Mammal in the Mirror

A prolific author (Making Sense of Sex, etc.) and professor of psychology and zoology at the University of Washington, David Barash teams up with his daughter, an M.D./Ph.D. student, to produce a superb primer on human biology that provides accessible descriptions of basic science alongside thoughtful discussions of the ethical dilemmas posed by recent advances in technology. Their opening chapter, for example, describes the rudiments of DNA while introducing controversial topics like cloning, DNA fingerprinting and the human genome project. Viruses and prions are covered in the second chapter, along with descriptions of many of the diseases attributed to both, including AIDS, Ebola and mad cow disease. The book's middle section focuses on neurobiology, sex and reproduction, and energy use with fascinating asides on medical imaging technology, assisted reproductive technology and dieting fads. The final third of the book places humans in ecological context. The Barashes do not shy away from controversial yet important topics, ably taking on those who refuse to accept the premises of evolution and sociobiology. Their writing is straightforward and concise, though the book could have used some illustrations, especially in discussions of complicated cellular structures. With so many topics, none are presented with great depth, but the authors do succeed in their goal: to offer enough information to enable every reader to understand current biological debates. (Nov.)