Arguably the most significant scientific discovery of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will affect the rest of your life.

Genome offers extraordinary insight into the ramifications of this incredible breakthrough. By picking one newly discovered gene from each pair of chromosomes and telling its story, Matt Ridley recounts the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to the brink of future medicine. From Huntington's disease to cancer, from the applications of gene therapy to the horrors of eugenics, Matt Ridley probes the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues arising as a result of the mapping of the genome. It will help you understand what this scientific milestone means for you, for your children, and for humankind.

Amazon.com Review
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

CUSTOMER REVIEWS (Average Customer Rating: 4.5 based on 186 reviews)

Great Read

All you've ever wanted to know about genes and then some. Makes for a very fun read for those interested in the biology of genetics.
January 07, 2009

Genome Review

This book is great! I use it with my AP biology students. They read it as we learn about cells, genetics, evolution, and the human body. I mix up the chapters so they are reviewing what we learn in class by reading the appropriate chapter. They have to turn in a "scrapbook" showing me they read it with pictures and summaries of the chapter, important scientists, and scientific terms (vocabulary). Most of them have said they are really enjoying the reading. What they don't understand they skip over, but what they do understand is fascinating and reinforces what they are learning in class.
December 16, 2008

Well written, informative but needs to be updated

This book is well written and includes some very interesting tidbits of information covering a wide spectrum of issues regarding the human genome: nature vs. nurture, eugenics, cognitive science, diseases and the like. However reading it in 2008 (the book was published in 2000) makes much of its subject matter seem out-dated and at times irrelevant. Several pages are devoted to the history of scrapie and the outbreak of mad-cow disease in England in the mid to late 90s that dates the book - I hope Matt Ridley one day does take up a second edition of the book since this is such a fast moving research front. I particularly enjoyed his chapter on chromosome 10 and the discussion of environment effects on gene expression as it relates to stress. Ridley's willingness to be technical is refreshing principally because of his background in zoology (he has a doctorate from Oxford) which combined with his journalistic instincts helps to convey ideas smoothly, as a scientist the techninical writing was enjoyable. All in all a fascinating & quick read.
November 28, 2008

Recomend it

I bought this book many years ago, but finally read it last month.I found it extremely interesting. You do have to read some pages more than once to understand it. But that is because the subject takes some real thinking before comprehension is complete. It is not a knock on the author. I do wish he would update the findings since the book was published in 1999. Much as happened I am sure.
November 07, 2008

The autobiography of a species "forced" into 23 chromosomes

Maybe the author put himself a too difficult task by trying to select one gene from each of the 23 chromosome pairs and tell a story out of it. Some chromosomes, its genes and their specific functions are not so deeply known, so when reaching a chromosome from which the author had nothing to say, he forced an unrelated narrative into the chapter. Other chromosomes are filled with interesting genes and/or some traits, functions, etc., are determined by several genes located in different chromosomes, but the author had to choose only one gene per chromosome. Finally, arranging the chapters by chromosome size does not allow for a logical order in the narrative (chronological, by topic, by evolution, etc.) nor does it appear consistent or with a unifying theme. So everything seemed a bit "forced".

Some topics were not sufficiently explained. For example he mentions that bacteria split and thereby reproduce themselves in seconds, so that they have had more generations of evolution than we (all vertebrates). Therefore bacteria have achieved a more perfect state in their DNA, which is more robust than ours. I would have liked to know in which sense it is better or more robust than ours, etc.

In another chapter he mentions that in a living organism the cells do not follow "central orders" but act on information in form of a chemical substance or another kind of signal emmitted by a nearby cell and that every cell knows how to react to each signal. This is used to support his political and economical view of no "central intervention" but more descentralized organization. Here I would have liked a deeper explanation of how he thinks the concepts would apply to society (it could be extrapolated to "empowering processes" in business). What would be the triggers or "signals" in his descentralized government or market and how would they be triggered? Additionally, in living organisms some of the before mentioned substances are produced or triggered by brain cells. Isn't the brain like a central government? In another part of the text, the author mentions that some cells have the instruction to "suicide" themselves for the benefit of the organism and that other cells assure that this instructions are followed by renegade cells. How would he translate this into society, government or markets? (He started the analogies, not me).

The book's content is quite good and I enjoyed it, but it is not one of my favourites. The bibliography is presented in a very original and interesting way, it makes you want to read several of the books the author read. Nature Via Nurture : Genes, Experience, and What Makes Us Human from the same author is quite better and does not leave so many loose ends.
October 31, 2008

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