Table of Contents

List of Tables List of Illustrations Preface Introduction The Legacy of Genes Dance of the Genes The Dances of the Chromosomes Genes in Populations The New Choreography The Mystery of the Man with Too Many Ys Privacy and the Human Genome The 'Moral Difference" between Somatic and Germ Cells A Dark Side of the New Genetics Developing a Sensitivity to the Sufferings of Genes The Curious Case of the Crown Gall Bacterium In Praise of Genetic Diversity Deciphering the Human Genome Epilogue: Searching for a New Mythology Glossary For Further Reading Index

About the Author

David Suzuki, a well-known geneticist and science broadcaster, is Professor of Biology at the University of British Columbia. Peter Knudtson is a freelance science writer based in Vancouver.

Reviews

In standard biomedical texts, mechanical processes such as replication and transcription are described with excruciating dryness. Here, metaphors animate the narrative, restoring through art some of the natural beauty of science… To the authors’ credit, they have written an excellent book that, if widely read, will provide much of the technical education and ethical sensitization needed to broaden public debate.
*Journal of the American Medical Association*

The discussion of genetic science is commendably clear. Suzuki and Knudtson, good writers as they are, do not merely recite the facts but tell stories that put flesh on the bones.
*Medical Humanities Journal*

First-rate.
*Quarterly Review of Biology*

[Suzuki and Knudtson] do an outstanding job of presenting complicated ideas to a nonscientific audience, as well as covering enough detail to satisfy those with a scientific background. [Their] presentation is balanced and controversial arguments are examined from all sides.
*Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine*

[This] book deserves wide attention for its timely warning of problems now on the cultural horizon.
*Booklist*

YA-- The fields of genetics and ethics are inseparable, and therefore Genethics is an apt title. This book, accessible to non-scientists, is an introduction to both fields and their interactions. The authors state in the preface that they make no pretense that their moral arguments are completely objective; rather, a humanistic point of view has been adopted. Scenarios or case studies help readers work through a sometimes complex genethic principle, which is the focus of each chapter. The many figures and tables add greatly to the text, providing much-needed information to help readers foresee the consequences of various actions. The glossary, bibliography, and index are well done and helpful in exploring the difficult issues presented. A well-chosen chapter as a reading assignment for a biology class should produce an interesting and lively discussion.-- Carolyn Henebry, Episcopal High School, Bellaire, TX

In standard biomedical texts, mechanical processes such as replication and transcription are described with excruciating dryness. Here, metaphors animate the narrative, restoring through art some of the natural beauty of science... To the authors' credit, they have written an excellent book that, if widely read, will provide much of the technical education and ethical sensitization needed to broaden public debate. -- Richard C. Hermann * Journal of the American Medical Association *
The discussion of genetic science is commendably clear. Suzuki and Knudtson, good writers as they are, do not merely recite the facts but tell stories that put flesh on the bones. -- Thomas H. Murray * Medical Humanities Journal *
First-rate. -- Bentley Glass * Quarterly Review of Biology *
[Suzuki and Knudtson] do an outstanding job of presenting complicated ideas to a nonscientific audience, as well as covering enough detail to satisfy those with a scientific background. [Their] presentation is balanced and controversial arguments are examined from all sides. * Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine *
[This] book deserves wide attention for its timely warning of problems now on the cultural horizon. * Booklist *