Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods,   ISBN:9780972966528

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This is an excellent companion to The Gmo Trilogy, for readers who wish to go into greater depth. The book explores possible medical risks associated with eating genetically modified foods, and comprises 1-2 page abstracts and essays by researchers. There are a lot more hypotheses than actual conclusions here, so none of these works have reached the stage of becoming peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals. Skeptics may attach whatever significance they wish to that fact, but the references to each article are published, verifiable, and legitimate. In fact, if the dangers of GMO foods is a topic of interest to you, this book is a worthwhile purchase for the references alone! The articles are all of a scientific nature, and do not address social, political, or economic issues.

One recurring theme which comes up in these pages is the idea of drug resistance transmitted from ingested foods to intestinal flora. A common trait of many genetically modified plants is selective pesticide resistance. The desired crop can then be sprayed with these pesticides. It was previously believed that stomach acid would break down the plasmids which confer pesticide resistance, but that has been shown to be incorrect. Intact plasmids have been recovered from intestinal washings. There is prescedent to hypothesize that these plasmids could be transferred to gut flora, and under the right conditions, could cause a multidrug-resistant intestinal infection.

I don't have the expertise to judge the danger this may represent (maybe nobody does), but I would be interested in comments from anybody scientifically trained in these fields

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This is the most useless meanderment of unscientific verbage imaginable. Pure rubbish! Global warming may be happening but this book is proof the global ignorance is overflowing the banks of all rivers.

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I have been reading philosophers who claim to think about science for years. This book furnishes much information related to the science of microorganisms involved in nutrition and toxic reactions. Just to make myself perfectly clear about the philosophy side, check pages 300 to 302 of NIETZSCHE AND MODERN TIMES by Laurence Lampert, claiming that Nietzsche has a special relationship to science summarized best in book five of THE GAY SCIENCE, written by Nietzsche in the fall of 1886 while he was writing new prefaces for the books he had already written. Section 39 of THE GAY SCIENCE had something about absurdity causing people to seek a new taste and trying to live a more natural life. An important person might impose morality, religion, or law on others as a new inner need, but modern times seeks so many different tastes that such matters break down in a welter of everybody wanting everything to be all different.

Nietzsche also wrote on THE USES AND DISADVANTAGES OF HISTORY FOR LIFE. A monumental history, designed to increase appreciation for those who see themselves as a universal panacea for the world's problems, is subject to carping from those capable of critical history. Archaic history, any attempt to go way back to primitive times, as Nietzsche was attempting to learn lessons from the Greeks that he admired to counter the stupidity of his own age, helped him define the primary problems of life.

Dynamite had been a big invention with enormous effects when Nietzsche claimed, "I am dynamite!" If Nietzsche had read GENETIC ROULETTE by Jeffrey Smith instead of the daily papers, he should have declared, "I am inflamed stomach lining." Nietzsche had health problems, so he had enormous concerns about his stomach, eyes, and pains in his head. I just read about Americans having more twins than the British do because the English ban a substance increasing milk production but making milk that contains less nutrition. Udder pus was a possibility I had never considered before, and I think it is in this book to make chemical enhancement unappetizing.

The amount of detail in GENETIC ROULETTE supports the ideal of science as an attempt to understand what is happening in terms of the results of more individual metabolites than we can keep track of. The basic mechanism for making transgenes active is a threat to the natural form of DNA that comes into contact with gut bacteria. Pesticides can probably be produced in the human body as a result of chemical processes which take place in biological contexts. The big picture is getting so murky.

Customer Rating: 

Genetic Roulette is well organized, well researched and well documented. It's layout makes it easy to pick out the main points of a topic or get all the details. It makes a handy reference and a good resource for plowing through all the specifics.

Jeffrey Smith is a stickler for accuracy. When I contacted him to use some excerpts from his books in my new editon of FOOD ADDITIVES: A Shopper's Guide..., it was very clear to me that he wanted to make sure that I was absolutely accurate with my facts. He demonstrated to me, his commitment to complete and total accuracy and publishing only factual information.

If you want to know the truth about genetically engineered food, I highly recommend this book.

Customer Rating: 

GENETIC ROULETTE: THE DOCUMENTED HEALTH RISKS OF GENETICALLY ENGINEERED FOODS is a recommended pick for college-level health libraries: it covers everything from genetic transfer issues and risks for children and newborns to safety-related assumptions that have been proven wrong, signs of toxic reactions, and more. Packed with charts, FDA review information, details on regulatory issues and industry studies, and overall health concerns, GENETIC ROULETTE is a unique reference not to be missed.