Survival of the Sickest
Introduction + Context
Plot Summary
Detailed Summary & Analysis
Introduction Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Conclusion
Themes
All Themes Evolution and Illness Interspecies Connectivity and Adaptation Environment, Ancestry, and Race Genetic Expression, Acquired Traits, and Mutation Interdisciplinary Science and Research
Quotes
Characters
All Characters Sharon Moalem Aran Gordon Charles Darwin Jean-Baptiste Lamarck Alister Hardy Elaine Morgan David Barker Barbara McClintock Paul Ewald
Terms
All Terms Anemia Epigenetics Favism Folic acid Free radicals Hayflick limit Hemochromatosis Transposons (“jumping genes”) Macrophage Malaria Methylation Retrovirus Phytoestrogens Weissman barrier Younger Dryas
Symbols
All Symbols iPod
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Survival of the Sickest
by Sharon Moalem
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Introduction Intro
Plot Summary Plot
Summary & Analysis Summary
  • Introduction
  • Chapter 1
  • Chapter 2
  • Chapter 3
  • Chapter 4
  • Chapter 5
  • Chapter 6
  • Chapter 7
  • Chapter 8
  • Conclusion
Themes
  • All Themes
  • Evolution and Illness Theme Icon
    Evolution and Illness
  • Interspecies Connectivity and Adaptation Theme Icon
    Interspecies Connectivity and Adaptation
  • Environment, Ancestry, and Race Theme Icon
    Environment, Ancestry, and Race
  • Genetic Expression, Acquired Traits, and Mutation Theme Icon
    Genetic Expression, Acquired Traits, and Mutation
  • Interdisciplinary Science and Research Theme Icon
    Interdisciplinary Science and Research
Quotes
Characters
  • All Characters
  • Sharon Moalem
  • Aran Gordon
  • Charles Darwin
  • Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
  • Alister Hardy
  • Elaine Morgan
  • David Barker
  • Barbara McClintock
  • Paul Ewald
Terms
  • All Terms
  • Anemia
  • Epigenetics
  • Favism
  • Folic acid
  • Free radicals
  • Hayflick limit
  • Hemochromatosis
  • Transposons (“jumping genes”)
  • Macrophage
  • Malaria
  • Methylation
  • Retrovirus
  • Phytoestrogens
  • Weissman barrier
  • Younger Dryas
Symbols
  • All Symbols
  • iPod Symbol Icon
    iPod
Theme Wheel Theme Viz
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Younger Dryas

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iPod

iPod

The iPod serves as a metaphor for human aging. Moalem notes that Apple came under criticism because people accused them of employing “planned obsolescence” in their iPods (which were relatively new at the time of…

read analysis of iPod

iPod Symbol Icon
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