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Genes, Chromosomes, and Disease: From Simple Traits, to Complex Traits, to Personalized Medicine
This very readable overview of the rise and transformations of medical genetics and of the eugenic impulses that have been inspired by the emerging understanding of the genetic basis of many diseases and disabilities is based on a popular nonmajors course, "Social Implications of Genetics," that Gillham gave for many years at Duke University. The book is suitable for use as a text in similar overview courses about genes and social issues or genes and disease. It gives a good overview of the developments and status of this field for a wide range of biomedical researchers, physicians, and students, especially those interested in the prospects for the new, genetics-based personalized medicine.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published March 10, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 19, 2011
G,C,&D was surprisingly easy to read and understand. I did skip over some of the scientific jargon, but learned a lot and got hope from this very promising avenue toward curing or at least managing some of today's killer diseases. Sickle cell trait interested me because my grandson was born with it, even though no member of my family fits any of the ethnic groups mentioned. I learned to make sure he always gets plenty of water, to be especially careful about exercising and high elevations. That's news we can use.
Mr. Gillham sorted his book by disease, covering AIDS, diabetes, bipolar disease, cancer and others. He warns us to be patient because scientists must slog through government red tape, test, get approvals, raise money, test again, etc. etc. All that takes time. Even when new treatments become available, the author advises the public to see how it goes before jumping on the bandwagon. We've all seen some spectacular failures with new drugs, haven't we? As mother of a bipolar child, grandmother of a boy with sickle cell trait and widow of a man with lung cancer, I pray that God's hand be placed on these scientists to hurry the process and that these mortal servants of God and science work ethically, morally and without greed for the good of all mankind.
Mr. Gillham sorted his book by disease, covering AIDS, diabetes, bipolar disease, cancer and others. He warns us to be patient because scientists must slog through government red tape, test, get approvals, raise money, test again, etc. etc. All that takes time. Even when new treatments become available, the author advises the public to see how it goes before jumping on the bandwagon. We've all seen some spectacular failures with new drugs, haven't we? As mother of a bipolar child, grandmother of a boy with sickle cell trait and widow of a man with lung cancer, I pray that God's hand be placed on these scientists to hurry the process and that these mortal servants of God and science work ethically, morally and without greed for the good of all mankind.
November 6, 2021
This book is a good background read on genetics and personal medicine. However, it's worth noting that most of the information is now (in 2021) out of date, as the field of genetics has advanced significantly since this book was published. Consider, for example, that quest for <$1000 genome that's discussed in this book as a significant goal in the field; in my last job, we were sending out genomes for low resolution sequencing at about $500/genome in-house (not including prep-work). So that goal is a √. Then, of course, we have CRISPR technologies, which are allowing us to make huge leaps in personalized medicine. An updated edition could be very interesting, but read as a history, this current edition is still a useful tool for understanding the background of the field.
One thing that got to me while reading this book was the citations. This is supposed to be a textbook, yet the author is citing Wikipedia and random webpages, rather than peer-reviewed literature, white papers, or books. I wouldn't accept these sources for student papers, so I don't understand why they are acceptable for a published book. I can read and interpret Wikipedia myself—I don't need to pay an expert to do this; I could, however, use the help of an expert to help decode some of the dense and complex scientific literature in this field, and would have preferred if the author had spent more time doing that, instead of telling me what was on Wikipedia that day.
One thing that got to me while reading this book was the citations. This is supposed to be a textbook, yet the author is citing Wikipedia and random webpages, rather than peer-reviewed literature, white papers, or books. I wouldn't accept these sources for student papers, so I don't understand why they are acceptable for a published book. I can read and interpret Wikipedia myself—I don't need to pay an expert to do this; I could, however, use the help of an expert to help decode some of the dense and complex scientific literature in this field, and would have preferred if the author had spent more time doing that, instead of telling me what was on Wikipedia that day.
August 17, 2012
The subtitle of this book, "From simple traits, to complex traits, to personalized medicine" sums up my problem with this book. It is an ambitious attempt to discuss too many topics in just 250 pages. Consequently, if one is reading the book with a fairly good background in genetics, it will soon become evident that there is not much depth to the majority of the topics presented. For those topics where some depth is presented (e.g. genes and IQ), the discussion of the topic invariably ends with no conclusions other than "more study is required". The book is strongest when it presents familiar genetics topics in a historical context. Another positive aspect is that it is well documented with an extensive glossary, web page resources, and bibliography of cited references. It would make good reading material for someone who has little background in genetics and wants to update his/her knowledge base. It would also be an excellent starting point for someone looking for a topic in genetics to explore in more depth.
November 22, 2011
The book is surprisingly easy to read, given its dense subject matter. There are fascinating stories of genetics and diseases. I do, however, have some issues with word choice and I wish a genetic counselor had edited the book prior to publication. As is the nature of genetics, there are already quite a few things that are out of date.
January 9, 2012
Interesting, just filled with information, sometimes oddly specific. A lot of typos. The first couple of chapters are draggy -- unnecessarily detail-filled. But by chapter 4, the style relaxes and he writes about some really interesting material, nicely integrating the biochemistry, history, and a bit about the people involved.
August 5, 2012
I had hoped this would serve as a primer in genetics, but the book assumes the reader has a command of a large genetics and molecular biology vocabulary that I do not have. lt was an interesting encyclopedia of gene linked diseases, their mechanisms and treatments. I hope to reread it when I finish Modern Scholar: Genetics Basics, my next read/listen.
May 7, 2013
This is a very good and non-technical overview of the current state of genetic research and its application to medicine. Includes the historical context of the application of presumed inherited traits in eugenics. It also has a good discussion of genetic diseases and current treatments. The field appears heavy on hope and hype, still lacking real accomplishment given the investment.
June 11, 2013
Interesting, but uneven. Parts of it are quite readable and intelligible to the reader who is not knowledgeable about genetics. Other parts are quite technical. I found myself skipping over some of the more technical pieces.
November 24, 2014
Pretty dry. Definitely not a future re-listen.
April 12, 2012
A good book on genetics. But not so much new if you have already read other pop. science books on genetics, e.g. "The Language of Life", "Genetic Twists of Fate", etc.
July 12, 2013
There definitely was a lot of info that I didn't entirely grasp but it didn't keep me from enjoying this book. It's a fascinating topic and reinforced my admiration of science and scientists.
November 22, 2012
A good overview of genetics and its significance in scientific and medical developments
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews