Living with Our Genes: The Groundbreaking Book About the Science of Personality, Behavior, and Genetic Destiny

by Peter Copeland, Dean H. Hamer, Peter Copeland, et al.

Book Overview

"A lucid, thought-provoking account of the case for 'nature' as a determinant of personality."--Peter D. Kramer, Author of Listening to Prozac and Should You Leave?

Nowhere is the nature-nurture controversy being more arduously tested than in the labs of world-renowned molecular scientist Dean Hamer, whose cutting-edge research has indisputably linked specific genes to behavioral traits, such as anxiety, thrill-seeking, and homosexuality...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385485840
• ISBN13: 9780385485845
• Release Date: February 1999
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

This is a brilliant book

It's a little dated. For instance, they thought that there would be approximately 100,000 genes in the human genome when there actually turned out to only be 40,000. It's hard to say enough good things about this book, but the most important good points are: 1. An extremely light, easy and engaging read. I finished the whole thing in 1 day. 2. There is some much needed discussion of heritability, something that is very commonly misunderstood popularly. 3. A very cogent explanation of why genetic determinism is not sufficient to explain behavior. 4. Separation of the concepts of "correlation" and "causation." This is something that "everybody knows" are two separate things, but this author actually went into the details with his illustration of the "Chopstick Gene" that is found in Asian people. He also talks about what it means when you have two populations with fairly similar averages, which is: There will be plenty of overlap between the populations, especially if the "spread" is sufficiently high. 5. His handling of the genetic origins of intelligence are very sensitive and balanced, as well as his discussion of what IQ tests measure. 6. The experimental detail in this book is not overwhelming. It's just enough so that you'll get a sense of what is being discussed (if you're a dabbler in Biological Science). 7. Several very thorough discussions of genes as a basis for behavior. Homosexuality, impulse taking, etc.

Outstanding synopsis of our biological roots

The refutation of Dean Hamer's finding the gene for homosexuality mustn't deter readers from this important work. Ever since E.O. Wilson's Sociobiology, the biological role of behaviour is being earnestly scrutinized. Calamity howlers may regret that the concept of "free will" isn't as absolute as they might like, but there is clearly some link between our chemistry and our actions. Hamer and Copeland have brought together a summary of the most recent research in this field.Selecting a group of major behaviour areas, they relate how studies have shown correlations between genetics and personality. The focus is on comparative and correlated actions in twins. With increasing numbers of studies of twin behaviour in different environments being conducted around the world, the presentation is more than a little convincing. Most significantly, this book confronts us with questions that must be addressed. Hamer and Copeland don't attempt to claim that this book provides any final answers to the relationship of genes with our habits. They do ask us to review our thinking about the issue. It's vital work in the effort to find out who we are.Hamer and Copeland remind us that we're biological creatures, not minds being carried around by bodies. For decades zoologists described animal activity as "instincts, secure in the belief that animals could be trained, but not taught. Genetic research has shown this outlook is misleading. Living With Our Genes is the flip side of that view in showing human activity has strong biological roots. They accomplish this without adopting the absolutist view exhibited by earlier researchers.Going beyond simple statistics of behaviour patterns, they delve into the findings of geneticists who've identified specific gene expressions in the body. That our cells produce numerous chemical compounds is old news. A wide spectrum of pharmaceuticals is available to counteract or enhance a number of these chemical signals. What is only now coming to light, as Hamer and Copeland point out, is how these compounds work on the body and why. In their chapter on worry they discuss the research on serotonin, the "genetic Prozac". It turns out that in one segment of our DNA, there are more or less copies of the serotonin transporter gene. Such genes are naturally inheritable, giving a segment of the population a trend toward anxiety. Anger, and its expression in violence is another area of common concern. The authors provide an extensive description of various forms of anger expression. They stress that anger can be controlled - genetic expression is important, but not an absolute. As with anxiety, serotonin and its by-products provided an important clue in the study of violence. Molecular genetics has accomplished an incredible amount in the fifty years since the structure of DNA was revealed. Hamer's extensive bibliography is an indication of how much work has been achieved. Today the re

Great book!

So the "true-life" stories are a little simplistic -- this still remains an excellent explanation of genetics for the layperson. Eminently readable. Grabbed me right away and explained so much to me I gave copies of the book to the rest of my family.

A readable book on genetics and the behavior of man

I have had to do a research project on genetics and the inheritance of intelligence and the emotional behavior of man. I have read several books on the subject and this is easily the best book that I have come across. It is a great book for both people who are just starting to learn about the subject and for those who have already read several books on the subject. Each chapter begins with a short story and then the authors explain what temperament the man has inherited. All of the authors explanations are backed by scientific projects. Most of the books on this subject are boaring, but this one is quite different. This book is entertaining and educational in: psychology, genetics, and biology.

The best book on genetic engineering

Why They Matter More Than You Think by Dean Hammer and Peter Copeland (H & C) is a very interesting book that looks at the following character traits, or 'temperaments', that are influenced by genes: Emotional instinct, thrills, worry, anger, addiction, and sex. In addition they include intelligence and how genes are involved in its expression. It is important to note that diversity in personality or 'temperament' is controlled by the limbic system, which is shared by all animals and used by primates long before we acquired a higher intelligence. That is why as a social eugenicist I would argue that only intelligence needs to be raised to higher levels, while allowing the diversity of temperaments to coexist in a random manner, allowing everyone there own means of expressing themselves. That is, I would not try to eliminate shyness for example, or increase novelty seeking, because there is no good reason to do so without a wealth of data on testing and showing that one temperament is always better than another. Intelligence however, is unique in that it is separate from the limbic system, rational, and is the primary difference between humans and all other animals. This again is not speciesism, it is just an observable fact, and does not make humans better or worse than other animals. But after over 100 years of research, intelligence has been shown to be always beneficial on average, and there is no reason whatsoever to want more diversity in intelligence, but rather to elevate everyone to the highest level of cognition possible. (see my review of Intelligence and Public Policy as well as the APA report.) I will return to this later. But for now it is important to state that until humans are all as intelligent as we would want them to become, without causing an unforeseen pathology or neurosis, social eugenics need only be concerned with raising IQ, and can afford to leave temperament alone until we have acquired a great deal more knowledge about human nature and where we want to go with our genetic capital. H & C discuss at length how temperament is influenced by genetics and the resulting brain chemistry that makes us all unique. I will hit upon just some of the points I personally found most interesting before returning to intelligence. For example, it has been found that "shyness, or being outgoing, is inherited at birth and lasts a lifetime." A condition I am sure many people have assumed was determined by the family environment. These differences are caused by "enzymes [that] make and degrade more than 300 brain chemicals that influence thinking, acting and feeling." What has been argued in the past with respect to intelligence however is how much alike people are genetically, and therefore the differences must be environmental. However, the differences in temperament, like intelligence, are caused by just 0.1% difference in genes between people, and there is only 1 to 2% difference in genes between