Blood Matters: A Journey Along The Genetic Frontier - Softcover

'Blood Matters is about far more than Gessen's own story. She writes energetically - about the grander context in which her personal drama takes place - The book's enduring memory is Gessen's intelligence and wit as she's staring down the barrel of a gun'- The Scotsman'Gessen argues that in a generation we will discuss our genetic inheritance in the same way that we discuss social class and other environmental influences on character nowadays. It's a superb read.' - The Times'A brave, passionate and well-written book' - Sunday Times'Gessen argues that in future, genetic information will transform our lives - she renders complicated concepts accessible and easy to digest' - Guardian

In 2004, genetic testing revealed that Masha Gessen had a mutation that predisposed her to ovarian and breast cancer. 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, a New York Times Notable Book for 2008, is a much needed field guide to this unfa-miliar and unsettling territory, pointing the way towards the radical transfor-mation genetic information is engineering in our sense of who we are and what we might become.