THE PROTEUS EFFECT
Stem Cells and Their Promise for Medicine
In The
Proteus Effect, science writer Ann B. Parson shows readers what stem
cells are, where they come from, and why they possibly represent a turning point
in medicine. She reveals the mystery of how a salamander can grow back a leg —
or a retina. (The key to the mystery lies within stem cells.) And she brings
together regeneration in other animals (hydra, lobsters, newts) with the
possibility that this same type of regeneration can be made to happen in humans.
She also explores the ethical debates associated with stem cell
research.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ann B. Parson is a science journalist who has covered a
range of topics in the areas of medicine, technology, and the environment. She
is co-author of Decoding Darkness; The
Search for the Genetic Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease and Menopause. She has written scores of
articles for a range of publications, including The Boston Globe, The New York Times, McCalls, The San Diego Union-Tribune, and Harvard Health Letter. From 1990 to
1998, she taught in
WHAT THE CRITICS ARE SAYING
ABOUT THE PROTEUS EFFECT:
“Parson
does a thorough and thoughtful job of discussing the potentials of stem cell
medicine and the challenges, both scientific and political, that it is facing.
By providing readers with enough solid information to make up their own minds on
stem cell research, The Proteus
Effect should have a pretty good legacy of its own. It may well be
the most important science book of the year.” --
“...a
well-researched, highly readable book... Parson wonderfully describes the
discovery of both types [embryonic and adult] of cells.”-- The
“...a breezy,
easily accessible narrative of the people, results and ideas that have shaped
the field. ... Parson engages the debate between supporters and opponents of
human embryo research by allowing the main players to speak for themselves. She
doesn’t advocate for or against, although the book’s subtitle leaves no doubt as
to her own position. The final chapter provides a balanced assessment of the
therapeutic potential of stem cells in both the short and the long term disease
by disease and organ by organ. All in all, Parson admirably brings to life the
stem-cell story from a tiny
“[Parson] has the
rare ability to make the complex world of science understandable for the general
reader. ... Ms. Parson clarifies for the non-scientist what stem cells are, how
they differentiate, what cell transplantation is, and explains the difference
between embryonic and adult stem-cell research. ... The great virtue of The Proteus
Effect is that it makes this complex and awe-inspiring scientific
endeavor commonsensical to her readers, too.”– The Standard-Times
“Ann B.
Parson has written a timely and cogent account of the history of stem-cell
research and the prospects for its future clinical applications. ... Most
importantly, Parson highlights the complexities involved in the work and tempers
the hype that stem-cell-generated cures are just around the corner.”-- The
“...[an]
engaging and well-researched account of stem-cell research ... Most current
books on stem-cell research are technical, somewhat biased, or told from one
point of view. Parson has presented a fair, well-rounded view of the subject.”–
Library Journal
“Arguably
the most exciting, promising and controversial medical research being performed
today explores the potential of stem cells, unique cells that, when dividing,
can produce either more cells like themselves or other specialized cells, such
as heart cells, skin cells and neurons… science journalist Parson takes us
through [the] history, ranging from 18th-century natural philosophers’ discovery
of seemingly immortal organisms to the exploration, two centuries later, of
curious mouse tumors, called teratomas, that may unlock the secrets of the human
embryo.”-- Publishers
Weekly