Survival of the Sickest: A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease - Hardcover

Moalem, Sharon; Prince, Jonathan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060889659 ISBN 13: 9780060889654

Publisher: William Morrow & Co, 2007

Synopsis

Was diabetes evolution's response to the last Ice Age? Did a deadly genetic disease help our ancestors survive the bubonic plagues of Europe? Will a visit to the tanning salon help lower your cholesterol? Why do we age? Why are some people immune to HIV? Can your genes be turned on -- or off? Joining the ranks of modern myth busters, Dr. Sharon Moalem turns our current understanding of illness on its head and challenges us to fundamentally change the way we think about our bodies, our health, and our relationship to just about every other living thing on earth, from plants and animals to insects and bacteria. Through a fresh and engaging examination of our evolutionary history, Dr. Moalem reveals how many of the conditions that are diseases today actually gave our ancestors a leg up in the survival sweepstakes. When the option is a long life with a disease or a short one without it, evolution opts for disease almost every time. Everything from the climate our ancestors lived in to the crops they planted and ate to their beverage of choice can be seen in our genetic inheritance. But Survival of the Sickest doesn't stop there. It goes on to demonstrate just how little modern medicine really understands about human health, and offers a new way of thinking that can help all of us live longer, healthier lives. Survival of the Sickest is filled with fascinating insights and cutting-edge research, presented in a way that is both accessible and utterly absorbing. This is a book about the interconnectedness of all life on earth -- and, especially, what that means for us.

About this title

Review:

'A tart, funny and fascinating confection about emerging evolutionary understanding of illness.' The Guardian

'Groundbreaking and absorbing.' Closer

'...an entertaining journey through evolutionary medicine.' New Scientist

'This is a revolutionary and engaging exploration of our evolutionary history'. The Herald

'Insightful and accessible.' The Good Book Guide

'Smart, entertaining and informative.' Lifescape

‘This excellent book deserves a place in every lending library in the land.’ The Oldie

About the Author:

Sharon Moalem has a Ph.D. in the emerging fields of neurogenetics and evolutionary medicine. His research has discovered a new genetic association for familial Alzheimer disease. He has also published on the adaptive advantages of the genetic mutations that cause Hemochromatosis. He continues to work as a researcher while finishing his medical training at New York's Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow & Co
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0060889659
• ISBN 13: 9780060889654
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 267