Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters (P.S.)

"This is a book that is at it's core about genetics and genetic research, but the author does an amazing job of tying what has been discovered in the field to how it affects our upbring, our society and even our individual moods. One point that Matt Ridley seems to want to drive home is that the old nature vs. nurture controversy is obsolete and borderline ridiculous. Rather, he feels that the fabric of our being is a much more complex system than any reductionist theory could capture. This is a great book for not only those interested in biological sciences, but also people interested in social science, psychology, history,... and the list goes on."
~ Written on 2008-08-25

"This is a wonderful read as: science, non-fiction generally, and as a primer on our genes, what they do, and how they work. I find Ridley to be one of the best science writers for the general public and this book is no exception.

Ridley leads us on an interesting and informative tour of some of the aspects of our genes. He touches on the junk DNA, mechanisms for changes in the chromosomes, how genes express them selves in proteins and the phenotype, some genetic diseases (he opines how we know most genes by the diseases that result from their malfunction and reiterates that genes are not for diseases), some of the latest ideas on how our chromosomes came to the shape they are in, and the role of RNA, among many other things. RNA is rapidly rising up as the candidate for the "original replicator" (at least for the world of nucleic acid replicators, maybe there was something before that does not survive) since it can and does act in many different roles throughout the cell including as genetic replicating code (apart from DNA) and catalysis like proteins. His discussion of junk DNA and sequence repetitions and how they occur in some cases was fascinating. His discussions of how certain gene sequences were actually discovered by scientists was too.

I would note that the discoveries of modern genetics are consonant with the "Selfish Gene" view of evolution. They are not explicable by other proposed levels of evolutionary selection nor are they explicable by design (though an ad hoc application of magic certainly can give a superficial and false "explanation" for just about anything.)

Ridley does let his political/social ideas come through fairly strongly in a few places (only a few places.) My recommendation is simply to take them for what they are: one man's opinion. They didn't detract from the book at all for me. One's political stance does not imply anything about the data you present.

This is not an exhaustive map or discussion of our genes. Such a book would be huge and probably not readable. This is an overview with some interesting details and side trips. I strongly recommend it to you.

I also recommend: Ridley's The Origins of Virtue, Dawkins' The Selfish Gene and The Ancestor's Tale, Neil Shubin's Your Inner Fish, Zimmer's Parasite Rex, Nesse and Williams' Why We Get Sick, and Diamond's The Third Chimpanzee"
~ Written on 2008-08-01

"I am not a geneticist and therefore have a very tiny knowledge of our genes. I am however, intensely interested in them, and in learning about them, so I bought this book as a result of searching and recommendations. And I am THOROUGHLY enjoying it! I am not understanding all of it, of course. The entire book is crammed with information, but in such a wonderful writing style that it becomes joyful to be fed massive treasure troves of facts and figures.
One thing that I have come to realize with more and more clarity as I have read this book is how obvious our evolutionary past is, if one is willing to dig deeper into our inner workings. Another is just how incredibly intricate our bodies are and our genes work in tiny and astounding simplicity and great detail, in order and in chaos, in adherence to laws and utter refusal to conform.
For someone with interest in our genes or the Human Genome Project, this is a must-read. For those who aren't interested, then it doesn't really matter, because you likely aren't reading this review anyway. "
~ Written on 2008-07-13

"I read this book with only a moderate amount of background in Genetics. My interest is more like a hobbie so when I first started to read Matt Ridley's Genome I was afraid there would be alot I wouldn't understand. Thankfully, I was very wrong.

The subject matter is very interesting and told in a helpful, nonacademic manner. I would recommend this book to everyone who has an interest in biology and genetics."
~ Written on 2008-01-06

"Having read a number of books on this topic, I picked up this one while on vacation. I did enjoy the book overall and would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. It is not a textbook of genetics by any reach, more of a layman's approach to what is a very complicated area of biology that does have some core ideas that even a non scienetist can grasp.

It is a shame that the author cannot hold back his political opinions, which seem to just surface for no particular reason in various parts of this book. Albeit that the subject matter does tread on some delicate socio/political topics, that doesn't require him so so obviously vent his rather one sided subjective take on the matter at hand. It doesn't help that he offers little or no backing for his opinions, just his say so."
~ Written on 2007-12-24