This is a gem of a popular science book. The author uses his first hand knowledge of some older and recent research projects to highlight important principles of the evolution of our immune system.
Humans are mammals, and like other mammals we have co-evolved over millions of years with a large number of bacteria and viruses. Our current genetic makeup reflects this, and our understanding of evolution and the immune system has increased greatly.
The message comes through loud and clear - we can not study the human animal alone, with similar evolutionary pressures having occurred in many species; extremely valuable knowledge will come from the study of disease in many different species. With that knowledge comes the responsibility to conserve the habitat for all species on this amazing planet.
Considering the subject matter, it was an easy read
I've learned so much from Tears of the Cheetah. While the subject is rather deep; (scientific), it was well written and easy to read.
Dr. O'Brian was able to blend history, science and personal experience into a well-written book.
-TJ
Tears of the Cheetah
I liked this book because I am a lover of animals and I like to read further into them. I especially love cheetahs and in the genetic world, cheetahs are a prime example of a species that genetics can be traced and studied because they were almost wiped out.
I like this book a lot
It's nicely written, contains interesting genetic facts about the animal kingdom I never would've known.(cheetahs were so badly inbred plus the genetic distance of african lions to asian lions).
Fascinating!
I enjoyed the book very much.I would recommend it highly for anyone who has an interest in understanding basic genetics or for someone who is just interested in learning something new. Dr. O'Brien is a wonderful story teller and writes in a language that is easily understandable. He slowly introduces the concepts in an interesting progressive manner which enables the reader to understand the more advanced concepts toward the end of the book. I thought the book was truly fascinating.
