Frank Ryan

Taking a close-up look at the complexities of evolution, the author of Virus X and The Forgotten Plague explores the role of interaction among species in promoting the diversity of life, examining key examples of symbiosis and demonstrating that huge leaps in evolution have arisen from the blending of life forms.

Evolution Beyond Natural Selection

Darwin's Blind Spot

Four teenagers are drawn from an Irish mountaintop into an enchanted land and gifted with great powers: but with power comes responsibility, and a vast evil has noticed their arrival . . . On the summit of the fabled mountain Slievenamon in Ireland there is a doorway to an ancient land of terrible power. The gate of Feimhin has lain closed for centuries, the secret of its opening long lost - until four orphans drawn together by Fate pass through the portal and find the enchanted but war-ravaged world of Tír, a strange land peopled by beings of magic. Here death waits at every corner, and they must learn to fight if they are to survive. And they'd better learn quickly, because their enemy, the Tyrant of the Wastelands, is growing in power. 'The best fantasy novel I've ever read . . . an epic adventure that just does not stop!' said Glenda A. Bixler on Authorsden!

The Snowmelt River

AIDS, Ebola, "mad cow disease," "flesh-eating" viruses...Today's newspapers are full of articles about new plagues & viruses. Where do these new viruses come from? Why do new plagues arise? Could there be - will there be - a lethal & incurable Virus X that spreads as easily as the common cold? The author, a renowned authority on diseases, presents a radical theory about the origin of deadly microbes in a book that takes us into the "hot zones" of today's most dangerous viral outbreaks, then into the research labs & hospitals where doctors & scientists are risking their lives trying to control them.

Tracking the New Killer Plagues

Virus X

From an acclaimed scientific thinker and writer comes the most exciting advance in evolution since Dawkins' The Selfish Gene—how the extraordinary role of viruses in evolution is revolutionizing biology and medicine Combining Darwin, the double helix, the genome project, and viruses to explain the last great mystery of evolution, this book is the product of Frank Ryan's decade of research at the frontiers of a new science called viral symbiosis, and the amazing revolution that it has had in these few years. Still the greatest breakthrough in biological science, Darwin's theory of evolution depended on steady variation of living things over time—but he was unable to explain how this variation occurred. Since publication of the Origin of Species, we have discovered three main sources for this variation—mutation, hybridization, and epigenetics. Then on February 12, 2001, the evidence for perhaps the most extraordinary cause of variation was simultaneously released by two organizations—the code for the entire human genome. Not only was the human genome unbelievably simple (only 10 times more complicated than a bacteria), but embedded in the code were large fragments that were derived from viruses—fragments that were vital to evolution of all organisms, and the evidence for a fourth and vital source of variation—viruses. As scientists begin to look for evidence of viral involvement in more and more processes, they have discovered that they are vital in nearly every case—and with this understanding comes the possibility of manipulating the role of the viruses to help fight a huge range of diseases.

Virolution

Ryan, a physician, offers a history of the cure for tuberculosis, including accounts of the people and scientists involved. The final chapter spells out a renewed threat in the congruence of AIDS and tuberculosis.

How the Battle Against Tuberculosis Was Won - And Lost

The Forgotten Plague

The extraordinary role of viruses in evolution and how this is revolutionising biology and medicine.

This is an abridged paperback version of Frank's novel, Taking Care of Harry. Mylie O'Farrell is 19 years old. By day he works as a health care assistant in a psychiatric unit in London. Off duty, he indulges his interest in music, girls and wild nights on the town with his friends, Janus and Rich, who share a ramshackle house in Westminster they call 'The Palace'. Everything changes when ex-army officer Harry is admitted to the Unit after purportedly trying to strangle his wife, Muriel. Harry, who is suffering from melancholia, has no visitors so Mylie takes a special interest in the cantankerous old man. Through a series of stormy if humour-laden encounters, the young man and old man become friends, each allowing the other a glimpse into the deepest and most intimate secrets of their lives. This is also the story of the women in their lives, of Muriel and Tabi. As, little by little, Mylie realises that Harry is harbouring a secret terror, he sets about bringing this into the open so that his friend can be set free. It is suffused with great joy, sorrow, and a haunting sense of beauty - a funny, beautiful and poignant story that has inspired film makers and poets.

Between Clouds and the Sea

In this enchanting work of scientific exploration, acclaimed science author Frank Ryan explains how metamorphosis - the intricate trick of nature by which caterpillars transform into butterflies - reveals secrets that are shaking the scientific world. Ryan brings to life the work of pioneering naturalists who have traced metamorphosis in myriad species, from amphibians to marine creatures, even human puberty, to rewrite some of our longest-held beliefs about evolution. Lyrical and provocative, The Mystery of Metamorphosis offers a new understanding of some of the most ancient miracles of the nature.

Unmasking the Mystery of How Life Transforms

Metamorphosis

Tuberculosis is the greatest killer of all time. In this century and the previous one, it was responsible for the deaths of a thousand million human beings. Half way through the 20th century, people did not believe that a cure would ever be possible, but a few scientists throughout the world each played a part in finding that cure. The discovery changed history, yet that story has never been told.

The Greatest Story Never Told : the Human Story of the Search for the Cure for Tuberculosis and the New Global Threat

Tuberculosis

A Scientific Detective Story

The Mystery of Metamorphosis

Your genome defines you at the most profound level. That same genome is present in every one of the approximately 100,000 billion cells that make you who you are as an individual member of the human species. An important ingredient of the genome, and its essential nature, is memory - the memory of the entirety of every individual human's genetic inheritance. We know that this wonder chemical we call DNA works like a code. But how could any code recall the complex instructions that go into the making of cells and tissues and organs, and once made, allow them to function as a co-ordinated whole that comprises the human being? Frank Ryan leads us into a series of remarkable revelations about our human history, into the very distant past of our ancestor's lives and their prehistoric exploration of our beautiful planet, revealing the true secrets to the human genome which makes each of us who we are.

The Mysterious World of the Human Genome

Everything changes for Mylie O'Farrell, a health care assistant, when ex-army officer Harry is admitted to the psychiatric unit after trying to strangle his wife. Through a series of encounters, the two become close, but soon Mylie realises that Harry is harbouring a secret terror.

Taking Care of Harry

How could a relatively simple chemical code give rise to the complexity of a human being? How could our human genome have evolved? And how does it actually work?

A fascinating and long overdue examination of viruses - from what they are and what they do, to the vital role they have played in human history.What are viruses? Do they rely on genes, like all other forms of life? Do they follow the same patterns of evolution as plants and animals?Dr. Frank Ryan answers these questions and many more in a sweeping tour of illnesses caused by viruses. He examines the common cold, measles, chicken pox, herpes, mumps, and rubella, as well as less familiar maladies, such as rabies, "breakbone fever," hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola, and virus-induced cancers. Along the way, readers will learn about the behaviors of viruses and what drives them to infect a human host. Ryan explains the role of viruses in the evolution of life, revealing how viruses have changed us at the most intimate level, helping to make us quintessentially human.

From Common Colds to Ebola Epidemics—Why We Need the Viruses That Plague Us

Virusphere

The Twins of Moon

Develop rock-solid willpower with evidence-based techniques Willpower For Dummies shows you how to train, strengthen,and improve your willpower in seven easy steps! Written by aclinical psychologist and cognitive therapist, the book proves thatwillpower can be learned like any other skill, and provides tons ofpractical exercises and strategies you can start using today.You'll learn how willpower works inside the brain, and how choosinggoals and identifying challenges can affect your success. The bookstresses the importance of patience, rewards and being kind toyourself, and walks you through the techniques that will keep youon the right track, even on your worst days. The mind works in two different ways: the long view and theshort view. Controlling which aspect wins out is the key towillpower. Willpower For Dummies breaks this complex sciencedown into easily digestible bits, written in plain English with adash of humour. You'll find scientifically robust guidance towardstrengthening your willpower just like a muscle, and expert adviceon training your brain to work with you instead of against you. Discover the most important factors in buildingself-discipline Learn how to set goals and how to train your willpower Practice simple willpower-strengthening exercises Employ coping strategies for when you're about to break Whether you're trying to lose weight, quit smoking or just workharder, rest assured that you can do it—regardless of pastfailures and false starts. Willpower is not a trait, but a skill.Everyone can learn it, and everyone can make it stronger.Willpower For Dummies walks you through the process,teaching you the skills you need for lasting success.

Frank Ryan

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