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Hacking the Code of Life: How gene editing will rewrite our futures
基因編輯將會改變我們的未來，
但我們準備好了嗎？
◎繼《基因編輯大革命》之後，全面了解基因編輯的道德難題
◎《表觀遺傳大革命》作者奈莎‧卡雷最新力作
從基因改造到基因編輯
基因改造發展至今50年來，在農業上已經有相當大的應用，市面上也可以找到很多基因改造大豆、玉米等等產品。近年發現的CRISPR系統則提供了更準確的基因編輯工具，可以針對任意生物的單一基因做刪除和修改，效率更是有爆炸性的進步。除了針對農作物，這項技術甚至可以應用在醫學上，永久的修改人類的基因組成。
躍上焦點的CRISPR
2018年，中國生物學家賀建奎透過基因編輯技術改造了一對雙胞胎的基因，並宣稱這一對雙胞胎未來會對愛滋病具有免疫力。這個事件引起了生物學界和國際社會的軒然大波，其中應用的 CRISPR 技術也躍上檯面成為新聞熱議的焦點。2020年，道納和夏本提爾因為發現了CRISPR系統而獲頒諾貝爾化學獎。但到底什麼是CRISPR？基因編輯又會對我們的生活帶來什麼樣的影響？
我們是否真的準備好迎接這個改變人類的重要技術？
如同2018年轟動一時的基因編輯雙胞胎，像這樣修改會一代一代流傳的基因是可以接受的嗎？誰又能決定哪些應用是可以接受的？《表觀遺傳大革命》作者奈莎‧卡雷將要在這本書中從原理、應用到未來的道德思辨帶我們全面探索基因編輯這個改變我們生活的重要技術。
學界推薦
王道還 生物人類學者
黃貞祥 國立清華大學生命科學系助理教授
但我們準備好了嗎？
◎繼《基因編輯大革命》之後，全面了解基因編輯的道德難題
◎《表觀遺傳大革命》作者奈莎‧卡雷最新力作
從基因改造到基因編輯
基因改造發展至今50年來，在農業上已經有相當大的應用，市面上也可以找到很多基因改造大豆、玉米等等產品。近年發現的CRISPR系統則提供了更準確的基因編輯工具，可以針對任意生物的單一基因做刪除和修改，效率更是有爆炸性的進步。除了針對農作物，這項技術甚至可以應用在醫學上，永久的修改人類的基因組成。
躍上焦點的CRISPR
2018年，中國生物學家賀建奎透過基因編輯技術改造了一對雙胞胎的基因，並宣稱這一對雙胞胎未來會對愛滋病具有免疫力。這個事件引起了生物學界和國際社會的軒然大波，其中應用的 CRISPR 技術也躍上檯面成為新聞熱議的焦點。2020年，道納和夏本提爾因為發現了CRISPR系統而獲頒諾貝爾化學獎。但到底什麼是CRISPR？基因編輯又會對我們的生活帶來什麼樣的影響？
我們是否真的準備好迎接這個改變人類的重要技術？
如同2018年轟動一時的基因編輯雙胞胎，像這樣修改會一代一代流傳的基因是可以接受的嗎？誰又能決定哪些應用是可以接受的？《表觀遺傳大革命》作者奈莎‧卡雷將要在這本書中從原理、應用到未來的道德思辨帶我們全面探索基因編輯這個改變我們生活的重要技術。
學界推薦
王道還 生物人類學者
黃貞祥 國立清華大學生命科學系助理教授
192 pages, Paperback
Published July 2, 2020
66 people are currently reading
961 people want to read
About the author
Nessa Carey
15 books208 followersNessa Carey has a virology PhD from the University of Edinburgh and is a former Senior Lecturer in Molecular Biology at Imperial College, London. She worked in the biotech and pharmaceutical industry for thirteen years and now splits her professional time between providing consultancy services to some of the UK's leading research institutions, and training people around the world in how to create benefits for society from basic research. She lives in Norfolk and is a Visiting Professor at Imperial College.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
March 22, 2019
Nessa Carey has proved consistently effective in putting across the next generation (as it were) aspects of genetics that take as far beyond the selfish gene. We've had The Epigenetics Revolution and Junk DNA on the aspects of genetics where genes are switched on and off, and looking at the parts of DNA that don't code for genes. Now, with Hacking the Code of Life, we come from the natural side to human intervention - the ability to edit the genome and the implications of this ability.
In the past we've seen rather hysterical responses to gene editing, whether it's campaigns against genetically modified organisms that have prevented life-saving developments and wider availability of food, or dramatic predictions of disaster. Carey gives us a more balanced picture. She doesn't play down the risks - but all technology comes with risk. Use of fire might have been one of the greatest steps forward in human development, but it can also kill people. We had to learn to control it and regulate it, and the same goes for gene editing.
In this slim volume, Carey takes us through the mechanics of making modifications to the genome, from the early crude mechanisms to the remarkable precision of CRISPR - which is where things really begin to take off for the future.
The book covers medical applications, the potential transformation of agriculture (surely it's time for the EU to get its act together on GM, which is very different now with these new technologies? - and let's face we've been genetically modifying crops since the beginning of agriculture), animal applications and whether or not we should actively modify ourself, not just to deal with illnesses but to enhance the human species.
All this is packed into a 160-page book (excluding notes), which is a welcome relief after the tendency to produced vast, over-written popular science titles. This is the kind of book that should be issued to every politician and civil servant involved in these kind of processes as a background read - short enough to have time to get through it, but detailed enough to really make the reader think and have a clear picture of what's involved. CRISPR has been around for a little while now and we've been lacking a concise book that covers its implications - we've got that now in this excellent title.
In the past we've seen rather hysterical responses to gene editing, whether it's campaigns against genetically modified organisms that have prevented life-saving developments and wider availability of food, or dramatic predictions of disaster. Carey gives us a more balanced picture. She doesn't play down the risks - but all technology comes with risk. Use of fire might have been one of the greatest steps forward in human development, but it can also kill people. We had to learn to control it and regulate it, and the same goes for gene editing.
In this slim volume, Carey takes us through the mechanics of making modifications to the genome, from the early crude mechanisms to the remarkable precision of CRISPR - which is where things really begin to take off for the future.
The book covers medical applications, the potential transformation of agriculture (surely it's time for the EU to get its act together on GM, which is very different now with these new technologies? - and let's face we've been genetically modifying crops since the beginning of agriculture), animal applications and whether or not we should actively modify ourself, not just to deal with illnesses but to enhance the human species.
All this is packed into a 160-page book (excluding notes), which is a welcome relief after the tendency to produced vast, over-written popular science titles. This is the kind of book that should be issued to every politician and civil servant involved in these kind of processes as a background read - short enough to have time to get through it, but detailed enough to really make the reader think and have a clear picture of what's involved. CRISPR has been around for a little while now and we've been lacking a concise book that covers its implications - we've got that now in this excellent title.
December 22, 2019
জিন এডিটিং — কৃত্রিম উপায়ে ডিএনএ পরিবর্তন — সাম্প্রতিক কালের রোমাঞ্চকর এক আবিষ্কার। আসলে এডিটিং প্রযুক্তি আগেও ছিলো, তবে সাম্প্রতিক কালে (২০১২) এর অভূতপূর্ব উন্নতি হয়েছে, যা সহজেই প্রায় সকল জীবের ক্ষেত্রে প্রয়োগ করা যায়। অন্যভাবে বললে, বর্তমান প্রযুক্তি আসলে ১৯৯৭ সালের GATTACA সিনেমার বৈজ্ঞানিক কল্পকাহিনী বাস্তবায়ন করার চাবিকাঠি। এর মাধ্যমে ধানসহ বিভিন্ন শস্যের উচ্চ-ফলনশীল জাত যেমন বের করা যায়, তেমনি মানব ইতিহাসের দূরারোগ্য কঠিন অনেক রোগ দূর করা যেতে পারে। আবার একইসাথে মারাত্মক জৈব-রাসায়নিক মারণাস্ত্রও তৈরি করা সম্ভব। সবচেয়ে ভয়ের বিষয় হলো, এর অজানা সব পার্শ্ব-প্রতিক্রিয়া, যা এমনকি বৈশ্বিক খাদ্যচক্র ভেঙ্গে দেয়ার ক্ষমতা রাখতে পারে। এমনই গুরুত্বপূর্ণ সব স্বাস্থ্য-সম্পর্কিত, অর্থনৈতিক, সামাজিক, রাজনৈতিক ও নৈতিক বিষয় জড়িত আছে জিন এডিটিং-এর সাথে। তাই মানব সভ্যতা ও সমস্ত জীবজগতের স্বার্থেই আমাদের সিদ্ধান্ত নিতে হবে এ শক্তিশালী প্রযুক্তিকে আমরা কীভাবে ব্যবহার করতে পারি। খুবই সহজবোধ্য আর সাবলীল এ বই আমাদের পরিচয় করিয়ে দেয় জিন এডিটিং-এর আশাপ্রদ ও আশংকাজনক উভয় দিকের সাথে।
July 20, 2019
Every book Nessa Carey writes gets progressively dumber and less educating than the last. Epigenetics Revolution was AMAZING, Junk DNA was GREAT. This book was NOT HER BEST WORK. Do not read it if it is your first introduction to her works. Her previous two books were literally textbook level details formatted into an entertaining book with useful analogies that help you understand molecular biology. This was an article that she added old text from her past books into to make it 165 pages. You wont learn anything from ths.
July 18, 2019
"Ethical and legal frameworks rarely develop best when created under time pressure, so it's important that the issues are considered well in advance of widespread implementation"
At only 160 pages, I think anyone with an opinion on the subject (which is probably everyone) should read this. There aren't answers in this book and Carey isn't trying to influence one way or the other. But she presents scenarios, pros and cons, and the questions that need to be considered for thoughtful regulation.
There's enough history and biology to make sure everyone is on the same foot without being too technical or patronizing to lay people.
At only 160 pages, I think anyone with an opinion on the subject (which is probably everyone) should read this. There aren't answers in this book and Carey isn't trying to influence one way or the other. But she presents scenarios, pros and cons, and the questions that need to be considered for thoughtful regulation.
There's enough history and biology to make sure everyone is on the same foot without being too technical or patronizing to lay people.
April 22, 2020
If you are curious about Gene Editing but don't want to be overwhelmed with scientific jargon, this might be the way to go.
The complex topic of gene editing is present here in a highly accessible and understandable way, so simple a 5 grader could understand it.
The author has provided us with plenty of citations to back up what they are researching, which I found handy when I wanted to delve into the topic more.
I found this quite enjoyable and easy to understand.
3 stars.
A great introductory to the topic.
The complex topic of gene editing is present here in a highly accessible and understandable way, so simple a 5 grader could understand it.
The author has provided us with plenty of citations to back up what they are researching, which I found handy when I wanted to delve into the topic more.
I found this quite enjoyable and easy to understand.
3 stars.
A great introductory to the topic.
August 24, 2020
Nessa Carey has written an introductory, some-what opinionated, easy-to-understand, and rather short book about gene editing. She covers the basics of the technique, the history, the advantages and occasionally the disadvantages, in terms of medical uses, with several examples. The book is interesting and informative, but I really wished for more technical details.
June 3, 2021
Definitely an informative book. Brings everyone up to date (as much as is possible in a fast moving field such as this can be done in a published book). The author shoots straight on a variety of topics within the field of genetic editing. Includes many examples in an assortment of areas such as plant life, insects, reptiles, mammals and of course humans - where DNA editing has already been successfully used. Sometimes with good and sometimes with not so good results. A must read for those of us who are interested in this field but can't or don't want to wade through all the technical jargon in Cell. The future of DNA editing is exciting and somewhat alarming but I'm sure Carey will keep us all posted on a regular basis.
November 22, 2019
You unfortunately have to be possessed by leftist propaganda, a non-individual or probably a sexist feminist or an alarmist to enjoy this book. So if that’s you. This one would suit you better. Now on for my search for a technical book, one compatible to the coding books written by hackers and that got me involved in coding when I was 9. One that doesn’t try to complain about ethics from a perspective that lacks depth in technical understanding and scope of vision to simulate all outcomes. We never had journalists, politicians and academics informing our ethics or direction in the original Information Age and technology revolution that followed, hackers did that. So I really don’t understand why they now think they can add any value to the ethical discussions for AI or BioTeck and genetic hacking. Apart from that there are some things I learned from the book. So I’m not saying don’t read it. I just hope you have your mental antivirus filter updated and switched to be-vigilant mode when you do.
May 2, 2021
Short and to the point.
This brief overview of gene editing is a nice introduction to the field.
That being said.
I read it directly after Walter Isaacson’s The Code Breaker (on the same subject) and there is no contest which is the superior book.
Albeit, Isaacson’s tome was three times as long.
If you had to chose between the two.
Pick The Code Breaker.
But if you want a quick, tidy, easy primer.
This one will do nicely.
Bearing all of that in mind.
I’ll give this a respectable 3.5 😀😀😀.😐
This brief overview of gene editing is a nice introduction to the field.
That being said.
I read it directly after Walter Isaacson’s The Code Breaker (on the same subject) and there is no contest which is the superior book.
Albeit, Isaacson’s tome was three times as long.
If you had to chose between the two.
Pick The Code Breaker.
But if you want a quick, tidy, easy primer.
This one will do nicely.
Bearing all of that in mind.
I’ll give this a respectable 3.5 😀😀😀.😐
July 30, 2020
Hacking the Code of Life é uma leitura leve e divertida. Embora o meu campo de atuação seja paleontologia, genética e biologia molecular são uma "minor passion", por assim dizer. Eu recomendaria esse livro não para quem quer aprender os por menores das técnicas de edição genômica (não, o livro definitivamente não é sobre isso. E nem pretendia ser, como se pode imaginar pelo título), mas para aqueles que querem compreender a razão de tanto reboliço por conta de moléculas.
É um livro que, por meio de vários exemplos, mostra o poder das técnicas de edição genômica/gênica e como elas podem, parafraseando o subtítulo, reescrever o nosso futuro. Por exemplo, há dezenas de milhares de doenças que podem ter sua cura logo ali no horizonte graças a essas novas técnicas. Além disso, também podemos melhorar nossas culturas, para torná-las mais produtivas e, porque não, nutritivas.
Mas, para além de doenças e alimentação, a edição gênica também nos permite abordar grandes questões evolutivas, antes quase impossíveis de se responder. Novas formas de se surpreender com a diversidade e versatilidade da natureza estão sendo desveladas, dos genes que regulam as cores e os padrões de coloração nas asas de borboletas, até os segredos da regeneração dos axolotes. O futuro parece promissor. Contudo, o livro não peca em reconhecer que nem tudo são flores. Sempre que oportuno, os dilemas éticos são ressaltados. Ah, e também a oposição muitas vezes estúpida de grupos anti-OGMs e organismos modificados via gene editing.
Pontos negativos, mas bem bobos:
- A autora propaga do mito dos 50% do genoma humano igual ao das bananas (e ainda faz uma ressalva sobre isso que não diz nada com nada se não é explicado)
- Propaga o mito dos 100 bilhões de neurônios
- Embora não mencione diretamente, as ideias da Carey sobre Junk DNA não são as melhores, digamos assim.
É um livro que, por meio de vários exemplos, mostra o poder das técnicas de edição genômica/gênica e como elas podem, parafraseando o subtítulo, reescrever o nosso futuro. Por exemplo, há dezenas de milhares de doenças que podem ter sua cura logo ali no horizonte graças a essas novas técnicas. Além disso, também podemos melhorar nossas culturas, para torná-las mais produtivas e, porque não, nutritivas.
Mas, para além de doenças e alimentação, a edição gênica também nos permite abordar grandes questões evolutivas, antes quase impossíveis de se responder. Novas formas de se surpreender com a diversidade e versatilidade da natureza estão sendo desveladas, dos genes que regulam as cores e os padrões de coloração nas asas de borboletas, até os segredos da regeneração dos axolotes. O futuro parece promissor. Contudo, o livro não peca em reconhecer que nem tudo são flores. Sempre que oportuno, os dilemas éticos são ressaltados. Ah, e também a oposição muitas vezes estúpida de grupos anti-OGMs e organismos modificados via gene editing.
Pontos negativos, mas bem bobos:
- A autora propaga do mito dos 50% do genoma humano igual ao das bananas (e ainda faz uma ressalva sobre isso que não diz nada com nada se não é explicado)
- Propaga o mito dos 100 bilhões de neurônios
- Embora não mencione diretamente, as ideias da Carey sobre Junk DNA não são as melhores, digamos assim.
April 23, 2020
Hacking the Code of Life was definitely written for the popular media and in a tone and writing style that is accessible to even those without a science background. Carey lays out the history of gene-editing in a clear and engaging way, though, at times her biases and simplification are distracting. My favorite chapter was on gene-editing mosquitos. I’d recommend this for a quick overview on an emerging health topic but not as a deep in depth review.
August 9, 2021
This book was a rich source of inspiration while I was writing “The Last Beekeeper.” Carey communicates complicated science in clear and easy-to-understand ways that make sense to the layperson. Covers the history of gene editing, the major concepts and techniques, the issues and dilemmas involved in editing food and animals and humans, the risks, the ethics, and the opportunities. I found the information on germline gene editing especially fascinating – where changes in the DNA sequence will be inherited by offspring. Strongly recommend for anybody interested in gene editing.
October 22, 2019
I think the description of the CRISPR mechanism was very good. Some of the examples of the potential applications of the technique, especially the ones for human diseases, some might already be familiar with since they're single point mutations (e.g. thalassemia, sickle cell anemia etc). All in all, very informative and an easy read.
March 9, 2020
Good intro to gene editing and CRISPR.
July 24, 2021
A quick read (like 2-3 hours) which brings you quickly up to date on CRISPR topics. I finished my molecular bio degree in 2007 and it is amazing to read about the advances since that time!
January 27, 2021
Nessa Carey previously wrote 2 amazing books; 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘌𝘱𝘪𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 and 𝘑𝘶𝘯𝘬 𝘋𝘕𝘈. In her third book, 𝘏𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦, she provides an overview of gene editing from a variety of perspectives: biological, economic, ethical, and legal and discusses its applications in many areas.
The book consists of 10 chapters that go through the history of gene editing, a little bit of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology, and the applications of gene editing in the food and animal industries, medicine, and mosquito control. The book also discusses germline gene editing (editing the genome in the embryological state), safety and ethical considerations, and the legal battles over patents of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology.
Nessa Carey is one of my favourite authors; her writing style is clear, accessible, and engaging. In 𝘏𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦, she discusses important societal, ethical, regulatory, and economic ramifications and addresses access and delivery issues and “key factors” that influence the success of gene editing. My one complaint about this book is that it lacked depth and scientific detail. Based on her previous 2 books, the author is a talented science writer who can clearly explain textbook-level molecular biology concepts for general readers. I wish she had done the same in this book. Compared to her previous books, this one is slim and barely scratches the surface with regards to the science of gene editing.
Nevertheless, this is a well-written book that gives a general overview of gene editing and its economic, societal, ethical, and legal implications. I highly recommend it to readers interested in these topics without delving deeper into the scientific details of gene editing.
The book consists of 10 chapters that go through the history of gene editing, a little bit of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology, and the applications of gene editing in the food and animal industries, medicine, and mosquito control. The book also discusses germline gene editing (editing the genome in the embryological state), safety and ethical considerations, and the legal battles over patents of the CRISPR-Cas9 technology.
Nessa Carey is one of my favourite authors; her writing style is clear, accessible, and engaging. In 𝘏𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦, she discusses important societal, ethical, regulatory, and economic ramifications and addresses access and delivery issues and “key factors” that influence the success of gene editing. My one complaint about this book is that it lacked depth and scientific detail. Based on her previous 2 books, the author is a talented science writer who can clearly explain textbook-level molecular biology concepts for general readers. I wish she had done the same in this book. Compared to her previous books, this one is slim and barely scratches the surface with regards to the science of gene editing.
Nevertheless, this is a well-written book that gives a general overview of gene editing and its economic, societal, ethical, and legal implications. I highly recommend it to readers interested in these topics without delving deeper into the scientific details of gene editing.
September 20, 2024
I started the book with high expectations - after all gene editing is even more intriguing a subject than Epigenetics (which was the subject of Nessa Carey’s first book and one of my favourites) - but it missed the mark completely.
It fails to go deep into the science (a missed opportunity for an author who has the knack of presenting complex biological processes in a simple language) and even fails to capture the thrill, the emotions, the wonder that is so much a part of the gene editing journey…
The book ends up being a high level introduction to gene editing - talks of the many possibilities, compares it with earlier techniques (especially in terms of its precision, versatility and ease of use), describes the risks, and raises the questions - ethical, social and political…
The underlying message is that the positives outweigh the risks - it uses examples, across the board from plants, animals to humans to show the power of what gene editing could deliver - from increasing crop yield, making plants or livestock disease resistant, to eliminating invasive species for balancing bio ecosystems, to possibilities of cost effective solutions for pharmaceutical drugs, and treating human genetic disorders… to the ultimate application (and the risk) of changing human germline for ever… the author suggests that given the immense potential, the need is to approach gene editing with caution but hope, setup supporting frameworks with the right degree of control, regulation and transparency to channelise this new technique for the benefit of all…
It’s a short book, easy to read but not stimulating or inspiring.
It fails to go deep into the science (a missed opportunity for an author who has the knack of presenting complex biological processes in a simple language) and even fails to capture the thrill, the emotions, the wonder that is so much a part of the gene editing journey…
The book ends up being a high level introduction to gene editing - talks of the many possibilities, compares it with earlier techniques (especially in terms of its precision, versatility and ease of use), describes the risks, and raises the questions - ethical, social and political…
The underlying message is that the positives outweigh the risks - it uses examples, across the board from plants, animals to humans to show the power of what gene editing could deliver - from increasing crop yield, making plants or livestock disease resistant, to eliminating invasive species for balancing bio ecosystems, to possibilities of cost effective solutions for pharmaceutical drugs, and treating human genetic disorders… to the ultimate application (and the risk) of changing human germline for ever… the author suggests that given the immense potential, the need is to approach gene editing with caution but hope, setup supporting frameworks with the right degree of control, regulation and transparency to channelise this new technique for the benefit of all…
It’s a short book, easy to read but not stimulating or inspiring.
April 17, 2020
DO NOT READ THIS BOOK IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST INTRODUCTION TO THE AUTHOR
this was NOT her best work, Junk DNA and epigenetics revolution were amazing, this was a sloppy arrangement of 165pages that was so dumbed down I couldn’t finish it.
My guess is that she has spent too much time on Twitter and that the hyperpolarized political environment of twitter somehow induced* her into an ideologically possessed preachy elitist bourgeoise who wanted to use her alleged book about gene editing to give working class retail employees a hard time for eating a hamburger.
Yet another great author lost to us by twitter, when will it stop ?
this was NOT her best work, Junk DNA and epigenetics revolution were amazing, this was a sloppy arrangement of 165pages that was so dumbed down I couldn’t finish it.
My guess is that she has spent too much time on Twitter and that the hyperpolarized political environment of twitter somehow induced* her into an ideologically possessed preachy elitist bourgeoise who wanted to use her alleged book about gene editing to give working class retail employees a hard time for eating a hamburger.
Yet another great author lost to us by twitter, when will it stop ?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2019
Was Nessa Carey on a train when writing this? Probably! as this book, which appears to be a quick response to a Chinese scientist's stint, failed to get in the depth. Strength of Epigenetics Revolution over other related books was abundance of technical dose - which this book clearly lacked. But as like every other book, I am grateful to the author for I learnt few new things which I didn't know before and hoping for a much better, expanded edition soon.
August 16, 2021
Gene editing for people in a hurry – Hacking the Code of Life distils this complex topic into an excellent introduction for a general audience. See my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2019...
February 28, 2024
I was disappointed by this book. I loved Carey's earlier book "The Epigenetics Revolution" and ranked it with five stars. What I liked most about that earlier book was its technical depth: It was clear that Carey is not a popular-science journalist, but a real researcher in this area of genetics and biology, with an excellent grasp of the technical details and an excellent ability to explain them, and she used her knowledge and ability to the fullest in her previous book.
Unfortunately, none of this knowledge and explanation abilities seemed to have been used to write *this* book, about gene editing. The books is short (half the length of The Epigenetics Revolution), and mostly filled with stories of various examples of gene editing that seem to be written at the level of popular-science journal articles, not an in-depth book about biology. Unfortunately, many of these stories aren't even very interesting and don't come out (in my opinion) with any coherent message or overall progression. Much of the text is about philosophical and moral implications of genetic modification, a topic which I care less about than the biology - however, perhaps this book can be great for people who do care more about these issues!
One thing which struck a nerve with me is that the blurb of the book mentioned "CRISPR", a name which I have heard in the past and was looking forward to finally understand how it works exactly (just like "The Epigenetics Revolution" helped me understand a lot of things). But I was dismayed when I realized that although the name "CRISPR" is mentioned a couple of times in the book, it is never explained what it is, how it works, or even what the acronym means. I had to use Google to discover it is "Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats", and then I understood that some technology very vaguely explained in the book and mentions "repeats" probably refers to this CRISPR... But I would have liked to see a much better, much longer, description of this technology if it was important enough to be mentioned on the blurb. Carey could have added a hundred pages to describe CRISPR and other biological and technological details, and this book would still have been shorter than her previous book.
Unfortunately, none of this knowledge and explanation abilities seemed to have been used to write *this* book, about gene editing. The books is short (half the length of The Epigenetics Revolution), and mostly filled with stories of various examples of gene editing that seem to be written at the level of popular-science journal articles, not an in-depth book about biology. Unfortunately, many of these stories aren't even very interesting and don't come out (in my opinion) with any coherent message or overall progression. Much of the text is about philosophical and moral implications of genetic modification, a topic which I care less about than the biology - however, perhaps this book can be great for people who do care more about these issues!
One thing which struck a nerve with me is that the blurb of the book mentioned "CRISPR", a name which I have heard in the past and was looking forward to finally understand how it works exactly (just like "The Epigenetics Revolution" helped me understand a lot of things). But I was dismayed when I realized that although the name "CRISPR" is mentioned a couple of times in the book, it is never explained what it is, how it works, or even what the acronym means. I had to use Google to discover it is "Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats", and then I understood that some technology very vaguely explained in the book and mentions "repeats" probably refers to this CRISPR... But I would have liked to see a much better, much longer, description of this technology if it was important enough to be mentioned on the blurb. Carey could have added a hundred pages to describe CRISPR and other biological and technological details, and this book would still have been shorter than her previous book.
September 21, 2024
Ciężko mi stwierdzić co myślę o tej ksiazce. Jestem noowa jeśli chodzi o biotechnologie i tylko od kilku miesięcy uczę się o genetyce. Jednak bardzo mnie interesuje ta działka i myślę właśnie o studiach biotechnologicznych dlatego po nią sięgłam 🙂↕️
Szczerze po tytule, miałam oczekiwania, które nie były niestety spełnione. Oczekiwałam, że będę bardziej wgłębiona w same procesy GM a nie co można z tym zrobić, bo to jest kolejny jakby etap. Czemu mam się dowiadywać, że naukowcy wyłączyli dany gen, dzięki czemu np zwalczają malarię, jeśli nawet nie wiem jak to zrobili. ;((
Kolejnym problemem było dla mnie to, że autorka odzywała się do nas jako czytelników, alee nie potrafiła ładnie przechodzić z tematu do tematu. Może to orzez to, że angielski nie jest moim ojczystym językiem, ale po prostu czułam, że te tematy były odcięte od siebie.
🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
Jakby rozumiem, że tutaj w książce chodziło o wprowadzenie do biotechnologii, wszystkie ważne wydarzenia i odkrycia, ale nie było to tak mocno zatytuowane?? Jeśli mogę tak to powiedzieć. Szczerze, po prostu nie wiedziałam o czym czytam czasami i dlaczego i w ogóle jaki jest zamysł na tą książkę.
Nie zmienia jednak to wszystko faktu, że wszystkie wydarzenia, były dobrze wytłumaczone, a niektóre rzeczy, które już znałam i tak fajne były wyjaśniane dla osób, które może w ogóle nie miały styczności z GM.
Bardzo dużo strasznie ciekawych rzeczy się dowiedziałam, np tego, że komórki roślin mają po 6 chromosomow, a ludzie tylko 2, dlatego tak ciężko jest je modyfikować.
Fajnie było poznać cała historię biotechnologii i mapowania genów i innych podobnych rzeczy. 🥰❤️🩹
Nadal myślę, że dla osoby, która chce się wdrążyć w ten świat jest to dobra książka, więc overall polecam 🤍🤍
Szczerze po tytule, miałam oczekiwania, które nie były niestety spełnione. Oczekiwałam, że będę bardziej wgłębiona w same procesy GM a nie co można z tym zrobić, bo to jest kolejny jakby etap. Czemu mam się dowiadywać, że naukowcy wyłączyli dany gen, dzięki czemu np zwalczają malarię, jeśli nawet nie wiem jak to zrobili. ;((
Kolejnym problemem było dla mnie to, że autorka odzywała się do nas jako czytelników, alee nie potrafiła ładnie przechodzić z tematu do tematu. Może to orzez to, że angielski nie jest moim ojczystym językiem, ale po prostu czułam, że te tematy były odcięte od siebie.
🤷♀️🤷♀️🤷♀️
Jakby rozumiem, że tutaj w książce chodziło o wprowadzenie do biotechnologii, wszystkie ważne wydarzenia i odkrycia, ale nie było to tak mocno zatytuowane?? Jeśli mogę tak to powiedzieć. Szczerze, po prostu nie wiedziałam o czym czytam czasami i dlaczego i w ogóle jaki jest zamysł na tą książkę.
Nie zmienia jednak to wszystko faktu, że wszystkie wydarzenia, były dobrze wytłumaczone, a niektóre rzeczy, które już znałam i tak fajne były wyjaśniane dla osób, które może w ogóle nie miały styczności z GM.
Bardzo dużo strasznie ciekawych rzeczy się dowiedziałam, np tego, że komórki roślin mają po 6 chromosomow, a ludzie tylko 2, dlatego tak ciężko jest je modyfikować.
Fajnie było poznać cała historię biotechnologii i mapowania genów i innych podobnych rzeczy. 🥰❤️🩹
Nadal myślę, że dla osoby, która chce się wdrążyć w ten świat jest to dobra książka, więc overall polecam 🤍🤍
October 19, 2025
With this book I've come to learn not to trust the goodreads ratings with controversial scientific topics. That's the only thing that I could come up with when trying to find a reason behind the low rating. As I have listened to numerous books on gene editing and so far this has been the best in ways of dumbing this complicated topic down to an ELI5 level. And it has detailed it from all angles, particularly what is reasonable to expect from this tech and what is not. So you don't keep your hopes up that you would be able to get to pick your future kid's eye color. But I presume you would pick from IVF candidates but not influence a single being's genes that way as too many variables are responsible for it. There is considerable amount of text on what kind of illnesses or diseases are curable with this technology and what kind is not a good candidate. So I've learned a lot despite having already read a lot about CRISPR. But all the examples were really spot on in this one and I can recommend it to anyone who is interested. Also, this was comprehensive despite being short. I listened it on 1.5x speed but it took longer than the actual length. And it is only possible via lots of rewinds. And I only rewind when there is something interesting that I need to hear again. So in a sense I half-revisited this book while I was listening to it as it was so interesting that I wanted to pay 100% attention to most of the things she wrote. Really, it was almost transformational how all these topics were finally enlightened in my mind. Real good examples and science. And best of all it was all kept very realistic. Also it was useful to me as an investor. I'm looking forward to her other book, The Epigenetics Revolution.
P.S. Kudos to her for giving credit to Rosalind Franklin, the other, often unnamed discoverer of DNA.
P.S. Kudos to her for giving credit to Rosalind Franklin, the other, often unnamed discoverer of DNA.
May 7, 2025
كتاب اختراق شفرة الحياة للكاتبة د. نيسا كاري،وللمترجم د. علي العتابي.
بما أني في فتراتي السابقة بدأت اهتماماتي بعلم الوراثة والجين بزدياد.. كان هذا اول كتاب علمي أقراه بعد بعض المقالات والدراسات البسيطة في الانترنت.
يتحدث الكتاب وبشكل مختص عن ثورة علم التخلق (the epigenetics revolution)، ركزت اكثر على أداة التحرير الجيني وكيفية تطبيقة على البشر والحيوان والنبات.
هنا شرحت بتفاصيل علمية اكثر ومن يستمتع في علم الهندسة الوراثية سيصاب بالذهول لمدى قدرة تطور علم الجين … هنا سيراودك سؤال لا نعرف اجابته ٫هل التحرر الجيني من العلوم المحرمه؟
في أول فصوله… ( درس في أساسيات الحمض النووي ) شرح مفصل ومختصر ولكن من لديه خلفية علمية سابقة يصبح جميع فصول الكتاب واضحة له.
شرحت نيسا كاري كيف يستهدف المركب (RNA) العامل المهم في التحرير الجيني ،كما ذكرت الاختلاف والتشابه بينه وبين المركب المعروف (DNA) أو الحمض النووي.
اما عن احدى أفكاري البعيدة .. عند قرأتي بأن إجراء تغير هندسي في الجينوم لو بسيط قادر على تغييره إلى ألابد..
هنا تكمن الخطورة فمن الممكن أن التطعيم الذي حصلنا عليه جميعاً ضد فايروس كورونا نوع من أنواع تطبيق التحرير الجيني علينا… لو كان أو لم يكن فأن العلم بسهولة تغيير الجين البشري يفتح لنا رؤية اخرى مرعبة عن مدى جهل الشعوب العربية وغياب علماء عرب في ساحة العلوم الجديدة.
في الفصول القادمة تصبح رؤى الكاتبة وتبلور أفكارها بالوضوح أكثر .. وهذا لا يعنى بطرح خبيث او مسموم بل على العكس كانت بدفاعها عن فكرة تطبيق التحرير الجيني على البشر مباشرة جداً .
ولكن رغم دفاعها الشرس الا أنها قد وضحت مخاطر تطبيقه بشكل تجاري أو كقوة لحرب بيولوجية بلغة شديدة التحذير من العواقب الكارثية التي من الممكن تدمير عالمنا البشري إلى الأبد أو عالم مع جينومات بشرية محسنة بلا أمراض قادرين فيه علي العيش بصحة وتوفير موارد الغذاء بافضل جودة ممكنة، فأنه سلاح ذو حدين فيا ترى بيد من يكون.
عيدة
٧\٥\٢٠٢٥م
بما أني في فتراتي السابقة بدأت اهتماماتي بعلم الوراثة والجين بزدياد.. كان هذا اول كتاب علمي أقراه بعد بعض المقالات والدراسات البسيطة في الانترنت.
يتحدث الكتاب وبشكل مختص عن ثورة علم التخلق (the epigenetics revolution)، ركزت اكثر على أداة التحرير الجيني وكيفية تطبيقة على البشر والحيوان والنبات.
هنا شرحت بتفاصيل علمية اكثر ومن يستمتع في علم الهندسة الوراثية سيصاب بالذهول لمدى قدرة تطور علم الجين … هنا سيراودك سؤال لا نعرف اجابته ٫هل التحرر الجيني من العلوم المحرمه؟
في أول فصوله… ( درس في أساسيات الحمض النووي ) شرح مفصل ومختصر ولكن من لديه خلفية علمية سابقة يصبح جميع فصول الكتاب واضحة له.
شرحت نيسا كاري كيف يستهدف المركب (RNA) العامل المهم في التحرير الجيني ،كما ذكرت الاختلاف والتشابه بينه وبين المركب المعروف (DNA) أو الحمض النووي.
اما عن احدى أفكاري البعيدة .. عند قرأتي بأن إجراء تغير هندسي في الجينوم لو بسيط قادر على تغييره إلى ألابد..
هنا تكمن الخطورة فمن الممكن أن التطعيم الذي حصلنا عليه جميعاً ضد فايروس كورونا نوع من أنواع تطبيق التحرير الجيني علينا… لو كان أو لم يكن فأن العلم بسهولة تغيير الجين البشري يفتح لنا رؤية اخرى مرعبة عن مدى جهل الشعوب العربية وغياب علماء عرب في ساحة العلوم الجديدة.
في الفصول القادمة تصبح رؤى الكاتبة وتبلور أفكارها بالوضوح أكثر .. وهذا لا يعنى بطرح خبيث او مسموم بل على العكس كانت بدفاعها عن فكرة تطبيق التحرير الجيني على البشر مباشرة جداً .
ولكن رغم دفاعها الشرس الا أنها قد وضحت مخاطر تطبيقه بشكل تجاري أو كقوة لحرب بيولوجية بلغة شديدة التحذير من العواقب الكارثية التي من الممكن تدمير عالمنا البشري إلى الأبد أو عالم مع جينومات بشرية محسنة بلا أمراض قادرين فيه علي العيش بصحة وتوفير موارد الغذاء بافضل جودة ممكنة، فأنه سلاح ذو حدين فيا ترى بيد من يكون.
عيدة
٧\٥\٢٠٢٥م
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2022
Hacking the Code of Life is a book mostly about ethics and provides you with a vast list of topics to discuss at a dinner party with the people that know better than to talk about celebrities (my snob hat is firmly on now). Unlike Nessa Carey's other books, this one touches on the actual science only briefly, starting with the history of the gene editing. It follows with some basic principles of the rough bits of the CRISPR technology, which, to my huge disappointment, it concludes with an explanation of a very early technology and a paragraph more or less saying "Today we can do this much better and edit down to single letters." Great, but HOW?!
The rest of this short book describes plethora of applications of gene editing technologies, discussing ethics of their application and occasionally tiredly ridiculing politicians, whose compromise solutions end up being the worst outcome possible. Nessa Carey is firmly in the pro-gene-editing camp, and has arguments. Overall, these chapters cover agriculture, farming and, of course, human medicine applications.
This annoyingly short book might allow you an insight of how non-expert politicians might think. Following a metaphore-laden explanation of cutting edge technologies they are made to decide on the future of these. That said, it will also equip you with fascinating ethical conundrums to entertain while the salmon is served!
The rest of this short book describes plethora of applications of gene editing technologies, discussing ethics of their application and occasionally tiredly ridiculing politicians, whose compromise solutions end up being the worst outcome possible. Nessa Carey is firmly in the pro-gene-editing camp, and has arguments. Overall, these chapters cover agriculture, farming and, of course, human medicine applications.
This annoyingly short book might allow you an insight of how non-expert politicians might think. Following a metaphore-laden explanation of cutting edge technologies they are made to decide on the future of these. That said, it will also equip you with fascinating ethical conundrums to entertain while the salmon is served!
November 11, 2023
I enjoyed this book very much. It really did wonders for my research for the novel I'm writing, Pseudo-immortals. I never knew eyes were independent from the immune system and gene editing were hugely experimented on them. (ahem Hitler) and that gene editing is hard to do on the brain because neurons don't divide. So any edits done on it can't be duplicated or passed on.
So cool to read about the interesting experiments about gene drives, and editing in plants livestock and humans. Not forgetting the kill switches and the fact that there's three parent ivf now. Oh! And the theory of p53, the guardian of the genome where destroys mutations before they become cancer? What if we gene edit dna without p53 present? That's the only way the edits can take place right, if the guardian isn't there? But in the long run, is the host more susceptible to mutations of cancer?
Honestly, human germline editing (editing the embryo) will be the way to go compared to somatic gene editing (postnatal editing). There's too many variables and quite frankly you're too late. I hope no one has to go through natural birth or natural conception in the future. It's just too risky.
Love this book
So cool to read about the interesting experiments about gene drives, and editing in plants livestock and humans. Not forgetting the kill switches and the fact that there's three parent ivf now. Oh! And the theory of p53, the guardian of the genome where destroys mutations before they become cancer? What if we gene edit dna without p53 present? That's the only way the edits can take place right, if the guardian isn't there? But in the long run, is the host more susceptible to mutations of cancer?
Honestly, human germline editing (editing the embryo) will be the way to go compared to somatic gene editing (postnatal editing). There's too many variables and quite frankly you're too late. I hope no one has to go through natural birth or natural conception in the future. It's just too risky.
Love this book
October 13, 2022
Ok gene editing is an esoteric subject meant only for those in the know - right?? Wrong!! Ms.Carey amply illustrates that it is possible to explain even something rather complex like gene editing in a way that a layperson also gets it. Believe me I have chucked away some poorly written books on science after just the 1st chapter. It’s been a while since I came across a book on a subject that is very much relevant even more so now and explained so clearly using the simplest terms possible. The author also adopts a neutral tone while addressing the moral and ethical aspects of gene editing which is remarkable. I for one never knew that a lot of information we read opposing GM foods were not entirely backed by science to validate it. If you want to get a really good understanding about gene editing and it’s limitless possibilities- I suggest read this first and then move on to any other you may have on your list. Clearly proves that it is not just about what but “how” it is delivered and that can make a huge difference between insight and misinformation….Brilliant….
February 23, 2023
Hacking the Code of Life by Nessa Carey is so accessible that you don’t have to be a scientist to fully understand its topic.
This book accomplished what the publishers set out to do, which was to offer a concise, semi-detailed summary of a certain subject. It dives into the earliest stages of genetics study, tracing the history of the subject from the identification of DNA's structure to the present. Then, it describes the operation of the CRISPR-Cas9 system and analyzes the potential applications and ethical dilemmas of using it in fields including biotechnology, agriculture, and medicine.
I appreciate the way Carey addresses the moral and societal ramifications of gene editing, especially worries about possible abuse or unforeseen effects. She gives a fair assessment of the technology, highlighting both the promises and the drawbacks, which made my reading a memorable experience. It's really thought-provoking, and that’s why I'm recommending this to all of you.
This book accomplished what the publishers set out to do, which was to offer a concise, semi-detailed summary of a certain subject. It dives into the earliest stages of genetics study, tracing the history of the subject from the identification of DNA's structure to the present. Then, it describes the operation of the CRISPR-Cas9 system and analyzes the potential applications and ethical dilemmas of using it in fields including biotechnology, agriculture, and medicine.
I appreciate the way Carey addresses the moral and societal ramifications of gene editing, especially worries about possible abuse or unforeseen effects. She gives a fair assessment of the technology, highlighting both the promises and the drawbacks, which made my reading a memorable experience. It's really thought-provoking, and that’s why I'm recommending this to all of you.
October 10, 2024
فكرة "التهجين" والتدخل البشري لصنع نسل مثالي ليست جديدة على البشرية، ومن اهم امثلة ذلك هي المانيا النازية، حيث كان يؤمن هتلر بالعرق النازي والذي اراد ان يكون شعبه ضمن صفات بشرية معينة، لكن العلم الحديث اصبح على خطوة من تحقيق ذلك بصورة مشابهة لافلام الخيال العلمي، وذلك مع تقنية "كريسبر" التي لا تسمح فقط بالتعديل الجيني، بل تسهل العملية وتجعلها اقل تكلفة، حيث من غير المستبعد ان يأتي يوم يكون لدينا "كتالوج" عند ولادة اي طفل، فنختار طوله وحجم عضلاته او لون عينيه، وفي الحقيقة ان مثل هذه التقنيات قيد التطبيق بالفعل، حيث نجح التعديل الجيني في مساعدة النباتات على مقاومة الظروف المختلفة، او ان تولد حيوانات مع كمية عضلات اكبر، او ان يتنبأ العلم بوجود امراض وراثية في الطفل، فيساهم من خلال التعديل الجيني من منع هذه الامراض في المستقبل، واهم ما ناقشه الكتاب هو الموقف الفلسفي، وهل من الاخلاقي ان يتدخل الانسان في تعديل الجين الوراثي؟ حيث هناك موانع قانونية ودولية في انحاء العالم، وما زال الموضوع في بداياته.
January 10, 2021
Nessa Carey is a great science writer. This book is about gene editing technology, represented by the precise manipulation of gene sequence through CRISPR technology. It’s language is really fluent and its content accessible to almost anyone interested in this area.
At the beginning, she told the early story about developing technologies for gene editing. Then came the CRISPR, the most up to date precision editing of gene sequences, its applications in plants, animals and even human beings. Then she made some discussion about the safety and ethics of this technology. At the end of this book, she told us the four scientists that were critical for developing this technology, and the fight for fame and fortune related to this technology.
Generally speaking, this book is both interesting and illluminating
At the beginning, she told the early story about developing technologies for gene editing. Then came the CRISPR, the most up to date precision editing of gene sequences, its applications in plants, animals and even human beings. Then she made some discussion about the safety and ethics of this technology. At the end of this book, she told us the four scientists that were critical for developing this technology, and the fight for fame and fortune related to this technology.
Generally speaking, this book is both interesting and illluminating
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