Mendel in the Kitchen: A Scientist's View of Genetically Modified Foods (Hardcover)

~ Nina Fedoroff (Author), Nancy Marie Brown (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Is genetically engineered Golden Rice (enriched with vitamin A) a dangerous "Frankenfood" or a safe, nutritionally enhanced food that could fill a major vitamin deficiency in the Third World? Fedoroff, a molecular biologist and member of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, and science writer Brown (A Good Horse Has No Color) argue forcefully for the latter view, saying we should embrace most of the advances genetic engineering has made in the agricultural arena. In an extremely accessible style, they take readers through the basics of genetics and genetic engineering to demonstrate why they believe that the risks associated with this technology are trivial. They also contend that the use of modern molecular technology to insert genes from one species into another isn't very different from the hybrid crosses that agriculturalists have been doing for millennia. Taking on concerns voiced by environmentalists, the authors articulate how genetically modified crops could reduce the amount of pesticides and fertilizers used and increase the yield of crop plants to keep up with a growing world population that could reach eight or nine billion in this century. Though likely to be controversial, the authors' clear and rational presentation could well change the opinions of some readers. Illus. not seen by PW.
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Review

"A clearly written history of plant breeding." -- Science, October 29, 2004

"A real learning experience." -- Library Journal, October 15, 2004

"Brings rationality to the controversy now haunting the newest, most precise and most predictable manifestation of genetic modification -- gene-splicing." -- Wall Street Journal, November 11, 2004

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Joseph Henry Press (September 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0309092051
• ISBN-13: 978-0309092050
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,051,925 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth the effort!, April 8, 2005

By	ra2sky "ra2sky" (the left coast) - See all my reviews

First off, I am a lay reader who, prior to reading this book, was on the fence regarding genetically modified (GM) food. I had heard some scary stuff from friends and in the media but I wanted more information. After reading this book I feel reasonably well versed in GM history/opinion/issues, although as other reviewers noted, this book is definitely biased in favor of GM. To have a truly informed opinion a person ought to also read an anti GM book. That said, here are my key learnings:

(1) If a person chooses to be anti GM, in order to be consistent then there are many more foods to avoid than you might think. The definition of GM is subject to wide interpretation. Truly being opposed to any messing around with a plant's DNA would mean that you should not consume Canola, Tritricale, the majority of domestic Soy and Corn, and a LOT (!!) of other foods including many foods featured in your local health food store.

(2) As noted above the definition of GM is nebulous. Where is the line between the generally accepted cross-breeding of plants (think Luther Burbank) and the "scary" genetic modification done in a lab under a more controlled setting?

(3) The media has generated a lot of anti GM buzz and fear. Actually looking at the facts is, as usual, a lot more complicated. It takes some heavy reading, through a book such as this one, to be able to interpret the science for oneself. Most people are more content to read a quick article in a magazine and then end up with a much less informed (and probably anti GM) opinion.

(4) There are undeniable benefits of GM. Less chemical pesticide needs to be applied to some GM crops. GM can introduce additional nutrients to foods. GM has saved some plant species from going extinct. These and other benefits must be weighed against any downsides of GM.

This book also includes an interesting discussion on Organic foods, in particular debunking the public's tendency to romanticize organic farming. Think Organic is Farmer Jed working a small farm with his own hands? That's what the marketers want you to believe...

In conclusion I recommend this book to anyone who wants to formulate an opinion on GM and is willing to work through the science and history thereof. Even if you happily anti GM, this book is worth reading so that you can be informed about the other side. As for myself, after reading through the facts, I'm OK with feeding GM foods to myself and my family.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars All about the pros of GMF; not as much about the debate , January 13, 2005

By	Carol Walker (Cairo, Egypt) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is an excellent book that explains, in great detail, why so much of the anti-GM food movement is scientifically misguided. It also makes the point that far from being an evil that will irrevocably damage the environment, biotechnology can be an important tool for more ecologically sound soil management, and for reducing the amount of land worldwide that must be used for farming. Most importantly, it describes the role bioengineering has to play in feeding people who will otherwise be malnourished or starving.

A warning I would offer to other readers is that, as a layperson with little formal science background, I found the going tough in spots. The section on how polymerase chain reaction works was particularly hard going, although the authors are probably to be praised for trying to make the process clear. Some concepts are extremely complicated, even in the hands of good authors.

The one disappointing aspect of this book is its one-sided approach. It is not polemical; on the contrary, the prose is always calm and reasoned, and the authors don't flinch when the story they are telling necessitates providing evidence that could be taken for anti-biotech arguments. However, they make little to no effort to summarize other points of view. (One gets the feeling that they believe, if you really understand the science, there IS no other valid point of view - this would explain why they have trouble articulating opposing viewpoints.)

This book doesn't represent itself as "balanced" -- it makes it clear that it is a treatise in favor of GMF. That's fine. But I guess I would have preferred to read a book that let me hear a little bit about what the other side was saying. As convincing as their arguments seem, I'd like to study all sides of an argument before making up my own mind. This book alone doesn't permit one to do that - you'll have to keep reading elsewhere if you want to hear what anti-biotech forces have to say. But by all means, if you are prepared to read several books about GMF with an open mind, make this book one of them.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Opinionated Fact Piece, January 26, 2005

By	palegreenhorse "palegreenhorse" - See all my reviews

Interpretation of data can essentially never be said to be unbiased. At least this book doesn't try to hide the fact that the authors intrepret that data with a particular skew in mind. Instead they present a reasonable arguement and some background (data and history) to support the conclusions presented. Because of this, the book can be a bit ranting in places; the first chapter is a bit chaffing. But I wouldn't call the position extreme; instead they point out the downfalls of both "traditional" and "genetic" techniques instead of claiming that gmo's are always safe.

This book depends on the reader having some basic biology knowledge. However it does a reasonable job of presenting the difficult concepts at a basic enough level that I could understand it pretty well and I haven't had biology since high school. (Though that was only 10 years ago so if your memory of biological terms doesn't include things like cells and mitochondria you might want to have a biology text on hand to help you out.)

The overall readability of the book was quite good for a science book. The beginning and end were a bit frustrated, but writing those two items is exceptionally hard for non-fiction so I forgive the authors. One thing that I would have liked to have seen is a summary of the common examples they used that showed products & the specific traits they were bred for divided into groups of how they were modified (i.e. chemical mutation or irradiation or genetic splicing using a bacteria).