This wide ranging and compelling account surveys the exciting opportunities and difficult problems which arise from human genetics. The availability of increasingly sophisticated information on our genetic make-up presents individuals, and society as a whole, with difficult decisions. Although it is hoped that these advances will ultimately lead the way to the effective treatment and screening for all diseases with a genetic component, at present many individuals are 'condemned' to a life sentence, in the knowledge that they, or their children, will suffer from an incurable genetic disease. This was the first book to attempt to explore and survey these issues from such a variety of perspectives: from personal accounts of individuals coping with the threat of genetic disease, from the viewpoint of clinicians and scientists, and from those concerned with psychosocial, legal and ethical aspects.

‘ … a very timely addition to the publications on human genetics, and medical genetics in particular … all those who are concerned in genetic counselling should read it.’

Source: British Medical Journal

‘ … ought to be read by everyone who has any involvement in this field...a valuable resource for those who want an authoritative view on the wider aspects of modern human genetics.’

Source: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine

‘The volume’s collective treatment of the social context and construction of our understanding of genetics has ramifications that will extend beyond this current era of ‘new’ genetics.’

Source: Trends in Genetics

‘The book is enriched by a long section of personal accounts that dramatise the implications of genetic testing for individuals who are faced with the prospect of a late-onset disease and for their families who are also implicated.’

Source: The Lancet