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Paul Atkinson, Peter Glasner, and Margaret Lock, eds., The Handbook of Genetics & Society: Mapping the New Genomic Era. Genetics and Society. New York: Routledge, 2009, 500 pp. $US 155.00 hardcover (978-0-415-41080-9)
Appearing a decade since the mapping of the human genome, The Handbook of Genetics & Society provides a timely survey of contemporary social science research on genomics. In contrast to the narrower focus of other recently published collections on the new genomics, this collection provides a comprehensive survey showing the breadth and diversity of the field. In their incisive introduction the editors argue the need to rethink bio-economies and innovation in the new genomic era. Critical of two assumptions in genomic studies - "novelty everywhere" versus "nothing is new" - they caution social scientists against assuming either extreme and suggest treading an empirically led middle ground. For example, in their critique of the prevalence of novelty claims in the field of genomic studies, they ask how novel Rabinow's concept of biosociality actually is, and how accurate are its predictions that genomics would lead to revolutionary transformations of natural, cultural, and social relations. The editors also draw on empirical research to challenge the sweeping claims that genetic technologies will lead to wholesale changes in biomedicine. This empirically grounded approach is evident throughout the collection and is one of its strengths along with its inclusion of work that has received less attention in the field.
Bringing together work from multiple disciplines, the book is divided into seven sections, each of which opens with an introduction and can be read on its own. This is particularly useful given the size and broad scope of this collection. With the editors' emphasis on breadth and their efforts to map the large...