Genes and Behavior : Nature-Nurture Interplay Explained

by Rutter, Michael J.

• ISBN13: 9781405110617
• ISBN10: 1405110619
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-02-06
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

In this major new book, eminent scientist Professor Sir Michael Rutter gets behind the hype of the behavioral genetics debate to provide a balanced and authoritative overview of the genetic revolution and its implications for understanding human behavior. Written by one of the world's leading figures in child psychology and psychiatry, Professor Sir Michael Rutter. Provides non-technical explanation of genetics to diffuse the sensational debates surrounding the topic. Sets out in layman's terms what genes do, how much is nature and how much is nurture. Argues that nature and nurture are not truly separate and gives examples of how the two interact. Looks at the implications of genetic findings for policy and practice. The book will inform public debate about the implications of the Human Genome Project and, more broadly, the field of genetic science.

Author Biography

Professor Sir Michael Rutter trained in psychiatry at the Maudsley Hospital, London, and in child development at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York. He was appointed to the first UK Chair in Child Psychiatry in 1973 and since his retirement in 1998, he has held a research chair in Developmental Psychopathology at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College, London. He has authored or edited some forty books, published over four hundred scientific papers, and has received numerous international awards and honors. Sir Michael is a member of the US Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine and a foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and of the US National Academy of Education. He received a CBE in 1985 and was knighted in 1992. He was Deputy Chairman of the Wellcome Trust from 1999 to 2004 and continues as a trustee of several foundations, including the Nuffield Foundation.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. vi
Acknowledgments	p. ix
Why is the topic of genes and behavior controversial?	p. 1
Causes and risks	p. 18
How much is nature and how much nurture?	p. 40
The heritability of different mental disorders and traits	p. 64
Environmentally mediated risks	p. 93
Patterns of inheritance	p. 117
What genes do	p. 144
Finding and understanding specific susceptibility genes	p. 156
Gene-environment interplay	p. 178
What environments do to genes	p. 211
Conclusions	p. 221
Complete reference list	p. 226
Glossary	p. 264
Index	p. 271
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