... for a layman

I'd really like to get some overview of the current state of knowledge re DNA, heritability etc. I don't have the background to dive straight into specialist technical sources, but am prepared to work as hard as I can to get to grips with it. Could anyone recommend a good introductory text?

I'm particularly interested in the nature side of the nature/nurture debate. Am aware of much of the research and thought from the other side - problems with IQ tests, plasticity of the brain, influence of culture etc. etc. But I'd like to have a better idea what hard science is known about genetic influences on talents, disorders etc.

[Note: not looking for a debate about this here. Just for pointers to information about one side of the question.]

Take a look at the books from T.A. Brown. I had Genetics: A Molecular Approach for uni and found it very easy to read, it has sort of a "popular science" level, but of course that one's a bit dated now. However, I imagine his other works are similarly written. Maybe you'll find something interesting:
http://www.amazon.com/T-A-Brown/e/B001H ... nskepti-20

are you looking for intro text books or books on the current progress of genetics?

I'd recommend the Red Queen. One of the most insightful books I've read about genetics.

VictorTheSixth wrote:I'd recommend the Red Queen. One of the most insightful books I've read about genetics.

And by that same author, Genome.

Thanks everyone, great start.

eric8476 wrote:are you looking for intro text books or books on the current progress of genetics?

Reasonably easy introduction to start with. However I'd imagine that it's such a fast-moving field, that anything would have to be fairly recent to be accurate, even at an introductory level, wouldn't it?

Beatsong wrote:

VictorTheSixth wrote:I'd recommend the Red Queen. One of the most insightful books I've read about genetics.

This one?

Yup!


I'm also going to have to look into Genome...

not really a recommendation (not even started it yet) but I scored a couple genetic textbooks. one of the professors had retired and had left an office full of books, and therefore we could have whichever books we wanted.... (though I missed out on the biochem book that was there)

so this is one I grabbed (as well as two older books on gene expression)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/iGenetics-Free-Solutions-Peter-Russell/dp/0805345531

dont know whether thats any interest (given that the used price is pretty good (several on there with postage for about £10 or less)) as I've not read it I cant really say much about it. a brief skim through shows that I've covered more or less all of it in lectures to some degree.

For a very basic introduction into genetics Matt Ridley's Genome isn't a bad place to start, however, it is rather dated in places. You probably won't find exactly what you're after outside of a text book. If that's an issue then I'd also recommend picking up Steve Jones' The language of the genes, Frank Ryan's Virolution and The Language of Life by Francis Collins. If you're happy to pick up a text book then you can't go wrong with bible of molecular genetics Human Molecular Genetics (3rd or 4th edition will be fine) by Strachan and Read. Genomes by T A Brown is alright, but it's not great for your purposes by the sounds of things. It's more about the techniques and structure of genomes than the concepts per se.

I'm not too sure there's much out there on complex genetics at the moment, it might be worth reading around a few genetics-based blogs to get a picture of the current state of research. I'd recommend Genomes Unzipped personally, it's a group of researchers in complex genetics who all had parts of their genome profiled by a couple of personal genomics companies and have loads of great info on the site about it.

GENE: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/gene/

EVOLUTIONARY GENETICS: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/evolu ... -genetics/

THE GENOTYPE/PHENOTYPE DISTINCTION: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/genotype-phenotype/

MOLECULAR GENETICS: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/molecular-genetics/

POPULATION GENETICS: http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/population-genetics/


GENETICS FOR DUMMIES: http://www.amazon.com/Genetics-Dummies- ... nskepti-20

SCHAUM'S OUTLINE OF GENETICS: http://www.amazon.com/Schaums-Outline-G ... =1-1-spell