Synopses & Reviews
Goodbye, genetic blueprint....The first book for general readers on the game-changing field of epigenetics.
The burgeoning new science of epigenetics offers a cornucopia of insights — some comforting, some frightening. For example, the male fetus may be especially vulnerable to certain common chemicals in our environment, in ways that damage not only his own sperm but also the sperm of his sons. And it’s epigenetics that causes identical twins to vary widely in their susceptibility to dementia and cancer. But here’s the good news: unlike mutations, epigenetic effects are reversible. Indeed, epigenetic engineering is the future of medicine.
Review
“In a style that is clear and stimulating but never patronizing, Richard Francis provides an intelligent, readable, and enjoyable account of how epigenetics helps us construct our nature and influence our heredity. Using fascinating examples and case studies, Francis brings to life this new and exciting field of biological and medical research, which alters the way we need to think about our past and our future.” Eva Jablonka, Tel Aviv University, coauthor of Evolution in Four Dimensions
Review
“Mesmerizing stuff…Richard Francis provides an excellent non-technical introduction to the scientific underpinnings of this discomfiting new genetics…He reviews the literature on the epigenetics causes of obesity, neurological disorders, and stress.” Judith Shulvitz, New Replublic
Review
“Francis’s primer introduces a new field. It’s a thorough guide to the many ways in which personality and health can play out through our genes but not be coded for in DNA.” Christine Kenneally, Slate
Review
“Epigenetics explains all this in clear, no-nonsense prose....One particularly excellent chapter explains epigenetic change through the body of steroid-addled baseball player José Canseco, from his brain to his testicles.” Josh Rothman, Boston Globe
About the Author
Richard C. Francis is a freelance science writer. He received his Ph.D. in neurobiology and behavior from Stony Brook University and was a recipient of the National Research Science Award from the National Institute of Mental Health. Before becoming a freelance writer, he conducted widely published postdoctoral research in evolutionary neurobiology and sexual development at the University of California, Berkeley, and Stanford University. He is the author of Why Men Won’t Ask for Directions and Epigenetics: The Ultimate Mystery of Inheritance and Paperback Edition Epigenetics: How Environment Shapes Our Genes. His latest book, Domesticated: Evolution in a Man-Made World is scheduled for release on April 21 2015. Richard resides in Danville, California.