Blood Matters : From BRCA1 to Designer Babies, How the World and I Found Ourselves in the Future of the Gene

Retail Masha Gessen discovered throughgenetic testing that she had the dreaded BRCA1 genetic mutation--the same mutation made famous recently by Angelina Jolie, which predisposes women to ovarian and breast cancer. As Gessen wrestled with a wrenching personal decisionwhat to do with such knowledgeshe explored the landscape of a brave new world, speaking with others like her and with experts including medical researchers, historians, and religious thinkers. Blood Matters is a much-needed field guide to this unfamiliar and unsettling territory. It explores the way genetic information is shaping the decisions we make, not only about our physical and emotional health but about whom we marry, the children we bear, even the personality traits we long to have. And it helps us come to terms with the radical transformation that genetic information is engineering in our most basic sense of who we are and what we might become. **

In 2004 genetic testing revealed that Masha Gessen had a mutation that predisposed her to ovarian and breast cancer. The discovery initiated Gessen into a club of sorts: the small (but exponentially expanding) group of people in possession of a new and different way of knowing themselves through what is inscribed in the strands of their DNA. As she wrestled with a wrenching personal decision—what to do with such knowledge—Gessen explored the landscape of this brave new world, speaking with medical experts, religious thinkers, historians, and others facing genetic disorders.

 

Blood Matters is a much needed field guide to this unfamiliar and unsettling territory. It explores the way genetic information is shaping the decisions we make, not only about our physical and emotional health but about whom we marry, the children we bear, even the personality traits we long to have. And it helps us come to terms with the radical transformation that genetic information is engineering in our most basic sense of who we are and what we might become.

 

 

 

The New York Times - Jennifer Senior

While it was Gessen's misfortune to have inherited her mother's cruel mutation, it was her good luck—and ours—that she also inherited her mother's storytelling grace and critical dexterity (Yolka Gessen was a writer and a translator). Blood Matters is valuable reading to almost anyone facing a huge health decision, not only for the literary commiseration it offers, but also for the inspired example of medical sleuthing on one's own behalf that it provides. Gessen keeps an inflammatory topic at room temperature, writing elegantly and without self-pity. The book is very funny in places…It's also very lucid, even when the science gets complex. It's a liberating book. Strange as it sounds, it would make a great Mother's Day present.

A National Book Award winner’s personal journey through the ethical dilemmas and unsettling choices raised by the new frontier of DNA testing. Several years after Masha Gessen’s mother died of breast cancer, she discovered she too had the BRCA1 gene mutation, which predisposes women to high rates of ovarian and breast cancer. Her doctors gave her narrow options: surgical removal of her breasts and ovaries or living with the likelihood of one day developing cancer. As Gessen wrestled with her own health decisions, she sought more information about the implications of genetic testing from a variety of sources—ranging from others faced with her same dilemma to medical researchers, historians, and religious thinkers. With concerns both practical and philosophical, personal and societal, her inquiry led her across the globe, with stops in Israel, Russia, Austria, and the United States. Weaving her own story into her journalistic research, Gessen offers insight into how knowledge that was once unimaginable now shapes our lives. Blood Matters explores not only the decisions we must make in our physical and emotional health, but also the ethical choices we face when choosing spouses or having children. “Valuable reading to almost anyone facing a huge health decision, not only for the literary commiseration it offers, but also for the inspired example of medical sleuthing on one’s own behalf that it provides. Gessen keeps an inflammatory topic at room temperature, writing elegantly and without self pity.” —The New York Times Book Review (publisher-supplied Data) In 2004 Genetic Testing Revealed That Masha Gessen Had A Mutation That Predisposed Her To Ovarian And Breast Cancer. The Discovery Initiated Gessen Into A Club Of Sorts: The Small (but Exponentially Expanding) Group Of People In Possession Of A New And Different Way Of Knowing Themselves Through What Is Inscribed In The Strands Of Their Dna. As She Wrestled With A Wrenching Personal Decision -- What To Do With Such Knowledge -- Gessen Explored The Landscape Of This Brave New World, Speaking With Others Like Her And With Experts Including Medical Researchers, Historians, And Religious Thinkers. Blood Matters Is A Much-needed Field Guide To This Unfamiliar And Unsettling Territory. It Explores The Way Genetic Information Is Shaping The Decisions We Make, Not Only About Our Physical And Emotional Health But About Whom We Marry, The Children We Bear, Even The Personality Traits We Long To Have. And It Helps Us Come To Terms With The Radical Transformation That Genetic Information Is Engineering In Our Most Basic Sense Of Who We Are And What We Might Become. Pt. 1. The Past. My Mother's Fatal Flaw -- The Four Mothers Of Jews -- The Post-nazi Era -- Pt. 2. The Present. Indecision -- A Decision At Any Cost -- The Father Of Hereditary Cancers -- The Cruelest Disease -- The Science Of Matchmaking -- The Operation -- Pt. 3. The Future. The Future The Old-fashioned Way -- Biobabble -- What We Fear Most. Masha Gessen. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [289]-307) And Index. "In 2004 genetic testing revealed the Masha Gessen had a mutation that predisposed her to ovarian and breast cancer. The discovery initiated Gessen into a club of sorts: the small (but exponentially expanding) group of people in possession of a new and different way of knowing themselves through what is inscribed in the strands of their DNA. As she wrestled with a wrenching personal decision - what to do with such knowledge - Gessen investigated the landscape of this brave new world, speaking with others like her and with experts including medical researchers, historians, and religious thinkers." "Blood Matters is a much-needed field guide to this unfamiliar and unsettling territory. It explores the way genetic information is shaping the decisions we make, not only about our physical and emotional health but about whom we marry, the children we bear, even the personality traits we long to have."--Résumé de l'éditeur Masha Gessen discovered through genetic testing that she had the dreaded BRCA1 genetic mutation--the same mutation made famous recently by Angelina Jolie, which predisposes women to ovarian and breast cancer. As Gessen wrestled with a wrenching personal decision-what to do with such knowledge-she explored the landscape of a brave new world, speaking with others like her and with experts including medical researchers, historians, and religious thinkers. Blood Matters is a much-needed field guide to this unfamiliar and unsettling territory. It explores the way genetic information is shaping the decisions we make, not only about our physical and emotional health but about whom we marry, the children we bear, even the personality traits we long to have. And it helps us come to terms with the radical transformation that genetic information is engineering in our most basic sense of who we are and what we might become Describes how advanced genetic testing led to the author's discovery that she was predisposed to ovarian and breast cancer and examines how genetic data shapes the decisions people make and their personal sense of identity. Explores how recent advances in genetic mapping, which are allowing doctors to identify patients who are at increased risk for life-threatening illnesses, are shaping the decisions people make about their lives