The Gene: An Intimate HistoryThe Gene: An Intimate History
Score Modern
What it's about
Siddhartha Mukherjee tells the history of the gene, from Mendel's peas and Darwin through eugenics and the Nazis, to the discovery of DNA, the Human Genome Project and gene editing. Running through it is his own family's history of mental illness, as he wonders what he and his children might have inherited.
Why it's worth reading
It hit #1 on the New York Times list. Mukherjee, who won a Pulitzer for The Emperor of All Maladies, makes hard science into a gripping story, and the personal thread makes it moving.
You'll love it if you liked
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer
The Code Breaker
The Immortal Life of Henrietta LacksGood to know
It's long and the later chapters get technical. The history of eugenics is disturbing.
By the numbers
- Readers93 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller62 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #26 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #63 of the 198 history books we rank
- #173 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #344 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Thought-provoking, True story, Moving
More by Siddhartha Mukherjee
If you like this, read next
American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine
Barrayar
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Quick answers
Is The Gene: An Intimate History worth reading?
Yes. It hit #1 on the New York Times list. It ranks #344 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 80.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Gene: An Intimate History about?
Siddhartha Mukherjee tells the history of the gene, from Mendel's peas and Darwin through eugenics and the Nazis, to the discovery of DNA, the Human Genome Project and gene editing. Running through it is his own family's history of mental illness, as he wonders what he and his children might have inherited.
How long does it take to read The Gene: An Intimate History?
About 14 hours (560 pages), or about 4 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after The Gene: An Intimate History?
If you liked it, try The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee, The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson or The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.