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

William R. Clark (Author), Michael Grunstein (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 9, 2000 | ISBN-10: 0195138260 | ISBN-13: 978-0195138269

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

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The notion that our chromosomes might dictate some of our behavior makes DNA a four-letter word to strict nurturists. Yet there is strong evidence that genes do exert an influence over some part of nearly of our personalities. Immunologist William R. Clark and biochemist Michael Grunstein tackle this sticky issue in Are We Hardwired? The Role of Genes in Human Behavior, an evenhanded explanation and critique of current thinking on the topic. Exploring twin and family studies, biochemical research into the nervous systems of humans and less complex animals, and specific qualities like aggression, eating, and sexual preference, the authors show that as with most other phenotypic expression, genes interact with each other and with environmental factors to produce tendencies toward behavior.

Their thinking is more complex than the journalistic attachment to "aggression genes" and other such simplifications. They would rather see and understand the intricate array of genes and the proteins they help to create than blame Johnny's brutality on a particular lonely stretch of his Y chromosome. This is exemplified by their refusal to use the word "intelligence" except when required for historical accuracy; this single concept has caused much more trouble than understanding since its inception. The prose is quiet and easygoing, the scientific explanations are clear but pull no punches, and the authors take great pains to expose the tremendous dangers of eugenics, making Are We Hardwired? one of the clearest, most useful books yet published on the nurture-nature debate. --Rob Lightner

From Publishers Weekly

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.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 9, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195138260
• ISBN-13: 978-0195138269
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #899,914 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars very worthwhile - until a better book comes along., November 10, 2002

By 

algo41 "algo41" (philadelphia, pa United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Are We Hardwired?: The Role of Genes in Human Behavior (Hardcover)

I loved Clark’s “Sex and the Origin of Death” and “At War Within”. By comparison, I was disappointed in Hardwired. It is a serious , very informative book, and I believe you can trust Clark. The earlier chapters, about one celled animals, a worm, and a fly, were brilliant, and a lot about the basis of human behavior may be learned from them. The material in the first chapter about studies of twins separated at birth is provocative. The problem is that once Clark, or was it Grunstein, got to vertebrates, the material was just not well integrated. Too often the book read as a series of summaries of successive findings, some of which were inconsistent. Yes, Clark had some overarching themes, repeated a number of times, but that doesn’t replace a good synthesis. There is much that is partially understood at best, and a lot of research which casts light only on a small piece of the puzzle, making a good synthesis more difficult for conscientious authors, but that just makes their job harder, not impossible. Bottom line: if you are interested in the subject AND in science, including technical details, read this book, until a better one comes along.

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Some Good Basics, January 26, 2001

By 

Thomas E. Morton, Professor Emeritus (Pittsburgh, PA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Are We Hardwired?: The Role of Genes in Human Behavior (Hardcover)

It was fascinating to learn what is known to date about biochemical reactions and pathways which have a role in memory and behavior, and how it has been possible to tease out which genes produce which critical enzymes in those processes. In particular it is amazing to me how much of this scientists have learned by studying simpler organisms like paramecia, round worms,and fruit flies. The fundamental chemistry seems to have been quite stable for 600 millions of years!

Of course a single book can hardly attempt to unravel the nature/nurture interaction, the rough completion of the genome project itself only scratches the surface. But I learned a great deal by getting a peek at some of the basics which are known to date.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting volume, June 18, 2001

By 

Atheen M. Wilson "Atheen" (Mpls, MN United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Are We Hardwired?: The Role of Genes in Human Behavior (Hardcover)

Are We Hardwired? is an interesting discussion of the recent progress made in the genetics of behavior. The authors begin their book by describing some of the data found in the now famous Minnesota twin studies and proceed to discuss some of the information derived from study of much simpler organisms. They link information on the paramecium, the round worm C. elegans, the much studied fruit fly Drosophila, and the humble mouse to similar biological events in humans and show how the research has helped us better understand our own kind, its strengths and weaknesses.

The first chapter is dedicated to the amazing degree to which genetically identical individuals share similar behavioral characteristics. Even when reared in different environments and completely unaware of their genetically identical siblings, twins are seen to share much more in common with one another and their biological family than they do with their adoptive family. This is seen especially clearly in the studies on obesity, substance abuse and sexual preference.

Chapters 2 through 8 reveal what simpler organisms have to say about behavior. By studying these animals, which possess very simple genetics and biological systems, scientists have been able to more closely pinpoint genetic sites active in mammalian organisms which perform similar functions. What is most surprising is the degree to which nature has conserved "what works" over time. The simple response of a single celled animal to its environment and it's ability to learn or to habituate to a stimulus over time suggests some of the chemical underpinnings of behavior in much more complex animals. The simple neural pathways of the round worm, for instance, allow identification of specific responses to stimulation or inhibition of these pathways. Even the time keeping propensities of yeast and fruitflies is studied and has implications for the circadian clocks of humans and other mammals.

Given the dark history of the first half of the last century with respect to human biology, the information provided in the last chapters--having to do with eating disorders, substance abuse, mental functioning, and sexual preference--will be the most controversial for readers. These chapters discuss recent genetic data that indicate a strong heritability for many of these behaviors and point out the caveats for research in these sensitive areas. The authors are especially quick to point out that IQ is a murky measurement at best and has often been used as a means of justifying social inequality but they also note that intelligence, like other human behaviors, is genetically perpetuated and therefore a valid subject of study. They also point out that the genome project, while it might easily be used to discriminate unjustly, provides an avenue of remarkable opportunity to remedy the ills of mankind.

Whether one agrees or disagrees with the authors on the ethical issues and the dangers of research in the area of human genetics, the book is a wonderful, readable volume on what modern research has to say about behavior. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the science of genetics or in behavior. It might be a little more difficult for the junior high student, but those in senior high or older should be able to understand it.