“The Gene: an Intimate History,” by Siddhartha Mukherjee is an excellent read for varying interests. While primarily following the progress of genetic research throughout history, one does not need extensive scientific knowledge to understand the eloquent writing, which expertly synthesizes somewhat complex ideas while drawing in historic events and detailing the lives of the scientists who left their mark on our understanding of the genome.
I started this book rather hesitantly. I had just begun a different, more condensed, book on the human genome, but after picking up “The Gene,” I was hooked. Not only does Mukherjee recount the compelling stories of scientists such as Mendel, de Vries, and Morgan beautifully, but he draws on a deeply personal story of his family’s genetic inheritance: the recurrence of mental illness as a heritable trait in his own family. The book reads as a history lesson detailing scientific discovery, as opposed to a heavily scientific book with a little history.
Whether or not genetic research is of interest to you, I would highly recommend reading “The Gene.” Mukherjee’s fascinating writing techniques will make reading it fun, even if science normally bores you. You’ll not only learn about how hemophilia travels genetically, but how it physically traveled from England to Russia and influenced the Bolshevik revolution and the fall of the czar (it may be a stretch, but you have to read the book to see). Additionally, the progress of genetic research into gene therapy and modification is becoming an increasingly relevant discussion not only in the scientific community, but in the world. Reading “The Gene” is a fun way to enlighten yourself on one of the most pressing bioethical debates of the century.
