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10+ Works 923 Members 70 Reviews 1 Favorited

About the Author

Jo Marchant is an award winning science journalist. She has a PhD ingenetics and medical microbiology and an MSc in science communication. She is also the author of Decoding the Heavens and Cure, both of which were short-listed for the Royal Society Prize for Science Books.

Includes the names: Jo Marchant, Josephine Marchant

Works by Jo Marchant

Associated Works

New Scientist, 13 December 2008 (2008) — Contributor — 2 copies

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Common Knowledge

Legal name
Marchant, Josephine
Birthdate
1973
Gender
female
Nationality
UK
Places of residence
Brixton, London, England, UK
Occupations
science journalist
editor (Nature)

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Reviews

An inspiring book about valuing and protecting our beautiful night skies and our ability to see and appreciate them..
 
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Katyefk | 4 other reviews | Nov 30, 2023 |
As a dedicated visual astronomer, I found this book interesting. It would have been much better with illustrations. Keep looking up!
 
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bobunwired | 4 other reviews | Nov 19, 2022 |
Non-fiction in which Jo Marchant takes a scientific approach to recounting the latest research on the mind-body connection. She undertook this effort to find out the latest on what the mind can and cannot do to assist in achievement of overall better health and quality of life. Topics include the placebo effect, mindfulness meditation, the immune system, virtual reality, pain management, social connection, kindness in caregiving, stress, aging, depression, hypnosis, electrical impulses, and much more.

A self-professed skeptic and advocate for the scientific method, she systematically explores each topic and examines results of recent research. She brings a human component to these findings by providing case studies of people currently going through treatment. For the most part, these are people she has met, and she tells their stories in an empathetic way. The scientific jargon is kept to a minimum, and the concepts are explained in a straightforward manner. She is careful to cite areas where more research is needed, and documents dissenting opinions. Unfortunately, the pharmaceutical companies, which sponsor a vast amount of current research, are not motivated to spend money to support experiments that may reduce the need for their products.

In the author’s words:
”I am not advocating relying solely on the mind to heal us; but denying its role in medicine surely isn't the answer either. My hope, then, is that this book might help to overcome some of the prejudice against mind-body approaches, and to raise awareness that taking account of the mind in health is actually a more scientific and evidence-based approach than relying ever more heavily on physical interventions and drugs.”

Recommended to those interested in health and brain-related science. Those with current health issues may discover some helpful coping strategies.
… (more)
 
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Castlelass | 46 other reviews | Oct 30, 2022 |
The Shadow King takes a look at the history of King Tut’s mummy from a modern perspective. What really happened to King Tutankhamun and why do we care so much? She examines the history of discovery, how the mummy has been analyzed over the years, and recent scientific evidence. She explores the many theories that have arisen over time with a keen eye for separating fact from speculation.

Marchant’s writing style is clever and clear. She explains the science in ways that make complex subjects easy to assimilate. She sounds like a good friend telling the reader all these exciting historic and scientific facts she has uncovered in her research.

She stars with the history, including the discovery of the tomb, Tutankhamun’s extended family, and the mummification process. Next, the author takes a look at how technology has changed and produced new ideas about the way King Tut died. She reports the methods that have been utilized to examine the remains include x-ray, CAT scans, and DNA analysis. Early archeologists thought nothing of man-handling the bones and cutting the corpse into pieces. These days, scientists would be appalled by the contaminations that were introduced by this crude approach.

Some of my personal favorite sections involved the evolution of archeology, from early treasure hunting to modern meticulous care and scientific analysis, the infighting among scientists regarding the applicability of DNA evidence into two camps. One camp believes DNA can be extracted and provides a clear path to tracing the family history of these mummies. The other doubts that thousands of years old DNA can provide evidence of sufficient quality to perform this analysis (and questions the “official” conclusions). It is fascinating the number of causes of death that have been considered, including such diverse ideas as chariot accident, infection, war, malaria, poisoning, tuberculosis, and hippo attack.

The book covers the museum exhibits of the contents of the tomb, the Discovery channel’s involvement in funding and filming further research, and the potential influence exerted to “find something definitive.” She incorporates recent history such as the Egyptian Revolution of 2011 and its impact on Egyptology. She interviews prominent Egyptologists and concludes with her feelings about visiting the tomb.

I appreciated Marchant’s style. She remains neutral and open-minded about what she may find. I enjoyed her fact-based approach, even realizing that we may never know what actually happened. It reads as a real-life mystery, with plenty of intrigue. This is an excellent read for anyone interested in the history of Egypt. I found it fascinating.

“It’s the story of the people who have studied Tutankhamun and the other royal mummies—who these scientists were, where they came from, and most importantly, what they were trying to find. But more than that, it’s about all of us—why we are so fascinated with Tut, why we love these stories so much, and why we care so intimately about the fate of a boy who lived millennia ago. In other words, what studying this mummy really illuminates is not Tutankhamun himself but us today: what makes us human and the different things we’re searching for. The more we probe this sorry pile of bones, the more we shine a light deep into our own souls.”

4.5
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½
 
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Castlelass | 8 other reviews | Oct 30, 2022 |

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