Summary: A fascinating insider look at cancer drug development, full of cool science and people drama!
There are few topics I enjoy reading about more Summary: A fascinating insider look at cancer drug development, full of cool science and people drama!
There are few topics I enjoy reading about more than drama at a biotech company. Bad Blood, about the Theranos blood testing fraud, is still one of my all-time favorite reads. So, when I was offered a chance to review this story of a startup developing a cancer drug, I couldn't say no. First this small company developed an incredible cancer treatment. Then, researchers who were crucial to the company's success, but who were let go before receiving much compensation, went on to found another company and create another successful drug.
This story was everything I'd hoped for. It's full of the high stakes, cool science, and fascinating people that make me love this kind of book. It read less like a thriller than Bad Blood and there was, fortunately, no fraud. Still, the author clearly showed how important this story was, both for cancer patients and the scientists involved. I couldn't put it down!
I was surprised to find that the financial side of this story was also interesting to learn about. The author writes for Forbes and was able to make the business side of the story quite engaging. I liked getting a better understanding of how funding works for start-ups and venture capitalists. Watching big companies compete to acquire successful startups was compelling too. While this wasn't identical in feel to Bad Blood, it had a lot of similar elements, so I'd definitely recommend this to any fellow fans.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey...more
I can't believe I took this long to read a book by Ed Yong! This was incredible. I couldn't stop sharing fun facts while reading this and my only regrI can't believe I took this long to read a book by Ed Yong! This was incredible. I couldn't stop sharing fun facts while reading this and my only regret is that I probably won't remember half of the amazing things I learned. On the other hand, I do think I leave this book with a new appreciation for what's possible and for how differently animals view the world. Definitely a perspective-changing book. I've already recommended it to several people....more
This memoir from Dr. Jennifer Doudna, Nobel prize-winning co-discoverer of the CRISPR gene editing system, is sure to become a science classic. Like TThis memoir from Dr. Jennifer Doudna, Nobel prize-winning co-discoverer of the CRISPR gene editing system, is sure to become a science classic. Like The Double Helix by James Watson, it's a chance to hear about an incredible scientific discovery from one of the scientists involved.
Despite the value of this first-person perspective, I must admit that for most readers, I'd recommend Walter Isaacson's new biography of Doudna instead. Since this book was published several years prior to Isaacson's bio, most of this story was also included in his book. I'm sure he used it as a source. Doudna's book was clearly and simply written. It includes slightly more scientific detail than Isaacson's book. However, she spends at least as much time explaining basic biology and is sometimes repetitive. Doudna's book was not quite as engaging as Isaacson's either, which makes sense given that only one of them is a professional author.
I think scientists and non-scientists alike are likely to enjoy the Isaacson book more. If you're interested enough in this story though, these two books made for a great pairing. The difference I found most interesting was that Isaacson clearly identifies Doudna's competitive side. Here, she emphasizes how happy she was to collaborate, never expressing the frustration she must have felt when being scooped. I would probably recommend reading Doudna's book first. I think Isaacson's book will hold up better as a second look at this story. He also covers her more recent work, post her publication of this book. As a scientist doing related work, I'm glad I read both.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey...more
Summary: I live for detailed, dialogue-filled narrative nonfiction like this, especially when it also comes with interesting questions about ethics inSummary: I live for detailed, dialogue-filled narrative nonfiction like this, especially when it also comes with interesting questions about ethics in tech!
This is the story of the founding of Instagram, with a narrative based on numerous interviews with employees there and at Facebook. And, because Instagram was so quickly acquired by Facebook around the time of the 2016 election, this is also the story of Facebook. Of particular interest was how Facebook (doesn't) handle content moderation and aggressively attempts to draw more users. For me, that was where this story really took off! The ostensible vision of the Instagram founders, focused on aesthetic quality over user quantity, provided a valuable contrast for this discussion.
I love books like this! Although I wish the author included more named sources, I understand why that wasn't possible. I also appreciated that she was up front with a caveat that dialogue was from people's later recollections. The writing was on point. Descriptions and dialogue made me feel like I was in the room watching these tech companies make their decisions.
The ethical questions that come up around content moderation and what the goals of a social media company should be would make for some great discussion. It wouldn't hurt for more people to be aware of how decisions around these points are made either (poorly and driven by human egos). I'd highly recommend this as a book club read. I think I'd also recommend this to fans of Bad Blood. Although the stakes in this saga aren't as immediately life and death, this still shared the same fascinating insight into a scandal-ridden, Silicon Valley company.This review was originally posted on Doing Dewey...more
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