This book is well written and includes some very interesting tidbits of information covering a wide spectrum of issues regarding the human genome: nature vs. nurture, eugenics, cognitive science, diseases and the like. However reading it in 2008 (the book was published in 2000) makes much of its subject matter seem out-dated and at times irrelevant. Several pages are devoted to the history of scrapie and the outbreak of mad-cow disease in England in the mid to late 90s that dates the book - I hope Matt Ridley one day does take up a second edition of the book since this is such a fast moving research front. I particularly enjoyed his chapter on chromosome 10 and the discussion of environment effects on gene expression as it relates to stress. Ridley's willingness to be technical is refreshing principally because of his background in zoology (he has a doctorate from Oxford) which combined with his journalistic instincts helps to convey ideas smoothly, as a scientist the techninical writing was enjoyable. All in all a fascinating & quick read.

I bought this book many years ago, but finally read it last month.I found it extremely interesting. You do have to read some pages more than once to understand it. But that is because the subject takes some real thinking before comprehension is complete. It is not a knock on the author. I do wish he would update the findings since the book was published in 1999. Much as happened I am sure.

Maybe the author put himself a too difficult task by trying to select one gene from each of the 23 chromosome pairs and tell a story out of it. Some chromosomes, its genes and their specific functions are not so deeply known, so when reaching a chromosome from which the author had nothing to say, he forced an unrelated narrative into the chapter. Other chromosomes are filled with interesting genes and/or some traits, functions, etc., are determined by several genes located in different chromosomes, but the author had to choose only one gene per chromosome. Finally, arranging the chapters by chromosome size does not allow for a logical order in the narrative (chronological, by topic, by evolution, etc.) nor does it appear consistent or with a unifying theme. So everything seemed a bit "forced".

Some topics were not sufficiently explained. For example he mentions that bacteria split and thereby reproduce themselves in seconds, so that they have had more generations of evolution than we (all vertebrates). Therefore bacteria have achieved a more perfect state in their DNA, which is more robust than ours. I would have liked to know in which sense it is better than ours, what functions are performed better in bacteria, what does robust mean in this context, etc.

In another chapter he mentions that in a living organism the cells do not follow "central orders" but act on information in form of a chemical substance or another kind of signal emmitted by a nearby cell and that every cell knows how to react to each signal. This is used to support his political and economical view of no "central intervention" but more descentralized organization. Here I would have liked a deeper explanation of how he thinks the concepts would apply to society (it could be extrapolated to "empowering processes" in business). What would be the triggers or "signals" in his descentralized government or market and how would they be triggered? Additionally, in living organisms some of the before mentioned substances are produced or triggered by brain cells. Isn't the brain like a central government? In another part of the text, the author mentions that some cells have the instruction to "suicide" themselves for the benefit of the organism and that other cells assure that this instructions are followed by renegade cells. How would he translate this into society, government or markets? (He started the analogies, not me).

The book's content is quite good and I enjoyed it, but it is not one of my favourites. If it's your first book on genetics, this book serves as a good introduction. Excellent bibliography presented in a very original and interesting way, it makes you want to read several of the books the author read.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Here is a book packed with newly-learned technical facts, yet it is easily read.

This book provided me with exactly the information, which I needed, at a key time in my personal research. I had previously learned how DNA and different kinds of RNA work together to manufacture proteins for the body. I was ready to learn more details about how different parts of the body use this engine. Matt Ridley and his book were "Johnny-on the-spot" for me. His writing style made it a painless journey for me and at times, it was downright exciting.

I especially liked the chapter on chromosome 8. I previously had thought little science was known about junk DNA. Now I understand that our DNA has been a battleground for viruses and other microorganisms over the last billion or more years. The junk DNA segments are remnants from those battles.

Another theme that impressed me was that all animal life uses the same biochemical solutions to exist and reproduce. We use the same twenty amino acids to build proteins. We have the same active genes in most cases. Even the way different genes work together is the same. I found this unifying concept to be awe-inspiring and to be another fact supporting the evolution of species.

The book deserves four stars because a lot of work obviously went into writing it. Matt Ridley is to biology as the late Carl Sagan was to astronomy. Both of these authors brought intelligence, understanding, and great story-telling skills to an audience, thristy for knowledge.

Ralph Hermansen, 11/27/2007

4.9 stars. I like this book very much. This is a "novel" approach to explaining the genome which will become even more important in the future. I do not understand why Genetic Drift in not explained. Mutation, Natural Selection, AND Genetic Drift (statistical survival of alleles) are the primary mechanisms of biological evolution. He comes close to describing Genetic Drift when talking about Cavalli-Sforza's statistical analysis of the blood groups in 1970. This omission may be worth 0.1 stars.

This is an excellent book. Matt Ridley mixes his complex opinions on Human civilisation with this great scientfic discovery. Excellent approach and good information.

This is a great primer for anyone wanting to understand what genes are - and they are not there to cause diseases!!!. The writing style is informative without being weighty and the book is an easy read for the non-scientific.

I love this book. I only gave it 4 stars because I haven't finished it yet. It's one of those books that you can read over and over and learn new material each time. Matt Ridley's writing style is very easy to follow and he makes the discoveries of science compelling. It's a well organized piece that will most likely intrigue your friends and family as it makes for great conversation. I'm planning on checking out his other published works as well. Great gift too!

I only read one chapter but i thought it was well written and easy to read despite the complex subject matter.

This is one of the most interesting books I have read in a long time. I am in the field of music and business. This book broke it down so that I could understand most of the major concepts. It is a very good overview of what the Genome Project is and begins to discuss some of the implications that it may have for the future.

Fascinating revelations about the workings of genes by a talented writer who makes a complex subject entertaining, insightful, and informative without overloading the non-scientist with arcane scientific and technical jargon. Perhaps even puts a thumb on the scale when a person weighs the contibutions of nature verses nurture in determining who we are and who we will become.

I thought I had kept up with most of the major trends of discovery in the biological sciences. But this book explains research findings I haven't seen reported anywhere else. Some of these findings could save lives.

For example, Ridley explains some new research about the effectiveness of radiation/chemotherapy on cancer patients. Everyone faced with a diagnosis of cancer should read this chapter. Ridley says that scientists have found chemotherapy doesn't kill cancer cells directly. No, rather it works (to the extent it does) in a more roundabout way. It kills all sorts of cells in random fashion and thereby creates debris fragments. The presence of this debris then triggers still functional cells to turn on their "TP53" genes. It's these genes that direct the manufacture of an enzyme that destroys cells recently launched on their transformation into cancerous cells.

However, if a person's cancer has already progressed far enough along its course that the TP53 gene itself has mutated and been disabled - then treating that person with radiation/chemotherapy is generally worse than useless. The treatment can't trigger any TP53 genes into action. The patient just ends up enduring a debilitating series of treatments to little or no avail. So Ridley suggests that everyone faced with having to undergo radiation/chemotherapy be tested for TP53 damage first. If the tests show that their TP53 gene has already been compromised, then the chemotherapy couldn't help them much and shouldn't be attempted.

I have recently driven numerous people to hospital appointments after they have been diagnosed with cancer. But I am not aware that a single one of them was tested for TP53 damage before being launched on their grueling regimens of radiation/chemotherapy. If Ridley's information is correct, I would think that this sort of screening would be crucial. But as in so many other areas, I suppose it is up to the individual patient to educate himself. And this book makes an excellent, eye-opening first step in that process.

Ridley goes on to present some chapters on alcoholism that similarly could have practical applications. If what he says is true, some forms of alcoholism definitely have a genetic base - so it isn't very helpful to address these cases with the lengthy rounds of psychoanalysis, ego-boosting, or religious intervention that are currently being used. Ridley offers a very interesting hypothesis about why this alcoholism gene may be more prevalent in certain population groups than in others. But you'll have to read these ideas yourself and form your own opinion about whether they are "Just So" stories.

The main thesis of this book though is that - sex matters. Here again, I hadn't read much about this emerging understanding anywhere else. But it seems that a gene can behave differently in our bodies, depending upon whether we got that gene from our mothers or from our fathers.

Ridley sees these differential effects as another manifestation of the ongoing war between the sexes, this time being waged on the cellular, molecular level. The male's body and his Y chromosome try to maximize the number of viable offspring the male will have, regardless of the cost to his mate - and vice versa.

Again, this may turn out to be largely a Just So story. But except for one rather confusing, contradictory chapter on prions, Ridley presents all his material, both fact and interpretation, in a lively, readable form. I think you will certainly be enlightened and entertained by this book. And it may even save your life.

As we enter the 21st century, the advances of science and genetics are increasingly becoming a part of our lives. In Genome: The Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters, author Matt Ridley paints a compelling picture of the genetic "revolution" and what it means to society as a whole. The mapping of the human genome, according to him, was just the beginning of a greater process of discovery as society as a whole will change because of genomics. The structure of the book is unique in that each of the 23 chapters represents one of the human chromosomes; a gene on each chromosome is highlighted to give an overall theme to that chapter. Through this technique, Ridley gives the reader new insights into topics ranging from personality and intelligence to fate and the very origins of life.

One of the most intriguing chapters dealt with the sex chromosomes, X and Y. While these determine gender--females carry to X's and males carry one X and one Y--the study of how they emerged is fascinating. When mammals switched from determining gender by the temperature of eggs to a fate based on genes, the antagonism between the male and female chromosomes became incredible. The author cites several studies showing how even something as simple as DNA can show "selfish" traits as each of these two chromosomes has competed for dominance over time.

His treatment of personality is equally intriguing. Chromosome 11 contains the story of the D4DR gene that creates dopamine receptors in the brain. Based on its regulation, personalities and attitudes can vary. For example, increased levels of dopamine cause a person to be more extroverted and spontaneous while the reverse is true for lower levels. The complexity of the situation, however, is further revealed by studies cited that say that there are potentially hundreds of genes controlling different aspects of dopamine receptors, and these receptors are only one factor in a person's personality.

This constant flow to a variety of new perspectives on interesting and sometimes controversial topics--the genetic basis of homosexuality being just one of these controversies--constantly engages the reader. Nevertheless, at times, the writing can be a bit dense and overly technical. For instance, the chapter on politics only vaguely touches on that subject, focusing on a seemingly unrelated study on cannibalism in indigenous tribes. At that point in the book, the reader must choose between laboring over the chapter to find the significance or simply skipping it altogether. A good approach for those less focused on the scientific data and more interested in the societal impacts of genetic technology would be to simply skip these technical parts and move on to more clearly written parts.

I would definitely recommend this book for those interested in biology and genetics as careers; however, for those who simply wish to learn the basics and know what the long-term impacts of the "genome revolution" will be, I'd recommend simply skimming over the more technical parts. In Genome, Matt Ridley certainly did succeed in popularizing genomics and uncovering the fascinating wonders contained within our own genetic matter.