• Survival of the Sickest

  • A Medical Maverick Discovers Why We Need Disease
  • By: Sharon Moalem, Jonathan Prince
  • Narrated by: Eric Conger
  • Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars (640 ratings)

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Survival of the Sickest

By: Sharon Moalem, Jonathan Prince
Narrated by: Eric Conger
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Editorial reviews

Learn how wearing sun block could raise your cholesterol and diabetes could protect you from extreme cold. Mutation, genetic transmission, and survival of the fittest form the foundation of evolutionary law, and Sharon Moalem explains how certain genetic disease states might promote continued existence. Narrator Eric Conger's brisk pace keeps the facts coming and the interest level high, but he never sounds hurried or mumbles a word. He doesn't break his rhythm with annoying pauses for quoted material or struggle with the plethora of scientific terms. The combination of an excellent narrator and well-informed writers provides information that brings the inquisitive mind up to date on genetics that apply to our everyday lives.

Publisher's summary

How did a deadly genetic disease help our ancestors survive the bubonic plagues of Europe? Was diabetes evolution's response to the last Ice Age? Will a visit to the tanning salon help bring down your cholesterol? Why do we age? Why are some people immune to HIV? Can your genes be turned on or off?

Survival of the Sickest reveals the answers to these and many other questions as it unravels the amazing connections between evolution, disease, and human health today.

Joining the ranks of modern myth busters, Dr. Sharon Moalem turns our current understanding of illness on its head and challenges us to fundamentally change the way we think about our bodies, our health, and our relationship to just about every other living thing on earth, from plants and animals to insects and bacteria.

Survival of the Sickest is filled with fascinating insights and cutting-edge research, presented in a way that is both accessible and utterly absorbing. This is a book about the interconnectedness of all life on earth and, especially, what that means for us. Listen to it. You're already living it.

©2007 Sharon Moalem (P)2007 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"A lively and enthusiastic treatise." (Kirkus Reviews)

What listeners say about Survival of the Sickest

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Fascinating information and narration is alive

Most non-fiction books have a narrator who talks at with interesting information. Here the reader really sounds involved. The info about epigenetics is fascinating, even in the post CRISPR world.

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Thought provoking

So very interesting. Well written to keep one engaged with complex issues. Worth the read

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Science, health, & evolution

Fascinating material for those who enjoy a deep dive into science, health, and evolution. Good choice of narrator as well. Only thing is every once and a while there would be some music to break up a section. That was a little annoying. Fortunately, it did not last long, and the reading continued shortly after. Still, an excellent book that I would listen to again!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

An Eye Opener

Ah, evolution at its finest. If you don't like the theory of evolution, this book isn't for you. The author goes out on a limb on most of his theories, but then again, he isn't writing a scientific paper. He finds interesting connections that make the reader consider exactly what it means to be a human being. Eight percent of our genetic code comes from viruses, we all have epigenes that are influenced by our environment, did the 14th century plague affect our genetic heritage, what is the relationship between diabetes and climate change--these are only a few of the interesting things you will find in this book. This is such a good listen, and has so many interesting concepts, I think I will have to buy a hard copy of the book.

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13 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars

Amazing!

This book is not a rehashing of stale info. It takes an amazingly incitful view of some fundamental issues. The narration is great and the presentation is understandable even to laymen. I highly recommend it.

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11 people found this helpful

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Excellent read. Very informative.

I love this book. I've never been very interested in disease, but a friend suggested it since I like non-fiction and history. She was right. As with most of my favorites, this is one I can listen to again and again.

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fascinating

provides much food for thought. absolutely fascinating, I very much enjoyed hearing the points. narrarated well

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Makes Science Interesting for All

I remember reading this book for the first time 10 years ago in Advanced Biology and absolutely loving it! I'm so happy that it was available as an audiobook - I recommended it to a coworker and we discuss the chapters all the time. Every time I listen to it, I catch small pieces of information I had missed the first time. The book is informative but not dull, and I'm sure I will be listening to it many more times.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Human evolution

I’m an undergraduate biophysics student, so I already have a wide base of information about genetics. And I still found this book enjoyable. It did two things for me:
1) It helped define what is meant by “fittest” in evolution. Corner a geneticist and ask him to define fittest and you’ll get a lot of hand ringing and not much else. Here are some really good examples of what survives and why.
2) Gives clear evidence of human evolution. Talking about human evolution really brings it all home. Understand the pressures that changed different human populations in a really fascinating part of our history.
All of this is done in a way that is entertaining and personal.

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20 people found this helpful

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Awesome book with a wonderful narration

Enjoyed this audiobook a lot, wonderful narration and got to know some really interesting hypotheses. There is a great deal to learn from our history and genetics.

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