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![[By Siddhartha Mukherjee ] The Gene: An Intimate History by Siddhartha Mukherjee](https://cdn.thestorygraph.com/dxvp1l4jaxsgcgouwi5vwu64fh78)
4.33 AVERAGE
4.33 AVERAGE
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
What an excellent book. Good coverage not only of the science of genetics and the history of the science, but also the sociological impact that it has had and continues to have, and the ethical and moral dilemmas that it poses. I also admire the willingness to engage with a lot of difficult topics (eugenics, abortion, mental illness, gender identity, etc.) and address them with both honesty and compassion.
I loved his earlier book on cancer, and this one has the same qualities. He is a wonderful story teller. I was already familiar with most of the facts presented here, yet I read it like a thriller -- and that is his skill. I met him once at a TED conference, and he was just as as eloquent and passionate. Instead of a pile of facts, he knows the magic to make them human. There was one topic that was conspicuous by its relative absence -- GMO foods. Did he just try to avoid the controversy? As a scientist I can imagine his position on this debate, but in the non-scientific community it triggers strong passions. Did he try not to engage with that group?
challenging
informative
slow-paced
Very thorough and taught me some historical stuff my partner the pharmacogenticist didn’t even know!
informative
medium-paced
informative
reflective
medium-paced
(I’m not going to comment on the minor epigenetic-related controversy with this book because I have nothing new to add and respect the author’s statement on the subject)
I was reluctant to read The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee for a while. As a guilty pleasure pop science reader (the same shameful-yet-indulgent way others are sluts for romantasy), I feared it would disappoint. Because Mukherjee is well-respected for factual accuracy, I was convinced The Gene would be the “worst of both worlds”—both boring AND a book in which a mildly nerdy layperson (tagging myself here as “midly nerdy layperson”) could easily identify factual flaws.
Instead, I was joyfully surprised by not only the book’s content, but by the way the author so beautifully weaves together history, the politics of genetics, and his own family’s story. It was an engrossing refresher on high school and college biology. As a genetics nerd since 14 and a genetics lab intern in two labs at ages 17 (tending to drosophila and monodelphis) and 18 (learning to test gene expression in plants), it brought me back to my late childhood in a touching way. It touched on so many of my favorite parts of my science classes and personal research (specifically the interpersonal controversies surrounding the study of DNA from Watson and Crick to the Human Genome Project, the development of methods such as PCR and model organisms, and our biological understanding of gender). I also learned a ton (ex: the personal backgrounds of Mendel and Darwin, the history of stem cell research, the story of Ashanthi DeSilva). If I were a writer, I would aspire to write prose even a fraction as informative, engaging, and personal as Mukherjee’s.
The only reason I give this book 4.75 stars instead of 5 is because I listened to it as an audiobook. I categorically choose not to give audiobooks 5 stars as I cannot accurately judge them on one of my favorite aspects of a book: its “feel” on the page. That being said, if I ever see this at a thrift store, I might “reread” it to give it the full 5* it deserves.
Edit: I changed my mind and gave this 5*
Edit: I changed my mind and gave this 5*
adventurous
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
I recently became fascinated by genetics and wanted to learn more about it. There are many great books on the subject, but I chose Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Gene because of his personal storytelling and his clear opinions on the subject matter. His style is a bottom-up approach, leaving no stone unturned in his exploration of the topic, as he did in his previous work, The Emperor of All Maladies.
The Gene cannot be easily categorized as a medical or scientific book. It covers the history of genetics and how humanity has perceived it over the years. When we talk about the history of genetics, we must also address the dark chapters, such as Eugenics, which Mukherjee does a phenomenal job of covering.
Mukherjee also shares personal stories from his family that inspired his interest in genetics in the first place. The Gene provides a great understanding of the basic function of the human genome, and it also covers the future of genetic science.
Overall, The Gene provides a wealth of information and leaves the reader with much to ponder about the role of genetics in our lives.
The Gene cannot be easily categorized as a medical or scientific book. It covers the history of genetics and how humanity has perceived it over the years. When we talk about the history of genetics, we must also address the dark chapters, such as Eugenics, which Mukherjee does a phenomenal job of covering.
Mukherjee also shares personal stories from his family that inspired his interest in genetics in the first place. The Gene provides a great understanding of the basic function of the human genome, and it also covers the future of genetic science.
Overall, The Gene provides a wealth of information and leaves the reader with much to ponder about the role of genetics in our lives.
informative
reflective
medium-paced
challenging
informative
reflective
slow-paced