Human Genetic Engineering: A Guide for Activists, Skeptics, and the Very Perplexed (Paperback)

~ (Author) "THE PUBLIC DEBATE over human biotechnology is just beginning..." (more)
Key Phrases: New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Shanks, a grassroots political activist, offers a primer not just on the modification of the human genome, but on all fronts of the biotechnology debate, from cloning to stem cells, gene therapy and the genetic engineering of food. Designed in handbook style, with bulleted lists of key ideas, bold-faced terms and cross-references sprinkling the page, the book includes only a teaspoonful of science, just enough to give a lay reader some idea of the vocabulary of biotech. Shanks is fairly accurate but overly dismissive of some promising avenues of research, such as gene therapy. And while he makes gestures toward representing both pro- and anti-biotech views, Shanks can't resist quoting others who call the proponents of cloning irrational or elitist. In the last two chapters, the gloves come off: Shanks wholeheartedly endorses the banning of cloning and many other cutting-edge technologies, patting himself on the back for working with some of the leaders of the opposition to biotechnology. With its emphasis on social justice issues, this fairly one-sided overview would more accurately be subtitled "A Guide to the Perplexed Progressive." (June)
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Product Description

The debate over human Genetic Engineering (GE) is about to go mainstream. Not as a one-day wonder about cloning or a theological disagreement about embryos, but as a major political issue, driven in part by a grassroots movement of opposition.

Human Genetic Engineering is a highly readable and entertaining guide. It explains in accessible language for a popular audience the essential questions that will arise in the future debates: What is human GE? Will it work? What perspectives should we remember? Who is doing what, and why?

Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Nation Books (May 10, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1560256958
• ISBN-13: 978-1560256953
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #708,169 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Choosing where we should go, May 16, 2005

By	Alexander Gaguine - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This is a great primer and source-book on just about everything connected with human genetic engineering -- cloning, stem cells, the fertility industry, gene therapy (and how it hasn't worked), and even the history of eugenics. There's really nothing like it. Every chapter has got suggestions for further reading, there's an appendix listing all the best websites and books ... and on top of it all, Shanks can really write. Clear, concise, accessible; this is the best introduction to the subject yet.

4 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Slouching toward GATTACA?, May 17, 2005

By	Marcy Darnovsky - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Pete Shanks has written a terrific introduction to human genetic engineering and the fraught issues it raises. The basic question he takes on: How do we get what's good out of human biotechnology, but make sure we don't wake up one morning and find ourselves in GATTACA?

"Guide to Human Genetic Engineering" covers the cloning of people and pets, "transhumanism," eugenics, sex selection, designer babies, gene doping, stem cells, and more. It welcomes beneficial uses of biotechnology, but cuts through the techno-boosterism that characterizes far too much of the current public discussion of these issues.

The book's appearance is engaging, with a table or pull quote or something else visually interesting on almost every page. The writing is top-notch -- entertaining, even funny and intermittently irreverent, but without ever losing sight of the seriousness and importance of the subject matter. The author clearly explains the technical basics, and goes beneath the surface of the political and social controversies, but not so deep as to lose "perplexed" or simply curious readers. He makes it clear what he thinks, but it's obvious that he respects what others think too.

I recommend this book very highly.