A Guinea Pig's History of Biology

by Jim Endersby

"Endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being, evolved," Darwin famously concluded The Origin of Species , and for confirmation we look to...the guinea pig? How this curious creature and others as humble (and as fast-breeding) have helped unlock the mystery of inheritance is the unlikely story Jim Endersby tells in this book. Biology today promises everything from better foods or cures for common diseases to the alarming prospect of redesigning life itself. Looking at the organisms that have made all this possible gives us a new way of understanding how we got here--and perhaps of thinking about where we're going. Instead of a history of which great scientists had which great ideas, this story of passionflowers and hawkweeds, of zebra fish and viruses, offers a bird's (or rodent's) eye view of the work that makes science possible. Mixing the celebrities of genetics, like the fruit fly, with forgotten players such as the evening primrose, the book follows the unfolding history of biological inheritance from Aristotle's search for the "universal, absolute truth of fishiness" to the apparently absurd speculations of eighteenth-century natural philosophers to the spectacular findings of our day--which may prove to be the absurdities of tomorrow. The result is a quirky, enlightening, and thoroughly engaging perspective on the history of heredity and genetics, tracing the slow, uncertain path--complete with entertaining diversions and dead ends--that led us from the ancient world's understanding of inheritance to modern genetics.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, History, Biology, Animals, History Of Science, Evolution

544 pages, Hardcover

First published May 22, 2007

About the author

I am historian of science, based at the University of Sussex, in the UK.

I did my first degree at the University of New South Wales, in Sydney, Australia (where I lived for ten years), then a Master's degree and a PhD at the University of Cambridge.

I try to write for both general and academic audiences, trying to ensure that my supposedly popular books are scholarly enough not to disgrace me in front of my academic colleagues, and that my scholarly books are readable enough not to send people to sleep. (Whether or not I succeed, is up to you to decide.)

Reviews

[K. Lincoln · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up "A Guinea Pig's History of Biology" due to the recommendation author Sam Kean made in "A Violinist's Thumb". Both books handle the history of biology (with a focus on how we "discovered" DNA, genetics, and biometrics). Kean's book was more readable and enjoyable for me.

Endersby's book was a bit more textbook-like for me, with none of the slightly snarky and irreverent treatment that made A Violinist's Thumb so readable. However, Endersby gives a much wider and more complete (in my non-academic opinion) view of the various scientists and their chosen objects of study (Flies, Flowers, and Fish) and how the characteristics of their chosen objects of study lead them on the path to figuring out how DNA works.

Don't get me wrong, Endersby's book is quite readable, even if there were a lot of listing of scientist names and backgrounds. I especially liked how he followed community of scientists that gathered around guinea pigs, or maize, or Primroses as I find that much more useful approach to understanding how scientific discovery matured than focusing in on one scientist or one "discovery." Endersby does a good job of pulling the threads together of prior work and showing how a scientist built their experiments in that context.

Endersby's book also does a good job of highlighting the difficulties in the US agriculture scientists and farmers have had bridging the gap between well-meaning scientists wanting to help farmers improve crops like corn (the example of a scientist traveling the midwest attempting to convince farmers to go around to each individual plant in their field to pull off tassles of inferior corn made me smile) and the realities of agribusiness, as well as the end of the book when Endersby takes a look at some of the moral implications of creations like the OncoMouse (a mouse that scientists have genetically changed so they can get a human cancer) and typing human genomes to discover, for instance, if homosexuality is truly a genetic trait or not.

Endersby's important point about morality and ethics is that discovering that homosexuality is genetic, or racists who try to prove caucasians have higher IQs or whatnot aren't the moral problem in and of themselves--rather its what we DO with that information (how we then allocate resources or how we treat people) that is the moral problem.

He cautions us against the naturalistic fallacy. "No matter what science discovers, it cannot tell us what to believe or how to behave."

Very useful argument, in my viewpoint.

Nicely done. I would recommend this book for those either interested in science history, or for those not adverse to a bit of dry prose with very interesting ethical implications.

[Meg · Rating 1 out of 5]

Life is too short.

I wanted to read this....bc I thought it was about guinea pigs. Or how they affected the history of biology. Or the history of biology explained to a guinea pig. NOTHING of the sort. Just a history of biology....told dryly with no whistle pigs. Yawn. I read over 120 pages....and realized 1) I was bored 2) I couldn't remember 1/2 of what I read because I wasn't actually paying attention, so....never mind. I'll move on.

Read: if you like biology with only one chapter about guinea pigs.

[Robbie Mowforth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dumb animal

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This books examines not only guinea pigs, but several flora and fauna. These various organisms are windows onto various breakthroughs in biological understanding and the scientists who made those breakthroughs. Of course, each revelation is often a tedious slog requiring the dedication and input of many people, so this ends up being a fairly colorful book of science history and speculation on the future. It was accessible, amiable, and educational, but also thoughtful.

[Hanne Andersen · Rating 1 out of 5]

I like the perspective and the idea, but found it too long witth too much focus on who instead of what/why.

[Raz · Rating 4 out of 5]

It lost me a bit toward the last part of the book, but super interesting otherwise!

[Kevin Arthur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Science histories have become more sophisticated in recent years. Historians have broadened their perspectives to tell more about the personal and social aspects of scientific activity and in so doing expose the sometimes transient nature of scientific theories. Jim Endersby's history of biology effectively describes how our understanding of heredity and genetics has passed through theory after theory to reach the truth -- or the truth for now.[return][return]Endersby employs not only these newer, sociological approaches to the history of science, but also an unconventional organizing scheme: His book is organized not by date or scientist but by the organisms that enabled scientists to make progress. The title A Guinea Pig's History of Science might suggest a rousing defense of animals as underdogs in the spirit of A People's History of the United States or A People's History of Science but this is not Endersby's aim here. The animals and plants form only the scaffolding for Endersby's stories and once introduced they quickly take second stage to the scientists, who remain the primary actors. As a result the narrative feels fragmented at times -- the same people show up in different chapters, and it's possible a more straightforward chronological history would have been more readable.[return][return]The book begins with the quagga, a now-extinct relative of horses and zebras that played an important role in the 1800s in understanding the mechanisms of inheritance. Each subsequent chapter introduces another animal or plant that has been a focus of research -- meaning breeding experiments. We learn about the findings that came from experiments with corn, mice, drosophila (fruit flies), bacteriophage, guinea pigs, the evening primrose, and humans (the last by observation and measurement -- not breeding experiments, thankfully).[return][return]Most all of the major scientific players are mentioned here -- Darwin, Mendel, J.B.S. Haldane, Watson and Crick, Barbara McClintock, and many others -- and the book is most engrossing when Endersby delves into their relationships and the scientific communities that have formed up around them. Some scientists have spent much of their careers engaged in the massive husbandry and gardening efforts required to support these communities. The energy that has gone into supporting the fruit fly science industry, for instance, is impressive and not well known.[return][return]These topics are not without controversy and Endersby deftly works in a few comments on issues like animal testing and genetically modified organisms, even tentatively offering his own personal opinions in later chapters. This is a welcome feature in a science history and makes the book even more engaging and accessible. Overall this is a highly successful and modern history of biology.[return][return](Reviewed for bookslut: http://www.bookslut.com/nonfiction/20...)

[Kelly Wagner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, of course I enjoyed the chapter about guinea pigs the most. JBS Haldane and his sister Naomi (the writer Naomi Mitchison) owned hundreds of guinea pigs as kids - guinea pig enclosures took over their entire yard. But in every chapter, there are personal anecdotes about the researchers that show how their individual personalities shaped what they decided to study and what particular problems to look at, and show how one person's choices can influence a whole generation in that field. This book is more about the people than the nitty-gritty of the scientific work. It's fun to read, and one does learn a lot about fruit flies along the way!

[Caryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I'm a person who is interested in the history of medicine and biology and genetics, so I found this book very very interesting. If you are not into that sort of stuff, however, you might not like this book.
There were a few things that bothered me though. For one, the chapters jump around a lot. Let me explain. Each chapter is titled after an organism that contributed to biology (like, guinea pigs and fruit flys), but the individual chapters jump around a lot, and don't always stay on topic. The last chapter, which is titled: OncoMouse, only mentions that critter a few times (which is fine, but if you're going to talk about other stuff, call the chapter something else). Another thing that bothered me was the number of typos. There weren't too many, maybe one or two per chapter, but I found the that overall it was very distracting.
That's not to say that I didn't like this book. On the contrary, I liked it very much. I loved that it really is what it says it is: A guinea pig's (and other creatures) history of biology. It's giving thanks to them many plants and animals that have contributed to our understanding of biology. I liked this because I feel that while people are usually given thanks for their contributions, the plants and animals seldom are. Another thing I liked was the stories. The books didn't just talk about the animals, but gave stories to illustrate specific examples of how the critter in question contributed. And it also gave a history of the plant or animal itself. For example, the chapter on guinea pigs talks about where the animal came form and how it ended up as a household pet and lab animal.
Overall I think this book is fantastic, and an absolute must read for anyone at all interested in the subject!

[Saby · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must be honest. I tried, and tried, but I could not complete reading this book. I returned it to the library. I reissued it several months later and repeated my efforts. This went on for 3 years before I gave up finally sometime in September (I think) last year. The book is too monotonous and suffers from the disease that ails most popular science books - too much detail, too much text, simply too much.. Having said that, I am a biologist, and I know that it's tough to compress biology. You cannot get away with numbers or equations or flow diagrams here. You simply have to use WORDS. Add to that the fact that this book attempts to give the reader an engaging and enlightening "perspective on the history of heredity and genetics, tracing the slow, uncertain path--complete with entertaining diversions and dead ends--that led us from the ancient world's understanding of inheritance to modern genetics", you can imagine how tough the going can get! In the light of these grave difficulties, I think the author has done a commendable job and I do hope to do him better justice by completing the book and modifying this review sometime in the not too distant future.

[Frans Kranenburg · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful (hi)story of how inquisitive people have tried to unravel the inherited base of life i really enjoyed. The perspective of the model-organisms is a good choice to take, though this hook seems to be left undeveloped in the later chapters, each organism has its own story and something new to tell. For me as a biology teacher it is a great source of background information on thr organisms as well as in the development of the philosophy of life.
What stands out most for me is the role of having open learning communities that are investigating one organism, sharing data, inspiring and teaching each other. Inspiring even if this may be somewhat idealized in this version of history. Another thing is the important role of technology as a condition for science to move forward. Of course not a new insight, yet in this Enderby manages to weave the timeframe and mindset (e.g. invention of glass and steel) into the story to make the use of an organism very clear. Good story telling to enjoy.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was was well done and creative. It tells the story of a science by looking at the various living creatures that have been used for experiments. This includes plants as well as animals. There is a nod to animal rights concerns but only a quick nod. However, this method works surprisingly well to tell the story of biology. I'm giving it the fourth star for the creative approach. It is also well written and covers the stories of people involved in the field, the majority of whom I've never heard of, which was a fun change. I could see this being a basis of perhaps a high school course in biology. High school because I think a college level course would have to cover vastly more ground. It emphasizes that science is based on openness and cooperation and claims that many scientists consider the patenting of living creatures a really horrendous thing for the field. I'll keep an eye out for other books by Endersby.

[Rena Sherwood · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title is misleading -- the guinea pig only appears in one chapter of this very long and often tedious book. I was hoping the guinea pig would be our furry guide through the wacky and often sticky world of biology. Instead, the book centers on the main plants and animals used (and misused) in laboratories for the last two or three hundred years. Not a memorable book in any way.



BUT isn't it cool to know that fruit fly mutations are incredibly easy to accomplish? Wouldn't it be funny if suddenly the world got taken over by fruit fly mutants? Hell, I'd laugh before I was turned into compost for fruit trees grown to feed Earth's new lords and masters.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read which manages to be accessible, interesting and informative. It's broken up just right to make it perfect for reading on the bus or at work, and the 400+ pages are compelling and engaging enough to never feel like a chore. The writing style does a fantastic job of making you experience the highs and lows of research, the excitement of new discoveries and the infectious desire for knowledge that has propelled us to this point. There's some interesting eccentrics and fascinating geniuses encountered along the way and it balances the annecdotes and hard science perfectly so it never feels too dense or too airy. Highly recommended for anyone with even a passing interest in biology, history, humanity, or how we've got to where we are today.

[Sagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating history of biology and science, told using the lab animals as examples. From horse breeding and the very first ideas of how inheritance worked to the highly advanced OncoMouse, it's a fascinating story the whole way. I personally am more interested in the history of science during Darwin's time, so I raced through those parts and moved a little slower through the rest. But it was still a good story and I really enjoyed it. Definitely recommend this to someone who doesn't have much background in science but is interested in learning more, as this avoids jargon and uses a lot of history and anecdotes to explain things. In addition, although it's called a history of biology, his scope is much, much wider. I learned so much from this book!

[Swy · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book that highlights the roles of various organisms in science. However the book felt more textbook like and less story telling. Informative certainly, but a bit harder to read. I was expecting the book to talk entirely about various organisms, but the author veered off to talk more about the science and the scientists more often than not. Nothing wrong with that though, since to talk about the organisms you do need to talk about the science and the scientists. It was just not quite what I had imagined the book would be like, resulting in me feeling lost at times.

Because of the more technical and textbook way in which the book was written, this book is less of a light-hearted read than what I initially thought it would be. Still worth the read nonetheless.

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tracks the development of biology as a field of research through investigations of specific model organisms. Endersby's writing is informative and funny. You learn not only about the research, but the people who pushed the field forward. It's sort of like a giant biology family tree. Wonderful read!

[Elizabeth]

As recommended by Sam Kean in The Violinist's Thumb.

[Tracey]

Referenced in The Violinist's Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was ok-- it was recommended to me because I was so into Richard Rhodes' making of the atomic bomb history, I just didn't like it anywhere near as much. It's a pretty good history, but when you come right down to it, I'd rather read about physics thought experiments and blind alleys than about vivisections and causing scurvy in guinea pigs.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty good overview, as far as I know, of the origins of biology. The author does a good job of placing scientists and beliefs within their historical context, and showing how scientific ideas grow and change over time. Nice easy read.

[Jane Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A different approach to the history of biology, focussing on the plants and animals which led researchers to discover new things. Perhaps there was too much concentration on the study of evolution and genetics, but it's an accessible book which doesn't talk down to the reader.

[Jessica Stant · Rating 5 out of 5]

The tale of biology as told through the organisms that made biological discovery possible. I love that Endersby shines the spotlight on the poor guinea pig's of science and reminds us that modern science owe's a great debt to weeds, viruses and rodents!

[Clee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is unusual. I expected it to be a history of animal research but, instead, it's a history of animal researchers. It contains far less biology and far more personality studies. Given this, it's well-written with juicy details.

[Eric · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read and well-written. I'd recommend it to anyone interested in Biology or the history of Science.

[Kathy]

started... liked... read more later... page 128

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

About animal testing in the science field. Personally I am greatly against this and found the book difficult to make it through it entirely without feeling angry.

[Chad Brock · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5