© Columbia University Press
In the Beginning Was the Worm: Finding the Secrets of Life in a Tiny Hermaphrodite
Paper, 248 pages, 12 illus
ISBN: 978-0-231-13147-6
$25.00
October, 2003
Cloth, 248 pages, 12 illus
ISBN: 978-0-231-13146-9
$74.00
"Brown's book traces the worm project from its inception, as fascinating for the obsessive, almost nerd-like quality of the researchers as for the unravelling of the worm's wormliness." — Guardian
"Brown—an award-winning religious affairs journalist and the author of The Darwin Wars (1999)—is at his best when telling the human story behind the scientific work." — Telegraph
"[Brown] illustrates how the story of the worm stretches across the history of molecular biology and the understanding of biological development in animals, from worms to people." — Science News
"What Brown does remarkably well in In the Beginning is to convey the passion, idealism, and cooperative spirit of the early worm workers." — Science Magazine
"Brown should be commended for making what may seem to be obscure, esoteric science both accessible and exciting." — Rachel A. Ankeny, American Scientist
"In an era when scientific storytelling has become commonplace, this book stands out for its lesson on independent thought. . . . Brown clearly relates the perseverance and vision of the first generation of worm scientists that led to these accomplishments." — Catherine A. Wolkow and Mark P. Mattson, Journal of Clinical Investigation
"[Brown's] experience in communicating science to the layman serves him well in this new account. Recommended . . . all levels." — Choice