For 12 months beginning in January 2000, essayist and research physician Gerald Weissmann carefully documented the modern age of enlightenment, charting its scientific marvels and new plagues. Now, this revealing diary takes us on a literary exploration of laboratories and beyond to see the impact on human life and culture of headliners such as RU 486, AIDS drugs, and other current developments, including the controversial use of stem cells. Whether calling on Ralph Waldo Emerson to explain Craig Venter's drive to unravel the genome or tracing the effect of Rachel Carson's legacy on the spread of malaria around the world, Weissmann's chronicle captures excitement of developments taking place in the genetic revolution.