Inheritance
How Our Genes Change Our Lives, and Our Lives Change Our Genes
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
A groundbreaking book that will transform how we understand ourselves and our families by revealing that everything we thought we knew about genetics is wrong.
Your experiences, no matter how seemingly inconsequential - from bullies to crushes to what you eat for dinner - have all left an indelible mark within you. And more importantly, within your genes.
Inheritance is a guidebook for change. No longer do we have to settle for what we've been given. We can write our own story.
We're taught that we don't have much of a choice in the matter of what we get or what we give, because our genetic legacy was fixed when our parents conceived us. But that's all wrong. Our genes are constantly on the move, some are turning on while others are turning off, all in response to what you're doing, what you're seeing, and what you're feeling. And all of those things can be changed, which means we can change. Genetically.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Geneticist and bestselling author Moalem (How Sex Works) aims to promote awareness about genes and how they function in this enjoyable read. Writing primarily in a casual tone, Moalem demonstrates an unerring instinct for picking eye-catching discoveries in gene research to write about this instinct is both a blessing and a curse. The excitement of his prose is palpable: "From striking a ball with a tennis racket, to pinching the cheeks of a loved one, to the bouncing here, there, and everywhere joy of gummy bears, that elastic snap back into shape' action you're feeling is all thanks to collagen." But while the writing is never over-burdened with scientific jargon, it often lacks cautionary notes and vital information that helps to put new research in its proper context. For example, he discusses a study that found striking epigenetic changes in a bullied twin that were not apparent in the twin sibling who wasn't bullied. Moalem overstates the significance of this finding, claiming "in no uncertain terms" what the rather small study itself says merely "supports a hypothesis," which may mislead readers. Otherwise, however, Moalem's book is a page-turner and will surely inspire people to get better educated about genes and genetics.
