false 80035 7 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> 461951 2003 Nature Via Nurture total:147|5:46|4:65|3:33|2:2|1:1| 147 594 239 19 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 22 15:24:28 -0800 2009 Thu Jan 22 15:47:47 -0800 2009 I've listened to audio ...more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Nov 20 15:25:34 -0800 2008 Thu Nov 20 15:32:00 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Nov 24 13:13:41 -0800 2008 Mon Nov 24 13:20:42 -0800 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Mon Dec 22 06:44:47 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 22 06:45:35 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2006 Sat Jan 17 13:48:52 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 17 13:49:41 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Fri Sep 11 00:00:00 -0700 2009 Tue Sep 08 21:38:19 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 11 21:47:03 -0700 2009 4 0 false false Tue Apr 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 28 19:46:16 -0700 2008 Mon Apr 28 19:52:07 -0700 2008 more...]]> 0 0 false false Sat Jan 10 16:03:40 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 10 16:03:40 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Fri Aug 07 11:15:18 -0700 2009 Fri Aug 07 11:15:41 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Sat Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2005 Tue Feb 05 17:05:08 -0800 2008 Sat Apr 11 09:39:58 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 true false Fri Sep 21 11:51:55 -0700 2007 Fri Sep 21 12:18:45 -0700 2007 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 09 14:24:15 -0800 2008 Wed Jan 09 14:27:55 -0800 2008
I would have preferred more about the chains of genes switching each other on in response to environmental factors, rather than the entire philosophical and psychological history o...more...]]> 5 0 false false Sun Feb 24 08:04:55 -0800 2008 Sun Feb 24 08:06:44 -0800 2008 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Sep 01 00:00:00 -0700 2004 Mon Jul 30 23:31:23 -0700 2007 Wed Aug 01 11:18:41 -0700 2007 4 0 false false Tue Jul 29 20:46:29 -0700 2008 Tue Jul 29 20:48:04 -0700 2008 2 0 false false Thu May 22 18:57:26 -0700 2008 Thu May 22 18:57:26 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Sun Oct 26 10:43:20 -0700 2008 Sun Oct 26 10:44:20 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Thu Feb 28 11:43:56 -0800 2008 Thu Feb 28 11:44:12 -0800 2008 4 0 false false Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Oct 21 22:22:13 -0700 2007 Sun Oct 21 22:23:49 -0700 2007 0 0 false false Mon Nov 09 02:09:00 -0800 2009 Mon Nov 09 02:09:00 -0800 2009 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=80035