Your Genetic Destiny: Know Your Genes, Secure Your Health, Save Your Life (Paperback)

~ Aubrey Milunsky (Author), Aubrey Milunksy (Author) "Contrary to popular belief, your genetic destiny is not preordained..." (more)
Key Phrases: prenatal genetic studies, biochemical genetic disorder, culprit gene, United States, Ashkenazic Jews, Ashkenazic Jewish (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"Contrary to popular belief, your genetic destiny is not preordained," begins this reference guide. Following up on his Choices, Not Chances, Milunsky, a professor of human genetics, pediatrics and pathology at Boston University, argues that numerous external mitigating factors can derail or change one's seeming fate and that some are under our control. Using Milunsky's tips for compiling a family health history, readers can decide if they are candidates for genetic counseling. Counseling, Milunsky explains, details medical options, usually including genetic tests. Milunsky breaks the daunting process into component steps for specific ethnicities, genetic conditions and fertility issues, and deftly outlines the basic science, statistics and tests for inherited dispositions toward various disorders. (Cancer, mental illness, obesity, Alzheimer's, Down's syndrome, heart defects and depression are among those for which a gene has been found.) Milunsky's practical, bottom-line approach and his plethora of facts and statistics (e.g., 26 million people in the U.S. are affected by a genetic disorder) are largely persuasive and sometimes discouraging. He describes, for instance, a gene that "predisposes an individual to develop alarmingly high temperatures" while under anesthesia, which can lead to death if not detected immediately. Milunsky opines on inchoate legal and ethical issues (including the World Health Organization's proposed guidelines to informed consent for voluntary genetic testing), encouraging prospective parents to face difficult decisions armed with all the facts. Despite his impassioned rhetoric, Milunsky remains a measured, informed (and prolific this is his 13th book) voice for the genetic-interventionist camp.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

The recent mapping of the basic draft of the human genome means that scientists can now identify and sequence most of the 30,000 to 40,000 genes estimated to comprise the human genome. Next, researchers will need to discover how these genes work in order to understand how to prevent or cure disease. Therefore, the dramatic title of this book, authored by a board-certified clinical geneticist, is fairly premature and probably refers to medical genetics in another decade or two. While the book discusses genetic testing and counseling and covers the major diseases with genetic elements (heart disease, Alzheimer's, cancer, diabetes, etc.), there are several problems with the text. The technical language will certainly challenge the average reader, and a glossary is not included. The forthright, even blunt, tone in the sections discussing options for detecting and preventing birth defects may seem insensitive to some readers ("Not bothering to determine all of the risks and options prior to conceiving a child who may be doomed to a lifetime of pain and suffering could be construed as a form of child abuse"), while others may strongly object to the author's prescriptive advice. Steer consumers instead to James Wynbrandt and Mark Ludman's The Encyclopedia of Genetic Disorders and Birth Defects (Facts On File, 1999. 2d ed.), which is "the" authoritative text on the subject yet is understandable and easy-to-use. Not recommended Gail Hendler, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Ctr., New York
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press; 1 edition (May 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738206849
• ISBN-13: 978-0738206844
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #954,520 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your Genetic Destiny, August 12, 2001

By	Robert H. Tamarin (Newton, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Genetic Destiny : Know Your Genes, Secure Your Health, Save Your Life (Hardcover)

"Your Genetic Destiny," by Dr. Aubrey Milunsky, is a book for those concerned about their own genetic health and the health of children that they might have. Dr. Milunsky is an international expert on human genetics and genetic counseling and it shows in this authoritative and interesting book. Dr. Milunsky explains the inheritance patterns of genetic traits and then talks about what to look for in your own family tree in order to be aware of future health problems. He covers the complete gamut of genetic diseases, including mental illness, heart disease, obesity, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease. He makes complex subjects easy to understand and presents the readers with the choices available today. I think that this book is not just for those contemplating having children, but for the general reader as well. We are beginning the century of human genetics and we all should be aware of the issues. As a geneticist (the author of a genetics textbook in its seventh edition), this is exactly the book that I would have written for the general public. In fact, after reading Dr. Milunsky's book, I have put my own plans for a similar book on the shelf-permanently. I highly recommend this readable, authoritative book to all.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your Genetic Destiny - A Personal Review, July 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Your Genetic Destiny : Know Your Genes, Secure Your Health, Save Your Life (Hardcover)

It must be a rare experience to encounter a book with many messages each having the potential to save many lives. Your Genetic Destiny: Know Your Genes, Secure Your Health, and Save Your Life is precisely such a book. Written in non-technical language without the reader needing a background in medicine or biology, Dr. Milunsky clearly spells out what each person should know about their family history and what actions and DNA or other genetic tests are now appropriate and even necessary. This is especially important given the many recent advances in human genetics.

Every family has concerns about the hereditary aspects of common illnesses covered in this book including heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, hypertension, Alzheimer's disease and aging. Ethnic-related diseases for which there are so many DNA tests available now, are also discussed. Important information is provided about the avoidance and prevention of mental retardation, birth defects, and many different genetic disorders. Most important are clear recommendations about who should seek genetic counseling.

Dr. Milunsky states that "the purpose of this book is to empower and encourage you to know your genes" so that you can secure your own health and life and that of your loved ones. He has fully accomplished his goals in this authoritative book that should be read by every family.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Your Genetic Destiny, December 2, 2001

By	Peter Schuntermann (Waban, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Your Genetic Destiny : Know Your Genes, Secure Your Health, Save Your Life (Hardcover)

Written in concise yet vibrant language by an eminent geneticist, this volume offers a broad approach for the general public interested in useful and practical genetic information and advice. Many clinicians may also find it to be a useful resource in their busy clinical work. A brief introduction to genetic principles leads into succinct, informative reviews of genetic aspects and risks of a host of medical conditions, such as obesity, cancer, mood disorders, Attention Deficit Disorder, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's and longevity. The concluding chapters on "Avoidance and Prevention of Genetic Disorders" will appeal to those who wish to be genetically informed when making decisions about their own their lives or life styles.