false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1170976456m/80034.jpg 80034 2 In the follow-up to his bestseller, <I>Genome</I>, Matt Ridley takes on a centuries-old question: is it nature or nurture that makes us who we are? Ridley asserts that the question itself is a "false dichotomy." Using copious examples from human and animal behavior, he presents the notion that our environment affects the way our genes express themselves. <p> Ridley writes that the switches controlling our 30,000 or so genes not only form the structures of our brains but do so in such a way as to cue off the outside environment in a tidy feedback loop of body and behavior. In fact, it seems clear that we have genetic "thermostats" that are turned up and down by environmental factors. He challenges both scientific and folk concepts, from assumptions of what's malleable in a person to sociobiological theories based solely on the "selfish gene." <p> Ridley's proof is in the pudding for such touchy subjects as monogamy, aggression, and parenting, which we now understand have some genetic controls. Nevertheless, "the more we understand both our genes and our instincts, the less inevitable they seem." A consummate popularizer of science, Ridley once again provides a perfect mix of history, genetics, and sociology for readers hungry to understand the implications of the human genome sequence. <I>--Therese Littleton</I> 77284 1 7 2004 The Agile Gene: How Nature Turns on Nurture total:103|5:29|4:41|3:30|2:2|1:1| 103 404 178 8 5 2 false false Sun May 20 11:59:22 -0700 2007 Sat May 26 15:49:02 -0700 2007 3 0 false false Tue Jun 16 21:30:15 -0700 2009 Tue Jun 16 21:34:52 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jul 12 10:37:52 -0700 2007 Wed Nov 07 06:44:09 -0800 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Oct 30 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 13 20:41:13 -0700 2009 Tue Oct 13 20:41:35 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Aug 03 07:53:02 -0700 2008 Fri Apr 25 07:08:04 -0700 2008 Sun Aug 03 07:53:02 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Aug 19 10:56:00 -0700 2008 Tue Aug 19 10:57:33 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Mar 25 06:14:06 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 25 06:15:17 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Mon Jun 09 20:20:36 -0700 2008 Fri May 01 09:55:34 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Thu Nov 26 11:39:02 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 26 11:39:02 -0800 2009 3 0 false false Wed Nov 25 09:47:16 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 25 09:46:33 -0800 2009 Wed Nov 25 09:46:33 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sat Nov 21 21:49:50 -0800 2009 Sat Nov 21 21:49:50 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Aug 20 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Nov 17 20:27:58 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 17 20:28:28 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Mon Nov 16 12:50:34 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 16 12:53:12 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Sun Nov 15 10:48:33 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 15 10:48:33 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Thu Nov 12 21:40:13 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 12 21:40:13 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Thu Nov 05 11:37:10 -0800 2009 Thu Nov 05 11:37:10 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Tue Nov 03 09:31:37 -0800 2009 Tue Nov 03 09:31:37 -0800 2009 0 0 false false Fri Oct 30 15:02:47 -0700 2009 Fri Oct 30 15:02:47 -0700 2009 0 0 false false Thu Oct 22 02:33:52 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 22 02:33:52 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Wed Oct 14 22:27:25 -0700 2009 Wed Oct 14 22:27:25 -0700 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=80034