Anti-reductionists will enjoy Genetics and the Manipulation of Life: The Forgotten Factor of Context (Lindisfarne, $14.95, ISBN 0 940262 77 0) by Craig Holdredge. This is well-trodden territory, but apart from the odd unconsciously funny lapse—”The feet we walk on when we are seven are not the ones we inherited”—his argument, that genes and organisms can only be understood in the context of their surroundings, is worth repeating.
More from New Scientist
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Life
Frozen squirrel scat preserves ancient DNA from hundreds of species
News
Environment
The last-ditch plan to save coral reefs from utter destruction
Features
Earth
Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact site stayed hot for millions of years
News
Space
A cosmic case of mistaken identity that can only be solved right now
Comment
Popular articles
Trending New Scientist articles
1
Mysterious ‘cold blob’ in the Atlantic suggests the AMOC is weakening
2
Why we should all take quantum physics extremely personally
3
Dinosaur-killing asteroid impact site stayed hot for millions of years
4
Unpicking endometriosis reveals how it affects more than the pelvis
5
Understanding anorexia’s grip on the brain could unlock new therapies
6
What really happened when ancient humans migrated out of Africa
7
You could get some of the benefits of sleep without having to nod off
8
Wildlife thrives in solar farm built on restored peatland
9
CERN’s new chief on the gamble that could fix our picture of reality
10
The last-ditch plan to save coral reefs from utter destruction
