What are genes? What do genes do? These questions are not simple and straightforward to answer; at the same time, simplistic answers are quite prevalent and are taken for granted. This book aims to explain the origin of the gene concept, its various meanings both within and outside science, as well as to debunk the intuitive view of the existence of 'genes for' characteristics and disease. Drawing on contemporary research in genetics and genomics, as well as on ideas from history of science, philosophy of science, psychology and science education, it explains what genes are and what they can and cannot do. By presenting complex concepts and research in a comprehensible and rigorous manner, it examines the potential impact of research in genetics and genomics and how important genes actually are for our lives. Understanding Genes is an accessible and engaging introduction to genes for any interested reader.

The #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller The basis for the PBS Ken Burns Documentary The Gene: An Intimate History Now includes an excerpt from Siddhartha Mukherjee’s new book Song of the Cell! From the Pulitzer Prize–winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies—a fascinating history of the gene and “a magisterial account of how human minds have laboriously, ingeniously picked apart what makes us tick” (Elle). “Sid Mukherjee has the uncanny ability to bring together science, history, and the future in a way that is understandable and riveting, guiding us through both time and the mystery of life itself.” —Ken Burns “Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee dazzled readers with his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Emperor of All Maladies in 2010. That achievement was evidently just a warm-up for his virtuoso performance in The Gene: An Intimate History, in which he braids science, history, and memoir into an epic with all the range and biblical thunder of Paradise Lost” (The New York Times). In this biography Mukherjee brings to life the quest to understand human heredity and its surprising influence on our lives, personalities, identities, fates, and choices. “Mukherjee expresses abstract intellectual ideas through emotional stories…[and] swaddles his medical rigor with rhapsodic tenderness, surprising vulnerability, and occasional flashes of pure poetry” (The Washington Post). Throughout, the story of Mukherjee’s own family—with its tragic and bewildering history of mental illness—reminds us of the questions that hang over our ability to translate the science of genetics from the laboratory to the real world. In riveting and dramatic prose, he describes the centuries of research and experimentation—from Aristotle and Pythagoras to Mendel and Darwin, from Boveri and Morgan to Crick, Watson and Franklin, all the way through the revolutionary twenty-first century innovators who mapped the human genome. “A fascinating and often sobering history of how humans came to understand the roles of genes in making us who we are—and what our manipulation of those genes might mean for our future” (Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel), The Gene is the revelatory and magisterial history of a scientific idea coming to life, the most crucial science of our time, intimately explained by a master. “The Gene is a book we all should read” (USA TODAY).

A New Way of Looking at Power at Work Who hasn’t left the office after a particularly frustrating day wondering what they could have done to turn a negative experience into a positive one? Perhaps it was a difficult conversation with a domineering boss, or an encounter with a know-it-all peer who made you feel insecure. Would you believe the way you react to these interactions likely stems from the dynamics you experienced as a child? Could it be that your childhood persona has grown into your power persona at work? In Power Genes, executive coach Maggie Craddock reveals how to kick those old habits—trying too hard to please, acting out, using manipulative methods of persuasion—and tells how to use power more effectively to advance your career. Craddock identifies four power types and explains how to diagnose yours: • The Pleaser—you make others feel good about themselves but need constant validation and approval from them • The Charmer—you draw others in with your charm, yet trust is your Achilles heel • The Commander—you take charge of the situation and gain admiration from others, but fear any loss of control • The Inspirer—you are star power in action, yet your vision for the future can derail the needs of workers right now The book outlines a process for avoiding your type’s signature destructive reflexes and replacing them with new behaviors—helping you to interact productively with other people in the office. By showing you how to recognize your type’s blind spots and then recondition your actions, Power Genes will give you the insights and action plan you need to become a more consistently powerful professional. It’s time to throw out unproductive habits and take charge of your workplace relationships.

"SHARAD P. PAUL, MD, is starting a health RxEvolution. He argues it's time to stop relying on prescriptive drugs to alleviate all ailments and instead take charge of your own life wellness. He walks readers through the genes that are key to our physical and mental fitness and longevity, the genesis of those genes, and how actions play a role in the expression of genes in our bodies. Each chapter concludes with practical and easily implemented actions that help readers start managing their daily wellbeing and encourages them to personalize his steps for their own bodies and lifestyles. Dr. Paul has been recognized for his thought leadership, compassion, and entrepreneurialism. In addition to his busy skin surgery schedule, he offers 7,000 free skin cancer checks every year and even invented a skin graft technique that reduces costs and healing time for patients. With The Genetics of Health, he offers the knowledge and the guidance for readers to personally take charge of reducing their own healthcare costs and sick days, and to seize the healthiest life possible"--

"Collecting a family medical history is a regular component of the nursing assessment process that often includes information on familial cancer diagnoses, and patients may fear that they or their loved ones might be at increased risk for developing cancer because of hereditary factors. Although true inherited risk for developing cancer is much less common than acquired risk for developing cancer, approximately 10% of cancer diagnoses can be attributed to inherited risk. The identification of families exhibiting hereditary cancer syndromes enables individuals at risk to engage in increased surveillance and, in some cases, risk-reducing surgery and other preventive measures, which ultimately lead to decreasing the morbidity and mortality associated with a cancer diagnosis. The role of the nurse in helping patients to understand and manage hereditary cancer risk requires specialized knowledge of genetics and genomics concepts. Understanding Genomic and Hereditary Cancer Risk: A Handbook for Oncology Nurses provides background on basic genetic and genomic concepts, particularly those related to hereditary risk for developing cancer, to aid nurses in knowing when and why to refer patients. It also provides reliable information about how and why genetic and genomic testing can both aid in treatment decisions and also guide recommendations for cancer prevention and early detection. The nurse's role in genetic testing and counseling are discussed, as are questions and answers about types of testing, including direct-to-consumer genetic testing. Following genetic testing, most genetics professionals provide detailed information about recommendations for care, including recommendations for ongoing prevention and early detection. For patients who are found to have a harmful mutation, these recommendations can be extensive and are based on the personal and family medical history, as well as the specific variant. This book provides quick overviews of many of the more common hereditary variants as well as resources for more information. This handbook provides nurses with the essentials to understand genomic and hereditary cancer risk, to assist in facilitating interprofessional care with genetics and other oncology professionals, and to provide their patients with accurate and reassuring information"--

G is for Genes shows how a dialogue between geneticists and educationalists can have beneficial results for the education of all children—and can also benefit schools, teachers, and society at large. Draws on behavioral genetic research from around the world, including the UK-based Twins’ Early Development Study (TEDS), one of the largest twin studies in the world Offers a unique viewpoint by bringing together genetics and education, disciplines with a historically difficult relationship Shows that genetic influence is not the same as genetic determinism and that the environment matters at least as much as genes Designed to spark a public debate about what naturally-occurring individual differences mean for education and equality