Me: I’m hoping you’ll sign my book.
JCV: You wrote a book?
Me: Not yet, but you did. Will you sign it?
JCV: It’s not out for another month. How did you get it?
Me (sheepish, eyes cast downward): Um…eBay?
JCV: (grumbles about eBay, signs book, hands it to me). Here. Now it’s worth a whole bunch of money. (As elevator doors are closing) Did you read it?
I work as an Assistant Professor in the Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy (although this site and its content are my own).
In 2007 I became the fourth subject in Harvard geneticist George Church's Personal Genome Project. As the PGP moves forward, I am chronicling the dawn of personal genomics, that is, people obtaining their genomic information for whatever reason(s) and figuring out what to do with it. I am interested in the relevant technologies and especially the attendant privacy and other ethical/legal/social issues.
This blog may also discuss some of my non-genome interests or, to paraphrase Dwight Yoakam, "Guitars, Cadillacs, hillbilly music, etc etc."
The header image comes from the Liz Lerman Dance Exchange's multimedia performance piece, "Ferocious Beauty: Genome."
September 24th, 2007 at 10:15 pm
Very sweet indeed ! Congratulations ! Thanks for sharing this. BTW, did you read it ?
September 25th, 2007 at 12:28 am
Very cool! My order has been placed and there’s only a few more weeks to go. I hope you’ll let us know what you thought.
September 25th, 2007 at 1:26 am
Misha,
I’ll give you $35 for it. That would go great with my copy of THE DOUBLE HELIX signed by Crick. (I reckon your readers are part of the small community of people who get the humor in having Crick sign that book; he was cool about it though a little nutty.) Anyway, I’m surprised Venter didn’t lash you to the bow of Sorcerer II and make you collect protists with a spoon and a coffee cup while making the Atlantic crossing.
September 25th, 2007 at 5:59 am
If we can change somehow Misha to Berci, I give you a hundred bucks for that
September 25th, 2007 at 12:34 pm
Berci, I thought you were saving your money for genomic purposes…
Duncan, the Sorcerer scenario actually sounds a lot like graduate school, albeit slightly more exotic than Cleveland.
BTW, I am actually reading the book as opposed to just fetishizing it. When I’m finished I expect I’ll have more to say (I always do).
September 25th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
You dawg! Have you no shame? You still owe Venter money since he didn’t get squat out of you buying it on eBay.
Last week I paid full cover price for a signed copy of New Europe by Michael Palin when it was going half-price everywhere in London. ARGH. I figure that ended up paying about $20 USD for Palin’s autograph since the cover price was $40.
September 25th, 2007 at 7:17 pm
Oh, Hsien…I’m putting my genome on the internet. Isn’t my lack of shame obvious by now?
September 30th, 2007 at 12:21 am
Hahaha! Touché!
When you guys are done with the books and don’t want them anymore, send them my way, I’m broke for books