If you teach a class on stem cells, what book or other resource do you use?
I know there are a lot of classes on stem cells going on out there.
Part of the challenge of teaching students and trainees about stem cells is that the topic is a moving target.
Another challenge is that knowing the biology is simply not enough.
Finally there wasn’t a definitive book–text book or other wise– that covers the key science stuff and also the real world issues of stem cells such as stem cell treatments, ethical challenges, and more.
The stem cell community including students needs to be knowledgable of and savvy about larger issues too such as stem cell tourism, regulatory issues, how to get a stem cell treatment to the clinic, bioethics, GMP, patient needs and issues, and more.
My new book, Stem Cells: An Insider’s Guide, while not a textbook, covers all of this material. It also has scores of key weblinks to other key resources, a collection found nowhere else. It is available as paperback or as Kindle or e-book from the publisher here.
If you are teaching a stem cell class or taking one or just want to learn more about what’s really going on in the stem cell field, I hope you’ll take a look at my book. Please let me know if you are interested in teaching with the book as recommended reading for your students.
Twice I’ve taught a General Education course on stem cells for non-biology majors. I used Larry Goldstein and Meg Schneider’s book “Stem Cells for Dummies”, and I think it was very successful for this audience. It does discuss the science as well as ethics, stem cell tourism, and the rest.
I also linked to your blog and to the CIRM blog on our campus learning system site.
I do have a copy of your book and I will consider whether to use it for the course this spring.
Hi Ben,
I think Larry’s book is very helpful.
Of course I’m biased towards mine since I wrote it, but I do believe it presents a more in depth look at stem cells while still being quite readable and approachable to a general audience.
I sort of think of my book as being informally titled “Stem Cell for Smarties”.
My book has some unique, often fun topics, especially in the later chapter where I allow the reader to get their “stem cell geek on”. In talking with and even teaching students including non-biology majors over the years about stem cells, they particularly enjoy the material (e.g. de-extinction, stem cell grown meat, the human body shop, stem cells in space, etc) in that fun chapter, which captures their imaginations.
Thanks for considering its use. As a bonus, I’m offering course instructors who use the book the opportunity for their students to directly ask me questions, which I will actually answer.
Paul