The Troubled Helix: Social and Psychological Implications of the New Human Genetics [Paperback]

Theresa Marteau (Editor), Martin Richards (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 13, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0521586127 | ISBN-13: 978-0521586122 | Edition: 1

The availability of increasingly sophisticated information on our genetic makeup presents individuals, and society as a whole, with difficult decisions. Although it is hoped that these advances will ultimately lead the way to the effective treatment and screening of all diseases with a genetic component, at present many individuals agonize over the knowledge that they have or will develop an incurable genetic disease. This book explores and surveys these issues from a variety of perspectives: from personal accounts of individuals coping with the threat of genetic disease, to those of clinicians and scientists, and those concerned with the psychosocial, legal and ethical aspects.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The Troubled Helix includes many well-written and comprehensive chapters on the ethical, legal, and social implications (ELSI) of the Human Genome Project...a helpful text on the state of ESLI issues today." Dorothy Nelkin, The Lancet, North American Edition

"...a serious attempt to present both the general reader and specialists in clinical genetics with some insights into the practical problems of the social and psychological aspects of modern human genetics....[I]t contains a lot of new and valuable information about patients' and geneticists' perceptions of genetic disease, together with some insights into the successes and difficulties of research directed at improving how we communicate. Hence it is a very timely addition to the publications on human genetics, and medical genetics in particular." D.J. Weatherall, British Medical Journal

Book Description

This wide ranging and compelling account surveys the exciting opportunities and difficult problems which arise from the new human genetics. The availability of increasingly sophisticated information on our genetic make-up presents individuals, and society as a whole, with difficult decisions. Although it is hoped that these advances will ultimately lead the way to the effective treatment and screening for all diseases with a genetic component, at present many individuals are 'condemned' to a life sentence, in the knowledge that they have or will develop an incurable genetic disease.

Product Details

• Paperback: 380 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (March 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521586127
• ISBN-13: 978-0521586122
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.9 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,133,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)