Was George Washington Really the Father of Our Country?: A Clinical Geneticist Looks at World History [Hardcover]

Robert Marion (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1994

In the tradition of Richard Shenkman's popular history books, Dr. Robert Marion takes a revisionist look at our past and shows how genetic abnormalities may have affected the decisions and actions of historic figures causing revolutions, winning wars, and more.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

John F. Kennedy conquered Addison's disease--an adrenal disorder which caused weakness, lethargy, bouts of vomiting and prostration--by taking cortisone daily, starting around 1950. Geneticist-physician Marion ( The Boy Who Felt No Pain ) theorizes that JFK's recovery instilled feelings of invincibility that spurred his political rise. Marion's compulsively readable retrospective diagnoses throw an often startling light on figures and events in world history. He deduces that Abraham Lincoln had a congenital heart malformation which contributed to his awkward appearance; the taunts Lincoln endured because of his looks steeled his hatred of discrimination and slavery, in Marion's view. Other chapters cover Napoleon Bonaparte's gynecomastia (enlargement of male breasts), George Washington's sterility (perhaps due to a rare chromosomal disorder) and English King George III's probable porphyria, a hereditary metabolic disease that impaired his ability to reason, may have hardened the monarch's policies toward the 13 American colonies. Illustrated.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Marion, a clinical geneticist and lecturer, combines informative reading with a highly entertaining style. In his latest book, he analyzes historical documents and texts that pertain to the lives of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and several other historical leaders. He then attempts to ascertain whether these people may have suffered from a particular genetic disorder and, if so, how it may have affected their lives and careers. Photographs are included to illustrate some of the physical features associated with these disorders. The author is particularly adept at defining scientific concepts, making the text quite understandable to the informed lay reader. The major emphasis here is on the medical conditions; however, the historical associations in this book provide an interesting method for learning about basic genetics and genetic diseases. Recommended for large popular medicine collections.
- Tina Neville, Univ. of South Florida-St. Petersburg Lib.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 206 pages
• Publisher: Perseus Books; First Edition edition (February 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201622556
• ISBN-13: 978-0201622553
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,492,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Robert Marion is a pediatrician, medical geneticist, and author. Born in the beautiful Bronx, New York, he has spent his entire career working in that borough. Currently professor of pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology and women's health at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and the Ruth L. Gottesman Professor of Developmental Pediatrics at Einstein, he has a lot of administrative titles, including Director of the Children's Evaluation and Rehabilitation Center and the University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities at the Rose F. Kennedy Center, chief of genetics and development medicine at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore and Director of the Center for Congenital Disorders, Director of Genetics at Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, New York.

Dr. Marion is the author of seven published books, including GENETIC ROUNDS: A DOCTOR'S LIFE IN THE FIELD THAT REVOLUTIONIZED MEDICINE. His book, THE BOY WHO FELT NO PAIN won a Christopher Award and THE INTERN BLUES is a cult classic.

A resident of Westchester County, he lives with his wife, Beth Schoenbrun, a teacher at Scarsdale High School, and is the father of three children.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars History makes genetics more interesting., October 11, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Was George Washington Really the Father of Our Country?: A Clinical Geneticist Looks at World History (Hardcover)

As a genetics student, I found it incredibly interesting to look at historical figures and figure out why or why not they may have had a particular genetic disease. I think this book would be interesting for anyone who may want to learn more about genetic diseases because it makes it much more interesting knowing who these people are that the diseases may relate to. Robert Marion ties together historical, genetic, and social perspectives. He brings up speculative points such as how the person and the world might have been different if the historical figure had not had the disease, how the disease made them become that historical figure. It's a book that keeps you hooked like a mystery novel and is not too technical for anyone to read.