Product Description

Books such as Richard Dawkins's The Selfish Gene have aroused fierce controversy by arguing for the powerful influence of genes on human behavior. But are we entirely at the mercy of our chromosomes? In Are We Hardwired?, scientists William R. Clark and Michael Grunstein say the answer is both yes--and no. The power and fascination of Are We Hardwired? lie in their explanation of that deceptively simple answer. Using eye-opening examples of genetically identical twins who, though raised in different families, have had remarkably parallel lives, the authors show that indeed roughly half of human behavior can be accounted for by DNA. But the picture is quite complicated. Clark and Grunstein take us on a tour of modern genetics and behavioral science, revealing that few elements of behavior depend upon a single gene; complexes of genes, often across chromosomes, drive most of our heredity-based actions. To illustrate this point, they examine the genetic basis, and quirks, of individual behavioral traits--including aggression, sexuality, mental function, eating disorders, alcoholism, and drug abuse. They show that genes and environment are not opposing forces; heredity shapes how we interpret our surroundings, which in turn changes the very structure of our brain. Clearly we are not simply puppets of either influence. Perhaps most interesting, the book suggests that the source of our ability to choose, to act unexpectedly, may lie in the chaos principle: the most minute differences during activation of a single neuron may lead to utterly unpredictable actions. This masterful account of the nature-nurture controversy--at once provocative and informative--answers some of our oldest questions in unexpected new ways

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #399691 in Books
• Published on: 2004-10-21
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

From Amazon.co.uk
The notion that our chromosomes might dictate some of our behaviour makes DNA a four-letter word to strict nurturists. Yet there is strong evidence that genes do exert an influence over some part of nearly of our personalities. Immunologist William R. Clark and biochemist Michael Grunstein tackle this sticky issue in Are We Hardwired?: The Role of Genes in Human Behavior, an even-handed explanation and critique of current thinking on the topic. Exploring twin and family studies, biochemical research into the nervous systems of humans and less complex animals, and specific qualities like aggression, eating and sexual preference, the authors show that as with most other phenotypic expression, genes interact with each other and environmental factors to produce tendencies toward behaviour.

Their thinking is more complex than the journalistic attachment to "aggression genes" and other such simplifications; they would rather see and understand the intricate array of genes and the proteins they help to create than blame Johnny's brutality on a particular lonely stretch of his Y chromosome. This is exemplified by their refusal to use the word "intelligence" except when required for historical accuracy; this single concept has caused much more trouble than understanding since its inception. The prose is quiet and easygoing, the scientific explanations are clear but pull no punches, and the authors take great pains to expose the tremendous dangers of eugenics, making Are We Hardwired? one of the clearest, most useful books yet published on the nurture/nature debate. --Rob Lightner

From Publishers Weekly
To allay the growing concern surrounding the implications of behavioral genetics research, UCLA professors Clark (A Means to an End) and Grunstein present an illuminating survey attempting to clarify the extent to which human behavior is influenced by genes, the environment and free will. In efficient textbook style, the authors propose that 50% of human behavior can be accounted for by DNA and seek to defend this hypothesis through an accessible examination of studies of twins and a rather dry recounting of smaller species research. Unicellular paramecia, for example, exhibit avoidance behavior that can be disrupted via genetic mutation. Similarly, scientists have discovered mutations that can affect the learning abilities of certain fruitfly and roundworm species. Extrapolating from these findings, Clark and Grunstein meticulously detail how genetic alterations can disrupt neuron and neurotransmitter functioning in the human brain and thereby alter human behavior. Some of the behaviors that genes may mediate are aggression, substance abuse, mental functioning and sexual preference. Clark and Grunstein show that identical twins often possess similar mental capacities and even a similar likelihood of becoming substance abusers. For males, preliminary studies indicate that aggression and sexual preference may be heritable through the Y-chromosome. Clark and Grunstein are quick to note, however, that the way a gene is actually expressed depends on environment and experience, which can reroute neuronal connections, resulting in an ever-evolving, complex matrix. Genetic determinism has recently received plenty of attention from scientists and ethicists, and Clark and Grunstein offer the general reader a well-organized, though occasionally tedious, overview that thoroughly addresses the major issues concerning this controversial subject. (Oct.)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"This book tells the story of how genes and other aspects of biology such as pheromones and neurotransmitters affect important behaviors such as aggression, eating disorders, drug use and abuse, sexual preference, learning and memory, and mental function. The story begins with the real stars of genetic research--sea slugs, round worms, and fruit flies--and builds up to what we know about our own species. The story is told in a captivating way--exciting yet erudite. Excellent!"--Robert Plomin, MRC Research Professor, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London and author of the upcoming fourth edition of Behaviour Genetics.

"Are we hardwired? Do billion-year old genes play an important role in human behavior? Pick up this book. You won't be able to put it down."--Thomas J. Bouchard, Jr., Professor of Psychology, University of Minnesota

Customer Reviews

very worthwhile - until a better book comes along.
I loved Clark’s “Sex and the Origin of Death” and “At War Within”. By comparison, I was disappointed in Hardwired. It is a serious , very informative book, and I believe you can trust Clark. The earlier chapters, about one celled animals, a worm, and a fly, were brilliant, and a lot about the basis of human behavior may be learned from them. The material in the first chapter about studies of twins separated at birth is provocative. The problem is that once Clark, or was it Grunstein, got to vertebrates, the material was just not well integrated. Too often the book read as a series of summaries of successive findings, some of which were inconsistent. Yes, Clark had some overarching themes, repeated a number of times, but that doesn’t replace a good synthesis. There is much that is partially understood at best, and a lot of research which casts light only on a small piece of the puzzle, making a good synthesis more difficult for conscientious authors, but that just makes their job harder, not impossible. Bottom line: if you are interested in the subject AND in science, including technical details, read this book, until a better one comes along.

An Excellent Intro to the Role of Genetics in Human Behavior
This book takes on the really big questions about human existence: Is our behavior controlled by our genes, our environment or both? Is our behavior genetically dictated? If so, what can (or should) we do about it? This book actually makes some headway in resolving these questions and others like them and has the added attraction of giving you a survey of the science in this area.

This book sat on my coffee table unread for six months because I harbored two opposing fears about reading it: On the one hand, I thought that the technical scientific details would be daunting, and on the other, I feared that this was an area that was not capable of intellectual resolution, that nothing of importance to understanding the human condition could be learned in this area. I was wrong on both counts. This book is a great introduction to what science has learned about the role of genes in human behavior and it is presented in a manner comprehensible to the lay reader.

The first half of the book is devoted to the study of the behavior of comparatively simple creatures, round worms, Drosophila, sea slugs, etc. By analyzing simplified nervous systems, the authors are able to explore some simple relationships between genes and behavior. Then, in the second half, these same relationships are explored in more advanced creatures and in humans. The authors make clear the limits of the extension of these principles to more complex settings, but they were able to convince me of the appropriateness of the application of these studies to more complex species.

The conclusions that the authors draw are not simplistic. The complex interplay of neurotransmitters is effectively developed and the possibility of multiple behavioral and neural antecedents to behavior is acknowledged. Still the same the reader will be awed, both by the genetic and neural science and by the implications for the human condition.

In short, this is exactly the kind of book that will rock you back in your chair, stunned by the complexity and wonder that is the human neurological system.

The Role of genes in our behavior
The authors are not your average community med tech or physician but University research professionals. Dr Clark with UC at Los Angeles' Dept of Molecular Cell and Developmental Biology and Dr Grunstein at UCLA's School of Medicine and Molecular Institute. The book is just over 300 pages and cover a variety of issues from the evolutionary origins of behavior, genes and behavior, the evolution of learning and memory, the role of neurotransmitters in human behavior, the genetics of aggression, eating disorders, substance abuse, mental health, sexual preference and the environment and free will.

Chapter 13 which deals with The Genetics Of Sexual Preference is interesting since they wisely note what many of us bisexual women have always known, which is that "Women show a much broader spectrum of preferences, with a much higher percentage of nonheterosexual women showing varying degrees of bisexuality." And I was enthralled with the information about Charles Darwin's cousin Francis Galton who coined the phrase "nature Vs nurture." Galton is someone I greatly admire. The notation of the value of eugenics is valuable.

Page 293 "What if we define the alleles of other genes that play a major role in aggressiveness, or criminality, or homosexuality? Almost certainly there will be at least a few individuals who will want to use this new information to manage their own reproductive affairs. Past history tells us that if such people gain political power, they may also try to impose their views on societies as a whole. How do we stop that from happening? ...."

Was bothered they included homosexuality mixed with issues like aggressiveness and criminal issues since sexual pleasure isn't a crime between consenting adults. Anymore that enjoying fine food, wine and music is.