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From Amazon
Science writer Matt Ridley has found a way to tell someone else's story without being accused of plagiarism. Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters delves deep within your body (and, to be fair, Ridley's too) looking for dirt dug up by the Human Genome Project. Each chapter pries one gene out of its chromosome and focuses on its role in our development and adult life, but also goes further, exploring the implications of genetic research and our quickly changing social attitudes toward this information. Genome shies away from the "tedious biochemical middle managers" that only a nerd could love and instead goes for the A-material: genes associated with cancer, intelligence, sex (of course), and more.
Readers unfamiliar with the jargon of genetic research needn't fear; Ridley provides a quick, clear guide to the few words and concepts he must use to translate hard science into English. His writing is informal, relaxed, and playful, guiding the reader so effortlessly through our 23 chromosomes that by the end we wish we had more. He believes that the Human Genome Project will be as world-changing as the splitting of the atom; if so, he is helping us prepare for exciting times--the hope of a cure for cancer contrasts starkly with the horrors of newly empowered eugenicists. Anyone interested in the future of the body should get a head start with the clever, engrossing Genome. --Rob Lightner --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Publishers Weekly
HSoon we'll know what's in our genes: next year, the Human Genome Project will have its first-draft map of our 23 chromosomes. Ridley (The Red Queen; The Origins of Virtue) anticipates the genomic news with an inventively constructed, riveting exposition of what we already know about the links between DNA and human life. His inviting prose proposes "to tell the story of the human genome... chromosome by chromosome, by picking a gene from each." That story begins with the basis of life on earth, the DNA-to-RNA-to-protein process (chapter one, "Life," and also chromosome one); the evolution of Homo sapiens (chromosome two, which emerged in early hominids when two ape chromosomes fused); and the discovery of genetic inheritance (which came about in part thanks to the odd ailment called alkaptonuria, carried on chromosome three). Some facts about your life depend entirely on a single gene--for example, whether you'll get the dreadful degenerative disease Huntington's chorea, and if so, at what age (chromosome four, hence chapter four: "Fate"). But most facts about you are products of pleiotropy, "multiple effects of multiple genes," plus the harder-to-study influences of culture and environment. (One asthma-related gene--but only one--hangs out on chromosome five.) The brilliant "whistle-stop tour of some... sites in the genome" passes through "Intelligence," language acquisition, embryology, aging, sex and memory before arriving at two among many bugbears surrounding human genetic mapping: the uses and abuses of genetic screening, and the ongoing debate on "genetic determinism" and free will. Ridley can explain with equal verve difficult moral issues, philosophical quandaries and technical biochemistry; he distinguishes facts from opinions well, and he's not shy about offering either. Among many recent books on genes, behavior and evolution, Ridley's is one of the most informative. It's also the most fun to read. Agent, Felicity Bryan.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Reminded me why I love what I do,
By Sabina82 (Ontario, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Genome (Paperback)
I picked up this book in a book buying frenzy this past summer. I am in my last year of a degree in biology, so to me this book was from the outset inherently interesting. I might therefore have a pretty biased view. I loved it. As other reviewers have noted, some areas did not seem quite right (ie. his research was lacking, or he over simplified some aspect), but for the most part I loved his writing style and his ability to uncover the wonder behind the lab report. Now, I frequently read all kinds of scientific mumbo-jumbo of course, but this book was like candy. It reminded me why I love science so much. I can't think of anything more exciting or mysterious than the complexities of life. I immediately pursuaded my father, who is in business and knows some but not a lot about biology, to read it.Buy one for a friend, so you can read it together and discuss the chapters. If you don't already know much about the genome, this book will blow your mind. Get ready to see what all us science geeks are so excited about! =)
5.0 out of 5 stars
If You Only Read One Book About Genetics - Make Sure It's This One!,
By David "TooManyBooks!" (Oakville, Ontario) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters (Paperback)
As soon as I finished reading this book, I started all over again - something I've never done before. Partly to ensure I really had grasped some of the key learning points, and partly just to enjoy the writing style of the author (what a gift he has for translating deep academic research into a compelling story!)It was packed full of facts and explanations of how cells, protein & DNA all work together - something I never did at school over 30 years ago. But this is no text book. As other reviewers have explained, this reads like 23 short stories - one for each chromosome. After reading "The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins I found that "Genome" was a great complement to my new interest in genetics and how DNA enables evolution. With a great nod of respect to Dawkins, if you only read one book on the subject of DNA or genetics - read "Genome".
3.0 out of 5 stars
fun to read,
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This review is from: Genome (Paperback)
this was a great book to read because it is a compilation of vignettes. it's easy to read one or two in a sitting and then let it rest for a day, a week or a month. i wouldn't say that this book was a favorite of mine, but i'm glad i read it.
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