Any good books on GE?

[carlosthetackle]

Can anyone recommend any really good books or other reading material on the issues surrounding genetic engineering? I am interested in this topic, but all I ever see in the media is propaganda, from both sides of the debate. It really bothers me that most of the people who visibly oppose GE seem to be woefully ignorant of the scientific issues involved and I have seen very little demonstration of critical thinking and intelligent argument from either side of the debate, although I hold the general media presentation largely responsible for this portrayal.

I know there must be some intelligent material out there and I would really like to become more informed on the real issues involved so I can form an opinion of my own.

Any suggestions of where to start.

 

[RandFan]

Can anyone recommend any really good books or other reading material on the issues surrounding genetic engineering? I am interested in this topic, but all I ever see in the media is propaganda, from both sides of the debate. It really bothers me that most of the people who visibly oppose GE seem to be woefully ignorant of the scientific issues involved and I have seen very little demonstration of critical thinking and intelligent argument from either side of the debate, although I hold the general media presentation largely responsible for this portrayal.

I know there must be some intelligent material out there and I would really like to become more informed on the real issues involved so I can form an opinion of my own.

Any suggestions of where to start.

There is an article or two at CISCOP

You might want to check out this thread Idiot "Enviormental Activists" Want to Starve Millions

As far as books go, Seeds of Contention : World Hunger and the Global Controversy Over GM (Genetically Modified) Crops is probably the most unbiased look at the subject.

RandFan

 

[Kevin_Lowe]

As far as human GE is concerned, if I had to recommend one book it would certainly be From Chance To Choice: Genetics and Justice, by Buchanan, Brock, Daniels and Wikler. Cambridge Uni Press, 2001. It's really very good and very thorough.

Non-human GE isn't really my area, so I can't recommend any particular book. The problem is that the green movement have a vested interest in scaremongering and the agricorps have billions invested in GE research, so you can figure out where their vested interests lie. Plus the state of the art moves so fast that I do not think anyone can honestly say what the effects of non-human GE will be on life in thirty or fifty years time. Good luck finding something sensible and unbiased (but watch out for agricorp PR that is trying to look unbiased, I've seen some whoppers).