In the Name of Eugenics: Genetics and the Uses of Human Heredity - Softcover

Kevles, Daniel J.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0674445570 ISBN 13: 9780674445574

Publisher: Harvard University Press, 1998

Synopsis

Daniel Kevles traces the study and practice of eugenics--the science of "improving" the human species by exploiting theories of heredity--from its inception in the late nineteenth century to its most recent manifestation within the field of genetic engineering. It is rich in narrative, anecdote, attention to human detail, and stories of competition among scientists who have dominated the field.

About this title

Review:

In the 19th century, when the idea of eugenics (selective breeding to generate superior members of a species) was invited off the farm and into the parlor, it was a far-fetched notion with little possibility of success driven by clearly racist motivations. But at the end of the 20th century, biotechnological techniques and other agendas are making forms of human eugenics plausible. Rich in anecdote, narrative, and fact. An important book.

From the Back Cover:

All the more powerful for confronting folly with urbanity and a clear eye.''

About this edition

• Publisher: Harvard University Press
• Publication date: 1998
• ISBN 10: 0674445570
• ISBN 13: 9780674445574
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448