Science often comes across as a highly rational analysis of data. It is not very often that we see the human aspects of science & the implications of any discovery’s use & potential misuse covered in the literature. This is exactly where popular science books shine. One of them being Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee’s The Gene: An Intimate History.

The gene is a topic any biology student would have studied. Like fine coffee, the beauty of this topic is that the more you read about it and brew it in your mind, the newer, more profound perspectives you get. A perfect balance of fact and story (that of his family’s history), reminiscent of good ice cream - where a perfect proportion of solid and liquid makes it delectable. Too much ice cream, though, makes you feel giddy, and so does The Gene, as it gets heavy with technical jargon at times.

The story begins with influential thinkers/philosophers like Aristotle and their perspectives on how heredity occurs biologically. Then came Mendel who gave a more definitive theory of inheritance (in the 1880s) through mathematical modelling (a remarkable feat at the time). We eventually learn about the humankind’s venture of playing god by manipulating genes using CRISPR-Cas9 (the very innovation for which Emmanuel Charpantier and Jeniffer Doudna won the Nobel Prize in chemistry in 2020) in the present day. Everything fit neatly into a 500-page book with no rush and no cutting corners whatsoever, in an ever-so-gripping manner - typical of the meticulousness of Mukherjee’s writing.

His writing style is mesmerising- a journey from the simple to the complicated, constant fuel to the fire that feeds the thought process in our brains while reading and not just a melange of words, like a good teacher - one who inspires.

Through The Gene, Mukherjee tackles many sensitive topics like eugenics(i.e selective mating of people in a bid to “improve” the human race) , racism, IQ (the metric), sexual identity etc. and gives the reader a new perspective on them. For instance, Mukherjee calls out proponents of the concept of Eugenics - a gross misinterpretation of how genes work which has wrecked thousands of innocent men and women, not only in Nazi Germany but also in America in the 1910s or 20s, where it led to a national movement wherein “feeble minded” people were castrated - Carrie Buck being one of the prime examples of the same. The hunt for the gay gene, nature vs nurture etc. were other topics ,that were explored with bold, straightforward accounts whilst putting forward an unbiased view.

“The First Derivative of Identity”, in our opinion, is the most profound chapter in the book. Here, he explains twin (through an example of his mother and his aunt who are fraternal twins) studies and that genes do not encode the identity of the person, but the mere “tendency” to turn out in a certain way - twins can be identical - because their genes happen to be more or less identical, yet have very contrasting personalities subject to the environmental factors they face. This simple idea is hands down the most memorable catchphrase in this book. Interestingly though, this is the very chapter which has copped some criticism from the scientific community for overstating the significance of the role of histone modification and DNA methylation in influencing gene expression when in reality, they play a minor role. However, the author clarifies that he does not intend to deny that other factors play a major role in gene expression. He merely emphasized on this aspect to help the reader understand that our genes alone do not define us. This is a crucial message, especially for the average person who does not understand how genes work. It helps the layman understand that, contrary to popular notion, genetic inheritance is not a straightforward process. This sets the stage for the latter part of the book, which deals with the dangers of eugenics.

The Gene talks about how human beings are developing technology at a frantic pace to manipulate genetic machinery to suit their needs - like mass producing insulin using bacteria, curing genetic disorders like Huntington’s disease, schizophrenia (Gene therapy) etc. among others.

The latter forms a part of Human Eugenics, which although seemingly less gory than what we saw in the 20th century around the world, is still marred by safety and ethical concerns. With no proper regulatory framework addressing them, may cause us to push its boundaries too far. Siddhartha Mukherjee warns us that while the gene is a very powerful tool whose manipulation can potentially help the human race live a better life, it is a dangerous thing to have a superficial understanding of how they come together to give rise to a living being.

Genes - as Richard Dawkins puts it, do not contain the blueprint of life, but the “recipe” for life. Manipulating a blueprint modifies parts of something, while manipulating a recipe ruins the whole dish altogether. Introducing a new gene into the human body might bring unnecessary trouble - what if a cancerous mutation shows up? What if it doesn’t give the desired results , i.e; the gene fits in a place where no protein encoding occurs? More often than not, a certain trait is governed by multiple genes - so genetically testing and predicting a potential disease at embryonic stage might not be that easy, or even ethical for that matter.

An interesting example given by the author is that of development of a genetic test for Schizophrenia, a rather complex disease (in origin). Despite being characterised by an inability to exercise self-control and “hearing voices” out of all things, schizophrenics have some good things going for them as well – they are excitable (which is good at times) and have a better drive and desire to get tasks done; as exemplified with an account of Rajesh, the very person who apparently listened to a mind voice which “asked him” to urinate in the open, pulling an all-nighter solving a math riddle while his brothers had given up.

Mukherjee argues that gene therapy must be practiced only when a person is too “abnormal” or “diseased” to even survive. A conundrum arises - is there a real definition of normalcy as far as these things are concerned? In his words, "Normalcy is the antithesis of evolution". Now what is the limit beyond which a person can be deemed exceptionally abnormal? Won’t some sections of the human race end up changing these boundaries as per their convenience? After all, there are two sides to every coin!

These questions are very vital for scientists to ponder upon. A superficial analysis of such techniques isn’t sufficient. Instead, a more in depth & inclusive analysis of its implications is imperative. Overall, this book is an amazing place to start - especially for those who are interested in learning how science has evolved and continues to do so. It could even be termed a modern day classic in some sense.

• Ashwin & Upasana