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Modern Prometheus: Editing the Human Genome with Crispr-Cas9
Would you change your genes if you could? As we confront the 'industrial revolution of the genome', the recent discoveries of Crispr-Cas9 technologies are offering, for the first time, cheap and effective methods for editing the human genome. This opens up startling new opportunities as well as significant ethical uncertainty. Tracing events across a fifty-year period, from the first gene splicing techniques to the present day, this is the story of gene editing - the science, the impact and the potential. Kozubek weaves together the fascinating stories of many of the scientists involved in the development of gene editing technology. Along the way, he demystifies how the technology really works and provides vivid and thought-provoking reflections on the continuing ethical debate. Ultimately, Kozubek places the debate in its historical and scientific context to consider both what drives scientific discovery and the implications of the 'commodification' of life.
450 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 9, 2020
Even overlooking its other flaws, this has far too many typos to take seriously as a work of nonfiction. Who's Genghis Kahn? Any relation to Madeline?
April 13, 2019
I'm not entirely sure what I expected out of this book going into it, but it definitely wasn't what I got. While it purports to be about crispr-cas9, it actually spends very little time on the subject. The first chapter is about the discovery and ensuing legal battles over patent rights, and the last chapter is about the current discussions over the ethical and moral ramifications (mostly with regards to germline edits), but the bulk of the book is actually a relatively detailed history of the last seventy years of genetic engineering.
Beyond being misleading with regards to its subject matter, though, it's just not very well written. Copious editing mistakes aside (the occasional typo I can overlook, but there were a LOT of comma splices and malformed sentences), the author has a tendency to go off on multi-page tangents that are neither warranted nor necessary. For instance, when he mentions Jennifer Doudna's concern that her role in the discovery of crispr-cas9 is being overshadowed because of her gender, he spends a page and a half talking about how throughout history the accomplishments of female scientists have been minimized in favor of giving their male colleagues all the credit. Most egregious of all, however, was when a reference to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein turned into a six-page literary analysis of the book complete with a full plot summary, an examination of its themes, and an explanation of the social and cultural events of the day that shaped Shelley's life and influenced her writing. He does this seemingly to make the case for the book's title, but he could just as easily have jumped from "...it was Mary Shelley, who better than any other, captured its essence" on page 199 to "[nearly 200 years later], it sunk in how Shelley's vision had anticipated a reality of our times" on page 206 and nothing would have been lost.
Each chapter often feels like it was written with the option of being published separately from the rest of the book. Various terms are defined and described every time they come up, even if you just read about them in a previous chapter (or, in at least one case, three pages earlier). The author provides very little of his own opinions on the subject, instead merely quoting other scientists (and sometimes activists) on their opinions. There is similarly very little speculation as to the potential uses or ramifications of crispr-cas9 except to provide a handful of thoughts already posed by other scientists.
I can't say that nothing about it was interesting, but those bits came between a meandering narrative that jumped back and forth chronologically (and not always clearly) that often spent far more time on multiple examples of the uses of older forms of genetic engineering than on topics of more modern relevance.
I'm not really sure there's any category of people to whom I would recommend this book. Those interested in crispr-cas9 should absolutely look elsewhere because this book barely scratches the surface. At the same time, those interested in the history of genetic engineering should also look elsewhere because I'm quite certain there are several other books that are probably written much better than this one.
Beyond being misleading with regards to its subject matter, though, it's just not very well written. Copious editing mistakes aside (the occasional typo I can overlook, but there were a LOT of comma splices and malformed sentences), the author has a tendency to go off on multi-page tangents that are neither warranted nor necessary. For instance, when he mentions Jennifer Doudna's concern that her role in the discovery of crispr-cas9 is being overshadowed because of her gender, he spends a page and a half talking about how throughout history the accomplishments of female scientists have been minimized in favor of giving their male colleagues all the credit. Most egregious of all, however, was when a reference to Mary Shelley's Frankenstein turned into a six-page literary analysis of the book complete with a full plot summary, an examination of its themes, and an explanation of the social and cultural events of the day that shaped Shelley's life and influenced her writing. He does this seemingly to make the case for the book's title, but he could just as easily have jumped from "...it was Mary Shelley, who better than any other, captured its essence" on page 199 to "[nearly 200 years later], it sunk in how Shelley's vision had anticipated a reality of our times" on page 206 and nothing would have been lost.
Each chapter often feels like it was written with the option of being published separately from the rest of the book. Various terms are defined and described every time they come up, even if you just read about them in a previous chapter (or, in at least one case, three pages earlier). The author provides very little of his own opinions on the subject, instead merely quoting other scientists (and sometimes activists) on their opinions. There is similarly very little speculation as to the potential uses or ramifications of crispr-cas9 except to provide a handful of thoughts already posed by other scientists.
I can't say that nothing about it was interesting, but those bits came between a meandering narrative that jumped back and forth chronologically (and not always clearly) that often spent far more time on multiple examples of the uses of older forms of genetic engineering than on topics of more modern relevance.
I'm not really sure there's any category of people to whom I would recommend this book. Those interested in crispr-cas9 should absolutely look elsewhere because this book barely scratches the surface. At the same time, those interested in the history of genetic engineering should also look elsewhere because I'm quite certain there are several other books that are probably written much better than this one.
September 20, 2016
You all remember how in original Modern Prometheus (or Frankenstein by Mary Shelley), a young scientist creates a grotesque but sapient creature in an unorthodox scientific experiment. Kozubek's book Modern Prometheus: Editing the Human Genome with Crispr-Cas9 describes how soon we could change our genes and become something a bit different. But is it ethical?
I enjoyed reading this book, topic of it was highly interesting. Cas9. Small word, big meaning. Cas 9 is a protein that can cut pieces of our DNA or otherwise edit it. The stories of numerous scientists involved in gene editing were good.
I found this book a bit difficult. If I hadn't been familiar with this topic, I would have found this slightly hard to understand. Also, I think sometimes there was too much of historical context and too many introductions that weren't that essential. Still a good read.
Thank you Cambridge University Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed reading this book, topic of it was highly interesting. Cas9. Small word, big meaning. Cas 9 is a protein that can cut pieces of our DNA or otherwise edit it. The stories of numerous scientists involved in gene editing were good.
I found this book a bit difficult. If I hadn't been familiar with this topic, I would have found this slightly hard to understand. Also, I think sometimes there was too much of historical context and too many introductions that weren't that essential. Still a good read.
Thank you Cambridge University Press and Netgalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 27, 2020
Modern Prometheus gives a technical and thorough introduction to the gene-editing technique CRISPR-Cas9, but at times meanders. See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2017...
October 5, 2016
A comprehensive, up-to-date look at genetic modification
I enjoyed this book because it is an up-to-date look at genetic modification. It explains all the major methods including zinc finger technology, TALENS and CRISPR-Cas9. However, a prior knowledge of biology is required to understand a lot of what author Jim Kozubek discusses. His discussions are comprehensive and he gets a lot of his materials through interviews. This is very interesting but some of the quotes are so long I forgot who he was interviewing. Sometimes he goes into too much detail and I would see the trees, not the forest. Kozubek also takes several detours that detract from the book. His discussion of Chomsky was incomprehensible and his discussion of Mary Shelley was interesting but largely irrelevant. His dives into philosophy were equally unappealing. However his discussions of the potential for gene editing and the ethical and legal implications were very good. Overall, despite the faults, I can recommend this book to anyone with a background in biology who wants to learn more about the subject.
Disclosure: I received this book free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I enjoyed this book because it is an up-to-date look at genetic modification. It explains all the major methods including zinc finger technology, TALENS and CRISPR-Cas9. However, a prior knowledge of biology is required to understand a lot of what author Jim Kozubek discusses. His discussions are comprehensive and he gets a lot of his materials through interviews. This is very interesting but some of the quotes are so long I forgot who he was interviewing. Sometimes he goes into too much detail and I would see the trees, not the forest. Kozubek also takes several detours that detract from the book. His discussion of Chomsky was incomprehensible and his discussion of Mary Shelley was interesting but largely irrelevant. His dives into philosophy were equally unappealing. However his discussions of the potential for gene editing and the ethical and legal implications were very good. Overall, despite the faults, I can recommend this book to anyone with a background in biology who wants to learn more about the subject.
Disclosure: I received this book free via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
November 14, 2016
"A solid introduction to the current state of affairs." (Science)
"A truly remarkable job of getting the nuances right, while dodging through the minefields between enthusiasm and easy dismissal." (George Church, Harvard)
"A wonderful, rewarding and easily read book." (David Baltimore, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
"usefully pushes the discussion beyond obvious designer-baby concerns to the technique's limitations, and its broader implications for agriculture and the commercialization of science." (Nature)
"A truly remarkable job of getting the nuances right, while dodging through the minefields between enthusiasm and easy dismissal." (George Church, Harvard)
"A wonderful, rewarding and easily read book." (David Baltimore, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine)
"usefully pushes the discussion beyond obvious designer-baby concerns to the technique's limitations, and its broader implications for agriculture and the commercialization of science." (Nature)
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews