We have just concluded our book review series, From empathy to violence: 12 books on the power and perils of emotions, and we are moving on to the next series which really goes to the heart, or, more appropriately, to the gene, of what we are. We will take a journey deep into the nucleus and explore the genetic mechanisms that power our existence, and ensure the propagation of our species. With 12 remarkably detailed and enlightening books, we will learn of breathtaking accounts of how the gene works, and hear inspiring stories of the men and women who unlocked its secrets. With books by clinicians, science journalists, and the Nobel Prize winners James Watson, Elizabeth Blackwell, and Jennifer Doudna, these are surely 12 outstanding books revealing the mysteries of our genes.
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The Gene
Siddharta Mukherjee
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She Has Her Mother’s Laugh
Carl Zimmer
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Genome
Matt Ridley
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The Mysterious World of the Human Genome
Frank Ryan
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DNA
James Watson
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Junk DNA
Nessa Carey
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The Telomere Effect
Elizabeth Blackburn and Elissa Epel
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Mutants
Armand Marie Leroi
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Twins
Lawrence Wright
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The Violinist’s Thumb
Sam Kean
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The Epigenetics Revolution
Nessa Carey
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A Crack in Creation
Jennifer Doudna and Samuel Sternberg
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So stay tuned as we kick off shortly with ‘The Gene‘ by the exceptional wordsmith Siddharta Mukerjee.
