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Wrestling with Behavioral Genetics:

Science, Ethics, and Public Conversation
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Hardly a month goes by without a media report proclaiming that researchers have discovered the gene for some complex human behavior or trait—intelligence, dyslexia, shyness, homosexuality. The practical implications of genetic research can bring great good—relieving parents of self-blame for a child's schizophrenia or autism and possibly treating genetic diseases in the future. Other findings—or pernicious interpretations of them—can cause great harm, for example, by establishing flawed connections between genetics, race, and educational attainment. Wrestling with Behavioral Genetics brings together an interdisciplinary group of contributors—human geneticists, humanists, social scientists, lawyers, and journalists—to discuss the ethical and social implications of behavioral genetics research. The essays give readers the necessary tools to critically analyze the findings of behavioral geneticists, explore competing interpretations of the ethical and social implications of those findings, and engage in a productive public conversation about them. This volume provides an accessible introduction to a fascinating and controversial science and the societal and individual implications of its continuing development.Reviews''This volume presents a fair and honest treatment of the field that is both cautious at times and also optimistic and hopeful.''—James Sage, Metapsychology''Informative, provocative, and challenging, this book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand this emerging field.''—Bonnie Steinbock, Social Theory and Practice''What sets this collection apart from others is the way that contributions from a diverse authorship are integrated to form a coherent whole . . . Doubtless this book will soon become a classic within behavioral genetics, and compulsory reading for the non-specialist seeking to understand the basic scientific, social and ethical issues within the field.''—Jonathan P. Roiser, American Journal of Bioethics''Promoting public conversation about behavioral genetics will be increasingly pertinent to creating enlightened, fair, and representative public policy . . . The 'wrestling' will go on for some time to come.''—John I. Nurnberger, M.D., Ph.D., New England Journal of Medicine

""Highly recommended.""

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