Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Venter (Life at the Speed of Light), a biotechnologist best known for his work decoding the human genome, and science writer Duncan (A Philosopher on Wall Street) provide a boastful account of the research into oceanic microbiomes conducted on board Sorcerer II, Venter's "luxury-yacht-turned-research-vessel," from 2003 to 2018. The authors describe how the ship collected samples of microbial life by sucking up ocean water through a pump and filtering out all but the smallest microorganisms, which they froze and sent to a lab for genomic sequencing. Their results found that "microbes were far more diverse and abundant in the oceans than anyone had previously guessed," and that some of the viruses collected appeared to "pick up" genes from host bacteria and then deliver them to new hosts. Unfortunately, frequent comparisons of the expedition to Charles Darwin's voyage on the Beagle come across as overblown--the claim that "humans are just one more organism deeply connected to and dependent on a planet of microbes" is hardly as revolutionary as Darwin's theories--and the third-person descriptions of Venter as "unflappable," "a consummate risk-taker," and "tan and fit" (twice) feel awkwardly self-aggrandizing. This has more swagger than substance. Photos. (Sept.)
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Review by Library Journal Review
Scientist and biotech entrepreneur Venter writes, with the help of award-winning science journalist Duncan, about his travels from Alaska to Antarctica, where he took samples of microbiotic life in all the oceans of the world over the course of 15 years. This straightforward story unfolds chronologically. Venter, who was the first to sequence the complete genome of a bacteria and is famous for mapping the human genome, traveled 65,000 miles on a 100-foot yacht to find answers to science's biggest questions about microbial life. There he and his collaborators discovered thousands of new organisms, analyzed millions of genes, and refined shotgun sequencing methodology. They also experienced storms, fires, and diplomatic snafus as they gathered additional data on algae blooms, plastic pollution, protein families, viruses, and the biological pump that captures carbon and produces oxygen in the ocean. In addition to sharing genomic data sets with the public, the team published hundreds of papers sharing their findings, such as the extreme varieties of life found in intense environments. VERDICT This well-organized narrative of exploration and scientific discovery details the work of an important global science endeavor and brings together the topics of travel, microbiology, and sailing. It efficiently covers a vast amount of time, territory, and work.--Catherine Lantz
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
Seagoing research is a burgeoning popular science genre, and this is a solid addition. The central figure is Venter, biotechnologist and entrepreneur, best known for racing (and probably winning) the competition to sequence the human genome in 2000. Less well known is the team, led by Venter, that sequenced the first cellular genome--that of a bacteria--in 1995. Fascinated by infectious disease since his Navy service in Vietnam and obsessed with learning how life works, Venter discovered that simple life forms are more complicated than scientists thought and that the genes of microbes "were trying to tell us far more than we could understand." Never shy about taking risks and skilled at acquiring grants, Venter decided to explore the dominant life form on Earth, microorganisms, in the planet's largest, mostly unexplored habitat: the ocean. Using his cutting-edge "shotgun genomic sequencing," Venter's researchers would blast DNA from an organism (or from hundreds or thousands of organisms) into short fragments and then use sequencing machines to identify them and computers to find overlaps in order to reassemble them and compare them to existing bacterial genomes. Vastly cheaper and faster than the old method of culturing individual bacteria in a petri dish, this method allowed his team and their ship, the Sorcerer II, sailing the world for 15 years, to discover millions of novel genes in thousands of new and often bizarre bacterial and viral species. Writing with award-winning science journalist Duncan, Venter presents a lively account of a groundbreaking exploration of the microbiome of the Earth's waters. Toward the end, the authors explain a modest amount of science and deliver the obligatory bad news about humanity's poisoning and littering of the oceans, but throughout, they emphasize adventure: storms, accidents, clashing personalities, equipment functions and malfunctions, political and bureaucratic difficulties, little-known global cultures, triumphs, and disappointments. Important and adventurous science on the high seas. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
