“Master of the medical thriller.”—The New York Times In his most prophetic thriller yet, Robin Cook goes behind the headlines on cloning and genetic manipulation, blending fact with fiction in this terrifying bestseller. In the jungles of equatorial Africa, a biotechnology giant has taken transplant surgery and animal research to a new level—where one mistake could bridge the evolutionary gap between man and ape and forever change the genetic map of our existence. Meanwhile, in New York City, Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery are working on a seemingly unrelated murder of a mobster, only to find some very odd things once their victim is on the autopsy table...

“Master of the medical thriller.”—The New York Times In his most prophetic thriller yet, Robin Cook goes behind the headlines on cloning and genetic manipulation, blending fact with fiction in this terrifying bestseller. In the jungles of equatorial Africa, a biotechnology giant has taken transplant surgery and animal research to a new level—where one mistake could bridge the evolutionary gap between man and ape and forever change the genetic map of our existence. Meanwhile, in New York City, Jack Stapleton and Laurie Montgomery are working on a seemingly unrelated murder of a mobster, only to find some very odd things once their victim is on the autopsy table...

With Robin Cook's signature cutting-edge suspense, Chromosome 6 combines the fast action of a nerve-jangling thriller with the medical possibilities of the all-too-near future. When notorious underworld leader Carlo Franconi is gunned down, his Mafioso competitors become prime suspects. Suspicions are fuelled when Franconi’s body disappears from the city morgue before it can be autopsied – much to the embarrassment of the authorities, but to the amusement of forensic pathologist Dr Jack Stapleton. A few days later, the mutilated, unidentifiable body of a ‘floater’ arrives on the autopsy table and Jack himself becomes disturbed by the case. While unidentified bodies routinely make their way to the medical examiner’s office, what rouses Jack’s curiosity is not so much that the body is missing it head, hands and feet – but also its liver. Aided by his colleague Dr Laurie Montgomery, he identifies the corpse as the missing mobster. But who actually killed Carlo Franconi? And was the killer also responsible for the theft of the corpse and its grisly disfigurement? Their search for the truth leads them to the steamy jungles of equatorial Africa, where they discover a sinister cabal whose activities include surgical procedures a step beyond the latest in current technology – and a leap beyond accepted medical ethic. Enjoy more medical mystery thrillers with Contagion, Vector, and Pandemic.

There is growing enthusiasm in the scientific community about the prospect of mapping and sequencing the human genome, a monumental project that will have far-reaching consequences for medicine, biology, technology, and other fields. But how will such an effort be organized and funded? How will we develop the new technologies that are needed? What new legal, social, and ethical questions will be raised? Mapping and Sequencing the Human Genome is a blueprint for this proposed project. The authors offer a highly readable explanation of the technical aspects of genetic mapping and sequencing, and they recommend specific interim and long-range research goals, organizational strategies, and funding levels. They also outline some of the legal and social questions that might arise and urge their early consideration by policymakers.

Medicinal Plants, Volume 6 of the Genetic Resources, Chromosome Engineering, and Crop Improvement series summarizes landmark research and describes medicinal plants as nature's pharmacy. HighlightsExamines the use of molecular technology for maintaining authenticity and quality of plant-based productsDetails reports on individual medicinal plants i

“Ridley leaps from chromosome to chromosome in a handy summation of our ever increasing understanding of the roles that genes play in disease, behavior, sexual differences, and even intelligence. . . . . He addresses not only the ethical quandaries faced by contemporary scientists but the reductionist danger in equating inheritability with inevitability.” — The New Yorker The genome's been mapped. But what does it mean? Matt Ridley’s Genome is the book that explains it all: what it is, how it works, and what it portends for the future Arguably the most significant scientific discovery of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will affect the rest of your life. Genome offers extraordinary insight into the ramifications of this incredible breakthrough. By picking one newly discovered gene from each pair of chromosomes and telling its story, Matt Ridley recounts the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to the brink of future medicine. From Huntington's disease to cancer, from the applications of gene therapy to the horrors of eugenics, Ridley probes the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues arising as a result of the mapping of the genome. It will help you understand what this scientific milestone means for you, for your children, and for humankind.