Sitting in a coffee shop in Tustin, California I finished reading Epigenetics: The Ultimate Mystery of Inheritance
. I was intrigued to learn more about the science of epigenetics after listening to some lectures on stress and the body by Stanford University Professor Dr. Robert Sapolsky. So what is epigenetics? Epigenetics is the alteration of gene “behavior” without changing the genetic code. These changes in gene behavior can last a lifetime and, sometimes, future generations. Sounds deep? Don’t worry. Author Richard C. Francis wrote the book for general readers like us to follow along. I must admit there were some sections where I felt like I was back in college biology class. Francis doesn’t dwell on each topic but offers important insight and current research. For a relatively short book (160 pages not including his notes), it covers a lot of territory from the Dutch famine of WWII, the obesity epidemic, nonidentical identical twins, contagious cancer and more. He uses fascinating examples and case studies that helped me better understand the world of gene expression. It’s a good introduction to a burgeoning science.
