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'Once, people with disfiguring or bizarre mutations were thought monstrous. Now they give vital clues to the dance of genes during the body's growth. Armand Leroi combines meticulous historical research, brand-new genetic understanding and consummate skill with words to tell an absorbing tale' Matt Ridley 'Mutants thrills and repels and informs us of the delicacy and wonder of growth and development. It is written with great grace' Richard Fortey 'An exquisitely life-enhancing book...Read it and marvel' Peter Little, Nature 'Mutants is much more than a description of the many damaged or unusual forms of human beings that live now and have existed in the past. It is a fun read, being a spicy mix of history, developmental biology and genetics that does the trick of being both entertaining and educational.' Peter Lawrence, author of The Making of a Fly
My first encounter with physical abnormality came as I was ferried across town in the back of a car. Gazing forwards I noticed something odd about the driver's hands. At first I was convinced that my eyes were playing tricks on me. But after numerous attempts to count otherwise, I was forced to concede that the man at the wheel did have twelve fingers. A second later I was captivated. What was it like to have an extra finger? When did the man become aware of his extra digit? Had he ever considered surgery? And did it make driving any easier? Armand Leroi has set out to examine, in detail, the varieties and errors of the human body. Armed with his expertise in developmental biology and with an eye for good writing, Leroi charts the science, history and mythology of human abnormality. And what a strange menagerie he describes: conjoined twins, a human cyclops, families of dwarves, women with extra breasts, men with no limbs and several varieties of hermaphrodite. 'Mutants,' is stimulating from the offset and feeds upon our innate curiosity in physical abnormality. But whether this interest is enough to sustain the reader over nearly 400 pages, is another matter. Leroi spends too long exploring the science behind mutations, discussing at length the genes which cause disfigurement and the nutritional deficiencies that lead to dwarfism. Perhaps he has missed the point. Mutants are exciting in their own right: and not for what they reveal of developmental biology. After all, a twelve fingered taxi driver grabs our attention, not because his hands demonstrate some great scientific wisdom concerning the development of human limbs; but simply because he has twelve fingers. (Kirkus UK)
My first encounter with physical abnormality came as I was ferried across town in the back of a car. Gazing forwards I noticed something odd about the driver's hands. At first I was convinced that my eyes were playing tricks on me. But after numerous attempts to count otherwise, I was forced to concede that the man at the wheel did have twelve fingers. A second later I was captivated. What was it like to have an extra finger? When did the man become aware of his extra digit? Had he ever considered surgery? And did it make driving any easier? Armand Leroi has set out to examine, in detail, the varieties and errors of the human body. Armed with his expertise in developmental biology and with an eye for good writing, Leroi charts the science, history and mythology of human abnormality. And what a strange menagerie he describes: conjoined twins, a human cyclops, families of dwarves, women with extra breasts, men with no limbs and several varieties of hermaphrodite. 'Mutants,' is stimulating from the offset and feeds upon our innate curiosity in physical abnormality. But whether this interest is enough to sustain the reader over nearly 400 pages, is another matter. Leroi spends too long exploring the science behind mutations, discussing at length the genes which cause disfigurement and the nutritional deficiencies that lead to dwarfism. Perhaps he has missed the point. Mutants are exciting in their own right: and not for what they reveal of developmental biology. After all, a twelve fingered taxi driver grabs our attention, not because his hands demonstrate some great scientific wisdom concerning the development of human limbs; but simply because he has twelve fingers. (Kirkus UK)
Matt Ridley, Author of Genome
'...Armand Leroi combines meticulous historical research, brand-new genetic understanding and consummate skill with words to tell an absorbing tale'
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