Summary

A thrilling "user's guide" to the genomics era

Welcome to the genome, the miraculous blueprint of your DNA, coiled tight as a spring in the nucleus of each cell of your body. If unwound, the DNA from just one cell, while only a molecule in width, would stretch six feet in length! The information stored in its double helix structure - three billion bits worth - could fill 142 Manhattan phone books.

Yet far more amazing than these facts is the impact the study of genomics has had on so many areas of our lives. From the promise of personalized medicine and gene therapy to disputes over the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods, there is little doubt we are in the midst of the Genomic Revolution. Now how do we make sense of it all?

Welcome to the Genome takes you right into the thick of today's most cutting-edge science and its far-reaching implications. Authors Rob DeSalle, who curated the highly successful Genomics Revolution exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and Michael Yudell, Assistant Professor of Public Health at Drexel University, have written a book which clearly explains the ongoing saga of our attempts to understand the mystery of biology's Rosetta Stone and use its code to better our lives.

This reader-friendly book employs an understandable style and eye-popping full-color illustrations to provide real insights into the complex science involved. It delves into the past discoveries that led to the sequencing of the human genome; it presents the challenges facing today's scientists and society and culture in general; and it considers the future possibilities of the developing genome era. Social issues, particularly questions of ethics, receive special attention, covering an important area too often overshadowed by science and technology.

If the genome really is the book of life, then we have only just opened to the first of its many pages. Those who triumphantly claim DNA is destiny may have spoken too soon; it is far more likely today's discoveries will lead to insights yet to be imagined. A stirring and informative introduction to a scientific epic still unfolding, Welcome to the Genome is an essential guide for understanding - and participating in - the incredible explorations, discussions, and realizations of the Genomic Revolution.

Choice Review

Truly the "user's guide" that it purports to be, this book provides in nine short, readable chapters a wealth of information that offers readers not only an introduction to genomics, but also an understanding of some of the ethical issues raised by this evolving science. Beginning with Mendel's discoveries in genetics, DeSalle (American Museum of Natural History) and Yudell (public health, Drexel Univ.) trace the history that has led to an ability to sequence the genome and that allows for its use in medicine, agriculture, and criminology. At the same time, the authors clearly seek to raise issues of how to keep the genome "safe" from malevolent uses such as racial eugenics and discrimination based on genetic testing. Reference is made to the controversy between creationism and naturalistic evolution, but the greater emphasis of the book is on current and future ethical and scientific issues related to genomics. Excellent photography, graphic illustrations, and a helpful glossary of scientific terminology enhance this volume. It even provides a do-it-yourself experiment that makes it possible to view one's own DNA. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. Library collections serving two-year, undergraduate, and graduate students, as well as general readers. C. L. Hansen formerly, Midland Lutheran College