Customer Reviews

Genetics For Dummies

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have a PhD in science from MIT and I have bought and read a number of books on genetics. This is one of the best introductory books, and most will be impressed with the scope, the size, the graphics, and the overall presentation. This must be one of the better "Dummies" books. The only other similar book is "Genetics" (2002) by Guttman et al, but it has less applications than the present book. Overall I would rate the present book as the best introductory book on the market today. I bought about 10 books including the present book.

What I like about the book is the shotgun approach. The author (not a relative) has five basic parts, i.e.:

- 1. Genetics Basics,
- 2. DNA: The Genetic Material,
- 3. Genetics and Your Health,
- 4. Generics and Your World,
- 5. The Part of Tens (genetic history and hot topics).

The first two parts are a general introduction to genetics. This is at a fairly sophisticated level, but made simple by good graphics and excellent writing. The third part describes some of the 200 cancers and how some common cancers are related to genetics. The are other topics here including Down's syndrome. Part 4 is on applications, such as human history, forensic DNA, cloning, ethics, and other topics. The last part describes major events in the development of genetics.

The author has presented a good index at the end along with a good guide to Web Sites so the reader can follow up some of the details.

Tara Robinson has managed to put together an excellent introduction with great graphics that is suitable for the average reader.

Highly recommend: 5 stars.

This is a wonderful book that not only covers the whole field of genetics, but does so with just the right amount of detail and reiteration so that you find yourself grasping the terms. Very clear drawings illuminate the text and take the complexity out of everything from Mendelian inheritance to mRNA transcription. Not once did I find myself wondering what something meant.

When I finished I felt fully briefed and was amazed at how easy it was to understand what I had always felt was a baffling subject.

Want to know how cancer occurs? Why people are worried about genetically modified foods? How mutation is always occurring and can be a good thing? How "junk" DNA is distinguished from the genes that are read to create the protein that composes our bodies? How DNA can compact itself in the cell? How crime labs can find the culprit through a genetic fingerprint? It's all here and much much more. You'll have a hard time reading any one page without exclaiming "wow!", "no kidding!" or "so THAT'S how it works!"

I eagerly began each chapter because the titles always made me think, "Yeah, I was wondering about that!"

The humor, thank goodness, is mostly in the subtitles (Cloning: There Will Never Be Another You) and the text is largely free of attempts to make you laugh. That's good because when you get so excited to find out more, humor just gets in the way.

Terms that are introduced in one place will be mentioned again later with a reference if you have forgotten a definition. Just when you might be getting confused, the author will tell you how the subject might differ from what was covered before.

When you are done you will be awed by what you've learned: that all the complexity of life is based on simple chemical bonds within structures that have become elaborated over 100's of millions of years. If there is one subject that we will probably never comprehend, and that no Dummies book will be able to reveal, it is time itself.

PS: I recommend Richard Dawkins new book "The Ancestor's Tale" after reading this book.

As I see it, there are three major problems with Genetics for Dummies so, for the sake of clarity, I'm going to split them into categories:

READABILITY
This book is obsessed with minutiae. A representative passage from the first half:

"Another set of cyclins and CDK work together to push the cell through the second checkpoint located between G2 and mitosis. As the cells grow, the chromosomes, now hooked together as sister chromatids are alike in every way"...

Now, I recognize that this is a detail-oriented subject, but I felt that sometimes the minutiae got in the way of the big picture. For example, in the section on genetic engineering, I was very interested in how scientists know that putting a fish gene into a tomato (or whatever) will make it spoil more slowly. I still don't know. But I do know that "the all-purpose promoter often used in transgenes for plants is from a pathogen called Cauliflower Mosaic Virus (CaMV.)"

ACCURACY
I haven't taken biology for 25 years, so you could tell me that cell division is caused by gremlins and I'd have little choice but to take you at your word. Every once in a while, though, the author stumbled into an area that I do know something about and virtually every time her information was wrong. A few examples:

From pg 314: "Francis Galton is best remembered for his contribution to law enforcement. He invented the process used to identify people by their fingerprints."

No he didn't. William Herschel did. Galton just worked out the classification system. But even if he had invented it, it would be an aside. The man was a freakin' giant. Admittedly, often misguided, but geez...

"In direct and vocal opposition to the US Constitution, Galton was quite sure that all men were NOT created equal" (with regard to intelligence--km)

Setting aside for a moment that Galton was British and therefore not bound by the US Constitution, I think there are very few historians who read this passage as a guarantee that we can all become brain surgeons. It was a piece of political philosophy offered as an alternative to monarchism.

On 152, we find a full-page rant about the dangers of anabolic steroids. What do `roids have to do with genetics? Not that much, really. But what concerns me is that the author provides no evidence that these dangers exist and just follows the mealy-mouthed political party line. In truth, the dangers of steroids are wildly overstated and have little scientific or statistical evidence to back them up (not that I'm suggesting anyone should take them.)

"The view that intelligence is heritable is still widely accepted despite abundant evidence to the contrary."

This should read "almost uniformly accepted by the scientific community." Also, I am unaware of a single credible study that does not support a heritable component to intelligence. How did we humans evolve our big brains and how do we breed such clever little dogs if there is nothing for the selection process to act on? More on this subject later...

With regard to melanoma: "Always use sunblock with an SPF rating higher than 30."

In fact, SPF 15 blocks 94% of UVB rays, 30 blocks 97%, and 45 blocks 98%. Far more important is how much you put on and how often you reapply. Also, and I'm not 100% sure about this, I don't think sunscreen protects you from melanoma.

"progeteria (a disease that causes rapid aging in children) [is] also associated with older fathers."

It's actually `progeria' and it doesn't cause aging, it causes some of the symptoms of aging. The older fathers thing is right.

"The highest rates of prostate cancer occur among African-American men, probably because of lack of screening and delayed treatment."

I threw that one in there because it's such a head-shaker. How would screening and treatment affect how many people get prostate cancer? Whether you survive it, yes. But whether you get it?

Now, I know some of this seems nitpicky, but how can I feel confident in the incredibly complex information found in this book if the simple stuff is wrong?

EVOLUTION
I believe the word appears once in the text and not at all in the index. The vast majority of discussion on the topic consists of a tepid commentary about the publication of Origin of Species. Probably less total ink than we got on steroids.

Worse, there seems to be a vaguely schizophrenic effort to obscure the subject. Consider the following from page 199:

"A gain of function mutation creates an entirely new trait or phenotype. Sometimes a new trait is harmless, like a new eye color. In other cases, the gain is decidedly harmful."

Notice anything missing? That's right, the new trait can also be beneficial. (As blue eyes probably were based on how quickly they seem to have proliferated. An example of sexual selection?) To be fair, there is a section in which the author says that all living things appear to be related, which is why I use the phrase "vaguely schizophrenic."

Then we have this gem toward the end of the book:

"Biological determinism assumes that genes are expressed in precise, repeatable ways--in other words, genetics is identity is genetics. However, this assumption isn't true. Gene expression is highly dependent on environment, among other things."

Great. Couldn't she have told me that genes don't matter before I slogged through her book on genetics? Long live Lamarck.

Look, I understand that Natural Selection offends liberal and conservative alike and it makes sense to tread lightly in many situations. But this is a book on the SCIENCE of GENETICS. Evolutionary theory is the foundation for the whole thing and is one of the areas most affected by advances. Can I get a shout-out to Chucky D?

So, I don't know. I guess I learned something. Some of it is probably right. But, overall, I'm not sure I'd feel comfortable rolling any of it out at a cocktail party full of geneticists.

This is a great book. Textbooks of the future will be, or should be, like this: clear, up to date and affordable. I have been a biologist for thirty years but admit that my knowledge of genetics has fallen behind. Genetics has undergone extraordinary developments over the last few decades, and many have had profound impact on society. Tara Robinson covers it all and does it expertly. I know Tara and she's a great scientist - I admire her skill in writing a book that is both informative and readable. The historical anecdotes bring added relevance to the topic.

I purchased this book for a LIfelong Learning class in genetics. It provided a helpful background to the lectures and class discussions. The presenters are sending findings of errors and typos to the publisher. The book is best for those with little background but serious desire to understand. It would be better not to have so many errors.

This a great resource for the student studying genetics. It includes the basic information adn theories as well as, the more complicated ideas.

It is great for the new student, the returning student and as a reference for all. It is simplistic in its material but includes the neccessary information to understand the basics of genetics.

Short and Sweet and to the point!

Genetics is dominating our lives in the 21st century. Everybody who takes decisions - even just about your own health insurance - must know some basic genetics these days. For example, what is `genetic engineering' and what are `stem cells'?? Robinson's book is fulfilling an exceedingly important niche - to explain a vast scientific field to `dummies' like you and me. I highly recommend this excellent book, for citizens, senators and presidents.
Prof. Martin Wikelski, Princeton University

The book covers all the concepts of modern genetics in a light manner, easily understandable and with a good dose of humor. Each chapter goes into the right depth: not too deep and not too superficial. I don't know why the above should be considered an activity for dummies, but I guess this is the marketing appeal of the whole "for dummies" series of books...
Recommended for anyone interested in getting a quick introduction to the subject or as a refresher crash course for those that have studied the subjects eons ago (like myself).

Rarely comes along an author who can educate and entertain a reader consistently throughout a book, especially one that deals with somewhat dry material such as genetics. Dr. Robinson is one of those remarkable writers who has such gifts and clearly knows the material. I bought and read the book to get a basic grasp on genetics and ended up getting far more for my money. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in genetics, even if you lack the formal education you think may be necessary to grasp the concepts. Dr. Robinson is a gifted educator who makes the material clear and who repeats key concepts throughout the book to help recall and retain. Just when you think you may need to check the index to locate some important item, she often miraculously "reads your mind" and restates the principle.

You can not go wrong reading this book as a great starting place. The only negative thing I can say is the author whets your appetite for further learning but she has not written anything additional besides a translated version of this.

This book is wonderful. I am taking a genetics course in college, and this has been a lifesaver. It does a wonderful job of teaching the material in a clear, concise, and organized manner. I highly recommend this product!