Review:: The Gene Machine: How Genetic Technologies Are Changing the Way We Have Kids--and the Kids We Have

THE GENE MACHINE: How Genetic Technologies Are Changing the Way We Have Kids--and the Kids We Have by Bonnie Rochman

Released: February 28, 2017 from Scientific American / Farrar, Straus, Giroux

Goodreads Summary:

A sharp-eyed guide to the promise and peril of having children in an age of genetic tests and interventions. Is DNA testing a triumph of modern medicine or a Pandora’s box of possibilities? Is screening for disease in an embryo a humane form of family planning or a slippery slope toward eugenics? And, more practically, how do we navigate the dizzying and expanding array of tests available, with more appearing every day? In The Gene Machine, the award-winning journalist Bonnie Rochman addresses these questions and more, guiding us through the new frontiers of gene technology and how it has forever changed medicine, bioethics, and the factors that shape a family. Rochman takes an authoritative look at the latest hot-button issues in the world of pre- and postnatal testing and tells the stories of women and men struggling to understand the variety of tests and grappling with their results—revelations that are sometimes joyous, sometimes heartbreaking, and often profound. Propelled by human narratives and meticulously reported, The Gene Machine introduces us to scientists working to unlock the secrets of the human genome; gene counselors and spiritual advisers helping parents manage this complex new reality; and, of course, parents themselves, including the author, who glimpse the genetic futures of their children. The Gene Machine is both a scientific road map and a meditation on our power to shape the future, one that gets to the very core of what it means to be human.

My review: 

This book popped onto my radar at the end of last year but since it is not the type of book I usually review, I was unable to access an early copy. Then I saw that Bonnie Rochman was going to be at Decatur Book Festival so I checked to see if my library had a copy. My plan was to read the book before attending her session, but at the last minute I was unable to attend the festival due to a killer migraine. I was still so fascinated by this topic that I moved the book up in my reading list (that's pretty major for me). I really loved how the book was divided into 8 chapters that showcased the multiple options and futures for testing our genes. I studied genetics in college and was briefly considering a career in the field. This book really lit that long dormant fire and I am looking to move more of my reading into the subject (another major move for me). 

Quick Biology 101 refresher: Each cell in our body has 23 pairs of chromosomes and an estimated 19,000 genes. Our complete set of genetic material (in every cell) is a genome. 

"As technology has evolved, the price to sequence a human genome has dropped precipitously, plummeting from $17.5 million in January 2005 to $47,000 in January 2010 to the relatively paltry sum of just under $4,000 in January 2015." 

(p 193)

While $4,000 isn't pocket change, some insurance companies pay the cost when other testing options for a disease or health problem have been exhausted. It is also easy to see that the price will likely drop further in years to come and make sequencing your genome accessible to more and more people. But even as it becomes possible, deciphering the massive amount of data will require additional work from scientists and geneticists. Which brings up the questions of how much information doctors feel should be revealed to each person; when it should be revealed; and the division of information between parents, children, and additional family members.  

As this technology evolves and there is more access to genomic databases and massive amounts of information, an exponential number of new questions arise and Rochman does a perfect job of highlighting both sides of dozens of situations. The concept of choosing optimum embryos was once a futuristic, mind blowing concept. Now, IVF is a relatively common term and procedure. As the science evolves, new questions and arguments will arise and it is essential to be educated on a topic before planting your flag in the ground and not budging. For that reason, I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in researching the science behind, and the future prospects of, our genes. Rochman covers topics ranging from BRCA1, selective abortions, Down Syndrome, gene silencing, patient rights, parents' rights, sequencing newborns, and so many more.  

I was very pleased that this book remained solely scientific yet still focused on a variety of ethical and moral implications, all without indulging in the arguments brought forth from religion. While I borrowed this from my local library, I will be purchasing it for my personal library.