The Making of the Fittest - Sean B Carroll

 Sub-title: DNA and the Ultimate Forensic Record of Evolution

The problem with reading books about DNA is they become stale so quickly!  This one was written in 2006 and introduced me to a new author in the field.  He's written more recent books on similar topics that I'll be looking out for.  

This title makes the argument for evolution by providing scientific research and analysis.  I found it very approachable although I got lost in some of the terminology.  My primary take away was that there is a lot of evidence for evolution and DNA made those discoveries possible.  A good read.

Quotes/comments:

Term - fossil DNA

Term - the length of DNA that codes for an individual protein is called a gene

gene duplication are a common form of change in DNA

Published: 2006  Read: June 2024   Genre: Science

Death Valley - Melissa Broder

 A woman with a chronically I'll husband is losing her father in the ICU and escapes to a Best Western in the desert to sort out her emotions.  This is the beginning of a strange tale of dealing with overwhelming grief, loss, and sadness.  She wanders in the desert and seeks comfort and answers from nature - a Saguaro cactus, rocks, and rabbits.  

I picked this up at The Tattered Cover bookstore in the Denver airport as the reviews said it was funny and would make me laugh.  Hardly.  

Published:  2023  Read: June 2023  Genre: Fiction