BOOK REVIEWED BY S.A. GORDEN, NOVELIST
Author: Thienna Ho, Ph.D.
Pub. Address:
Thienna Inc.
236 West Portal Ave. #511
San Francisco , CA 94127
www.thienna.com
ISBN: 978-0-9792103-0-3 price: $64.96 copyright 2007, 288 pages
Reviewer: S.A. Gorden, novelist
gorden_sa@hotmail.com
The physical characteristics of living things depend on two factors, genetics and environment. But it is more complex than just those two factors. Stephen Jay Gould popularized many of the genetic problems to isolating causes for traits in his articles and books. Physics limits genetic options. Physical objects are constrained by the realities of the environment, gravity, oxygen concentrations, tensile strengths are just the beginning of these constraints. Gould pointed out that many features are the product of other functions and many genetic changes do not produce traits significant enough to function by natural selection. There is even a new genetic field formalized after the human genome project was done. The field studies how environmental factors produce genetic inhibitors that customize genetic code to the environment. Surprisingly these changes can be inherited. The final environmental factors are the elements directly encountered by the organism -- or food, air and other factors.
Thienna has specialized in these final factors using a dietary and lifestyle approach. She starts with one of Gould's genetic points that a trait might be produced as a byproduct of another function. In this case, Thienna has speculated that dietary sulfur and its detoxification uses in the body produces a side affect in skin color. She carefully coaches her suppositions as educated guesses, which they are. She backs her guesses with scientific data that she frames into her work. Lay readers might interpret the science as a validation of her methods. It is not but it is a powerful argument that she might be on the correct track with her work.
The environment is a very important factor in characteristics such as skin color. Because of other genetic factors, you can never predict how well the diet/lifestyle changes will work. The great strength with this method is that it is relatively safe and inexpensive. Thienna has done enough research so using her methods should minimize the variables for the individual trying her program. Skin color is a cosmetic change, making it an ideal task for the relatively safe and inexpensive changes Thienna advocates.
If changing your skin color is something you are interested in or if you would like to do more to adjust your diet and lifestyle, Thienna's program is an ideal starting point. Anyone needing to change their diet for health reasons can also find good information within the book. The nutritional data is weighted for the nutrients she considers most important. Most of the information can be found in public sources but the convenience of a single focused source might make the relatively high cost of the book acceptable. Unlocking the Mystery of Skin Color is a good starting point for anyone wanting to adjust their look and is really a must before trying more drastic medical treatments.
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