“What’s in Your Genome? is a powerful account of how the human genome was assembled at the most basic level, why it’s so sloppy and prodigal, and why that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
John W. Farrell, Commonweal
“Moran provides a cogent synthesis of the arguments for the junk-filled genome hypothesis. The subject matter in this book is not easy. Molecular biologists might well be challenged by the population genetics theory, while the biochemistry details may vex evolutionary biologists. Moran does an excellent job at presenting both of these aspects. I am also glad that he provided a historical perspective, showing that many of the current debates have a long history.”
Norman A. Johnson, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Evolution: International Journal of Organic Evolution
"What's in Your Genome? is a thought-provoking and pugnacious book that will make you wonder afresh at the molecular intricacies of life. When it comes to our genomes, we humans are nothing special – Moran makes a convincing argument that the vast majority of our sloppy human genome is not mysterious genetic treasures but boring old junk."
Kat Arney, science writer, broadcaster, and author of Rebel Cell: Cancer, Evolution, and the New Science of Life’s Oldest Betrayal
"What’s in Your Genome? is an enormously useful book and a powerful and necessary defense of the concept of junk DNA. Moran presents a clear summary of how the public can be misled by even the most experienced of science writers. We need more outspoken scientists like him."
W. Ford Doolittle, Professor Emeritus, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University
"Recently most molecular biologists and genomicists have been convinced that most of the sequence in our genomes is intricately functional, that the idea of junk DNA was a mistake that can now be mostly discarded. But almost all researchers in molecular evolution have disagreed with this. Laurence A. Moran's clear and incisive book explains why many biologists are so thoroughly mistaken – why our genomes are ‘messy,’ and full of junk DNA."
Joe Felsenstein, Professor Emeritus, Departments of Genome Sciences and of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle
"The writing is so crisp and exquisite that it's almost as if a magical code is being revealed whereby the reader is being invited to step inside a furious scientific debate."
Lee McIntyre, Research Fellow, Center for Philosophy and History of Science, Boston University
"A serious warning to scientists and science writers who, to seduce their public, privilege the too-fast announcement of novelties and revolutions instead of doing a cautious examination of the results. Laurence A. Moran has written a deeply honest and extremely well-documented book on one of the hottest recent controversies in science. A master class on what science is and what it must continue to be."
Michel Morange, Professor Emeritus of Biology, Institute of the History and Philosophy of Sciences and Techniques , Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne
"Laurence A. Moran lucidly explains the science behind an ugly yet thrilling truth – the DNA sequences that specify our body’s proteins and RNAs are indeed finely honed by natural selection (like a Swiss watch), but they are only tiny islands of information embedded in a swamp of evolved gibberish."
Rosemary J. Redfield, Professor Emerita of Zoology, University of British Columbia
"Rarely does a science writer respect their audience enough to bring them into the weeds of confusion the way that Dr. Moran does, but the rewards are there to be reaped. A thorough reader will never look at the genome of any living organism or the concept of junk DNA the same way after reading this and will be left wondering how so many baseless claims have made headlines in recent years. In the capable hands of Dr. Moran, we can all learn to untangle facts from unsupported assertions and come away understanding why our genome is structured in precisely the way that it is."
Ethan Siegel, Theoretical Astrophysicist and founder of Starts With A Bang
"Junk DNA is a concept that’s not well understood, even by most biologists, yet arguments about its existence are commonplace. In What’s in Your Genome?, Moran brings together evolution, genomics, and decades of scientific history to make the case for it. Even if you don’t agree with all of his conclusions, you’d benefit from the clarity he brings to the topic."
John R. Timmer, Science Editor, Ars Technica
"This book is a clear and fascinating guide to the exotic menagerie of elements that exists in our DNA and a no-holds-barred defense of an important but often ignored fact about the human genome: most of it has no function. But Moran shows that, even without function, junk DNA is incredibly interesting."
Michael White, Associate Professor of Genetics, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine
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