Are We Hardwired?: The Role of Genes in Human Behavior - Hardcover

Clark, William R.; Grunstein, Michael

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0195138260 ISBN 13: 9780195138269

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2000

Synopsis

Books such as Richard Dawkins's The Selfish Gene have aroused fierce controversy by arguing for the powerful influence of genes on human behavior. But are we entirely at the mercy of our chromosomes? In Are We Hardwired?, scientists William R. Clark and Michael Grunstein say the answer is both yes--and no.
The power and fascination of Are We Hardwired? lie in their explanation of that deceptively simple answer. Using eye-opening examples of genetically identical twins who, though raised in different families, have had remarkably parallel lives, the authors show that indeed roughly half of human behavior can be accounted for by DNA. But the picture is quite complicated. Clark and Grunstein take us on a tour of modern genetics and behavioral science, revealing that few elements of behavior depend upon a single gene; complexes of genes, often across chromosomes, drive most of our heredity-based actions. To illustrate this point, they examine the genetic basis, and quirks, of individual behavioral traits--including aggression, sexuality, mental function, eating disorders, alcoholism, and drug abuse. They show that genes and environment are not opposing forces; heredity shapes how we interpret our surroundings, which in turn changes the very structure of our brain. Clearly we are not simply puppets of either influence. Perhaps most interesting, the book suggests that the source of our ability to choose, to act unexpectedly, may lie in the chaos principle: the most minute differences during activation of a single neuron may lead to utterly unpredictable actions.
This masterful account of the nature-nurture controversy--at once provocative and informative--answers some of our oldest questions in unexpected new ways

About this title

About the Author

William R. Clark is Professor Emeritus of Immunology in the Department of Molecular, Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He is the author of a number of books about biology, immunology, and evolution, including Sex and the Origins of Death, A Means to an End: The Biological Basis of Aging and Death, and The New Healers: The Promise and Problems of Molecular Medicine in the Twenty-First Century. His website is: http://www.wrclarkbooks.com. Michael Grunstein is Professor of Biological Chemistry at the UCLA School of Medicine and Molecular Biology Institute.

Reviews

To allay the growing concern surrounding the implications of behavioral genetics research, UCLA professors Clark (A Means to an End) and Grunstein present an illuminating survey attempting to clarify the extent to which human behavior is influenced by genes, the environment and free will. In efficient textbook style, the authors propose that 50% of human behavior can be accounted for by DNA and seek to defend this hypothesis through an accessible examination of studies of twins and a rather dry recounting of smaller species research. Unicellular paramecia, for example, exhibit avoidance behavior that can be disrupted via genetic mutation. Similarly, scientists have discovered mutations that can affect the learning abilities of certain fruitfly and roundworm species. Extrapolating from these findings, Clark and Grunstein meticulously detail how genetic alterations can disrupt neuron and neurotransmitter functioning in the human brain and thereby alter human behavior. Some of the behaviors that genes may mediate are aggression, substance abuse, mental functioning and sexual preference. Clark and Grunstein show that identical twins often possess similar mental capacities and even a similar likelihood of becoming substance abusers. For males, preliminary studies indicate that aggression and sexual preference may be heritable through the Y-chromosome. Clark and Grunstein are quick to note, however, that the way a gene is actually expressed depends on environment and experience, which can reroute neuronal connections, resulting in an ever-evolving, complex matrix. Genetic determinism has recently received plenty of attention from scientists and ethicists, and Clark and Grunstein offer the general reader a well-organized, though occasionally tedious, overview that thoroughly addresses the major issues concerning this controversial subject. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2000
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0195138260
• ISBN 13: 9780195138269
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 336