Mutants

Mutants: On Genetic Variety and the Human Body by Armand Marie Leroi Summary: Stepping effortlessly from myth to cutting-edge science, Mutants gives a brilliant narrative account of our genetic code and the captivating people whose bodies have revealed it—a French convent girl who found herself changing sex at puberty; children who, echoing Homer’s Cyclops, are born with a single eye in the middle of their foreheads; a village of long-lived Croatian dwarves; one family, whose bodies were entirely covered with hair, was kept at the Burmese royal court for four generations and gave Darwin one of his keenest insights into heredity. This elegant, humane, and engaging book “captures what we know of the development of what makes us human” (Nature). Angie's Comments: Mutants is a fascinating look at the human body and issues that can arise during development. Among other topics, it covers limbs, ageing, and growing. The author handles sensitive topics delicately, and explains the science behind the issues that have arisen. Leroi explains the science in an easy way. Recommended for readers interested in human biology and development.  Request this item