Genetic Engineering: A Documentary History

Explore the late 20th-century history and development of plant, animal, and human genetics in this collection of 135 documents. Included are samples of commentaries on these scientific developments from the scientists themselves, government departments, ethicists, religious leaders, and various interest groups. Students, teachers, and interested readers can use this valuable resource to trace the different arguments and concerns surrounding the controversial topic of genetic engineering. Arranged topically, and highlighting in particular the human genome project, which seeks to map the entire human genome, this valuable resource provides an excellent background for research and debate with its broad range of pro and con opinions.

The easy to use format allows the reader to focus on one particular aspect of genetic engineering or to compare and contrast the arguments presented in more than one area. The six different areas include: Animal Applications, Agriculture, The Human Genome Project, Issues in Research, Ethical Issues, and Cloning. The documents in each section, carefully selected to represent a wide range of positions, present samples of social, ethical, and religious commentary that have evolved due to developments in modern genetics as they relate to plants, animals, and humans. Such developments include the applications of these technologies to create transgenic crops, to patent animals, to provide gene therapy for humans, and to clone plants and animals, as well as possibly cloning humans. Shannon’s volume will be a welcome resource for those looking to explore these issues from as many different angles as possible.