Welcome to the Genome: A User's Guide to the Genetic Past, Present, and Future (Hardcover)

by Rob DeSalle (Author), Michael Yudell (Author), American Museum of Natural History (Author) "For much of the nineteenth and all of the twentieth century, scientists worked to unravel the biological basis of inheritance..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Human Genome Project, Michael Yudell (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"...a welcome introduction to the broader aspects of how the genetic revolution will influence our lives." (American Journal of Medical Genetics, March 1, 2006)

"...the book fills a niche by providing a time-related commentary about the use of DNA and molecular genetics discoveries...a unique perspective seldom seen in other books about DNA." (Clinical Chemistry, February 2006)

"This is a great supplement to a textbook-based genetics unit, or it could be enrichment reading…Teachers who want a quick and easy update will appreciate it, too." (Journal of College Science Teaching, January/February 2006)

"...helpful introduction to one of the most compelling areas of modern biology." (The Quarterly Review of Biology, June 2005)

"...takes the reader on an adventure through the human genome...the implications will surely amaze and excite…" (The American Biology Teacher, May 2005)

"…a captivating story on genetics and genetics…an excellent resource…" (Annals of Biomedical Engineering, April 2005)

"Truly the 'user's guide' that it purports to be, this book provides in nine short, readable chapters a wealth of information..." (CHOICE, March 2005)

"…very well written so the concepts covered are accessible to all levels or readers." (E-STREAMS, March 2005)

"DeSalle and Yudell should be applauded for their ambition...a timely and readable book...[that] captures the excitement and potential peril of the Genome Revolution with aplomb." (Nature Genetics, February 2005)

"…engagingly written and illustrated in full-color...an essential guide for those who want to understand--and participate in--the accelerating promise of the genomic revolution." (Natural History, February 2005)

"…the first text we've seen to cover new discoveries in DNA research in a way that has the potential to capture a broad audience." (Electric Review, October/ November 2004)

Product Description
A thrilling "user's guide" to the genomics era

Welcome to the genome, the miraculous blueprint of your DNA, coiled tight as a spring in the nucleus of each cell of your body. If unwound, the DNA from just one cell, while only a molecule in width, would stretch six feet in length! The information stored in its double helix structure - three billion bits worth - could fill 142 Manhattan phone books.

Yet far more amazing than these facts is the impact the study of genomics has had on so many areas of our lives. From the promise of personalized medicine and gene therapy to disputes over the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods, there is little doubt we are in the midst of the Genomic Revolution. Now how do we make sense of it all?

Welcome to the Genome takes you right into the thick of today's most cutting-edge science and its far-reaching implications. Authors Rob DeSalle, who curated the highly successful Genomics Revolution exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and Michael Yudell, Assistant Professor of Public Health at Drexel University, have written a book which clearly explains the ongoing saga of our attempts to understand the mystery of biology's Rosetta Stone and use its code to better our lives.

This reader-friendly book employs an understandable style and eye-popping full-color illustrations to provide real insights into the complex science involved. It delves into the past discoveries that led to the sequencing of the human genome; it presents the challenges facing today's scientists and society and culture in general; and it considers the future possibilities of the developing genome era. Social issues, particularly questions of ethics, receive special attention, covering an important area too often overshadowed by science and technology.

If the genome really is the book of life, then we have only just opened to the first of its many pages. Those who triumphantly claim DNA is destiny may have spoken too soon; it is far more likely today's discoveries will lead to insights yet to be imagined. A stirring and informative introduction to a scientific epic still unfolding, Welcome to the Genome is an essential guide for understanding - and participating in - the incredible explorations, discussions, and realizations of the Genomic Revolution.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (September 28, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471453315
• ISBN-13: 978-0471453314
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #250,912 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An executive summary of genomics for the lay person., April 24, 2005

By	Polvaga "castle_bravo2" (Washington DC) - See all my reviews

If you need a quick overview to the current state of the art of genetic science and its applications, you'll find this book to be a useful text. I appreciated the succinct style and depth of presentation.

However, as one who follows the news on the ethics of genetic testing, I was annoyed by the authors' obvious bias towards the multicultural viewpoint. They champion the view that there is no genetic basis for race, baldly stating on page 131 that "commonly used ethnic and racial categories do not accurately reflect human genetic variation." The endnote to support this claim is a reference to a 1997 study.

Being a 2005 publication, the authors had both the opportunity and the duty to cite more recent, conflicting studies that support the opposing view, namely that genetic variations fall closely into traditional groupings of race. For example, see the February 2004 American Journal of Human Genetics article by Neil Risch of the Stanford University School of Medicine.

My point is that neither view is definitively supported at this stage of understanding of the genome, yet the authors present the issue as a settled question. Other, similarly-slanted statements throughout the book stain the authors otherwise readable presentation of the science and the ethical questions to which it gives rise.

5.0 out of 5 stars Every human being should read this book, May 11, 2009

By	Felipe Korzenny (Tallahassee, Florida, United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Reading this book makes it clear that race is a construct without merit and that all humans are related in intimate ways. This book is a revolutionary revelation about human nature.

I recommend this book to anyone.