Telling Genes: The Story of Genetic Counseling in America

by Alexandra Minna Stern

The history of contemporary genetic counseling, including its medical, personal, and ethical dimensions. Winner of the CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title of the Choice ACRL For sixty years genetic counselors have served as the messengers of important information about the risks, realities, and perceptions of genetic conditions. More than 2,500 certified genetic counselors in the United States work in clinics, community and teaching hospitals, public health departments, private biotech companies, and universities. Telling Genes considers the purpose of genetic counseling for twenty-first century families and society and places the field into its historical context. Genetic counselors educate physicians, scientific researchers, and prospective parents about the role of genetics in inherited disease. They are responsible for reliably translating test results and technical data for a diverse clientele, using scientific acumen and human empathy to help people make informed decisions about genomic medicine. Alexandra Minna Stern traces the development of genetic counseling from the eugenics movement of the early twentieth century to the current era of human genomics. Drawing from archival records, patient files, and oral histories, Stern presents the fascinating story of the growth of genetic counseling practices, principles, and professionals.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Genetics

248 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2012

Reviews

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was an unbiased and unflinching look at the genetic counseling field. I will use the lessons I learned from this book throughout the rest of my career.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

it’s a good and quick read, sums up the field in a neat 170 pages. i was disappointed that she didn’t dive deeper into various topics within the chapter but rather wrote sentences that started with, “in short.” so i wish she would have just fleshed those ideas out more.

i felt like she used some outdated terms, even for 2012, which irked me.

overall it’s ok. it’s a nice sum up from a third party person for people who aren’t GCs or for students wanting to get into the field. if you’re already a GC, you’re going to be disappointed.

[Kathleen Garvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good informative read! Required for school prep but still enjoyed! Great timeline of the evolution of the field. Only negative was there were so many references to people that were pioneers of the field (for better or worse) which got a bit jumbled in my memory.

[Liv Palma · Rating 2 out of 5]

Some interesting stuff in here but… felt a bit repetitive at times and I also thought the way it was organized was confusing. Maybe would’ve been better chronologically? Also the author is not even a genetic counselor lol

[Julia Mizzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A small portion of this book was interesting, but it was very redundant and dense. I wish it was more digestible and easy to understand, which would’ve made it a more approachable read for a wider audience. This was an assigned summer read.

[Veronica Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very insightful and a great overview of genetic counseling. That being said, I feel like the book mainly focused on prenatal and a bit on pediatrics but didn’t talk about the many other subfields.