Here Is a Human Being: At the Dawn of Personal Genomics [Hardcover]

Misha Angrist (Author)

Book Description

Release date: November 2, 2010 | ISBN-10: 0061628336 | ISBN-13: 978-0061628337 | Edition: 1

The first in-depth look at personal genomics: its larger-than-life research subjects; its entrepreneurs and do-it-yourselfers; its technology developers; the bewildered and overwhelmed physicians and regulators who must negotiate it; and what it means to be a "public genome" in a world where privacy is already under siege

In 2007, Misha Angrist became the fourth subject in the Personal Genome Project, George Church's ambitious plan to sequence the entire genomic catalog: every participant's twenty thousand–plus genes and the rest of his or her 6 billion base pairs. Church hopes to better understand how genes influence our physical traits, from height and athletic ability to behavior and weight, and our medical conditions, from cancer and diabetes to obesity and male pattern baldness. Now Angrist reveals startling information about the experiment's participants and scientists; how the experiment was, is, and will be conducted; the discoveries and potential discoveries; and the profound implications of having an unfiltered view of our hardwired selves for us and for our children.

DNA technology has already changed our health care, the food we eat, and our criminal justice system. Unlocking the secrets of our genomes opens the door not only to helping us understand why we are the way we are and potentially fixing what ails us but also to many other concerns: What exactly will happen to this information? Will it become just another marketing tool? Can it help us understand our ancestry, or will it merely reinforce old ideas of race? Can personal genomics help fix the U.S. health care system?

Here Is a Human Being explores these complicated questions while documenting Angrist's own fascinating journey—one that tens of thousands of us will soon make.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Once considered a fanciful topic confined to speculative fiction, DNA-based science has blossomed in the last decade to encompass a wide range of real world technologies. Apart from already commonplace DNA testing in the criminal justice system, commercial interests now exploit genetic information to produce hardier crops and forecast the likelihood of humans developing specific illnesses. Angrist, a Duke University genetics professor with the added pedigree of an MFA in writing, is ideally suited for probing and explaining this often-befuddling field in crisp, easily digestible prose. His chief focus here is on the slice of DNA tinkering known as personal genomics and Angrist’s own participation in a Harvard-funded project to map the entire genomes of its human subjects. Along with providing a fascinating close-up view of cutting edge science, Angrist explores the many thorny questions provoked by genome sequencing, such as whether humans really want to know about their future infirmities, and whether everyone’s DNA blueprint should be freely posted on the Internet. A vitally important and timely study of a society-changing technology. --Carl Hays

About the Author

Misha Angrist is an assistant professor at the Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences and Policy. He lives in Durham, North Carolina, with his wife and two daughters.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: Harper; 1 edition (November 2, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0061628336
• ISBN-13: 978-0061628337
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 1.1 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #432,287 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Misha Angrist was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA. He is Assistant Professor of the Practice at the Duke University Institute for Genome Sciences & Policy and a Visiting Lecturer at the DeWitt Wallace Center for Media and Democracy inside Duke's Sanford School of Public Policy. He holds a PhD degree in Genetics from Case Western Reserve University and was formerly a board-eligible genetic counselor. Angrist received his MFA in Writing and Literature from the Bennington Writing Seminars. He is a past winner of the Brenda L. Smart Fiction Prize and was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. In April 2007 he became the fourth subject in Harvard geneticist George Church's Personal Genome Project. In 2009 he was among the first few identifiable persons to have his entire genome sequenced. His book, Here is a Human Being: At the Dawn of Personal Genomics, is published by HarperCollins.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Here is a really great read November 19, 2010

By Marc H.

Format:Hardcover

Misha Angrist's "Here is a human being: At the dawn of personal genomics" is a must read for anyone interested in knowing what's in his or her own DNA. I would further highly recommend it to anyone in the medicine or genetics field. This is the personal story of Misha Angrist who became one of the ten individuals that had their entire human genome sequenced through Dr. George Church's Personal Genome Project. This book delves into the humanity of the great question of "what DO I want to know about my DNA?" How comfortable are any of us with the knowledge that our DNA can suggest that we have inherited a predisposition to cancer or some other malady? The author does a wonderful job of approaching these questions from a myriad of ethical, legal, societal, and medical directions in a captivating, first-person narrative. This book has forever changed my views on what I would and would not want to know about my own DNA. What makes this book such a nice read is that it is a story full of fascinating people. Despite the impossibly complex science that goes into determining one's DNA sequence, the book never becomes trapped in technical speak (although the technical terminology, when present, is both accurate and accessible). I have previously read "The genome war" by James Shreeve and I consider this Angrist book to be the next chapter in the ever-unfolding genomic saga of the day.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Read December 12, 2011

By RJ Blain

Format:Kindle Edition

I am not someone who reads a lot of science material, at least for pleasure reading, but I found this book to be very interesting. It does more than just talk about science. It talks about the important people behind the sciences, which interest me a lot more than the actual sciences. There is plenty of science in this book, which is (for the most part) very well explained. There were times I found myself doing a little research to have a better understanding of what the sciences were about, but I feel that this book was good for those who don't necessarily want to know everything about the sciences but want to know about the process of how genomics came to the public.

When I started reading this book, I expected something a lot different than what i got, but I feel that this is a good thing. I don't think this book will necessarily appeal to science lovers and researchers; it is light compared to the hefty tomes that more suit those wanting in-depth knowledge of any subject. It covers the basics so that it can be brought to the average person who *isn't* a scientist, which is what appealed to me as I read it.

Best of all, you realistically only need middle or high school level science to understand what is going on in the book, which opens this title to the average teenager, if that sort of research is up their alley. I also like the general message of this book, and how it pursues the potential impact of genomics on base society.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

3.0 out of 5 stars Not bad but i've read better on the subject of personal genomics and gene testing June 25, 2011

By Raina B.

Format:Kindle Edition

While i think this book is written well and def is interesting in parts, I didn't walk away feeling like I gained much. This is in contradiction to another book on the subject I read called 'Outsmart Your Genes' by Brandon Colby, MD. Outsmart Your Genes: How Understanding Your DNA Will Empower You to Protect Yourself Against Cancer, Alzheimer's, Heart Disease, Obesity, and Many Other Conditions In this book the author Dr. Colby, who is both a respected geneticist and a practicing doctor that is one of the key players in this new field of predictive medicine, also discussed personal genomics in-depth throughout his book. But instead of just an overview he actually says exactly how it is useful today for someone like me (and i know nothing about gene testing!). After reading that book I purchased gene tests for both myself and my child through my doctor (because Dr. Colby's book made me understand how and why to do this) and the results really changed my life because something very signifciant was detected and my doctor thinks it may have saved the life of my son.

'Here is a Human Being' however didn't really provide this type of useful info but instead was just an overview and also spoke down about a lot of things so it made it seem like gene testing was useless whereas i can tell you from personal experience it is not. I guess maybe this book wasn't meant to really give me actionable info but after reading 'Outsmart Your genes' i felt that i not only already learned what i needed to know about the topic and was aware of some of the issues with gene testing but also i knew exactly how it applied to me today and how i could use it to protect my life.