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''Natural Obsessions'' is a book written by American science author
Natalie Angier Natalie Angier /ænˈdʒɪər/ (born February 16, 1958 in the The Bronx, Bronx, New York City) is an American nonfiction writer and a science journalist for ''The New York Times''. Her awards include the Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting in 1991 ...
published in 1988. It chronicles a year in the laboratories of two prominent cancer biologists during a period where there was a race to discover and characterize some of the first cancer-causing and cancer-suppressing genes.


Overview

It chronicles the time, about a year, that she spent in the labs of two very prominent cancer biologists, Robert Weinberg and
Michael Wigler Michael Howard Wigler (born September 3, 1947, in New York) is an American molecular biologist who has directed a laboratory at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory since 1978 and is a member of the National Academy of Sciences. He is best known for d ...
, during a period where there was a race to discover and characterize some of the first cancer causing and cancer-suppressing genes (
oncogenes An oncogene is a gene that has the potential to cause cancer. In tumor cells, these genes are often mutated, or expressed at high levels.
and
tumor suppressor genes A tumor suppressor gene (TSG), or anti-oncogene, is a gene that regulates a cell during cell division and replication. If the cell grows uncontrollably, it will result in cancer. When a tumor suppressor gene is mutated, it results in a loss or red ...
, respectively). This book gives insight into the day-to-day working of a top scientific laboratory with no embellishment - both the excitement and thrill of discovery as well as the drudgery and politics can be found in ''Natural Obsessions''. Pressure to find these genes mounts and everyone is scrambling to be the first to announce this major discovery which could have gone to several laboratories.


Commercial and critical reception

''Natural Obsessions'' was reviewed favorably in the ''New York Times'' and ''Smithsonian'' magazine in the months after its initial publication. The book was named a ''New York Times'' Notable Book for 1988. As of 2001, the book has been used as a text in a cancer biology course at the
University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, U of C, or UChi) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its main campus is located in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The University of Chicago is consistently ranked among the b ...
and the
University of Houston The University of Houston (UH) is a Public university, public research university in Houston, Texas. Founded in 1927, UH is a member of the University of Houston System and the List of universities in Texas by enrollment, university in Texas ...
.


Editions

*''Natural Obsessions'', Natalie Angier,
Houghton Mifflin The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , ''asteriskos'', "little star", is a typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a heraldic star. Computer scientists and mathematicians often voc ...
, 1988, 394 pp. *''Natural Obsessions'', Natalie Angier,
Warner Books Grand Central Publishing is a book publishing imprint of Hachette Book Group, originally established in 1970 as Warner Books when Warner Communications acquired the Paperback Library. When Time Warner sold their book publishing business to Hachett ...
, 1989 * , 420 pp. *''Natural Obsessions'', Natalie Angier,
Virago A virago is a woman who demonstrates abundant masculine virtues. The word comes from the Latin word ''virāgō'' ( genitive virāginis) meaning vigorous' from ''vir'' meaning "man" or "man-like" (cf. virile and virtue) to which the suffix ''-ā ...
, 2000


See also

* Ras * Rb


References

{{reflist


External links


Natalie Angier: ''Natural Obsessions'': Synopsis
1988 non-fiction books Biology books Science books Houghton Mifflin books