Ann B. Parson Joseph Henry Press (2004) pp. 256 ISBN 0309089883 $24.95 (hbk)
Stem cells - cells that can divide to self-renew and can also differentiate into a number of different cell types - have been very much in the public eye over the last few years. The media have been abuzz with reports of potential stem cell-based treatments for a multitude of ailments, ranging from Parkinson's disease through heart failure to incontinence. Both contenders for last year's US presidential election were highly vocal on the issue of human embryonic stem cell research, a controversy that is still raging. High time,then, for a popular science book about stem cells to surface.
The Proteus Effect: Stem Cells and Their Promise for Medicine is such a book. It differs from other `lay' guides to the subject in that its primary focus is the science and history leading up to modern day stem...
