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171 reviews for:
Woolly: The True Story of the Quest to Revive One of History's Most Iconic Extinct Creatures
Ben Mezrich
3.35 AVERAGE
171 reviews for:
Woolly: The True Story of the Quest to Revive One of History's Most Iconic Extinct Creatures
Ben Mezrich
3.35 AVERAGE
Mezrich follows a group of scientists, lead by Dr. George Church and assisted by a famous conservationist and a team of Russian scientists while they work to resurrect a woolly mammoth as part of the Russian scientists’ plan to repopulate the Siberian tundra with herbivores (both currently extinct and still living) to slow the rate of global warming.
All I can say is “wow” after finishing this book. From the first page I was hooked and read through this much faster than I normally do with non-fiction. Mezrich takes non-fiction and presents it almost like a fiction story. I was also left with a need to know more after I finished the book (so I spent a bunch of time googling). This book bounces around from the past, to the present, and even to the future as Mezrich tells readers the backstory of not only Church but those working in his lab and the other key players in making this dream a reality; however, the author does it all in a seamless way that is easy to follow. Mezrich doesn’t pull punches with dumbing down the science but I still think that even for a non-science person the book would still be accessible. This book also touches on the ethics of advancing science but doesn’t dwell on them too much, which I appreciated. I know that some people have complained about that and his look to the future, but I think I went into this book with a different mind set. I was looking for a interesting story that just happened to be about science. Not a scientific paper, or something similar. I wanted to understand the science behind how we might even be able to to reproduce a Woolly Mammoth, not if we should or shouldn't.
http://runningoutofpages.com
All I can say is “wow” after finishing this book. From the first page I was hooked and read through this much faster than I normally do with non-fiction. Mezrich takes non-fiction and presents it almost like a fiction story. I was also left with a need to know more after I finished the book (so I spent a bunch of time googling). This book bounces around from the past, to the present, and even to the future as Mezrich tells readers the backstory of not only Church but those working in his lab and the other key players in making this dream a reality; however, the author does it all in a seamless way that is easy to follow. Mezrich doesn’t pull punches with dumbing down the science but I still think that even for a non-science person the book would still be accessible. This book also touches on the ethics of advancing science but doesn’t dwell on them too much, which I appreciated. I know that some people have complained about that and his look to the future, but I think I went into this book with a different mind set. I was looking for a interesting story that just happened to be about science. Not a scientific paper, or something similar. I wanted to understand the science behind how we might even be able to to reproduce a Woolly Mammoth, not if we should or shouldn't.
http://runningoutofpages.com
Absolutely adored this - it was the perfect combination of readable "fiction" and science and facts about a project that is still ongoing today.
The only downfall was that I tackled this on audio, and while the author did a stand up job, his pronunciation of human (you-man instead of hue-man) drove me a little batty. Luckily, we're talking about woolly mammoths, and humans don't come up that often.
The only downfall was that I tackled this on audio, and while the author did a stand up job, his pronunciation of human (you-man instead of hue-man) drove me a little batty. Luckily, we're talking about woolly mammoths, and humans don't come up that often.
adventurous
informative
reflective
medium-paced
Slightly disappointing. I really wanted more content about woolly mammoth's but instead I got a hodgepodge of facts and stories.
It was a great book. I'm curious as to why it has gotten a mid rating. I think that you have to be into genetics and into prehistoric animals to truly love this.
And not that the book is dry, but you definitely delve into the process of genetic research and what happens while they're doing it.
So if you're going to have issues reading about celle and DNA and RNA and things like that, I think you may not like it. Otherwise it's great for what it is!
And not that the book is dry, but you definitely delve into the process of genetic research and what happens while they're doing it.
So if you're going to have issues reading about celle and DNA and RNA and things like that, I think you may not like it. Otherwise it's great for what it is!
I read this with my Sophomore AP Biology class. I thought there could be more scientific detail, but the students seemed satisfied with the amount. We agreed that the writing was engaging, and most of us are interested in hearing more about this work.
As someone who doesn't read a lot of non-fiction, I was pleasantly surprised by this book. Ben Mezrich uses creative non-fiction to weave the story of George Church's endeavors to raise the woolly mammoth from extinction. With this style, we learn quite a bit about the whole team's personalities, their interactions and specialties without neglecting the science behind DNA coding and editing.
It was interesting at times, and the story behind the novel is very interesting, but ultimately I found myself tuning out or having a hard time getting through this novel. Maybe it just didn't click with me, not sure.
cliffhanger ending, ay? hehe
will be interesting to see how the cinematic adaptation plays out...
will be interesting to see how the cinematic adaptation plays out...
Fascinating premise but tough going for the first 80 pages or so.