Brave New Worlds: Staying Human in the Genetic Future

Bryan Appleyard doesn't really have much new to say about the future of human society in the face of genetic science advances, but he states his arguments simply, precisely, and quickly. In fact, Appleyard's main purpose seems simply to be a call for awareness. In a time where new discoveries about DNA and human biochemistry come fast and furious, Appleyard preaches vigilance, lest we end up with the genetic equivalent of the atom bomb--which is a perfect example, he says, of what naive scientists will do when their knowledge is unchecked by society. His main points are that scientific knowledge is not (and probably has never been) morally neutral, despite the protestations of well-meaning advocates of science; that new developments are not always good; that genetic screening and abortion as currently practiced are eugenics; and that the practice of eugenics, no matter how well disguised, will lead us to a future that looks disturbingly like Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. We must decide for ourselves what we want before science and politics decide for us, says Appleyard. This short book is bound to anger scientists, religious leaders, and people on both ends of the left-right political spectrum--Appleyard no doubt hopes it will get people talking about the "scientific juggernaut" of genetics. Brave New Worlds will also give readers a quick, anxious overview of the state of genetics-research policy in the wake of the first successful adult mammalian clone and the Human Genome Project, and plenty of food for thought about what it is to be human. --Therese Littleton