This was very similar to Metzl's Hacking Darwin. A great primer for discussions about genetic engineering beyond the common response of "designer babies."

A book that deserves deep reading. 'The Genetic Age: Our Perilous Quest to Edit Life' by Matthew Cobb, professor of zoology at the University of Manchester. Written out of concern, the book opens with three recent developments that brought the potential for amazing opportunities and also catastrophes:

- CRISPR editing in 2018 mutated three human embryos with no agreed way to prevent future repeats

- Gene drives to eradicate malaria or wreak havoc on the ecosystem?

- Lethal pathogens are produced to gain insight into future pandemics that could lead to outbreaks of further terrifying new diseases

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If you have an interest in genetic engineering and molecular biology this is the book to read. It is both well-written and informative. Mathew Cobb writes both clearly and well so it is a good book to buy and read.

This book highlights the critical role that conversations around ethics need to play in the field of science, but especially Genetics. Matthew Cobb takes the reader on a historical journey about self-regulation in the field of Genetics in several different avenues: medicine, GMOs, bioweapons and gene drives. Cobb highlights the importance of the public being informed in research efforts and how salient it is to think about the implications of genetic research being equitable.

I have been studying Genetics for almost nine years (four year undergrad degree in Genetics, and five years in a Genetics and Molecular Biology Ph.D. program) and I learned more in this book about the history of self-regulation in Genetics than I did in any of my classes. Cobb articulated many of my thoughts about ethics in genetics – if we can do something should we? It was refreshing that Cobb is drawing attention to the ‘what-ifs’ of genetic research and putting forth the suggestion that other routes are often simpler than genetic editing.

I would consider this book a must-read for any geneticist. Understanding the historical, social, and cultural narratives underlying past Genetic research, especially surrounding more controversial topics like gene editing, can strongly inform future research and help scientists ask better questions before embarking on potentially unethical research.