Genome

Rating:
Summary: Complex Science Made Simple.
Review: I'm often disappointed at the end of a great book. I know that when it is finished, and I put it down, that it's the end, no longer can I explore such a wonderful world. That's not the case with Matt Ridley's book, Genome. This world is fabulously rich, and infinitely larger than even his engrossing 22 chapters can create. He has inspired me to do some more digging and look for some other books on the subject.

Ridley's 22 chapters explores the Human Genome, chromosome by chromosome, focusing not only on fascinating details of human genes but also plows on into politics, ethics, history and the people who have made the science such a ground breaking field. Each chapter a fascinating exposé on small but world changing "sentences" of each chromosome.

Matt makes the new world of the human genome a fascinating place. Drawing from so many different inspiring areas makes this book an easy read. Each simple chapter encapsulates a single theme and exposes different parts of humanity. Before the book I never would have thought that a large part of human's evolution was due to a conflict between female X chromosomes and the male Y. Progressing from Dawkins's "Selfish Gene", Ridley explores some of recent breakthroughs in genetics such as the cloning of Dolly the sheep, through to the yet unsolved mystery of CJD, commonly known as "Mad Cow Disease".

Before we are convinced that Genetics will ultimately rule us all, Ridley points out that humans do have some control. His chapters just show how complex we are, and how fascinating the human body really is.

Now, off to read the next book.

Rating:
Summary: Bought it for my girlfriend
Review: And she was very happy with it. She said 5 stars, not me, I haven't read it. It sounds good though :)

Rating:
Summary: Nice story - emphasis on story
Review: Ridley is a good writer and it's a compelling read. However, his approach is far too similar to the approach taken by others who have a story to tell - and whose story trumps facts. And he is unabashed about this endeavor. He specifically states in the introduction that he took his ideas about human nature and then went looking for genes within each chromosome to support his story. Not exactly the ideal of the scientific method. But at least he's honest about it. Anyway, if you enjoy books like Diamond's "Guns, Germs, and Steel" in which nature is brought into conformity with the author's vision, you'll probably like this one.

Rating:
Summary: wonderful book for the lay person
Review: I loved this book.
It is about a very complex subject but it handles the project very well. I thought it timely and interesting

Rating:
Summary: The New Sagan/ Gould
Review: This book is really a gem. Maybe it is the best science read of the year for me. I bought it thinking that it was basically the history of the genome project. I was wrong and I am glad I was wrong. Ridley uses the mapped Genome as the motif for him to launch into a number of ideas associated with the Genome on every one of the chromosones. Since there are 23 chromosones there are 23 chapters and 23 themes.

Each chapter takes a gene on the chromosone and then links in into a general discussion on a whirlwind of topics in genetic research. He discusses thing like genes and fate. For example if you have the gene for Huntington-Chorea, you will get the disease --- there are no exceptions, you are well buggered in every second generation. But that is not to say that just because some characteristics are inherited that others are determined by genetics as well. Far from it --- and here Ridley describes how intelligence can and cannot be linked to genes along with other things like turning on and turing off serotonin levels inside onces brain. Nature. nuture? Well it is actually both -- there are no easy answers and for every answer a plethora of new questions are raised. That is the beauty and wealth of science and Ridley conveys the love of science magnificently.

Ridley goes the gamut and argues both coherently and with an appreciation for ideas that is seen in first-class science writers (he is really worthy of Sagan and Gould).

He is at his best in juxaposing ideas, describing the current thinking and reasearch, throwing in a cultural observation or historical anecdote and then letting you stew in thought. There are no easy answers for many of the classic questions of biology. One thing that could be said is simply that the old idea that there was on winner in the debate of nature vs. nuture is dead. You would have to be brain dead to 100% argue one over the other.

This is Science writing at its best. Ridley covers a very wide cross-section of research and does it well. This book should be appealing to the general reader with no biological background, but it should also touch topics that even a genetic researcher would not know (his scope is that wide) --- and both would enjoy his excellent prose.

More Ridley books are in the offing for me. I must say that sad though the passing of Gould and Sagan are as great minds of science, Ridley is young and there is a lot more in front of him. If all his books are this good I will be buying every one of them.

Rating:
Summary: Terrible
Review: This book needs more science and less politics.

Rating:
Summary: Captivating
Review: As a pre-med student, I found this book to be a fascinating supplement to my dreadfully monotonous genetics textbook. Much more than another genetics research summary, Mr. Ridley broaches a number of provocative issues. Well-written,insightful and fast-paced, it inspired a second (much closer) look at the "boring" stuff.

Rating:
Summary: EASY Genetics reading
Review: Very well written! With all the complex genetic codes and terminology, Matt Ridley simplifies the genome and it's history. Ridley puts a lot of personal insight in the subject of how diseases come about, either before you are born or 50 years after. He even touches upon the dreaded history of "eugenics".

Rating:
Summary: A Good Darn Book!
Review: Matt Ridley does an excellent job of taking a complicated science and breaking it down for laymen in his new book GENOME. In each chapter he chooses an interesting gene and tells its story. There are 23 chapters,one for each chromosome, or rather each pair of chromosomes. One gene he discusses is the so called "Intelligence Gene," which is common among people with above average intelligence, hence the name. Another is the gene that gives us the instict for the grammatical structuring of language, but not the vocabulary. Yet another is the one that determines different blood types. There seems not to be an advantage in having one blood type over another, so why did nature develop three differeent ones? This is an excellent book to read for anyone, be you a geneticist yourself, or a Fundamentalist Christian.

Rating:
Summary: One of the most interesting books I've ever read
Review: Rarely do you read a book and come away so enlightened. This book opened my eyes to the fascinating developments in the study of human genetics in the last 20 years. The information is mind boggling. Not only does the book explain exactly how genes affect everything from our appearance to our personatlity, but Ridley has managed to describe everything in easy to understand terms. I read his book, the Red Queen, and was fascinated by it, so I bought this one. Genome is a much more interesting and readable book. I have loaned my copy to friends, and I cannot recommend it enough. I cannot wait until the field has advanced enough for Matt Ridley to write another book. Reading this is the most efficient use of time you can imagine because he digests all of the concepts into clear, easy to understand descriptions.

The only bad thing was that I was sorry to finish this book because reading it was such an incredible experience.