Product Description

Full of fascinating and bizarre cases of genetic mutation and irregularity, Mutants is an amazing exploration of the human form in all its beautiful and unique guises. Why are most of us born with one nose, two legs, ten fingers and twenty-four ribs -- and some of us not? Why do most of us stop growing in our teens -- while others just keep going? Why do some us have heads of red hair -- and others no hair at all? The human genome, we are told, makes us what we are. But how? Armand Marie Leroi takes us to the extremes of human mutation -- from the grotesque to the beautiful, and often both at the same time -- to explain how we become what we are. Through the tales of long-lived Croatian dwarves, ostrich-footed Wadoma tribesmen, sex-changing French convent girls, and many more wonders of human development, Leroi has written a brilliant narrative account of our genetic grammar and people whose bodies have revealed it.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #15038 in Books
• Published on: 2005-05-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
'Armand Leroi combines meticulous historical research, brand-new genetic understanding and consummate skill with words to tell an absorbing tale.' Matt Ridley, author of Genome and Nature Via Nurture 'Erudite, gracefully crafted ! Enriching his observations and insights with examples drawn from science, medicine, history, philosophy and the arts, Leroi lifts us to a profound sense of wonder.' Sunday Times 'Poetic, philosophical, profound, witty and challenging.' Guardian 'Mutants thrills and repels and informs us of the delicacy and wonder of growth and development. It is written with great grace.' Richard Fortey, author of The Earth 'Leroi writes beautifully, charging his case histories with drama and pathos.' Time Out 'Dr Leroi's book is genuinely instructive and enlightening, a brilliant admixture of curious historical anecdote and up-to-date science, written in excellent and often elegant prose.' Spectator

Guardian
'Winner of the Guardian First Book Award 2004, MUTANTS is disturbing, fascinating and enlightening; in short, a remarkable book.'

The Guardian
'insightful and unflinching work about human deformity...beautifully written mixture of science and historical anecdote'

Customer Reviews

Must read for everyone
Having seen the programmes (Human mutants - Channel 4) by Armand Marie Leroi, I was compelled to find out more about the development of humans and how much has been learned from genetic mutations. This book contains everything from the series and more.

Anyone who is amazed by the miracle of life would appreciate the scientific explanations of how an embryo develops. It explains everything from how organs come to be where they are in the body (eg. how do the molecules know which side is the left?)to how hands are developed. The main thing that struck me was how we really are all equal in that everyone has mutations- its just that some are more apparent than others.

This really is one book that everyone should read - after all it makes sense that we should all know how we are what we are.

Mutatis Mutandis
From Aboriginies to Zulus, every society through the ages has seen mutations. Many have been feared, hidden away and forgotten about, or, conversely, placed on public display for ridicule and unethical study.

This book pulls away the veil of unease and exposes the genetic reasons for many mutations such as those suffered by the infamous James Merrick (the Elephant Man), Eng and Chang (conjoined twins), Uther Hermann (the Armless Fiddler) and Tognina Gonsalvus (the Hairy Child). Along the way acquainting us with euonymously named genes and proteins such as "Sonic the Hedgehog", "Scaramanda" and "Cerberus".

The amazing detail which the book goes into regarding the development of an embryo is abosorbing and wonderous, and so to is the history and development of theories about these mutations.

With many pictures, resources, and familiar examples this book is at times repulsive but a truly compelling read and very, very interesting.

Where are the diagrams?
Where are the diagrams? Within this book there are some quite complicated descriptions - e.g. of the developing foetus or cellular machinery - that would have benefited greatly from a diagram. That old adage "A picture paints a thousand words" isn't an old adage for nothing... And quoting French without giving a translation seems to be another one of the author's sins. Also, though unavoidably, this book is chock-full of horribly long Latin names for different syndromes and disorders that can be a bit tiring after a while. Having said that, Leroi writes wonderfully and is a welcome change from the often turgid prose of other popular science writers. Overall I think that I learned a lot from this book and I enjoyed it too. Read it and be amazed!