[Lewontin] is at odds with some orthodoxies of contemporary biology. He is skeptical of genetic determinism, the notion that what we are and what we do is determined by our genetic makeup. He argues in The Triple Helix for a more nuanced explanation than strictly genetic or strictly environmental views, or even the view that the explanation involves discovering how genes and environment interact… This book is a warning to those who seek fixes by manipulating the genes of humans or other species, or by implementing ill-conceived public policies.
Charlotte Observer - P. A. Lamal
Richard Lewontin refutes the thesis of genetic determinism—or what might be called ‘just’ genetics, meaning ‘only’ genetics. Lewontin is highly regarded not only for his research in population biology but also for his empirically grounded and challenging critiques of the field… Lewontin’s slim tome, readable within a few hours, is replete with provocative prose and graphs, sketches, and tables.
Second Opinion - Mary B. Mahowald
Lewontin is one of the great living biologists. With the scientific enterprise passing, it is said, from the age of physics into that of biology, his remarks on biology studies couldn’t be timelier.
In his latest book, The Triple Helix …Lewontin lays out his position with devastating clarity; the science in the book should be accessible to most laypersons. However much our DNA may tell us about individual diseases, he says, ultimately reductionism provides a simplified and therefore false picture of both the interactions between the genes of any cell and the other parts of the cell and the interactions between a cell and all the other cells of an organism. By extension, that false picture also undermines a true understanding of any organism’s interaction with its environment.
A slim tour de force of the new genomic thinking. In an evenhanded set of essays, Lewontin extends this dynamic view of heredity to the interactions of genes, biology, and environment.
Lingua Franca - John Palattella
Even for readers who do not agree with Lewontin, there is much of value in [his] books. He is superb at conceptually characterizing large research programmes in biology, and putting them in historical context…his writing is consistently elegant and readable, frequently funny, and abounding with provocative remarks.
[Lewontin] is at odds with some orthodoxies of contemporary biology. He is skeptical of genetic determinism, the notion that what we are and what we do is determined by our genetic makeup. He argues in The Triple Helix for a more nuanced explanation than strictly genetic or strictly environmental views, or even the view that the explanation involves discovering how genes and environment interact... This book is a warning to those who seek fixes by manipulating the genes of humans or other species, or by implementing ill-conceived public policies.--P. A. Lamal "Charlotte Observer" (1/7/2002 12:00:00 AM)tour de force of the new genomic thinking. In an evenhanded set of essays, Lewontin extends this dynamic view of heredity to the interactions of genes, biology, and environment.--John Palattella "Lingua Franca" (10/1/2001 12:00:00 AM)The Triple Helix ...Lewontin lays out his position with devastating clarity; the science in the book should be accessible to most laypersons. However much our DNA may tell us about individual diseases, he says, ultimately reductionism provides a simplified and therefore false picture of both the interactions between the genes of any cell and the other parts of the cell and the interactions between a cell and all the other cells of an organism. By extension, that false picture also undermines a true understanding of any organism's interaction with its environment.--Ralph Brave "Salon" (1/9/2001 12:00:00 AM)
Richard Lewontin refutes the thesis of genetic determinism—or what might be called 'just' genetics, meaning 'only' genetics. Lewontin is highly regarded not only for his research in population biology but also for his empirically grounded and challenging critiques of the field… Lewontin's slim tome, readable within a few hours, is replete with provocative prose and graphs, sketches, and tables.
[Lewontin] is at odds with some orthodoxies of contemporary biology. He is skeptical of genetic determinism, the notion that what we are and what we do is determined by our genetic makeup. He argues in The Triple Helix for a more nuanced explanation than strictly genetic or strictly environmental views, or even the view that the explanation involves discovering how genes and environment interact… This book is a warning to those who seek fixes by manipulating the genes of humans or other species, or by implementing ill-conceived public policies.
A slim tour de force of the new genomic thinking. In an evenhanded set of essays, Lewontin extends this dynamic view of heredity to the interactions of genes, biology, and environment.
Even for readers who do not agree with Lewontin, there is much of value in [his] books. He is superb at conceptually characterizing large research programmes in biology, and putting them in historical context…his writing is consistently elegant and readable, frequently funny, and abounding with provocative remarks.
In his latest book, The Triple Helix …Lewontin lays out his position with devastating clarity; the science in the book should be accessible to most laypersons. However much our DNA may tell us about individual diseases, he says, ultimately reductionism provides a simplified and therefore false picture of both the interactions between the genes of any cell and the other parts of the cell and the interactions between a cell and all the other cells of an organism. By extension, that false picture also undermines a true understanding of any organism's interaction with its environment.
Lewontin is one of the great living biologists. With the scientific enterprise passing, it is said, from the age of physics into that of biology, his remarks on biology studies couldn't be timelier.
In his latest book, The Triple Helix ...Lewontin lays out his position with devastating clarity; the science in the book should be accessible to most laypersons. However much our DNA may tell us about individual diseases, he says, ultimately reductionism provides a simplified and therefore false picture of both the interactions between the genes of any cell and the other parts of the cell and the interactions between a cell and all the other cells of an organism. By extension, that false picture also undermines a true understanding of any organism's interaction with its environment.
The central message in this slim and eloquent book is that life is complex. Eschewing simple answers, Lewontin (It Ain't Necessarily So, reviewed below, etc.), professor of biology at Harvard, demonstrates how all organisms, including humans, are the product of intricate interactions between their genes and the environment in which they live. Neither genes nor environment are static, however, and their interplay dramatically changes both. Lewontin, long a social critic commenting on the ways biological information is misused, continues his articulate attack on genetic determinism, arguing against the simplistic belief that genes are largely responsible for behavioral characteristics. But the reductionists who believe that the ultimate understanding of human nature will come from molecular biology aren't the only ones he finds fault with here. Environmental determinists, Lewontin asserts, are equally incorrect and narrow in their focus. Looking only at the big picture works no better than reductionism: "Obscurantist holism is both fruitless and wrong as a description of the world." An integrative approach is what is needed, but, Lewontin laments, our technical ability to manipulate DNA has seduced scientists to such an extent that the very questions they are asking are being shaped by technology rather than by intellectual curiosity. Our fascination with DNA has "changed and pauperized, temporarily it is to be hoped, an entire field of study." Although the issues Lewontin addresses are huge, he writes about them in a manner fully accessible to the nonspecialist. 19 line illustrations. (May) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Lewontin, an eminent Harvard biologist, is known both for his own contributions and his criticisms of other scientists' theories. This slim volume contains four essays. The first two essays critique theories asserting that genes or environment primarily determine the adult organism. The third discusses the problems of studying individual parts of an organism in isolation and of assuming that every effect has a "cause." In the final essay, Lewontin offers suggestions for further research. The emphasis throughout is on the extreme complexity of living organisms and the dangers of oversimplifying biological processes. One feels that Lewontin, a political leftist, is especially critical of sociobiology because he fears that emphasizing the role of genetics in human behavior and abilities will continue to be used to justify oppression of "inferior" groups. This is a valid fear, but it should not be used to deny the real benefits of the study of behavioral genetics. Whatever the reader's views, these essays are well worth reading for their brilliant, if sometimes partisan, criticisms. Lewontin's style is remarkably clear considering the complex nature of some of his arguments. Recommended for academic and large public libraries.--Marit MacArthur, Auraria Lib., Denver Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\
Lewontin (comparative zoology, Harvard U.) explains for general readers the themes, controversies, and debates in biology over the quarter century since his classic appeared. He emphasizes the reciprocal relationship of the three factors in the course of evolution, and warns against reducing evolution to a sequence of events predetermined by genetic programming. The Italian original, , was published by Laterza in 1998. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
This is a tough, challenging and
rewarding book aimed at persuading professional biologists to take account
of what, Lewontin says, they all know already at some level of their
consciousness. The general reader will find here a constructive critique of
the limitations of science by a very successful and accomplished scientist.
The New York Times Book Review
