Ancient DNA

A fascinating narrative history of ancient DNA ... Elizabeth Jones's insightful arguments and riveting storytelling make this book a pleasure to read. -Caitlin D. Wylie, author of Preparing Dinosaurs: The Work behind the Scenes Groundbreaking. This book not only explains in careful and clear detail the gradual development of ancient DNA techniques, together with the successes, but also interweaves skillfully the story of how the movie Jurassic Park influenced the science. If you read but one book this year on the making of science, it should be this one. -Michael Ruse, author of Darwinism as Religion: What Literature Tells Us about Evolution Ancient DNA fills a major gap in the history of a relatively new science, and in the intersection of modern culture and science communication and practice. I expect it will become very influential and likely will attract the same kind of media attention that its subject generates. -Dennis O'Rourke, Foundation Distinguished Professor of Anthropology, University of Kansas Elizabeth Jones's original contribution to science communication studies richly conceptualizes a novel type of scientific field - a celebrity science, one that evolved within the dynamics of publicity, journalism, and popular culture. -Declan Fahy, author of The New Celebrity Scientists: Out of the Lab and Into the Limelight Elizabeth Jones reveals ancient DNA to be a field of scientific research driven by two forms of contamination - DNA from living organisms and public celebration of the idea of old DNA. She reveals the often-underappreciated power of celebrity in driving modern science. -Beth Shapiro, author of How to Clone a Mammoth and Life As We Made It