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Product Description
Steve Jones’s highly acclaimed, double prize-winning, bestselling first book is now fully revised to cover all the new genetic breakthroughs from GM food to Dolly the sheep.’An essential sightseer’s guide to our own genetic terrain.’ Peter Tallack, Sunday Telegraph
’Superb and stimulating…an exhilarating trip around the double spiral of DNA, a rush of gravity-defying concepts and wild swerves of the scientific imagination.’ J.G. Ballard, Daily Telegraph
’Not so much divination as demystification… An attempt to bring genetics and evolution more into the public domain. If, for instance, you ever wondered just what genetic engineering is about, here is as good a place as any to discover. Few have Jones’s ability to communicate a difficult idea with such humour, clarity, precision and ease.’ Laurence Hurst, Times Higher ; ‘Sensitive to the social issues raised by genetics… yet Jones’s interest reaches beyond contemporary social issues to the human past, to what genetics can and cannot tell us about our evolution and patterns of social development. He interleaves a broad knowledge of biology with considerations of cultural, demographic and – as his title indicates – linguistic history. At once instructive and captivating.’ Daniel J.Kevles, London Review of Books
From the Back Cover
A fully revised edition of the classic work on modern genetics, updated to coincide with the complete sequence of human DNA, cloning and genetically manipulated foods.
'Not so much divination or demystification…An attempt to bring genetics and evolution into the public domain. If, for instance, you ever wondered just what genetic engineering is about, here is as good a place as any to discover. Few have Jones's ability to communicate a difficult idea with such humour, clarity, precision and ease.'
LAURENCE HURST, 'Times Higher'
'Jones is sensitive to the social issues raised by genetics…yet his interest reaches beyond contemporary social issues to the human past, to what genetics can and cannot tell us about our evolution and patterns of social development. He interleaves a broad knowledge of biology with considerations of cultural, demographic and – as his title indicates – linguistic history. Jones's book is at once instructive and captivating.'
DANIEL J.KEVLES, 'London Review of Books'
'Trenchant, witty and enlightening…Jones's literate and wide-ranging book is an essential sightseer's guide to our own genetic terrain.'
PETER TALLACK, 'Sunday Telegraph'
This brilliant and witty book…is highly literate, and Jones goes a long way to bridging the deepening chasm between the two cultures. Not to know how genes affect us is to ignore the central factor in our lives.'
LEWIS WOLPERT, 'Daily Mail'
'Smoothly written and easily read…An absorbing and fascinating romp around the world of genetics.'
JOHN GRIBBIN, 'Sunday Times'
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
31 of 32 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I learnt a great deal from the Language of the Genes. Jones not only writes lucidly about some rather subtle technical issues, he also gives readers space to think about the subject for themselves, which is not at all easy to pull off. I reject the suggestion that the book is cliched or inaccurate and that non-expert readers will be mislead. Though not a molecular biologist myself, I had fairly good knowledge of the subject before coming to the Language of the Genes. I found no conflict with my existing understanding.
I have read a great many popular science books - I even wrote a PhD thesis on them - and the Language of Genes is one of the most finely crafted, well-balanced examples of the genre I have ever come across. It is a good read for experts and non-experts alike. I can not think of a better introduction to genetics for people starting from scratch. I continue to recommend it regularly. It is the book I gave to my granny when she became interested in the background of the GMO debate.
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
An amazing book, beautifully written and incredibly informative. Steve Jones writes in a witty, interesting and entertaining style and manages to educate the reader without the reader even being aware of it! There's no off-putting jargon, even complex ideas are explained clearly using excellent analogies, and the book is full of fascinating examples and stories which you will be quoting for many years to come. This is an essential read for anyone who is even vaguely interested in genetics - and an absolute must if, like me, you're sort of aware of what it's all about but not quite sure ...!
10 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This is a clear, yet thoroughly engaging, look at our genes and how they affect us and society. It is lucid and easy to understand and not at all bogged down by scientific jargon or obscure references. It is a pleasure to read such an informative book, put forward in a highly entertaining way. A must read for any popular science book fan, or anyone with a passing interest in genes/genetics.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
Feel free to check out my blog which can be found on my profile page.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Language of Genes
Steve Jones is a well known author, but I think it is better to get your info on genetics from Wikipedia, as the whole subject is so fast moving. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Mr. A. Pearce
Worth It
Great to read. Absolutely impossible to get bored. This is a beautiful no-nonsense story of our genetic history and particularly of how the language of DNA unites all of life. Read more
Published on 12 Nov 2009 by demola
... but the genes do not explain everything
This review is of the revised edition of The Language of the Genes, published in 2000.
In his Preface, Steve Jones, Professor of Genetics at University College, London,... Read more
In his Preface, Steve Jones, Professor of Genetics at University College, London,... Read more
Published on 27 Aug 2008 by trini
Awesome
Not your average genetic book its one of my favourite genetics books of all time a smart book very well written
Published on 6 Aug 2006 by Jose Miguel
Good introduction
This book is based on a series of BBC programmes.
The main themes are evolution through mutation and natural selection, and heredity. Read more
The main themes are evolution through mutation and natural selection, and heredity. Read more
Published on 21 Oct 2005 by Luc REYNAERT
A book written for people who do not understand genetics.
The author succeeds in glamourising genetics. However, he uses gross generalisations and oversimplification which may not appeal to those who do know genetics. Read more
Published on 17 July 2001
The best book on genetics you'll ever read
I already had the 1994 edition of this book, well-thumbed. Every other page has a post-it note stuck to it, marking something fascinating, amazing, thought-provoking or just plain... Read more
Published on 19 Sep 2000
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