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Title: Biopunk
Subtitle: Solving Biotechs Biggest Problems in Kitchens and Garages
Author: Marcus Wohlsen
Narrator: Paul Michael Garcia
Format: Unabridged
Length: 8 hrs and 46 mins
Language: English
Release date: 01-03-17
Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.
Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 5 votes
Genres: Science & Technology, Biology
Publisher's Summary:
Champions of synthetic biology believe that turning genetic code into Lego-like blocks to build never-before-seen organisms could solve the thorniest challenges in medicine, energy, and environmental protection. But as the hackers who cracked open the potential of the personal computer and the Internet proved, the most revolutionary discoveries often emerge from out-of-the-way places, forged by brilliant outsiders with few resources besides boundless energy and great ideas.
In Biopunk, Marcus Wohlsen chronicles a growing community of DIY scientists working outside the walls of corporations and universities who are committed to democratizing DNA the way the Internet did information. The "biohacking" movement, now in its early, heady days, aims to unleash an outbreak of genetically modified innovation by making the tools and techniques of biotechnology accessible to everyone. Borrowing their idealism from the worlds of open-source software, artisinal food, Internet startups, and the Peace Corps, biopunks are devoted advocates for open-sourcing the basic code of life. They believe in the power of individuals with access to DNA to solve the world's biggest problems.
You'll meet a new breed of hackers who aren't afraid to get their hands wet, from entrepreneurs who aim to bring DNA-based medical tools to the poorest of the poor to a curious tinkerer who believes a tub of yogurt and a jellyfish gene could protect the world's food supply. These biohackers include:
Along with the potential of citizen science to bring about disruptive change, Wohlsen explores the risks of DIY bioterrorism, the possibility of genetic engineering experiments gone awry, and whether the ability to design life from scratch on a laptop might come sooner than we think.
Members Reviews:
Overall, an Encouraging Survey
The title refers to aspiration versus achievement, and, consequently, illustrates the content of the book. A collection of extended anecdotes, my main take away was that there is a growing community of people who, for a wide variety of reasons, earnestly want to forge ahead at a personal level into biological research. At best, the stories are inspiring, and wonderful examples of resourcefulness and determination. At the very least, one is left with character studies of invariably quirky people involved to differing degrees with something that is both scientific and fringy.
If you are sympathetic to the Open Source/DIY/Maker movement, it is worth the read.
Expertly written!
This book is wonderfully written; Wohlsen has very natural way of raising provocative ideas about the implications of genetic manipulation without sounding like a science textbook. I'm not an expert on biology or genetic engineering, so I was initially worried about the accessibility of the material for me, but his profiles of prominent biohackers are entertaining and keep a fast pace, and his explanations of complex topics achieve the difficult task of being succinct and nuanced at the same time. I found this book to be a very accessible introduction to a very complicated topic, and I especially liked that Wohlsen was able to get inside the heads of these biohackers while maintaining enough journalistic distance to also convey the criticism of their work when appropriate.
