The Violinist's Thumb

And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code

By: Sam Kean

Narrated by: Henry Leyva

Length: 12 hrs and 35 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times best-selling author Sam Kean come more incredible stories of science, history, language, and music, as told by our own DNA.

In The Disappearing Spoon, best-selling author Sam Kean unlocked the mysteries of the periodic table. In The Violinist's Thumb, he explores the wonders of the magical building block of life: DNA.

There are genes to explain crazy cat ladies, why other people have no fingerprints, and why some people survive nuclear bombs. Genes illuminate everything from JFK's bronze skin (it wasn't a tan) to Einstein's genius. They prove that Neanderthals and humans bred thousands of years more recently than any of us would feel comfortable thinking. They can even allow some people, because of the exceptional flexibility of their thumbs and fingers, to become truly singular violinists.

Kean's vibrant storytelling once again makes science entertaining, explaining human history and whimsy while showing how DNA will influence our species' future.

©2012 Sam Kean; 2012 Hachette Audio

Compelling and in depth listen

Another great book by Sam Kean. I learned many new things and understood concepts and events on a deeper level.

Great introduction to genomics and evolution

Genetics had a profound mystery: why the difference in DNA sequences is minimal between species. The author explains the reason clearly in plain English. I really enjoyed it.

Interesting, but not as quirky as you might like

If you could sum up The Violinist's Thumb in three words, what would they be?

Interesting detailed scientific

Would you be willing to try another book from Sam Kean? Why or why not?

Yes. I enjoyed his book about the periodic table more, but The Violinist's Thumb was worth a listen.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No. It's very episodic. Great for short car rides.

The author’s odd obsessions?

The early chapters were very promising but why Is there an entire chapter about Darwin’s health problems when the punchline is no one will ever know the diagnosis and I has nothing to do with genes or DNA. Also, if there is any story of cruelty even tangentially related, he must discuss it in detail. An entire chapter on a human-chimp hybrid ends with ‘nope’. Why?

The Little Stufff

What an interesting and exceptionally well-written and well-researched collection of facts and fascinating stories about DNA. Kean goes not disappoint.

I Need the Gene for Audiobook Selection

I actually expected "stories"and case studies linked to specific, or even odd, quirks in our DNA, "as written by our genetic code". You know, sort of like the Paganini story in the sample provided. I was not expecting tales of two thumbs, told circus sideshow-style, or anything like that. Just reasonable and readable anecdotes, sort of like Oliver Sachs' "The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat".

Where is it written in our genetic code that we always try to market a product for the largest possible audience, instead of describing the product as it really is? And why doesn't this book match its title?

What I found here was chapter after chapter of history on DNA research, followed by chapter after chapter of technical and scientific studies and research assays. Too much for this reader to handle while doing other things. Audiobooks give me freedom to read while working out, while driving, walking, doing a myriad of other tasks while listening. Instead I had to reverse and fast-forward constantly in order to really "get" what was being said. I would have done better with a print version.

I think this book is too dry and technical for the general reader. It's a good book, well-written, well-narrated but mis-marketed, in my opinion. Perhaps the additional materials that are included with the print version would have helped, but without that, this book was like reading a textbook. And without the advertised support materials, an expensive one.

At first I disliked the author's description of his purchase, from one of the many lab services now available, a full genetic panel for himself. He cautioned the reader to check the boxes that would "hide" the results concerning percentages of likelihood of getting catastrophic diseases such as breast cancer, Alzheimer's, or Parkinson's, if said reader had these or any other serious or debilitating diseases in his/her family history. Why would you want to hide any results if you are going to pay upwards of $400 for a full genetic sequence? I didn't get it, and I still don't get why people try to protect themselves from knowing.

But, this author redeemed himself in my estimation by revisiting the lab's website that had originally displayed his results, after that website posted an message saying that updates were available, as new information had come in. He unchecked the "hide" box and received his percentages for the specific disease in which he was interested. So, over the course of writing the book he had had an epiphany of sorts. This is how it works.

My point is that the author's original position on receiving personal genetic profiling colored my reading of the book, and I became a bit judgmental. But I applauded the author when he finally revisited his profile. If you want to call this "spoiling", go ahead, but I would have enjoyed the book more if I hadn't spent many hours thinking of this author as a scientist with his head in the sand, an oxymoron IMO.

Anyway, if you are scientifically-minded or like the technical stuff, you'll like this. Just don't expect an anecdotal approach.

Fascinating science read

This book uses stories to illustrate the history and current understanding of genetics. I first heard about this book on Radio Lab, and this book uses the same kind of narrative style to engage listeners in serious science through compelling mysteries and human dramas. I would recommend it to other amateur science geeks.

Most Congressmen don't know where their genes are!

A leading geneticist addressing congress began his talk by asking the assembly where they thought their genes were. Their answers seemed to indicate they had no idea. One person guessed in the brain someone else suggested in the gonads. You might remember from your high school biology class that genes are in cells so yes there are genes in your brain and everywhere else in the body. The scary thing is that the people responsible for making decisions about the patent-ability of genes and genomes don't seem to understand the basics about genes or genetics. While not the most entertaining anecdote in the book, it was one that stuck with me in this election year.

Thanks to Sam Kean's book you don't have to be like a member of Congress. You can learn all about genes in this entertaining and informative book. Learn about gene mutation and why inbreeding is a bad idea. Discover how our genetic code indicates that human beings almost went extinct. Be astonished by the amount of virus DNA each human contains and why the whole idea of an Arian master race is not just racist, its unscientific.

Kean's book really is entertaining. The book abounds in both educational facts and useless but entertaining information. Who knew Gregor Mendel was not just a monk but became a cigar smoking abbot who was so fat he had a difficult time working in his garden. After I listened to the book I may not have mastered the science behind genetics, but I do have a better understanding of DNA, RNA and how it makes me the person I grew up to be. It's pretty fascinating stuff.

This book is better than the Disappearing Spoon

I've read two of Kean's books nearly back to back because I found The Disappearing Spoon so entertaining. At first I had my doubts about a book on DNA, but found it even more riveting than the first one! Third book is in queue.

Entertaining! The awe and hilarity of genetics.

I found myself immersed in the stranger-than-fiction truth about the genes and the people who discovered DNA and the amazing intertwining of personal story and fact by the author.