WASPs finally get their due in this stimulating history by one of the world's leading geneticists.Saxons, Vikings, and Celts is the most illuminating book yet to be written about the genetic history of Britain and Ireland. Through a systematic, ten-year DNA survey of more than 10,000 volunteers, Bryan Sykes has traced the true genetic makeup of British Islanders and their descendants. This historical travelogue and genetic tour of the fabled isles,...

Two Berkeley scientists explore the potential of a revolutionary genetics technology capable of easily and affordably manipulating DNA in human embryos to prevent specific diseases, addressing key concerns about related ethical and societal repercussions.

"Genetic engineering isn't some far-off fantasy. It's arriving faster than most of us understand or are prepared for. When we can engineer our future children, massively extend our lifespans, build life from scratch, and recreate the plant and animal world, should we? At the dawn of the genetics revolution, our DNA is becoming as readable, writable, and hackable as our information technology. But as humanity starts retooling our own genetic code,...

Michael Crichton, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Jurassic Park, comes an astounding, eye-opening look at the world of genetics as it's happening now, told as only Michael Crichton can tell it, with lightening fast pacing and thrilling chases. Welcome to our genetic world. Fast, furious, and out of control. This is not the world of the future-it's the world right now. Is a loved one missing some body parts? Are blondes becoming extinct?...

"In The Genome Odyssey, Dr. Euan Ashley, Stanford professor of medicine and genetics, brings the breakthroughs of precision medicine to vivid life through the real diagnostic journeys of his patients and the tireless efforts of his fellow doctors and scientists as they hunt to prevent, predict, and beat disease. Since the Human Genome Project was completed in 2003, the price of genome sequencing has dropped at a staggering rate. It's as if the price...

"A groundbreaking book about how technological advances in genomics and the extraction of ancient DNA have profoundly changed our understanding of human prehistory while resolving many long-standing controversies. Massive technological innovations now allow scientists to extract and analyze ancient DNA as never before, and it has become clear--in part from David Reich's own contributions to the field--that genomics is as important a means of understanding...

"The most up-to-date science on the genetics of who we are and where we come from, showing us a more scientifically enlightened way to talk colloquially about race"-- Racist pseudoscience can be hard to spot, but its toxic effects on society are plain to see: feeding nationalism, fueling hatred, endangering lives, and corroding our discourse on everything from sports to intelligence. Cutting-edge genetics are hard to grasp-- and all too easy to distort....

"We can change the world with genetic modification--but should we? CRISPR stands for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. If it sounds complicated, it is--but it's also one of the most powerful ways we can shape the future. And it's poised to completely upend the way we think about science. Author Yolanda Ridge tackles this topic in a friendly and accessible tone, with two introductory chapters covering the basics of DNA and...

Tucked away in Siberia, there are furry, four-legged creatures with wagging tails and floppy ears that are as docile and friendly as any lapdog. But despite appearances, these are not dogs-they are foxes. They are the result of the most astonishing experiment in breeding ever undertaken-imagine speeding up thousands of years of evolution into a few decades. In 1959, biologists Dmitri Belyaev and Lyudmila Trut set out to do just that, starting with...

In this revised edition of his classic, Richard Dawkins demonstrates how cooperation can evolve even in a basically selfish world. Contains two new chapters and a wealth of new insights into the biological world.--From publisher description.