Genethics: The Clash between the New Genetics and Human Values [Paperback]

David Suzuki (Author), Peter Knudtson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1990 | ISBN-10: 0674345665 | ISBN-13: 978-0674345669 | Edition: Revised

In this account of the development of human genetics written for non-scientists, the authors describe the story behind the scientific breakthrough and introduce the reader to the scientists who pioneered the work, examining its potential applications. They describe a world teeming with its own complexities, mysteries and surprises, and provide the reader with a clearer understanding of a controversial area of scientific research which has been greeted as heralding a promise of a better world, or vilified for leading to a nightmare age of genetic manipulation.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

YA-- The fields of genetics and ethics are inseparable, and therefore Genethics is an apt title. This book, accessible to non-scientists, is an introduction to both fields and their interactions. The authors state in the preface that they make no pretense that their moral arguments are completely objective; rather, a humanistic point of view has been adopted. Scenarios or case studies help readers work through a sometimes complex genethic principle, which is the focus of each chapter. The many figures and tables add greatly to the text, providing much-needed information to help readers foresee the consequences of various actions. The glossary, bibliography, and index are well done and helpful in exploring the difficult issues presented. A well-chosen chapter as a reading assignment for a biology class should produce an interesting and lively discussion.
- Carolyn Henebry, Episcopal High School, Bellaire, TX
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

The limitations of our knowledge are stressed in this excellent discussion of the ethics of genetic research. Here a Canadian scientist and a science writer have created a very thoughtful presentation on the status of our knowledge about genes (the complex mechanisms by which genes function within a cell, an organism, and a species), and the consequences of that knowledge. The recent expansion of genetic knowledge has brought the Green Revolution to agriculture and genetic screening as well as a serious loss of genetic diversity and the creation of biological weapons. Proposing ten moral principles to guide future research, the authors very effectively emphasize the folly of scientific hubris. For most science collections. A challenging book. Laurie Bartolini, Lincoln Lib., Springfield, Ill.
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 372 pages
• Publisher: Harvard University Press; Revised edition (September 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0674345665
• ISBN-13: 978-0674345669
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,813,197 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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4 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Woodenly Conventional, August 18, 2000

By 

"trjs" (North Dighton, MA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Genethics: The Clash between the New Genetics and Human Values (Paperback)

When I first read this book, I thought it was a reasonableoverview of the ethical problems facing us in the world of biotechnology. However, on second thought (always a good idea to think twice!), the book represents EXACTLY what we expect to hear with regard to the topic. Little to no original material is presented, and there is no effort made to evaluate or even examine alternative points of view in the realm of ethics. Unsurprisingly, the tired and overused metaphor of the slippery slope - long the faithful friend of ethical doomsayers everywhere - rears its ugly head again here. The authors also take the attitude that they are explaining "common knowledge" just for the sake of getting it on paper, and seem immune to the idea that someone might do something so horribly vile as to - gasp! - support cloning.

The conclusions are painfully predictable: genetically modified foods might be dangerous to wild stocks, there is a moral gulf between somatic and germ-line gene therapy, cloning of humans is utterly immoral. Fewer knee-jerk emotional reactions and more critical thought on these topics - especially cloning - would be deeply appreciated by everyone. Many people are sick of hearing only one side of the issue presented as if the case is already closed. And the "Genethic Principle" paragraphs beginning each section make the book sound like a textbook, reinforcing the reader's conception that he is being instructed in something everyone already knows.

IMHO, the "dangers" of these biotechnologies are significant and should be appreciated, but have been vastly inflated by sensationalist media, public paranoia, and a few ill-advised experiments. Cloning especially is the victim of sensationalization (if indeed that is a word), and the maxim "Never clone humans!" is widely taken as basically gospel. In fact, there is little scientific evidence that cloning would present much of the famed danger, and it certainly isn't the threat to individuality people like to claim it is (what about environmental differences? what about identical twins?) And no, cloning couldn't be used to make a slavishly obedient army of mini-Hitlers bent on world domination, either. Try Gregory Pence's "Who's Afraid of Human Cloning?" or any Richard Dawkins article on the subject....