined in this book and am deeply involved in cloning. Alexander's portrayal of me and my activities was accurate & pithy but was unduly one-dimensional.
However, this is a brilliant work which ties together ideas that have combined within the past decade or so to become a movement called Transhumanism.
By connecting the thoughts of early scientific dreamers with the realities of modern day biotechnology, Brian Alexander deserves the glowing cover blurb by Glen McGee:
"Brian Alexander has turned the most important scientific revolution since Galileo into an adventure story that touches your mind and soul.No writer has ever dug this deep or looked forward this imaginatively.With Rapture, Alexander has become the voice of biotechnology for the 21st Century."
As a cloning activist, I usually end up debating McGee on the air.However, he is right on target here.Alexander is quite right that science and biotechnology have become a new religion for disparate groups that believe in cryonics, cloning, life extension, etc.Many don't like the label "religion" because religionists are usually the ones persecuting them.The historic philosophical roots of this religion versus science debate provide a useful perspective to the new debates we are having in this new age.
If I could give it ten stars, I would.It is really the most informative "connecting" book I have ever read. ... Read more

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Product Description
Cloning the Messenger is a book about a woman, Eve Brown, who is hired to write the story of a cloned child.The child is brilliant, remarkable in many ways, and tells Eve he is the Messenger, here to warn people the end is near. The child, cloned from blood samples from the Shroud of Turin, is raised by the scientist who created the technology that made cloningpossible.Until the end no one knows who the Anti-Christ is. ... Read more

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Clear and concise, this easy-to-use text offers an introductory course on the language of gene cloning, covering microbial, plant, and animal systems. The essential concepts in biology relevant to the understanding of gene cloning are presented in a well-organized and accessible manner.

This updated version of the first edition is an invaluable book for nonscientists as well as scientists with little background knowledge in gene cloning, providing a wealth of information for anyone wishing to gain proficiency in reading and speaking the language of gene cloning.

Product Description
Identical twins are clones.Their genetic material is the same.Some plants make their own clones.Microorganisms can also clone themselves.Cloning can be a natural process, yet some people object to scientists making clones in the laboratory.These people feel that another life is being created where one would not be possible without scientific intervention.Cloning can be used for other things, too.There is research into using the process to make artificial skin for burn victims, healthy bone marrow for people with bone marrow cancer, and whole new organs, such as hearts and livers.With all of these possible benefits, why would people want this research stopped?One reason is that some of the cells used for cloning, stem cells, come from embryos.Another is that animal welfare activists object to experiments with animals.Are these complaints reasonable?Are the benefits greater than the risks?'In Science at the Edge: Body Doubles: Cloning Plants and Animals', you can learn about the process of cloning and the reasons for doing it, and then make up your own mind. ... Read more

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Science fiction becomes science fact in this intriguing series that explores the extraordinary scientific advances modern man is making - and their impact on society, economics and our future. ... Read more

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A sexually abused clone murders her owners and flees to the streets, where she meets a university student who promises love but is only interested in furthering a terrorist agenda. In a time when America has no apologies for being an empire or for committing inhumane acts of bio-genetic research, radical left and right ideologies clash in an odd chain of events that bring apocalyptic results. ... Read more

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Michael Matthews discovers his two best friends have disappeared. One shows up to tell the strange story he was on vacation in a genetics laboratory and strange things seem to be happening to him. They begin a strange search for their friend, Neil, who may be dead. ... Read more

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Karen Peebles takes us into her organic tomato gardens and shows us how to grow a hundred tomato plants from one single plant. You'll have enough tomatoes for friends and family and probably more than you'll know what to do with. ... Read more

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Joanna May thinks herself unique, indivisable - until one day, she discovers there are five of her. How will the clones withstand the shock of first meeting each other, and will Carl, the clones' creator, take revenge for his wife's infidelity and destroy the sisters one by one? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

The Lives of Joanna's Clones
I'd gone along to the BBC Radio 4's Book Club in Sep 08 with my copy of the novel in hand.

Fay Weldon had remarked on this novel to an author friend sitting next to her, in the hospitality room, where we waited before going into the studio, saying how she'd realise how different the characters appear, from a reader's perspective and that she didn't recognise them! She went on to say, it was the book she liked writing and reading most.

The author articulates a sense of precision in how she wanted to portray the main character Carl May, his ex wife, Joanna and her siblings, four very different characters, whose lives we follow, with interesting consequences.

Jane, Julie, Gina and Alice are Joanna May's clones, which he first reveals to Bethany his young lover, after the divorce.Yet this revelation makes Carl feel vulnerable and this puts Bethany at risk of being disposed of. at some point yet, he did think about cloning her, to create the perfect woman who, 'looked, listened, understood and was faithful.' (Ch 16.p78) but thought against it as it would have taken too much time and effort.

All four girls turn out differently: Jane achieves academic qualifications and lives an independant life in spite of having known her boyfriend Tom, since 16 and a spate with another, during their 6 yr breakup; Julie, a Secretary, marries but has an affair, seeing her husband is always on business trips and she feels lonely; Gina is more the `wild child' of the four; by 13, she was already hitchhiking, then pregnant at 18 and marries a wannabe pop star/garage mechanic, after a disturbing childhood, brought up by her grandparents and punished by teachers for her unruly behaviour at school.With one child and possibly a result of a one-night stand, life continues for her and her husband, who thinks the child is his.Alice, the fourth clone, likes her own company more than men or marriage and has numerous rencontres with men but never wants to settle to a life of being a wife and mother.

The surprising factor is, the four clones come from one single egg, taken from Joanna without her knowledge and implanted in the wombs of four women from different backgrounds.

Dr Holly and Carl May are the creators of these 4 human beings and Carl looks to the past now to see whether an ancient Egyptian body had enough cells for living DNA to be nuclei transferable and this time Holly expresses doubt at finding such possibility, thinking more of the ancient curses of the Pharaohs than the experiment itself.

Having seen documentaries on Egyptologists who've died of cancer, another in a car crash and another in a suicide bid, the character Holly brings to light such mysteries yet the voice of reason is seen in Carl's dismissal of such incidences as `the merest, most vulgar of superstitions' (Ch18.p95); this is a sub theme which is a light relief from the already intriguing lives of 4 people who the readers are introduced to and become familiar with.The suspense is in the timing of the meeting with Joanna and the consequences, which is very surprising.

The novel is vibrant in the theme, the characters and the sub plot and the ending, a twist, which for Joanna is a deserving finale to a nondescript start where we see her in her house, wanting things to go back to what they were before the divorce but not finding her true 'path'.

Going to work on a curate's egg
Fay Weldon is, whether she likes it or not, most famous for writing the advertising slogan "Go to work on an egg".

Having read The Cloning Of Joanna May, I wish Fay had gone to work on her prose instead.

At first it was merely irritating; then the professional editor in me wanted to get hold of it and turn it into something rather more polished and readable.

The plot was original, exciting and interesting. There were some extraordinary observations and insights into the human condition. But her writing style left a lot to be desired.

It wasn't as if Fay was telling the story through the voice of an inarticulate narrator and thereby limited herself. It's just that her sentences and paragraphs could have flowed better, been less jerky, or simply have benefited from more judicious punctuation.

Admittedly Fay Weldon is a famous writer and no-one's heard of me, but that doesn't let her off the hook. However good the plot and her own insights, we readers deserved better than that.

So while it's well worth reading, it's harder going than it needs to be. As Fay's so fond of eggs, it's fitting that this should be a curate's egg of a book: good in parts.

An interesting 'Chose Your Own Adventure' satire
I first read 'The Cloning of Joanna May' over a decade ago, and often find myself revisiting it.

Despite many people's criticisms with the book when it first came out - I found it to be an interesting piece on expectations regarding women's identity.Some of the themes are dated (i.e., women's role regarding child-rearing, careers, and age) but there is still a biting edge to the book that resonates.

A criticism is that many of the characters are unlikable - but I think that is Weldon's point.Weldon was showing how arbitrary choices can sometimes drastically alter a life - a point proven in the very distinct pathways each of the clones' life took.

It was a clever way to explore how identity may not be always pre-determined - but at times can be shaped by happenstance.

A good read if you are looking for something that is brief and slightly frothy.

A Bizarre, Original Glimpse into the Future?
I was surprised by the review below, granting this overlooked masterpiece one star. The characters within the book are brilliantly drawn and startlingly humanistic, and the story unfolds at a gentle but engaging pace. Here we have dazzling insights into the very essence of what makes a person a person (or as Weldon refers to it, the 'I') but there is nothing patronising or overloaded about her conclusions. Rather, the irony of the book is wonderfully funny, with some real laugh out loud moments...all cunningly disguised within insights of amazing originality. I have never read a book like this before. Her prose is to be admired. The differing threads of the clone's lives are a pastiche, a carefully woven tapestry of how one person, one being, given seperate choices (or having those choices predetermined), could be so different from their blueprint. This is illustrated with the use of Tarot within the story, and its interesting asides into the very science of prediction. The central tenet the book proposes is this: if there were four younger 'yous' with radically different circumstances and predicaments, would their basic individuality unite or destroy them? A fascinating look into cloning, but instead of scientific mumbo jumbo, the subject is presented with humour, verve and grace, all wrapped neatly inside an intriguing fiction story. The Times were right to call this book 'a triumph of complex entertainment' upon its release, and I for one, will definately read more of Weldon's work.

Appalling book
Can one find another collection with this many despicable characters in one plot? I don't think so. I cannot think of one decent character in the book, not even the chauffeur. ... Read more

Product Description
A distinguished collection of papers by leading scientists and bioethicists on the science and social issues related to large-animal cloning. The book details the prospective medical benefits for development of pharmaceuticals in transgenic animals and of organs for xenotransplants, and the implications for the possibility of human cloning. It provides a thorough, authoritative assessment and explanation of what has been done, including recent animal cloning, and what the possibilities are for this new fascinating science. ... Read more