notanotherbookreview

Humans now have the possibility of editing our genome (NY Times  (3/20). Ethicists are discussing the implications of being able to  not just produce physically beautiful and intellectually superior people,  but to pass down those traits forever. Of course scientists have already edited the genomes of mice and other lesser mammals,  though how that might change the planet doesn’t seem to be  a concern. Superior mice simply exist to show the procedure will  work on humans, the leap from mice to men is a small step. This procedure, considered relatively easy, is sure to catch on. Manipulating gender by aborting females is already a norm in  some countries, so look out for a world of smart pretty people.  Will this boon, the most coveted of human fantasies, be widely available? Or will the process quickly disappear from public view,  controlled by a group of mega corporations? In the 1980’s, when I began my novel PAR...

Reporters Without Borders is a non-profit organization headquartered in France and they do 3 or 4 of these photographer portfolios every year to raise money for the organization.  http://en.rsf.org/100-photos-of-sam-shaw-for-press-14-12-2012,43787.html   Sam Shaw (with Marilyn above) was a photographer of films known for his iconic Hollywood shots. Remember the one where the heating grate sends Marilyn's dress upward? He also shot documentary films and John Cassavetes' cinema verite. But what I found stunning in this book were not the star turns but character portraits behind star poses. You actually get a sense of who they were. There's Liz the beauty looking goofy, Marlon in an altered state. Real people. He shot meaning beyond pretty people in pretty photos. His lens was true. And he went after meanings in other forms. Here from an online bio: In the 1960s, Shaw branched out into producing. He made the film  Paris Blues  (1961) starring Paul Newman an...