Rating: 
Summary: Winning Reviews for Anne Simon
Review: "The Real Science Behind the X-Files" uses specific episodes as springboards for broader discussion. Many of Simon's lessons begin with questions about plausibility....Many of her examples, in fact, are more compelling than the series' convoluted plots....With their white coats and pocket protectors, scientists are often seen as modern sorcerers, dabbling in incomprehensible mysteries and speaking in strange tongues. "The X-Files," and especially Simon's book, have clarified some of these mysteries, and that can only be a good thing."- The New York Times Book Review "Simon needles [Chris] Carter to include more 'logical' explanations for the show's far-out scenarios....So her book deftly (and humorously) dissects the real science from the often implausible scenarios." - The Boston Herald "X-philes who enjoy these and similar stories will learn plenty of biology in the bargain; among other hot field ideas Simon explains are extraterrestrial bacteria, cloning, genetic mutations, biological warfare, the ominous decline in the world's population of frogs and the likelihood of extending the human life span." - Publishers Weekly
Rating: 
Summary: a science book that is reader-friendly
Review: Anne Simon has an innate sense of what is important and evidently has fun writing about them.
Rating:
Summary: Sheer Brilliance
Review: Anne Simon's "The Real Science Behind the X-Files" is my new favorite book. It addresses complex subject matter in a manner similar to that of Physicist Stephen Hawking...easy for the layman to understand and enjoy, and packed with enough hard core science for a true scientist to become captivated. And to top it all off, you've got Mulder and Scully as the leading characters. Simon does a magnificent job of illustrating exactly where the real science becomes science fiction, but gives due respect to that which is not yet proven or is knocking on the door of discovery. It makes you appreciate the "X-Files" a whole lot more knowing how much thought and effort goes into making the storylines as accurate as possible. Great for a casual read and a pleasantly entertaining learning experience.
Rating:
Summary: Sheer Brilliance
Review: Anne Simon's "The Real Science Behind the X-Files" is my new favorite book. It addresses complex subject matter in a manner similar to that of Physicist Stephen Hawking...easy for the layman to understand and enjoy, and packed with enough hard core science for a true scientist to become captivated. And to top it all off, you've got Mulder and Scully as the leading characters. Simon does a magnificent job of illustrating exactly where the real science becomes science fiction, but gives due respect to that which is not yet proven or is knocking on the door of discovery. It makes you appreciate the "X-Files" a whole lot more knowing how much thought and effort goes into making the storylines as accurate as possible. Great for a casual read and a pleasantly entertaining learning experience.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and informative!
Review: Engaging, erudite and totally accessible, Dr. Simon dazzles the reader with this treasure drove of a book, a book that can be enjoyed by both X-Files fans and casual viewers, and both the scientific community and lay people. I haven't read anything as fun on scientific phenomena as this book for a long time, not since Hawking's "Brief History of Time". Each chapter begins with a scene from the show, then unfolds into a fascinating treatise on a myriad of differing topics, including virology, molecular biology, astrophysics, geology and genetics. Her tone is humorous, ironic, at times conspiratory, but always enthusiastic and never condescending. That she is genuinely passionate about her field of research and the scientific principles in general is never in doubt. She must make for a hell of a teacher. As a woman in a scientific field who's also an avid X-Files fan, I take my hat off to Dr. Simon.
Rating:
Summary: Not Just For X-Files Fans...
Review: First I'd like to say that you don't even have to have seen the X-Files to enjoy this book. Everything is explained within the book and the show is used more as a vehicle to introduce different scientific concepts than the book as a vehicle to hype the show. It is a wonderful book in how broad a range of topics are covered, all in an entertaining and engaging manner. It turns the ordinary into the extradinary: Why men as more susceptable to certain types of genetic diseases; how we rely on foreign microbes for our health; why treating cancer is so difficult; why we are carbon-based instead of silicon-based; why we age and how we may one day slow the aging process; etc. What brought me to this book was that it was an "also bought" from 'The Physics of Star Trek'. Before reading this book I had only seen the X-Files once or twice. After reading this book, not only am I going to watch the X-Files because it tries to be scientifically accurate (both in what is theoritcally possible as well as proven scientific facts and proceedures), but I'm going to keep this book handy because of all the knowledge I can gain by reading a few pages and refreshing myself on the information.
Rating:
Summary: For the Scientist and Non-Scientist
Review: I came upon this book at the house of a friend and couldn't put it down. It is a wonderful read and, to a non-scientist, an entertaining and clear look at some of the scientific mysteries of the universe. This is a perfect book for a graduation present and for anyone with an interest in brain-sucking worms, aliens and mutating organisms. I recommend it highly.
Rating:
Summary: The Truth Really Is in Here
Review: If you are an X Files fan, or even if you are not, 'The Real Science Behind the X Files' is a highly entertaining and informative romp through the many and varied fields of science touched upon by this unique and innovative television series. You may be surprised to learn that the very concepts that seem far too fantastic to be true are actually the closest to reality. Think black oil worms are a figment of Chris Carter's imagination? Guess again! A one-celled creature known as Dictyostelium discoideum can excrete a chemical to summon its relatives which then arrange themselves into a multicellular slug-like creature, looking for all the world like those disgusting stars of many episodes, and of course, the X Files movie. As science advisor for the X Files, Dr. Simon provides the foundation in reality on which the series builds its stories. Her book will both educate and engage you, and give you a deeper appreciation for the wonders of science, both terrestial and extra-terrestial. Her sense of humour and her ability to explain technical concepts in 'reader friendly' language will keep you entertained. And you will come away with an even greater appreciation for the lengths the series will go to 'get it right'. Just check out the viral DNA sequence that flashes past the next time you watch 'Herrenvolk'. Yep, its the real thing! Buy this book for yourself, for the X Philes on your shopping list, and for anyone with any interest in what's hot in science these days. I guarantee you will learn a lot and you'll have fun in the process.
Rating:
Summary: Great science book!
Review: Not being a fan of the fantastically popular Fox series, I picked up this book as a curiosity, and was pleasantly surprised by the depth to which Simon, the "science advisor" to the show, goes to elaborate on some of the plots to the TV show. Simon is a molecular biologist, and her discussion tend toward cell biology, but are written with such clarity that even those largely ignorant of life sciences (like me) won't be put off. For instance, her discussion of the the mystery of aging goes on for a fairly dense 20 pages, having been introduced by the episode plot "Turning Back Time" where Mulder and Scully search for the missing Dr. Ridley, who was conducting illegal research aimed at modifying the process by which cells age and eventually die. Anyone who enjoys a good scientific detective story will enjoy this book. Simon presents countless real-life mysteries from the recent research of biologists and geneticists. My only real complaint was arriving at the end of the book and NOT finding a "recommended reading" list. Reading this book really piqued my interest in some of these scientific hunts.
Rating:
Summary: For the Scientist and Non-Scientist
Review: Sexual tension aside, the coolest thing about this show seems to be the questions it poses about nature and science as we know it. And being a molecular biology student, I always get a kick out of shooting down the supposed theories that the show's characters spout out. It's hard sometimes to figure out if Chris Carter and the powers that be are really serious about certain phenomenons/ideas. This book clears it up nicely. Dr. Simon is completely knowledgeable about these topics and presents the information with much more gusto than your typical molecular biology textbook. I'd rather be tested on her book come final exams, but such is life! :)
| 
