Mood Genes: Hunting for Origins of Mania and Depression (Oxford Paperbacks) [Paperback]

Samuel H. Barondes (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195131061 | ISBN-13: 978-0195131062 | Publication Date: November 4, 1999

We know that the likelihood of developing many physical diseases, such as diabetes, is determined by genes. But can abnormalities in specific genes also play a part in the development of mental disorders? And, if so, can these genes actually be identified and their discovery put to use in prevention and treatment?
In Mood Genes, leading psychiatrist and biological researcher Samuel Barondes answers these questions in a way that renders a complex subject both exciting and understandable. Focusing on manic depressive illness, which affects about one percent of the population and has long been known to run in families, Barondes describes the fascinating hunt for genes--called mood genes--that influence the inherited vulnerability to severe mood disorders. He builds the compelling story of this hunt on the histories of two families riddled with manic-depression, explaining what it means to have an inherited predisposition to a severe mood disorder, how to find the mood genes that are responsible, and what will happen as mood genes are found.
Not long ago, saying that a behavioral tendency was genetic was generally taken to mean that it was unchangeable. Now we know that finding genes that influence particular behavioral variations may not just be used to foretell our destinies--but also to forestall them.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It's official. Our tendencies to be happy or sad come in part from our genes. Samuel H. Barondes is a neurobiologist and psychiatrist at the University of California, San Francisco, and his direct involvement with the subject lends friendly authority to the book. Examining manic depression as a case study, Barondes shows how this strange condition--thought to have been instrumental in the ups and downs of Dickens, van Gogh, and Newton, among others--is definitely heritable. Although the specific gene or genes associated with the disorder haven't been identified, Barondes's account of the search is fascinating. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Scientific American

The search for genes that cause or contribute to disease has had many successes in recent years, and the successes come at an ever faster pace. Barondes, a psychiatrist who has treated many patients with serious mood disorders, examines here the prospects for finding genes that cause or contribute to such afflictions-in particular manic-depressive illness. "Characterized by episodic and disruptive mood fluctuations," he says, "this illness is especially important because it affects so many people-about one in a hundred of us in its most flagrant form, and possibly several times as many of us in milder versions." His tale focuses on two families in which the disease has turned up repeatedly. Having introduced the first of the families, he provides what amounts to a basic course on genes, presented so clearly as to make the reader feel almost like an expert on the subject. Barondes is optimistic that mood genes will be found, thus introducing the possibility of "tailor-made treatments for different forms" of mood disorders and of "the development of new therapeutic drugs that alleviate symptoms and prevent attacks." --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (November 4, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195131061
• ISBN-13: 978-0195131062
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,584,542 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Samuel Barondes was born in Brooklyn and educated at Columbia, Harvard, and the National Institutes of Health. He joined the University of California in 1970 and is now Jeanne and Sanford Robertson Professor and Director of the Center for Neurobiology and Psychiatry at its San Francisco campus (UCSF) where he works to bring together modern biology and psychiatry. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His new book, Making Sense of People: Decoding the Mysteries of Personality, will be published in May 2011.He lives in Sausalito,CA.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well written book on current research on manic depression., August 23, 1998

By 

gabriel vargas - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mood Genes (Hardcover)

A well written, easy to read examination of the research being undertaken to discover the biological underpinnings of bipolar disorder (manic depression). Interwoven with the description of cutting edge research there are also some historical perspectives on the evolution of the field of psychiatric genetics. Interspersed examples add a human element to the story. All in all, a good representation of current research that should appeal to anyone interested in mental illness in general, and manic depression in particular

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In one word: Brilliant, October 1, 1998

By 

Timoer Frelink ([e-mail]) (Utrecht, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mood Genes (Hardcover)

Although many science books are well readable, there are few that you cannot put down; this however is one of them. In very clear language it is explained what it means when mania or depression runs in your family. Besides that it is exciting to read about scientists that are searching for the origins of these diseases. This is a must read!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thanksgiving day- cover to cover. Outstanding, November 26, 1998

By 

[e-mail] (Youngstown, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mood Genes (Hardcover)

Absolutely one of the most fascinating books I've ever read. Entirely honest. Very even-handed about the history and current state of affairs in this field. I come from a family riddled with some sort of mental dilemma(probably manic-depressive) including most recently two adolescent sons. All have been remarkably successful, but devilish all the way. I hold out hope for my sons, but see little progress while they wear myself and ex-wife to a frazzle. What a vast wealth of knowledge Dr. Barondes shares with us. I read this book cover to cover on Thanksgiving Day. I recommend it to anyone, whether your family has mental illness or not.