Genetic Engineering: Dreams and Nightmares

What is genetic engineering? How is it carried out and what can it do? What is cancer and can genetic engineering provide a cure? Why is AIDS so difficult to cure? Which diseases are determined genetically, and how are they passed on from parents to their children? Is intelligence genetically determined? Can gene therapy cure all our genetic diseases? Can genetic engineering solve the problem of world famine? Are genetically-engineered organisms a threat to the Earth's ecology? Should people be discriminated against by insurance companies and employers because of their genes? Who should make decisions about ethical problems created by genetic engineering? These and related questions are addressed in this clear account of genetic engineering, a technology which will soon touch all our lives. Accessible to readers with no previous scientific knowledge, the book explains the underlying science in simple and lucid terms, and goes on to deal with controversial issues which are already confronting society. Rather than taking sides over the acceptability of genetic engineering and its applications, the authors enable readers to make up their own minds about the benefits and problems related to this technology. The Genetic Revolution has already begun and it will likely have an even greater impact on human society than the Industrial Revolution. This thought-provoking guide is for everyone who wishes to understand the potential benefits and pitfalls of the new revolution and to help ensure that its powerful techniques are used wisely.