Designer Genes

July 19, 2010
Despite the thinness of this book, Potter, professor of pediatrics at Children's Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, is comfortable making a sweeping conclusion: that we are quickly reaching the point where our ability to manipulate genes "could well mean the end of the human race as we know it, but perhaps the beginning of something better." Unfortunately, he doesn't provide nearly enough substance in this short primer to permit such a momentous conclusion. Potter simply offers very basic information about genetics, such as the structure of chromosomes, as well as a cursory overview of in vitro fertilization techniques and gene screening and selection. He writes as if genes alone were responsible for human behavior, with the environment playing no role. His chapter on athletics assumes that practice and perseverance matter not a whit. On the ethical front, he addresses the question of using embryos for research, but he deals superficially with these complex topics, and his discussion of when embryos gain a soul is awkward. Although the science needed to accomplish most of what Potter foresees has yet to arrive, his optimism knows no limits: "Any problems that arise will be overcome in time." 4 b&w illus.

August 1, 2010

Potter (pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hosp.) studies mammalian developmental genetics and uses his extensive research background to highlight developments leading to the possibility of designer babies. Potter guides the reader through the experiments on genetics, gene regulation and transfer, and stem cells to show how a human could be cloned and genetic modifications added to the embryo. Historic and current research in all these areas is explained clearly. Many questions are considered. What are the moral and ethical implications of creating made-to-order babies? What if a gene that seems bad is actually important to the gene pool (e.g., sickle-cell anemia)? Should parents be allowed to pick the genes and traits of their children? How is all this going to affect human evolution? VERDICT This is an excellent introduction to human genetics and would be good for any public library collection.--Margaret Henderson, Virginia Commonwealth Univ. Lib., Richmond

Copyright 2010 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 1, 2010
Potter brings a scholars nuanced view to the prickly subject of what designer genes are and how they fit into our world. From a poignant opening about a pregnancy conceived to save a dying sibling to an in-depth discussion of DNA, RNA, and how genes can even be designed, he carefully articulates the significance of science over politics, focusing more on genetic disease and less on, say, conceiving a blue-eyed child. But while he addresses Huntingtons disease and the power of stem cells, he also weighs concerns about when human life begins, even broaching the potential of an embryonic soul. General readers will find the ethical discussions more readily comprehended than the complex science, but Potter makes clear that understanding what genetic research entails as well as the bioethics involved is necessary for participating in public discourse and politics. Therefore, Potters thorough approach is to be lauded, and recommended to readers curious about this important subject, and those more urgently seeking their own genetic answers.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2010, American Library Association.)