Language of Genes, The - Hardcover

Jones, Steve

3.88

486 ratings by Goodreads

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0385473729 ISBN 13: 9780385473729

Publisher: Doubleday, 1994

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Jones (genetics, Galton Laboratory, University College, London) uses literary, political, historical, cultural, and scientific analogies and anecdotes to survey human genetics, explaining how the field began, the darker uses genetics has been put to in history, the role genes play in shaping who and what we are, and the effects that new genetic discoveries have had on our basic theories of evolution. Annotation copyright Book News, Inc. Portland, Or.

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About the Author:

Steve Jones is professor of genetics at the Galton Laboratory of University College, London.

From Kirkus Reviews:

If the history of life is the history of DNA, then this survey of genetics is an essential book for anyone interested in the development and possible future of our species. Jones (Genetics/University College, London; editor, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Human Evolution, not reviewed) expands a BBC lecture series on genetics into an accessible and wide- reaching survey of that science and of its actual and potential impact on humanity. In the process, he combines history (the discoveries of Darwin and Mendel), cutting-edge research (genetic engineering and the Human Genome project), and an unusually clear perspective on moral issues (racism, eugenics, human evolution). The human animal is descended from an apelike ancestor, molded early on by changing climatic conditions, winnowed by accident and disease, and finally on the verge of being able to influence the genetic inheritance of future generations. Without subjecting the reader to overly technical language or complex mathematics, Jones gives a clear look at some of the questions that occupy scientists studying human genetics: whether homo sapiens emerged only in Africa or in several places around the world; the inheritance of genetic defects, from sickle cell anemia to Huntington's disease; and the effect of prolonged human life span on natural selection. The book is smoothly written, despite an occasional clich‚ (Jones is overly fond of the expression ``writ large''), and enlivened with an occasional touch of humor. The author does not shy away from controversy--he makes his opinion of anti-evolutionists eminently clear--and draws effectively on common experience (such as the history of surnames) to illustrate his points. An extensive bibliography makes the book especially valuable to readers who want to learn more about the subject. An excellent introduction to one of the most important frontiers of science, by a man who knows it as well as anyone. -- Copyright �1994, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

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