** NEW YORK TIMES NUMBER ONE BESTSELLER **

The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee is a sweeping exploration of one of humanity’s most powerful and perilous ideas: the gene. 
Written by the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Emperor of All Maladies, this masterful work chronicles the epic history of genetics, from its humble beginnings in an Augustinian abbey in 1856 to its transformative impact on biology and society.

The journey begins with Gregor Mendel’s discovery of the “unit of heredity” and intersects with Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, before confronting the atrocities of Nazi eugenics. In the post-war era, the gene revolutionized our understanding of identity, sexuality, temperament, and free will, culminating in breakthroughs such as DNA’s double helix and the Human Genome Project.

Mukherjee weaves an intimate thread through this scientific odyssey, reflecting on his own family’s history of mental illness and demonstrating the profound relevance of genetics to everyday life. As we develop the ability to “read” and “write” the human genome, the book raises urgent ethical questions about the power to alter the fates and identities of future generations.

Majestic in scope and deeply personal, The Gene offers a definitive account of humanity’s quest to decode the "master code" of life, illuminating our past and envisioning our genetic future.
 

“A well-written, accessible, and entertaining account of one of the most important of all scientific revolutions, one that is destined to have a fundamental impact on the lives of generations to come. The Gene is an important guide to that future.” —The Guardian

“Mukherjee’s visceral and thought-provoking descriptions... clearly show what he is capable of, both as a writer and as a thinker.” — Nature