Genome

The Autobiography of a Species In 23 Chapters

By: Matt Ridley

Narrated by: Simon Prebble

“Ridley leaps from chromosome to chromosome in a handy summation of our ever increasing understanding of the roles that genes play in disease, behavior, sexual differences, and even intelligence. . . . . He addresses not only the ethical quandaries faced by contemporary scientists but the reductionist danger in equating inheritability with inevitability.” — The New Yorker

The genome's been mapped. But what does it mean? Matt Ridley’s Genome is the book that explains it all: what it is, how it works, and what it portends for the future

Arguably the most significant scientific discovery of the new century, the mapping of the twenty-three pairs of chromosomes that make up the human genome raises almost as many questions as it answers. Questions that will profoundly impact the way we think about disease, about longevity, and about free will. Questions that will affect the rest of your life.

Genome offers extraordinary insight into the ramifications of this incredible breakthrough. By picking one newly discovered gene from each pair of chromosomes and telling its story, Matt Ridley recounts the history of our species and its ancestors from the dawn of life to the brink of future medicine. From Huntington's disease to cancer, from the applications of gene therapy to the horrors of eugenics, Ridley probes the scientific, philosophical, and moral issues arising as a result of the mapping of the genome. It will help you understand what this scientific milestone means for you, for your children, and for humankind.

loved it

Great book on the genes. narration is important. It was great ridley books. The way it was told was awesome

Nice genome overview

While it doesn't necessarily break new ground when it comes to recent discoveries about our genome, Ridley does a good job of exploring the implications of some of the most valued discoveries about our genome.

Very interesting

While a bit of the information is out of date now, it is still an extremely interesting and well written book.

Some chapters riveting, some aimless and boring.

Where does Genome rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

In the 60% range. I'm glad I listened to it but it's definitely not among the top books I've ever listened to.

Were the concepts of this book easy to follow, or were they too technical?

The concepts actually were pretty easy to follow. I appreciated it from that standpoint. It didn't get too scienc-y but some of the analogies I felt were actually more confusing than enlightening. Like, "DNA is digital." Well, it's not. Digital is 1s and 0s, DNA is chemical. Had he said "DNA is like digital information" it might have been different.

What does Simon Prebble bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Other than a british accent, not much.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would the tag line be?

this would be a terrible title, but it's my synopsis: Choosing one gene or characteristic on each chromosome to tell something about that chromosome.

great prep book for bio lover

love the book. i learned how to describe the HUGO in English!!
recommend for biology lover