Control

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How did an obscure academic idea pave the way to the Holocaust within just fifty years? A remarkable combination of intelligence, knowledge, insight and admirable political passion, on a serious moral problem in contemporary society. A short, sharp, illuminating overview of the science, politics, uses and abuses of human gene editing Weighty and serious but accessible and perfectly pitched. The scholarship is astounding. A clear-sighted look at the past and present dangers of eugenics. Rutherford tells [the story] with great concision and with clarity, both scientific and moral. [He] condenses tricky concepts into smart and often witty prose, combining erudition with humility.… Honest, informed and humane. Rutherford’s swift, well-written account of these fascinating scientific and moral issues is well worth a read. Control is persuasive, sensible and ultimately reassuring, but it is not complacent.… To know history is ‘to inoculate ourselves against its being repeated,’ Rutherford argues. From that perspective, this book is a shot worth having. [Rutherford’s] scientific demolition of the eugenic project is brilliantly illuminating and compelling. His book will be indispensable for anyone who wants to assess the wild claims and counter-claims surrounding new genetic technologies. [A] stimulating critique of one of science’s most disgraceful chapters. US

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