Regular readers of this blog will be well aware that we are currently in the middle of a technology-driven revolution in genetics, which promises both advances in our understanding of human biology and profound social transformation. As we move into the genomic era, developing familiarity with the basic concepts of genetics - so-called genetic literacy - will be increasingly important.The goal of Mark Henderson's 50 Genetics Ideas You Really Need to Know is thus ambitious but timely: to distill the complexity of genetics into a series of digestible bite-sized chunks suitable for public consumption. Each of the Ideas in the book - which range from selfish genes to genetic genealogy to designer babies - is condensed into just four pages, along with a single statement containing the basic message of the section (e.g. for the selfish genes section: "Genes look selfish, but people needn't be"), short vignettes highlighting particular sub-topics of interest, and relevant quotes drawn from a wide variety of sources.
As Science Editor for the Times Henderson has written extensively on genetics for a lay audience (see for instance his excellent recent piece on genetic privacy);
that experience shows here. Despite their brevity, his chapters cover
the crucial components of a particular topic in sufficient depth to
illuminate without overwhelming with detail.
Henderson's coverage of controversial topics is admirably well-balanced where balance is appropriate (a particularly good example being the section on genes and insurance, in which he goes well beyond the standard "genetic discrimination is bad" boilerplate), but he doesn't hold back from dismissing unscientific views: creationists are singled out for criticism in chapter 1, while the alarmist claims of anti-GM activists are dealt with suitably in the section on GM crops.
Given the tight format there are inevitable sins of omission - the polymerase chain reaction, the workhorse of modern molecular biology, is squeezed briefly into chapter 31 (genetic fingerprinting) rather than taking its rightful place in the introductory chapters; and there is no mention of second-generation DNA sequencing in the later chapters covering "the new genetics" - but overall Henderson does an impressive job of spanning the field. Beginning with the history of genetics and finishing with the most recent advances (such as the new-found importance of copy number variation and RNA-based gene regulation), the book takes numerous detours through the more interesting scientific, ethical, philosophical and technological issues around the study of DNA.
This book is not designed to serve as a comprehensive reference text, but rather to engage and inform a broad audience - and it serves this role admirably. Those just starting out on the road to genetic literacy will find it easy to dip in and out of the chapters, unearthing nuggets of dinner party conversation gold; for those interested in exploring further the book provides a solid foundation for building a deeper understanding of the field.
The appeal of the book also extends beyond genetics rookies: I certainly stumbled across several intriguing factoids from areas of genetics outside my specialty, and Henderson's ability to encapsulate a complex concept or argument in a single paragraph will provide useful fodder for anyone involved in communicating genetics to a wider audience.
50 Genetics Ideas You Really Need to Know is an engaging read that fills an important niche; I give it 3.5 nucleotides out of 4.
Henderson's coverage of controversial topics is admirably well-balanced where balance is appropriate (a particularly good example being the section on genes and insurance, in which he goes well beyond the standard "genetic discrimination is bad" boilerplate), but he doesn't hold back from dismissing unscientific views: creationists are singled out for criticism in chapter 1, while the alarmist claims of anti-GM activists are dealt with suitably in the section on GM crops.
Given the tight format there are inevitable sins of omission - the polymerase chain reaction, the workhorse of modern molecular biology, is squeezed briefly into chapter 31 (genetic fingerprinting) rather than taking its rightful place in the introductory chapters; and there is no mention of second-generation DNA sequencing in the later chapters covering "the new genetics" - but overall Henderson does an impressive job of spanning the field. Beginning with the history of genetics and finishing with the most recent advances (such as the new-found importance of copy number variation and RNA-based gene regulation), the book takes numerous detours through the more interesting scientific, ethical, philosophical and technological issues around the study of DNA.
This book is not designed to serve as a comprehensive reference text, but rather to engage and inform a broad audience - and it serves this role admirably. Those just starting out on the road to genetic literacy will find it easy to dip in and out of the chapters, unearthing nuggets of dinner party conversation gold; for those interested in exploring further the book provides a solid foundation for building a deeper understanding of the field.
The appeal of the book also extends beyond genetics rookies: I certainly stumbled across several intriguing factoids from areas of genetics outside my specialty, and Henderson's ability to encapsulate a complex concept or argument in a single paragraph will provide useful fodder for anyone involved in communicating genetics to a wider audience.
50 Genetics Ideas You Really Need to Know is an engaging read that fills an important niche; I give it 3.5 nucleotides out of 4.
Life Science
Medicine & Health
Comments
Love the nucleotide rating system! And will be on the look-out for the book. Thanks for the review.
Posted by: ctenotrish | June 4, 2009 11:17 AM
Ditto! Thanks for providing the info and review on this book.
Posted by: Susan | June 4, 2009 8:47 PM
What can I do with half a thymine?? Reminds me of Martini in "Cuckoo's Nest" breaking a cigarette in half, and saying "I bet a nickel".
Posted by: Klortho | June 5, 2009 1:25 PM
You could add "U" and bring it up to the semi-standard 5-[icon] rating system.
Posted by: neandrothal | June 5, 2009 2:54 PM
Thanks for the tip!
Posted by: Successful Researcher: How to Become One | June 5, 2009 6:17 PM
Thanks for the review, Daniel. Much appreciated. I'll be blogging on the Times debate at Cheltenham tomorrow -- Kari Stefansson vs Helen Wallace should be great fun!
Posted by: Mark Henderson | June 6, 2009 7:13 AM
Just got this book delivered to my house last week. I will add some comments once I am done reading - so far it's very appealing and engaging.
Posted by: Dana Waring | June 9, 2009 2:11 PM
Daniel, I couldn't agree more with your review. I'm a complete neophyte and recently reviewed 50 Genetic Ideas in glowing terms. In fact, I'm taking five of his fifty ideas and am pursuing them further (in my own slow time).
Posted by: Andres Kabel | June 12, 2009 8:31 AM