The Gene Conspiracy or Sorry...the Genes Made Me Do It [Paperback]

Aris D' Avenal (Author), Aris P. D'Avenal (Author), Nicolaos Tzannes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 2000

A daring expose' on how our genes shape our personality and.pull the strings on our actions, all part of a dark conspiracy that results in a myriad of dilemmas in modern multi-racial/multi-cultural societies. An intriguing and controversial new theory of human behavior, based solely on a axiom the author calls Genes and the Survival Principle(GSP). The theory is developed via Socratic-style, pointed discourses which lead to gripping and often humorous explanations of religiosity, homosexuality, racism , violence, sexual aberrations, phobias, death, and other human quirks or idiosyncrasies.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dr. Tzannes (Ph.D Johns Hopkins, 1966) is a lifetime educator and author of many books in English, Greek and Portuguese. His books span many fields, from subjects in Electrical Engineering, to Backgammon and, most recently, Human Behavior and Philosophy. His most recent books are:1) "Life Without God: A Guide to Fulfillment Without Religion," November 20022) "The Gene Conspiracy or Sorry...The Genes Made Me Do It" under the pseudonym of Aris P. D'Avenal, December 20003) "Communications and Radar Systems," September 20004) "Backgammon Games and Strategies" co-authored with his brother Dr. Basil Tzannes, June 20005) "How Good Are You At Backgammon" also co-authored with Dr. Basil Tzannes, April 2001 Dr. Tzannes has taught at The Johns Hopkins University, Tufts University, The University of Oklahoma, Oregon State University, The University of Virginia and the University of Patras, Greece. Presently, Dr. Tzannes lives in Orlando, Florida. He is Professor Emeritus at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Central Florida where he taught courses in Communication and Radar Systems and chaired the Department from 1986 to 1994. Lately, he has been writing short stories. One of them, "I Just Love My Jail Cell" was recently published in the Issue 7 (Summer 2005) of the British Literary Journal "FIRSTWRITER MAGAZINE." Dr Tzannes is listed in Contemporary Authors, American Men and Women of Science, Marquis Who is Who and Who is Who in Greece. In 1991, Dr Tzannes was named the IEEE Outstanding Engineering Educator in Region 3 (Southeastern United States). For more on the author go to: http://nick.tzannes.net/

Product Details

• Paperback: 147 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (December 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595151310
• ISBN-13: 978-0595151318
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,762,418 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A book that is food for thought and fun to read, February 9, 2000

By 

Dr. Andrew D Dimarogonas (St. Louis, Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gene Conspiracy or "Sorry--The Genes Made Me Do It" (CD-ROM)

The idea that our destiny is "written" somewhere is not new. The Greek "moira", the arab "kismet", etc., all point at a "fate" that is responsible for our outcomes. The author of this book, half seriously-half jokingly suggests that fate is written on our genetic code. His conclusions are at times far fetched and arbitrary but the book is fun to read, fascinating at times, and a good basis for discussion. Academics are not known for humor in their writings, D' Avenal is certainly an exeption. It was certainly worth my time reading this book! I strongly recommend it for people who do not blindly believe what they read.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but Controversial, February 16, 2000

By 

walton Lerach (California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gene Conspiracy or "Sorry--The Genes Made Me Do It" (CD-ROM)

Dr. D'Avenal's notion that our genes control our lives is arbitrary and outrageous. I am sure that his ridicule of current psychological thinking (he often calls it psycho-mush or psycho-babble) will not be left unanswered by modern day behavioral scientists.

His theory does contain some fresh ways of interpreting human behavior, but some of the conclusions are bound to cause controversy. His conclusion that homosexuality is caused by a defective gene, his contention that all human beings carry a "racist gene", the explanation of man's spirituality by the introduction of the "gene of religiosity", are but a few of his ideas that are sure to fuel some new controversy in the field of human behavior. I bet the anticipation of this furor is what led him to use a pseudonym to publish this controversial book.

Dr. D'Avenal weaves his notions in a deceptively easy manner, using humor to soften up the reader and lead him to the theory's outrageous conclusions. I actually found myself agreeing with some of the conclusions, even though I ought to know better. Even so, I did enjoy reading this book a lot, so I am going to be impartial and give it the highest rating. Humankind occasionally needs iconoclastic thinkers to shake it off its boredom.