Belvedere Jehosophat - Sunday, April 22, 2007 - Print Version
Patterned somewhat loosely on Primo Levi's excellent book, The Periodic Table, in which 21 chemical elements are used as a theme for a series of short stories, Genome, by exploring each of the 23 pairs of chromosomes, attempts to give a brief synopsis of the human species.
Starting with the longest chromosome and — done so arbitrarily — proceeding to the shortest, Ridley tackles a series of themes which he believes to be representative of the human species — life, species, history, fate, environment, intelligence, etc. Ridley explores these themes by focussing on a gene that can be found on the relevant chapter/chromosome and tracing its function and evolution. In doing this he considers not only the chromosome in question and the genes it houses, but also how it relates to his overarching theme.
Matt Ridley is an invigorating writer. Each chapter is packed with information, with every sentence seeming to string together three new facts. And when there is debate as to, say, the mechanism of a gene's action, Ridley, although having opinions of his own, is careful to present both sides of the argument without prejudice.
He is always cautious, also, of not creating an inaccurate picture of how genes interact and work, taking care to remind the reader that the narrative he affords is greatly simplified to facilitate the communication of concepts. This is important, I think, for dispelling some of the myths and perhaps even prejudices that surround molecular genetics.
Genome is an excellent, and fascinatingly presented, account of the history of one the newest and arguably most important fields of scientific inquiry, genetics. First published in 1999, and being that the frontiers of this science are advancing so rapidly, I'm sure some of the information found inside this book has been reviewed and updated. However, Genome is still a magnificent book, one which, if you happen to be interested in biology, is well worth reading. I only hope a revised second edition is released soon...
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