The Genetic Inferno by Medina, John J.

ISBN: 9780521640640

Cambridge University Press | 01 January 2000

Hardback | 341 pages

What makes us react or feel the way we do? If you have ever asked yourself this question, then let gifted writer John Medina take you on a fascinating tour of the questions involved in the quest to understand the biological basis of human behavior. By describing the gap that exists between a human behavior and a human gene, this captivating book both clarifies and debunks ideas about the genetic roots of behavior, from the genes of divorce to the tendency to eat chocolate. Using Dante's The Divine Comedy as an organizing framework, The Genetic Inferno explains each of the "seven deadly sins"--lust, gluttony, avarice, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride--in terms of twentieth century genes and brains. Written by a practicing research scientist, this book is not only for biologists, but for literature majors, business people, and parents--indeed anyone interested in how our genes work to make us behave the way we do.