Siddhartha Mukherjee tells the story of genetics, from Aristotle's first insights into heredity transmitted through blood to the stunning discoveries of the last two centuries, sparked by the experiments of the monk Gregor Johann Mendel. The book also introduces readers to modern research in biotechnology, gene therapy, and genomics.

Mukherjee is unafraid to tackle difficult topics. The disastrous eugenics programs of the early 20th century, the tragic failures of early gene therapy trials, and our very concept of disease—all are addressed with tact and compassion.

The narrative is interspersed with Mukherjee's own memoirs and stories of how hereditary diseases affected his own family. The author highlights the incredibly complex interplay of chance, environment, and genetic combinations that determine our susceptibility to disease, and cautions against utopian expectations and hopes for a panacea. Given our growing ability to edit genetic code, Mukherjee calls for debate about the ethical limits required for future interventions in living organisms.

Abstract

Siddhartha Mukherjee's 'The Gene' is a comprehensive and engaging account of the development of the science of genetics, from pea experiments to the gene editor, and all the astonishing discoveries in between. Mukherjee traces the history of genetics, seamlessly situating it within the political movements and world events it has spawned—both hopeful and ugly. He discusses the modern possibilities of genetic engineering, not forgetting to mention the grim details of the last century, when, at the dawn of genetic discoveries, governments attempted to rid the population of 'defective' traits en masse. Speaking about a genetic disease that haunts his own family, Mukherjee raises questions about the very definition of disease and raises one of the most important questions in modern genetics: what level of intervention in the genetic code can we afford if our scientists have already effectively learned to rewrite the genome?