基因社會：從單一個體到群體研究，破解基因的互動關係與人體奧妙之謎

by Itai Yanai, 潘震澤 (Translator)

接軌生醫科技大未來必讀！

　　繼《自私的基因》，新一代科普典範
　　破解基因與基因之間、基因與環境之間的對話內涵

　　◎基因不是個體，基因是一個社會
　　過去四十年來，基因研究有了重大的突破。以往，遺傳學從研究單一或個位數基因的功能入手。現在，研究者卻發現，必須全盤地考量整個基因體的上萬個基因，如何來為我們人體打造出各種組織器官，甚至產生複雜的人類行為，才能解開基因之謎。這就像是發現基因是一個社會，理解社會中的經濟現象必須從宏觀的角度，使用更大量的資料來進行統計模擬，而不能只考量單個人的經濟行為。

　　《基因社會》是以全新的思維，重新建構我們對人體、對遺傳學的認知。

　　以基因社會的觀點，更能解釋：
　　人為什麼會得癌症？
　　人為什麼採取有性繁殖？
　　假如不同人種的基因差異很小，為什麼彼此不能和平相處？
　　人類和猩猩是怎麼演化成不同物種的？
　　人類的語言從何而來？
　　我們為什麼沒有進化出飛行能力？

　　漫漫歷史長河中，基因社會如何演變，社會之間如何分分合合，才創造了今天的人類，與地球上蓬勃的生態系。
　　這是進入「後基因體時代」、「後人類基因圖譜時代」，重新認識人類、認識生命的一本精彩科普書！

本書特色

　　1.以最新的科學研究成果，系統而全面的介紹基因知識與基因體運作的基礎原理。
　　2通過描述基因體在癌細胞、尼安德特人、有性生殖、生命起源中的運作方式，使讀者深刻理解生命的規律。
　　3.多幅詳實的插畫圖表，幫助讀者輕鬆了解抽象的科學概念與邏輯。

各界推薦

　　◎《科學》雜誌、諾貝爾獎得主、史丹佛大學、麻省理工學院生物學教授……等專業推薦

　　清華大學生命科學系助理教授｜黃貞祥　專文導讀
　　中山大學生物科學系副教授｜顏聖紘 審訂
　　臺灣大學生命科學系教授｜于宏燦
生物人類學家｜王道還
　　前中研院院長‧中研院院士｜翁啟惠
　　泛科知識公司知識長｜鄭國威

　　「作者以通俗的比喻方式，解說多個基因共同決定生物的生命特質，包括遺傳疾病的發生與生物適應演化的歷程，並借用演化的理論解說癌症細胞在人體的衍生的始末。非常值得一讀！」──于宏燦（臺灣大學生命科學系教授）

　　「《基因社會》極為有力、具啟發性且與時俱進，對我們所有人來說都是必讀的書。」──史丹佛大學結構生物學教授，2013年諾貝爾化學獎得主 邁克爾‧萊維特（Michael Levitt）

　　「《基因社會》是相關領域內兩位最聰明的年輕思想家所撰寫，他們針對遺傳學、進化生物學和社會進行探索，引人深思。」—─麻省理工學院和哈佛大學廣泛研究所、麻省理工學院生物學教授兼創始主任 埃里克‧蘭德（Eric Lander）

　　「文章引人入勝且清晰有理，提供了豐富的入門資料，以確保有興趣的非專業讀者，能同時被科學和進化故事所吸引……對於普通讀者而言，亞奈和勒克爾對癌症、免疫學、有性生殖和種群遺傳學的討論，非常值得探索。」—─《出版者周刊》

　　「《基因社會》不是一個枯燥的學術論點。相反的，亞奈和勒克爾將基因社會的觀念作為一個有利的觀點，從這個觀點重新介紹了進化遺傳學的整個領域。……亞奈和勒克爾謹慎地為沒有先備知識的讀者，解釋了諸如基因、自然選擇和遺傳等基本概念。第一次接觸生物學的讀者將通過這種豐富、細緻的遺傳學方法得到滿足，而背景更深的讀者會發現更多樂趣，特別是在生動清晰的解釋方面。」──鮑勃‧霍爾姆斯（Bob Holmes），《新科學家》

　　「亞奈和勒克爾共邀讀者，以縱觀全域的視角，觀察基因是如何組合成全球基因系統或基因體……本書成功之處，在於將晦澀難懂的科學發現，轉換成為通俗易通的語言……《基因社會》指導人們度過後基因體時代，可謂恰逢其時，眾望所歸。」──約瑟夫‧斯威夫特（Joseph Swift），《科學》雜誌

　　「如果你正在尋找『2016年遺傳學熱點』，這本書是一個不錯的起點。它涵蓋了眾多主題，從遺傳學的基礎知識，到基因體編輯，抗菌素耐藥性以及垃圾DNA的功能……我們需要像這樣的書。」──賽門‧黑澤爾伍德‧史密斯（Simon Hazelwood-Smith），《生物新聞》

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Biology, Evolution, Genetics

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 11, 2016

Reviews

[Nick · Rating 2 out of 5]

Aimed at a very general audience, it had too much background and not enough new ideas. I like the central concept but not fleshed out enough to be a successor to The Selfish Gene.

[William · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Society of Genes is a fascinating look at the basic building blocks of all living creatures. Itai Yanai and Martin Lercher make the unique argument that genes live in cooperative societies that work together to keep the vehicle that ensures their survival alive so that they would make it to the next generation. The authors cover the nature of genes, their possible origins, their defense against the many forms of danger that cells are subject to, the reproduction of genes as well as the thousands of what appear to be useless genes that travel along with the society of genes as freeloaders. The authors make it sound like genes have a life of their own and we as well as all living creatures just happen to be the fortunate vessels for their journey. I loved the book and found it difficult to put aside. The only difficulty I had was the disappointing end to the argument when they implied that we have the ability to fight against the our natures as determined by genes. They say this after having elegantly stated , “Successful management in the society of genes is not based on intelligence or intentions.” The management of proteins is solely a consequence of their molecular affinities: due to their shape and electrical charge. I was a little disappointed they did not make it clear which position they supported. Either we are subject to the laws of our physical structures or “we” have control over them. But don’t let my qualms keep you from reading this well thought out coverage of a fascinating topic; the society of genes.

[Danielle T · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the intro, the authors say that while The Selfish Gene was important, it didn't answer the question of how said selfish genes interacted, and this, a more "holistic perspective" builds on that. In ten chapters, Yanai and Lercher cover topics from the last couple decades of research, starting with the mutations required for cancer, green beard genes, how different is the .5% difference between individual humans (still millions of base pairs), positive feedback loops, and endosymbiosis theory, among other things.

Aimed at a general audience with illustrated metaphors, this is a great introduction to current genetic knowledge (or a refresher if it's been a while since undergrad genetics). I still haven't read The Selfish Gene, so I can't judge how well this works as a successor in describing ideas on how genes interact and function (I assume TSG is also aimed at a general audience, but I also think it might be deeper? Won't know until I've read it).

[Uyar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although the authors claim that they intend the book for general audience some parts of the book require more knowledge.. this is why I like this book.. they don’t recite some funny anecdotal stories but instead they don’t hesitate to go deep down off the genetics like molecular switches, telomeres, spacers, CRISPR, population genetics, domains, GWAS even transposomes.. this was like genetics 101 I love it !!!

[Erin Garcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Far less profound than I hoped it would be. A little too generalized for readers with a science background.

[Taveri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although written ten years ago this provides a modern outlook on genetics.  It is mostly an update on how genes work with the perspective of resources being allocated and trade offs (humans have good eye sight but inferior sense of smell, compared to other mammals).


Other points of note:

P19 chance of one DNA letter being mutated is one in ten billion [I thought it was closer to one in a million]

P33 Cancers could be averted if we noted noticed their precursors in time.

P36 Five Principals of Evolution:

a) species change
b) species are related
c) changes occur gradually [right, that's why there are abrupt finds in the fossil record]
d) the mechanism for many changes is natural selection
e) not all evolutionary changes is due to natural selection [a weasal clause?]

P86 Achondrophasia should be more rare given the typical rate of mutations (ie one per million births).  Turns out a single letter mutation not only affects cartlidge but also increases the speed at which the cell lineage divides.

P90 More cell divisions in men means more copying errors, so one can attribute majority of new mutations to fathers.

P100  The CCL3L1 gene produces a protein that blocks the entry points in your immune cells through which the HIV virus can enter.  The more copies you have the less likely you are to contract HIV.

P192  The bacterium Bacillus subtilis can seal its offspring in a time capsule.  When nutrients run low it builds a spore resistant to boiling water and atomic radiation and can wait a thousand years to resume business.

P203  Scents is the largest gene family in tumans.  However out of one thousand smell receptors, two thirds are broken.

P204  Dogs have just as many smell detectors but nearly all are working.

P207  All our fingers express three genes from one of the HOX clusters, but these three are not active in the thumb, which explains why they have a different shape.

P214  Our intestines are home to 100 trillion microbes from several hundred species.  Well over 90% of humans in developed countries carry anti-biotic resistant bacteria.

P232  Each mitochondria has its own genome of only 37 genes, while 20,000 genes are in the nucleus.

P237 Fifteen percent of our genome corresponds to one sequence of letters repeated half a million times [I wonder if this repitition has to do with how DNA winds]

P242  Only 30% of our genome is occupied by respectable genes.  There are a lot of free loaders: one million copies of Alu (between 200-400 DNA letters long).  It does not encode any proteins; it has no RNA-to-DNA converter.

P252  there are freeloaders on freeloaders > parasites on viral cousins.  There are huge viruses up to a million letters long, harbouring over a thousand genes.

[Satid · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for basic knowledge in genetics. One of its prominent features I like is its explanatory figures that are made with elaborate care and ease of visual rendering to ensure they explain learning points throughout the book.

This is the only book so far (I read many popular science books on molecular biology in the past 20 years) that discusses in detail about those main part of our genome that some books or articles just mention they are from virus with no further elaboration. I also admire the authors' consistent point on learning from the ancient history of life through discovery in genetics. Their point on how random chances in addition to natural selection and environment have influenced (and will still do) our genetic makeup and evolution are also one persistent learning point that should make us all recognize out humble being. This point is also a good thinking tool that serves as a sensible guidance for anyone working in genetics.

The writing style may sound a bit academic here and there but they are not to the point of being boring to read. Overall, the authors have good artistic writing style as well as evidence from their allusion to a few historic event and several effective metaphors.

In summary, this is a good book for anyone wanting a nice start in basics of genetics.

[Nefarious Chess · Rating 4 out of 5]

-Evolution zu Krebs
-Krebszellen sind anders als andere Zellen
—> Mutation mit Konsequenzen

Markenzeichen für Krebs um Weiterbildung:
1. Selbstversorgung mit Wachstumssignalen
2. Ignoranz Antiwachstumssignalen
3. Unsterblichkeit
4. Vermeidung Selbstmord
5. Umgehung Immunsystems
6. Energie Verschwendung ->Wachstum
7. Anziehen Blutgefäße
8. Invasion weitetet Lebensräume

Afrika hat viele genetische Variationen
—> Schnellster Läufer + langsamster Läufer?
—> Bester Schachspieler? Bester Physiker?

[Damen Chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

記得多年前讀過《自私的基因》這本經典科普之作，具體內容我早已忘得七七八八了，但當中的中心思想，我卻多少都些模糊的印象：基因之所以被稱為「自私」，是因為它們只視肉身為基因的載體，有時甚至短視近利，不惜犧牲肉身的利益，去達到留傳下去的目的。

但事情往往有兩面：基因這種「自私」，一樣會促成以互利為基礎的合作，最終竟達成「利他」的無私結果。

《自私的基因》給我最大的啟示，或許不是加深了我對基因的了解，而是只要比喻得當，再抽象複雜的科學概念，都能用相當親和的方式，讓門外漢了解一鱗半爪。

這本《基因社會》（The Society of Genes），可說是對《自私的基因》的致敬之作。它的中心概念是將基因的互動比喻成社會日常，當中既有激烈的「商業競爭」，又有因共同利益而促成的緊密合作；既有生產「原材料」的供應鏈，又有為特化任務而專工專責的技師。作者善用比喻，介紹了基因學的方方面面，由癌症演化，談到免疫系統；又由性的目的，談到智人走出非洲的歷史。主題可說是包羅萬象，十分豐富。

性的目的是什麼？為什麼不少高等生物都不惜大費周章，尋找伴侶生育，只為了將自己半套的基因體遺傳下去？說穿了，性能將父母優秀的等位基因都同時流傳下去，把有害的突變去除；相反沒有性的細菌，牠們便只能依賴一次又一次的突變，一步一步的將適應性更強的等位基因慢慢累積；性能將累積的進程加速，讓生物更能適應變動中的環境。

要將基因學這個如此複雜且技術性極高的學問，寫得如此簡單、清晰而有趣，除了對這門學問有深刻的掌握之外，對教學的熱情也肯定是原因。有說兩位作者讀了《自私的基因》之後，便轉換職涯跑道，走上研究基因的道路；而他們對《基因社會》的期許，就是希望能點亮讀者對基因學的興趣，從而投入更多的研究。

他們顯然成功了。

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

For someone like myself who has the barest knowledge of genetics, this is an eye opening book. The authors did a good job of starting small and working their way up which helped me have a better understanding of how everything pieces together. I knew so little of what was covered, and covered in a way I could follow, that it was hard to put the book down.

[Xin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very accessible introduction of a number of fundamental concepts in genetics and evolution such as speciation, cancer, immunity, and evo-devo.

[LaanSiBB]

Basic genetic studies for the general public, yet it has to be more cautious on stereotypic concepts, such as a specific gene for a personality trait or intelligence, it doesn't work that simplified.

[Mao · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written

[Natasha Dukach · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like a textbook about genetics yet quite superficial and doesn’t explain concepts explicitly. I had to check with Wiki almost every new concept introduced in each chapter of this book, so finally it became reading only Wiki with the slight guidance of the chapters’ alignment in the book