The Strongest Boy in the World, Updated and Expanded: How Genetic Information Is Reshaping Our Lives, Updated and Expanded Edition

by Philip R. Reilly

Book Overview

This updated edition of Philip Reilly's highly praised and provocative book has been expanded to include an essay about the fast-moving and controversial field of personal genomics. In the essay, Reilly explains how new, cutting-edge technologies have facilitated the rapid discovery of genetic markers associated with ailments such as macular degeneration, heart disease, and schizophrenia. He describes how the same powerful technologies can be used...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0879699434
• ISBN13: 9780879699437
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press
• Length: 300 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Good choice

This book was delivered brand new, it's what I needed for my class, and it was cheaper than buying or renting it from the University's bookstore.

Very good book on genetics

This book is very nice because it is written with stories and personal notes from the author, although a bit biased at times. Not your typical genetics book.

Strongest Boy in the World

I really liked the book, and it was a required reading for a genetics class. The author is a physician, geneticist, lawyer, and story teller. Therefore, it is flows and is easy to read. It also contains lots of interesting medical and legal details/depth. I passed this book on to my family for them to read.

Genetics in Your Life

I have been a medical geneticist for almost 40 years and I have been part of shaping the way genetics impinges on the daily lives of millions of people. Philip Reilly has made these genetic developments of the last 40 years into one of the threads that account for the fabric of our lives. His message is factual, easy to read and compelling, without sounding alarms. If you have any curiosity about whether or how genetics is relevant to your life in the 21st Century, this Dr. Phil can give you a most satisfying answer in "Strongest Boy," his sixth book. VM Riccardi

Understanding Genetic Information

Science has advanced quickly in completing genetic sequencing projects, including the Human Genome Project. The resulting information is being used while society is considering and making decisions about the complex medical, legal, and ethical implications. Philip R. Reilly's book, The Strongest Boy in the World: How Genetic Information is Reshaping Our Lives, addresses a wide range of issues related to genetic information, making it possible for us to explore them. Through the fascinating stories that he tells, Reilly presents relevant information that enables us to develop educated opinions. The Strongest Boy In the World is understandable by readers who are not science experts; the underlying scientific background is introduced clearly when needed. Reading this book can make us ultimately better informed to consider the dilemmas and to make decisions about the use of genetic information. This book, like Reilly's previous book, Abraham Lincoln's DNA and Other Adventures in Genetics, explores topics that captivate our interest as they connect genetic information to our lives. For example, "the strongest boy" is a youngster with muscles that are extremely large. The chapter discusses how the phenomenon might have occurred as a result of genetics and then relates it to athletic performance. We begin to understand how elite athletes may gain their superiority as a result of their genetic makeup. Reilly goes on to look at a variety of topics that affect us personally and arouse our interest. These facilitate discussing diseases with genetic origins, considering genetically modified food, and resolving historical mysteries. Reilly puts forth possible relationships between our genes and intelligence or longevity, he discusses the possible benefits of knowing the DNA sequences of animals, and he comments on how genetics is becoming pervasive in our lives. Finally, he presents controversial issues of DNA forensic databases, stem cells, and gene therapy. Last year, I selected Abraham Lincoln's DNA as the text for the college course I teach, called The Social Impact of Genetic Information. This year I will use The Strongest Boy in the World. Non-science majors enrolled in the course were intrigued by the colorful stories that brought the important genetic issues to life. They mastered the subject matter and were able to analyze the underlying topics, research them further, and formulate opinions about them. I believe that my students will be better-informed citizens as a result of the overview of interesting genetic issues presented in these texts.