--- product_id: 187849477 title: "The Gene: An Intimate History" price: "C$4811" currency: NIO in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.ni/products/187849477-the-gene-an-intimate-history store_origin: NI region: Nicaragua --- # The Gene: An Intimate History **Price:** C$4811 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Gene: An Intimate History - **How much does it cost?** C$4811 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.ni](https://www.desertcart.ni/products/187849477-the-gene-an-intimate-history) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Description The #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller A New York Times Notable Book A Washington Post and Seattle Times Best Book of the Year From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies --a fascinating history of the gene and "a magisterial account of how human minds have laboriously, ingeniously picked apart what makes us tick" ( Elle ). "Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee dazzled readers with his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Emperor of All Maladies in 2010. That achievement was evidently just a warm-up for his virtuoso performance in The Gene: An Intimate History , in which he braids science, history, and memoir into an epic with all the range and biblical thunder of Paradise Lost " ( The New York Times ). In this biography Mukherjee brings to life the quest to understand human heredity and its surprising influence on our lives, personalities, identities, fates, and choices. "Mukherjee expresses abstract intellectual ideas through emotional stories...[and] swaddles his medical rigor with rhapsodic tenderness, surprising vulnerability, and occasional flashes of pure poetry" ( The Washington Post ). Throughout, the story of Mukherjee's own family--with its tragic and bewildering history of mental illness--reminds us of the questions that hang over our ability to translate the science of genetics from the laboratory to the real world. In riveting and dramatic prose, he describes the centuries of research and experimentation--from Aristotle and Pythagoras to Mendel and Darwin, from Boveri and Morgan to Crick, Watson and Franklin, all the way through the revolutionary twenty-first century innovators who mapped the human genome. "A fascinating and often sobering history of how humans came to understand the roles of genes in making us who we are--and what our manipulation of those genes might mean for our future" ( Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel ), The Gene is the revelatory and magisterial history of a scientific idea coming to life, the most crucial science of our time, intimately explained by a master. " The Gene is a book we all should read" ( USA TODAY ). Review: Genetics: history, science, and its ethical questions. - In recent years there have been many excellent popular science books in the fields of biology and medicine. Some are short, often interweaving personal histories, such as ‘Do No Harm’ by the brain surgeon Henry Marsh; others attempt to cover much wider fields, such as the author’s previous blockbuster, ‘The Emperor of all Maladies’, a biography of cancer. ‘The Gene – an intimate history’ is definitely of the latter variety, weighing in at close to 600 pages. The approach is historical, starting with the modern origins of the subject in the pioneering work of Darwin and Mendel and proceeding through the rise of eugenics and its advocate Galton, the solution to the structure of DNA, gene splicing and the many discoveries thereafter. The work of Galton and his many followers is the darker side of the history of genetics. They thought they could fundamentally change nature by pseudo-scientific programmes, such as the attempts in America to eradicate ‘defective strains’ by forced sterilization and other means, which continued in some countries well into the 1970s. The most perverted and horrific use of genetics took place in Nazi Germany. There the misguided views of eugenics were closely link to race and led directly to the mass murder of ‘racially undesirables’, as well as the physically and mentally handicapped, in the mistaken belief that this would lead to a superior race. Conventional eugenics is now totally discredited, and in the West genetic experiments are subject to strict controls. Neverthess, it is legal to screen embryos for serious genetic conditions before implanting them in the wombs of women undergoing IVF treatment, and in some countries with weak supervision, experiments are being done to find methods of eradicating genes which have been linked to other diseases. While this may be laudable, what is next? Perhaps eradicating the genes for unsightly large noses? At what point would these procedures be ‘enhancement’ and eugenics by another name. Are we on the verge of ‘designer babies’? These ethical questions are re-examined throughout the book and become more focussed as technical improvements in genetics research presses steadily forward. The author has a particular interest in this because he comes from a family that has a history of serious mental illness, although I found his digressions about this a little distracting and added little to the story. As research has moved forward, the realization has emerged that genes are far more complex than previously thought and it is very rare for a single gene to be the sole ‘culprit’ for a particular disease. More often multiple genes are involved, working through complex interactions that are far from being totally understood, and moreover are also influenced by external factors, so that the final outcome is very difficult to predict. The role of these external influences is embedded in the relatively recent discovery of so-called ‘epigenes’, which appear to imply that genes may be responsive to environmental factors, raising yet again the old questions of eugenics, with its far-reaching ethical and social implications. Potential readers such as myself who read ‘The Emperor of all Maladies’ are faced with a daunting prospect, because like that book this one is not only long, but also contains much technical information about genetics. Don’t let this deter you. You may not fully follow all the scientific details (I certainly did not) but the writing is so beautifully clear that at the end of ‘difficult’ sections you will still have a good overview of the problems that the field has faced, or is still facing, and the arguments for and against different positions on important topics such as gene therapy. It is a book definitely well worth the effort of reading. Review: Exceptional! - This is an exceptional book in so many ways. Siddharta Mukherjee is a medical expert, an oncologist with many years experience of treating cancer patients, whose first book "The Emperor of all Maladies" (also highly recommended) describes what happens when genes malfunction. In this book he describes the human genome in its normal, fully functional state, covering many diverse aspects of genetics. Mukherjee is also a gifted writer, able to explain complex ideas clearly, he is both lyrical & incisive in his insights and syntheses. Running throughout the book are personal stories that transform this from a purely scientific account to a very human story. He describes the scientists who made the key discoveries, as well as the people affected by genetic diseases or treatments. Most personally he describes how genetics has touched the lives of his own family. Part 1 (1865-1935) covers the early history of genetics, its landmark discoveries, & key personalities, from the early Greek ideas of heredity, Mendel's discovery of heritable factors & laws of heredity, Darwin's theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, to the Eugenics proposed by Galton and put into practice in the early 20th century in the US & Europe. Part 2 (1930-1970) describes the search for the physical particle of heredity, finally determined to be DNA, the discovery of its helical structure by Watson & Crick and the attempts to decipher the universal genetic code spelt out within DNA, to an understanding of how genes regulate the expression of proteins and control the devlopment of multi cellular organisms from a single fertilised egg. Armed with this knowledge, Part 3 (1970-2001) describes attempts to manipulate the genome via techniques such as gene cloning, the creation of synthetic proteins like insulin and the rise of biotechnology in the 80's & 90's. In Part 4 (1970-2005) he describes the growing understanding of how genes affect human health, for example, the discovery by Nancy Wexler of the gene for Huntington's disease, its exact location on chromosome 4, to an understanding of its DNA sequence, which in turn explained its effect on sufferers. It also describes polygenic diseases such as schizophrenia and cancer & attempts to map the location of these genes via genetic markers. This, in turn, lead to the idea of mapping the entire human genome - rather than searching for disease-causing genes one by one, this would provide a template against which polygenic diseases could be compared. The Human Genome Project was a massive international scientific collaboration, spiced up by the competition between the publicly funded NIH Consortium and commercially minded Craig Venter's Celera. Part 5 (2001-2015) describes how the new genetics can be used to illuminate complex concepts such as human evolutionary history, language, memory, culture, sexuality, identity & race. This is complex and must consider the twin effect of nature & nurture, genes & environment. Part 6 (2015-....) looks into the future and describes the new technologies that are currently being explored, such as pluripotent stem cells, transgenic organisms, whole genome screening to predict future health, personalised genetic therapies, to the spectre human genomic engineering. I can highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the origin, functioning & nature of that incredibly complex and ingenious entity that is the human body. ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | 1,612,272 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 1 in Medical Genetics 59 in Scientific History & Philosophy 143 in General Medical Issues Guides | | Customer Reviews | 4.6 out of 5 stars 7,491 Reviews | ## Images ![The Gene: An Intimate History - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71ZGYmVZKXL.jpg) ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Genetics: history, science, and its ethical questions. *by B***N on 16 September 2016* In recent years there have been many excellent popular science books in the fields of biology and medicine. Some are short, often interweaving personal histories, such as ‘Do No Harm’ by the brain surgeon Henry Marsh; others attempt to cover much wider fields, such as the author’s previous blockbuster, ‘The Emperor of all Maladies’, a biography of cancer. ‘The Gene – an intimate history’ is definitely of the latter variety, weighing in at close to 600 pages. The approach is historical, starting with the modern origins of the subject in the pioneering work of Darwin and Mendel and proceeding through the rise of eugenics and its advocate Galton, the solution to the structure of DNA, gene splicing and the many discoveries thereafter. The work of Galton and his many followers is the darker side of the history of genetics. They thought they could fundamentally change nature by pseudo-scientific programmes, such as the attempts in America to eradicate ‘defective strains’ by forced sterilization and other means, which continued in some countries well into the 1970s. The most perverted and horrific use of genetics took place in Nazi Germany. There the misguided views of eugenics were closely link to race and led directly to the mass murder of ‘racially undesirables’, as well as the physically and mentally handicapped, in the mistaken belief that this would lead to a superior race. Conventional eugenics is now totally discredited, and in the West genetic experiments are subject to strict controls. Neverthess, it is legal to screen embryos for serious genetic conditions before implanting them in the wombs of women undergoing IVF treatment, and in some countries with weak supervision, experiments are being done to find methods of eradicating genes which have been linked to other diseases. While this may be laudable, what is next? Perhaps eradicating the genes for unsightly large noses? At what point would these procedures be ‘enhancement’ and eugenics by another name. Are we on the verge of ‘designer babies’? These ethical questions are re-examined throughout the book and become more focussed as technical improvements in genetics research presses steadily forward. The author has a particular interest in this because he comes from a family that has a history of serious mental illness, although I found his digressions about this a little distracting and added little to the story. As research has moved forward, the realization has emerged that genes are far more complex than previously thought and it is very rare for a single gene to be the sole ‘culprit’ for a particular disease. More often multiple genes are involved, working through complex interactions that are far from being totally understood, and moreover are also influenced by external factors, so that the final outcome is very difficult to predict. The role of these external influences is embedded in the relatively recent discovery of so-called ‘epigenes’, which appear to imply that genes may be responsive to environmental factors, raising yet again the old questions of eugenics, with its far-reaching ethical and social implications. Potential readers such as myself who read ‘The Emperor of all Maladies’ are faced with a daunting prospect, because like that book this one is not only long, but also contains much technical information about genetics. Don’t let this deter you. You may not fully follow all the scientific details (I certainly did not) but the writing is so beautifully clear that at the end of ‘difficult’ sections you will still have a good overview of the problems that the field has faced, or is still facing, and the arguments for and against different positions on important topics such as gene therapy. It is a book definitely well worth the effort of reading. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Exceptional! *by M***R on 9 May 2017* This is an exceptional book in so many ways. Siddharta Mukherjee is a medical expert, an oncologist with many years experience of treating cancer patients, whose first book "The Emperor of all Maladies" (also highly recommended) describes what happens when genes malfunction. In this book he describes the human genome in its normal, fully functional state, covering many diverse aspects of genetics. Mukherjee is also a gifted writer, able to explain complex ideas clearly, he is both lyrical & incisive in his insights and syntheses. Running throughout the book are personal stories that transform this from a purely scientific account to a very human story. He describes the scientists who made the key discoveries, as well as the people affected by genetic diseases or treatments. Most personally he describes how genetics has touched the lives of his own family. Part 1 (1865-1935) covers the early history of genetics, its landmark discoveries, & key personalities, from the early Greek ideas of heredity, Mendel's discovery of heritable factors & laws of heredity, Darwin's theory of Evolution by Natural Selection, to the Eugenics proposed by Galton and put into practice in the early 20th century in the US & Europe. Part 2 (1930-1970) describes the search for the physical particle of heredity, finally determined to be DNA, the discovery of its helical structure by Watson & Crick and the attempts to decipher the universal genetic code spelt out within DNA, to an understanding of how genes regulate the expression of proteins and control the devlopment of multi cellular organisms from a single fertilised egg. Armed with this knowledge, Part 3 (1970-2001) describes attempts to manipulate the genome via techniques such as gene cloning, the creation of synthetic proteins like insulin and the rise of biotechnology in the 80's & 90's. In Part 4 (1970-2005) he describes the growing understanding of how genes affect human health, for example, the discovery by Nancy Wexler of the gene for Huntington's disease, its exact location on chromosome 4, to an understanding of its DNA sequence, which in turn explained its effect on sufferers. It also describes polygenic diseases such as schizophrenia and cancer & attempts to map the location of these genes via genetic markers. This, in turn, lead to the idea of mapping the entire human genome - rather than searching for disease-causing genes one by one, this would provide a template against which polygenic diseases could be compared. The Human Genome Project was a massive international scientific collaboration, spiced up by the competition between the publicly funded NIH Consortium and commercially minded Craig Venter's Celera. Part 5 (2001-2015) describes how the new genetics can be used to illuminate complex concepts such as human evolutionary history, language, memory, culture, sexuality, identity & race. This is complex and must consider the twin effect of nature & nurture, genes & environment. Part 6 (2015-....) looks into the future and describes the new technologies that are currently being explored, such as pluripotent stem cells, transgenic organisms, whole genome screening to predict future health, personalised genetic therapies, to the spectre human genomic engineering. I can highly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the origin, functioning & nature of that incredibly complex and ingenious entity that is the human body. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Understanding in-depth cell biology *by J***Y on 14 March 2026* It’s a in-depth read You need an understanding of human anatomy and mental health ## Frequently Bought Together - The Gene: An Intimate History - Scribner Book Company The Emperor of All Maladies --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.ni/products/187849477-the-gene-an-intimate-history](https://www.desertcart.ni/products/187849477-the-gene-an-intimate-history) --- *Product available on Desertcart Nicaragua* *Store origin: NI* *Last updated: 2026-05-28*