How fifty years of genetic engineering have brought us to the brink of a profound and disturbing future, from Baillie Gifford-shortlisted scientist Matthew Cobb

A TIMES ENVIRONMENT AND SCIENCE BOOK OF THE YEAR 2022 'Brilliant .. I cannot recommend this book strongly enough' - Henry Marsh, New Statesman (about The Idea of the Brain) A new gene editing technology, invented just seven years ago, has turned humanity into gods. Enabling us to manipulate the genes in virtually any organism with exquisite precision, CRISPR has given scientists a degree of control that was undreamt of even in science fiction. But CRISPR is just the latest, giant leap in a long journey to master genetics. The Genetic Age shows the astonishing, world-changing potential of the new genetics and the possible threats it poses, sifting between fantasy and the reality when it comes to both benefits and dangers. By placing each phase of discovery, anticipation and fear in the context of over fifty years of attempts to master the natural world, Matthew Cobb, the Baillie-Gifford-shortlisted author of The Idea of the Brain, weaves the stories of science, history and culture to shed new light on our future. With the powers now at our disposal, it is a future that is almost impossible to imagine - but it is one we will create ourselves.

"Fascinating, occasionally chilling and very readable" - The Times

"An excellent primer for anyone seeking a well-informed discussion of the moral implications of this enduringly controversial science" - Economist

"Detailed and deeply researched ... striking ... complex" - New Statesman

"Disturbing and readable" - New Scientist

"Comprehensive ... you can sense Cobb's excitement and enthusiasm" - TLS

"[A] deeply researched and often deeply troubling history of gene science ... [in search of] decency and honor in a morally complex field." - New York Times

"Masterfully written and deeply researched ... Cobb catapults us into a world full of the joys of discovery, the intense rivalries and friendships between scientists, and the many moral and scientific uncertainties about genetics that await us" - The Gene: An Intimate History

"The ideal guide to what is not just a fiendishly complex area of science but also an ethical minefield" - Mail on Sunday

"There are serious questions about the safety of genetic engineering, but also profound social and ethical questions about its use. Matthew Cobb, in his detailed and deeply researched book ... is concerned as much about these questions as he is about the technical details ... but the book is not a primer for understanding the field; it is much more than that." - New Statesman

"Wonderful ... a thoughtful, lively and evocative exposition of the history of genetic engineering." - Wall Street Journal

"Excellent and occasionally harrowing ... masterfully told history ... offers a clear-eyed, well-researched view of the promises and pitfalls of a necessary new technology" - Forbes

"[An] indefatigable exploration of the genesis of biology ... beautifully lays out the sheer improbability of our biosphere." - The Atlantic

"A look at genetic engineering that provides valuable background for rethinking the appropriate uses for these technologies." - Kirkus

"A truly valuable book ... most of us get very big picture ideas of what's going on with gene editing and other genetic modifications from the media. Now we've got the real story" - Popular Science

"An engaging, intriguing book about the history of genetic engineering and where it might lead society ... Excellent." - Library Journal

"[A] remarkable jaunt through the twists and turns of the genetic engineering revolution ... a valuable new go-to source." - Science

"Cobb does an excellent job describing the history and the nuts and bolts of genetic engineering. But his real focus, as the title of his book implies, is on the sociological, psychological, and philosophical questions surrounding the genetic age." - GEN Biotechnology

"His evenhanded critique balances caution about emergent technologies with tart scepticism of overreaching claims ... The result is an eye-opening - and occasionally hair-raising - indictment of scientific hubris and recklessness." - Publishers Weekly

"The book provides such rich description that even the most knowledgeable readers ... will learn something new ... fascinating." - Journal of Medical Humanities

"A superb account of genetic engineering in life and culture, in all its myriad anxieties and exhilarations. Should we be scared? Read this book and you'll have a sense of the answer" - It's the End of the World

"Profound and important ... Written with astute, calm and clear-sighted judgement, The Genetic Age is likely to be the definitive account of the rise of gene biotechnologies. Neither a credulous booster nor a doom-mongering catastrophist, Matthew Cobb steers a prudent path through the promise and perils of genetic engineering" - Critical Mass

"Faced with a new round of genetic dreams and nightmares, Matthew Cobb skilfully sifts the truth from the hype in this thrilling and alarming account of our most dangerous and exciting technology" - How to Stop Fascism

"The promise of genetic engineering is limitless, the stuff of dreams and nightmares, and that is also the problem, as Matthew Cobb shows us in this elegant and meticulously researched history. Packed with human stories and fascinating detail, this is the journey of discovery that changed how we view life itself." - Transcendence, Adventures in the Anthropocene

"A lucid and vigorously insightful account of the pitfalls and triumphs of the twenty-first century's most ethically challenging and potentially world-changing technology" - Fairyland

"A superb guide to the global history of the dreams, fears and science of genetic engineering, and why it matters for tomorrow" - Turing and the Universal Machine

"A gripping, bawdy tale of science fiction morphing into business history ... Exhaustively researched and beautifully written ... the histories of recombinant DNA, biotech, GMOs, gene therapy, and cloning in a single lively, accessible account" - The Tangled Field: How Genetics Became the Heart of American Medicine

"A riveting guide to the new age of genome engineering, revealing how ideas and technology that until recently existed only in science fiction are now a stunning clinical reality ... Required reading for anyone who cares about the future of humanity and our planet" - Editing Humanity