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Human Genetics: The Basics 1st Edition
Human genetics has blossomed from an obscure branch of biological science and occasional explanation for exceedingly rare disorders to a field all of its own that affects everyone. Human Genetics: The Basics introduces the key questions and issues in this emerging field, including:
- The common ancestry of all humanity
- The role of genes in sickness and health
- Debates over the use of genetic technology
Written in an engaging, narrative manner, this concise introduction is an ideal starting point for anyone who wants to know more about genes, DNA, and the genetic ties that bind us all.
- ISBN-100415579864
- ISBN-13978-0415579865
- Edition1st
- PublisherRoutledge
- Publication dateOctober 1, 2010
- LanguageEnglish
- Dimensions5.08 x 0.46 x 7.8 inches
- Print length200 pages
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Editorial Reviews
Review
'Providing the balance between a science book that can appeal to the general public while still providing useful information to the science "professional" is always a challenge. Lewis (medical education, Alden March Bioethics Institute) has succeeded in producing a useful source for each audience.' - Choice May 2011
‘Ricki Lewis has done a remarkable job with this book’ - Charles W. Rodgers, The American Journal of Human Genetics
About the Author
After many years of writing college life science textbooks, Ricki is branching out. Her first novel, Stem Cell Symphony, was published in 2008. A nontextbook, short introduction to her field, Human Genetics: The Basics, was published by Routledge Press on October 30, 2010, the first science book in their The Basics series. She is currently writing a book about children pioneering gene therapy, tentatively entitled The Forever Fix. It will be published by St. Martin's Press.
Product details
- Publisher : Routledge; 1st edition (October 1, 2010)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 200 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0415579864
- ISBN-13 : 978-0415579865
- Item Weight : 8 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.08 x 0.46 x 7.8 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #6,705,582 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4,990 in Genetics (Books)
- #6,890 in Biology (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author

Introducing the 12th edition of my textbook, Human Genetics: Concepts and Applications! It has been a great privilege to chronicle the evolution of human genetics, from an academic subfield of life science and a minor medical specialty to a growing body of knowledge that will affect us all.
The more than a million human genomes sequenced so far reveal that we are much more alike than different, yet those differences among 3 million of our 3.2 billion DNA building blocks hold clues to our variation and diversity.
Complementing and updating my textbook coverage is my steady stream of essays and articles. Read them at my DNA Science blog at Public Library of Science, at Genetic Literacy Project, at Science Trends, and at Medscape Medical News.
RICKI LEWIS is a Ph.D. geneticist, science writer, and genetic counselor. The author of one of the most widely used human genetics textbooks in the world, she's also written the only popular book on gene therapy ("The Forever Fix: Gene Therapy and the Boy Who Saved It"; St. Martin's Press, 2013) and published thousands of articles. She's also author of the short book Human Genetics: The Basics, and co-author of two human anatomy and physiology textbooks. Follow her popular weekly DNA Science blog at Public Library of Science (blog http://blogs.plos.org/dnascience/author/rlewis/), posts at Genetic Literacy Project, and frequent contributions to Medscape Medical News. Follow Ricki Lewis on Twitter (@rickilewis)
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Another book that I loved, much more basic than this one and a good pre-read if you're not ready to jump into the details, is "The Violinists Thumb: And Other Lost Tales of Love, War, and Genius, as Written by Our Genetic Code", by Sam Kean. Not only really interesting but filled with great cocktail party stories to share.
Top reviews from other countries
It needs a section or two on genetic genealogy, which is probably the most likely way people will encounter genetic technology.

